BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Wind, water, solar, natural gas, and even nuclear sources all play essential roles in delivering the nation’s electricity demands. But in Nebraska, which is among the top 10 states for industrial energy consumption, slightly more than half of the electrical power generated in the state is still produced from coal.
Utilities in Nebraska are tasked not only with meeting the energy needs of their customers but also with doing their part to protect the environment. For maintenance chiefs like Dean McLaughlin, that means taking care of the equipment on-site, including some old V6 diesel locomotives that transport coal to the facility.
THE PROBLEM
That leaking oil presents a daily challenge for Dean, especially when the locomotives leak oil onto the railroad tracks and into the ground underneath. To complicate matters even more, the facility is located in Tornado Alley, which experiences more than 20 tornadoes every year with winds up to 165 mph.
Three years ago, he began looking for a solution to capture the oil from the locomotives – no matter the weather. “We tried the stuff from (a leading absorbent manufacturer.) Then, we got wind, and it just riddled it. It would tear loose and shred to pieces. So we never had any luck with it.” The mat also disintegrated in direct sunlight in less than three months. “It wore out like an old pair of pants.”
OUR SOLUTION
Dean needed a long-lasting solution that prevented the oil from getting onto the tracks and into the ground. It needed to stay in place and be long-lasting because no one wants to spend a lot of time chasing and replacing mats.
Spilltration® Railroad Track Mat solved his ongoing problem. Dean liked how it fit snuggly against the insides of the rails, so he installed 100’ of the mat in November 2017. To keep it in place, he used screws and fender washers on the end, then covered those ends with gravel and placed angled rebar on the outside edges to keep the wind from picking it up.
The mat stayed in place, providing a long-term solution.
How Does Spilltration® Railroad Track Mat Stand Up to the Competitors?
Dean also appreciates how the Spilltration® Railroad Track Mat helps the facility protect the environment. “It pulls the oil in and holds it really well. It’s easy to clean up. It stays in one piece and doesn’t leak oil at all. When the Spilltration® Railroad Track Mat finally gets saturated, it still holds the oil when I roll it up for disposal. The previous mat would be broken down into little pieces and drip oil when you gathered up the pieces.”
Spilltration® Railroad Track Mat also came in handy when a diesel fuel delivery man accidentally dumped some fuel inside their containment area. “Last winter, we had a spill in a containment area around the filling station. You can’t release water from the containment area if there’s a sheen. We used a piece of the track mat and it sucked all of that diesel out. It pulled enough out that I was safe to release the water from that sump.”
Solving an ongoing problem with a highly effective, low- maintenance solution is right up Dean’s alley.
SPILLTRATION® TRACK MAT BENEFITS
