Gulf Oil Spill Clean-Up May Get a Dose of Biotechnology with Micro-Bac International

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill as Observed from the ISS (click for enlarged view)

The massive oil rig explosion of April 20th in the Gulf of Mexico may just cause the biggest oil spill in American history. Cleanup questions are on everyone’s mind, and Micro-Bac International , Inc., a Round Rock, Texas, environmental biotech company, says they have some answers. Using their environmentally compatible microbial products, they’ve been cleaning up oil spills around the world for 30 years.

Micro-Bac says that by using their microbes to devour the spill, they could get the leakage cleaned up before it reaches the coastlines. After the oil is gone, they say, the microbes will die off.

Miro-Bac uses a process called “bioremediation”. This technology is a natural process which uses microbes to reduce the organic substances to water and carbon dioxide, thus returning the natural environment to its original condition. Micro-Bac uses their M-1000 products to do the job. They state the solutions are an environmentally safe and low-carbon footprint alternative to traditional chemical based methods which are harmful to the environment.

What’s more, the Micro-Bac products are natural, non pathogenic, and are not genetically engineered. Handlers don’t require special clothing or equipment to protect them, and all products meet U.S. EPA requirements for release into the environment.

Micro-Bac employs up to 50 people at any one time, depending on current projects. They’ve had some pretty heft experience already, including an oil spill that occurred in the Amazonian Rain Forest; they were put on the job at the request of the Ecuadorian government. (See before and after photos, bottom.)

While the company hasn’t been put on the Gulf of Mexico job as of yet, Micro-Bac is currently receiving consulting inquiries from the Gulf Coast states. And with the help of Texas Congressman John Carter’s office, they’ve also contacted BP’s Deep Horizon center to let them know what products and services they have available. Whether or not BP opts to use Micro-Bac is still unknown.

Says Micro-Bac’s Director of Marketing Zeta Angelich, “I believe at this point that anyone in this country that works in some form of environmental clean-up, or provides products and services, should be involved so that this can be managed and brought under control.”

The Ecuador project before Micro-Bac’s cleanup