How to Donate Fur and Hair for Oil Spill Clean-up

[fasteddie]

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - So far, an estimated 3.5 million gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf of Mexico since an explosion on April 20 on a drilling rig.

People in the community are lending a helping hand to help contain the oil. It can be as simple as brushing your cat or giving your dog a haircut.

Workers are using our four legged friends' fur to soak up oil.

"Hair and fur is unique in its ability to draw oil to it," explained Veterinarian Todd Clark.

If you brush your cat or groom your dog, save their hair. Creekside Animal Hospital is collecting all animal hair, including horse hair. They're also collecting bird feathers. All this will be sent to the Gulf of Mexico to help soak up oil.

"They stuff it into, essentially, panty hose, and create long booms or cords of this stuffed material," Clark said. "They use that as a containment vehicle for the oil. They also convert it into a three-quarter-inch mat. Clean wildlife or place them in cages, the mat is used underneath to help soak up the oil."

If you aren't giving your pet a hair cut, brushing their fur will get a lot of hair.

"It gets warmer and warmer, dogs and cats both tend to thin their coats out for the heat. Lots of opportunities if people are combing," Clark said.

Creekside will be mailing the hair in five pound boxes. Clark said they will keep sending hair as long as there is a need for it. He asks that donations be fairly clean animal fur.

Creekside is also asking groomers around the area to donate. Tricia Davis owns Tricia's Dog House in Lafayette and said she grooms so many dogs, she has garbage cans full of fur at the end of the day.

"On an average, about two to three garbage bags a day. It is usually just thrown away but now we will definitely take it and donate it," Davis said.

As Davis points out, the fur not only helps with the oil spill, it also is a way to go green.

"You win on both sides. A: number one, it is not in a landfill and A: number two, it is going to help the oil spill," she said.

You can drop off donations of any size at the Creekside Animal Hospital at 2840 Schuyler Avenue, Lafayette or call them at (765) 742-0140 for more information.

http://www.wlfi.com/dpp/living_green...n-up-oil-spill

INSTRUCTIONS - HOW TO SEND HAIR / FUR / NYLONS

All salons, groomers, wool farmers, individuals, pet owners... Everyone is welcome!

We have many temporarily donated warehouses of various sizes strategically placed along the Gulf Coast. We are coordinating space for donations and emailing addresses to you to make sure booms are effectively distributed. We are sending notifications out in waves every 24 hours at 12:00 Noon PST. Thank you!

A) Everyone please SIGN UP with our donor database program Excess Access. It's FREE & FAST and it allows us to coordinate masses of people and tons of donations.

B) Click on Activation link that we email to you (it may take over an hour to get due to huge response!)

C) Login and click on How This Works.

D) Once you have been EMAILED AN ADDRESS, Please see "GET STARTED" BELOW and follow our Instructions for sending hair / fur / wool / nylons.

http://www.matteroftrust.org/programs/hairmatsinfo.html

[twalla]

Thats awesome. Im sending to my groomer and daycare.

[red98vett]

There's probably some men out there who can donate their fur too

Seriously- I had no idea about this - Too bad it's not getting more media attention - they could really clean up if people knew how easy it woud be to help - this oil spill is devestating - so so sad

[Wylie's Mom]

This is so flippin' cool! Thanks for posting this .

[Zanny]

Thanks for the post! I live on the Gulf Coast and had no idea about this. I'm very surprised their hasn't been any news around here about donating fur. Hopefully this will help! Thanks again!

[LoALAnna]

I hate to be a downer, but I heard on the local news ( I live on the AL coast) and in today's (Sunday) Mobile Press Register that all the time and effort put into the "hair booms" are all for nothing, that supposedly they tried them out and the boom sank to the bottom. This is so upsetting as so many good people put forth so much effort into it! Seems to me that somehow maybe something will be figured out and the hair booms can still be used for something.

[fasteddie]

Yes, apparently this is NOT working?

---
After a technical evaluation, BP announced Friday that it would not use hair booms in oil spill cleanup efforts.

Matter of Trust, an environmental nonprofit, was leading the effort to collect hair from dog groomers and salons across the nation.

Two weeks ago, more than 450,000 pounds of hair were en route to more than 15 locations in the South including warehouses, extra mall spaces and garages. Dog groomers and hair salons have continuously joined the effort.

The suggestion was submitted as an alternative method for containing the oil spill, but it was not feasible, according to the command center for the spill.

In a February side-by-side field test conducted during an oil spill in Texas, commercial sorbent booms absorbed more oil and less water than hair booms.

“Our priority when cleaning up an oil spill is to find the most efficient and expedient way to remove the oil from the affected area while causing no additional damage. One problem with the hair boom is that it became water-logged and sank within a short period of time,” Charlie Henry, scientific support coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Robert, La., said in a statement. He called on individuals and organizations to discontinue the collection of hair for hair booms.

It is not known what will become of the hair. Matter of Trust did not return requests for comment Friday evening.

Gulf oil spill: Hair boom effort is cut short | Greenspace | Los Angeles Times

[fasteddie]

Yes, apparently this is NOT working?

---
After a technical evaluation, BP announced Friday that it would not use hair booms in oil spill cleanup efforts.

Matter of Trust, an environmental nonprofit, was leading the effort to collect hair from dog groomers and salons across the nation.

Two weeks ago, more than 450,000 pounds of hair were en route to more than 15 locations in the South including warehouses, extra mall spaces and garages. Dog groomers and hair salons have continuously joined the effort.

The suggestion was submitted as an alternative method for containing the oil spill, but it was not feasible, according to the command center for the spill.

In a February side-by-side field test conducted during an oil spill in Texas, commercial sorbent booms absorbed more oil and less water than hair booms.

“Our priority when cleaning up an oil spill is to find the most efficient and expedient way to remove the oil from the affected area while causing no additional damage. One problem with the hair boom is that it became water-logged and sank within a short period of time,” Charlie Henry, scientific support coordinator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Robert, La., said in a statement. He called on individuals and organizations to discontinue the collection of hair for hair booms.

It is not known what will become of the hair. Matter of Trust did not return requests for comment Friday evening.

Gulf oil spill: Hair boom effort is cut short | Greenspace | Los Angeles Times

[red98vett]

I've heard they've received over 17 thousand suggestions for stopping this - and they must have top ranking engineers etc trying to find a working solution.....you'd think after all this time they'd have something going on to end it. There are some great minds in the world and not one has come up with a working solution ?

I know it's a mile down but what are all the safety standards in place for if they don't work ? The rigs are tightly regulated in everything they do

this is so awful on so many levels - the wildlife - loss of marsh and beaches all the people who are going to suffer ...this is going to have effects that last for a long time to come