Letter to Barack Obama, President of the United States - Considering Use of Imbiber Beads in Gulf Coast Cleanup Effort

Letter

Today, U.S. Rep. Dave Camp sent a letter to President Barack Obama, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, and the Coast Guard, to urge them to consider in their cleanup efforts in the Gulf Coast using Imbiber Beads, an oil-soaking invention by a 4th District Resident.

"The American public fully understands that the oil spill in the Gulf is a national tragedy, and the cleanup is a national imperative. … Any and all possible remedies must be tested and thoroughly exhausted to clean up the spill," Camp wrote. "I strongly urge you to task all relevant agencies to test Imbiber Beads' effectiveness in assisting with the cleanup effort in the Gulf. It is imperative we halt the effects of this spill as soon as we can, for the good of our country, our economy, and the environment."

Imbiber Beads were invented in the 1960s by Dick Hall, of Midland, who is working to get the word out about their potential uses in the Gulf.

Text of the letter below:

"Mr. President:

The American public fully understands that the oil spill in the Gulf is a national tragedy, and the cleanup is a national imperative. It must be cleaned up immediately to prevent long-lasting damage to the environment, the Gulf States, and our economy. Any and all possible remedies must be tested and thoroughly exhausted to clean up the spill.

I would like to call your attention to one such possible technology, Imbiber Beads, spherical particles that soak up certain organic liquids. These beads look like specks of salt, and once they soak up the liquid, they solidify leaving little or no residue, and liquid stays in the Bead, even if it is cut in half. Oil happens to be one of the things they soak up.

A constituent of mine in the 4th District of Michigan, Dick Hall of Midland, invented these in the 1960s. He and John Brinkman, President of Imbibitive Technologies which makes the beads, believe they can be of significant assistance in the Gulf cleanup efforts. Mr. Brinkman has been in contact with Environmental Protection Agency's National Response Team to discuss possible use of Imbiber Beads, but further leadership is need to ensure they are not left on the shelf during this crisis.

In fact, they were used just a few weeks ago in Singapore as a supplement to typical cleanup efforts, which resulted in the spill being cleaned up in less than two weeks. They are also a part of Japan's National HNS Spill Contingency Plan -- inventories of the Beads are located at 70 major seaports across the country. Further information on Imbiber Beads is enclosed.

I strongly urge you to task all relevant agencies to test Imbiber Beads' effectiveness in assisting with the cleanup effort in the Gulf. It is imperative we halt the effects of this spill as soon as we can, for the good of our country, our economy, and the environment. Thank you for prompt attention to this important matter.

DAVE CAMP
Member of Congress"

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