Why? When oil, etc. is taken OUT of the ground, it's ok... but if you put it IN the ground, it's polluting??

Question

Assume that the oil is NOT USED, and NO ADDITIVES are added, and is put BACK IN a dried up oil well... WHY then, would it still be considered a pollutant? IMPORTANT NOTE: I have NOT done this & don't plan to... was just curious.

Answer 1

Nobody dumps crude oil back into the ground - not when they can refine for $3.00 a gallon!

That being said......

The oil that is referenced in your question is used oil or waste oil. The oil you drain from your vehicle contains sulfuric acid (H2SO4 - from the sulfur in the fuel and the condensation in the crankcase) and lots of heavy metals (iron and iron oxide from the block, aluminum, brass, etc...) and, God only knows what other additives the manufacturers (and owners) put in the stuff (anti foaming agents, stabilizers, friction modifiers, dyes, stop leak chemicals, etc..etc.....) and, trace amounts of unburned gasoline with all of its additives and chemicals , too.

This is the stuff that doesn't need to go into our ground water and rivers and streams. Simple as that.

Answer 2

polluting is when you either diliberatly or accidently allow oil to go where it was not intended, such as into a river, or on the greound when it is supposed to go somewhere else, usually a refinery or storeage facility. however, the strtagic oil reserve is oil put into previously emptied oil caverns underground. this oil is for statewgic use by the federal government in time of great trouble,. unfortunately, the current reserve is being increased, and the gas at the pump reflects part of this new stored oil.

Answer 3

99.9% of the time these days, the oil is very deep underground. Below layers of rock. But if you dump it ON the ground, it is on top. Then it is subject to run-off when it rains, putting it in our streams, lakes, and ocean.