Hydraulic and earth engineering – Fluid control – treatment – or containment – Floatable matter containment
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-23
2001-12-25
Will, Thomas B. (Department: 3673)
Hydraulic and earth engineering
Fluid control, treatment, or containment
Floatable matter containment
C405S060000, C405S118000, C210S242400, C210S242100, C210S922000, C210S924000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06332737
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
This application relates to a portable pollution control apparatus designed for spanning creeks and other small size waterways. The apparatus traps sediments and absorbs water-borne hydrocarbons.
BACKGROUND
There is an increasing awareness that logging, road building and other similar operations in remote locations can cause significant environmental damage to fish habitat. Many species of fish spawn in small creeks which are particularly vulnerable to hydrocarbon spills or run-off containing sediment. Destruction of fish habitat can have a profound adverse affect on the whole forest ecosystem.
Some jurisdictions have recently imposed stringent regulations to limit the environmental impact of logging operations. The need has therefore arisen for improved pollution control devices which are particularly suited for temporary installation to protect creeks in remote locations.
One conventional approach for trapping sediment is to stack hay bales in a creek bed downstream from logging operations. The hay bales effectively function as an organic filter permitting the flow of water while acting as a barrier blocking the passage of sediment to downstream locations of the creek. A major shortcoming of this approach is that sediment which accumulates on the upstream side of the hay bales remains in the waterway and is often dispersed downstream when the hay bales are removed and the creek returns to its normal flow pattern.
“Silt fences”, which consist of sheets of woven polypropylene installed to extend across small waterways, suffer from the same limitation. The sheets allow the flow of water therethrough but trap sediment fines. However, not all of the fines settle on the creekbed and they may be dispersed downstream when the sheets are removed from the creek after the upstream logging operations or the like have been completed.
Conventional hay bale and silt fence barriers are also not capable of effectively containing hydrocarbon spills. While a great many hydrocarbon containing devices and methods are known in the prior art, the applicant is not aware of any prior art structures which are particularly adapted for spanning small waterways in conjunction with a sediment trap.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
In accordance with the invention, a waterway pollution control apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus includes an adjustable length boom extending across the waterway; an elongated, hydrocarbon absorbent sock suspended from the boom for extending in the waterway downstream from the boom; and a sheet of water-porous material connected to the boom and extending upstream therefrom to cover the bed of the waterway, the sheet having a pore size sufficient to substantially trap water-borne sediment. The sheet is deployed on the bed and banks of the waterway to form a settling pond immediately upstream from the boom to permit settling of the sediment. The sheet may consist of geotextile fabric.
The boom may include a plurality of releasably connectable telescopic elements and a pair of shoes anchored on opposite sides of the waterway. Each of the shoes is releasably connectable to an end portion of one of the elements. In one embodiment, the telescopic elements comprise at least one first tube and a second tube slidable within the first tube; and each of said shoes comprises a pair of tubular sleeves, wherein each of the sleeves is sized to snugly receive an end portion of either the first tube or the second tube.
A portable waterway pollution control kit is also disclosed comprising an adjustable length boom extendable across the waterway; an elongated, hydrocarbon absorbent sock suspendable from the boom for extending in the waterway downstream from the boom; and a sheet of water-porous material connectable to the boom and extending upstream therefrom to cover the bed of the waterway, the sheet having a pore size sufficient to substantially trap water-borne sediment.
The application further relates to a method of controlling the dispersion of pollutants into a waterway in the vicinity of a work site comprising the steps of:
(a) extending a boom across the waterway at a location downstream from the work site;
b) removably anchoring end portions of the boom on opposite sides of the aterway;
(c) suspending an elongated hydrocarbon-absorbent sock from the boom such that the sock extends across the waterway at a location downstream from the boom;
(d) providing a sheet of water-porous material having a pore size sufficiently small to trap water-borne sediment;
(e) connecting an end portion of the sheet to the boom; and
(f) removably anchoring the sheet on the bottom and banks of the waterway.
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Oyen Wiggs Green & Mutala
Pechhold Alexandra K
Will Thomas B.
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