someone on my dirt / gravel road keeps spreading black oil along the length and it is SO GROSS!! it puddles up and reeks and gets all over the cars....
it seems like it would be illegal or something? people have wells around there, wouldn't it leach into the water? i'm concerned because i'm pregnant & have to drink the water, and also, when i go for walks i have asthma attacks because of the fumes on the road. not to mention--one has to dump their used motor oil in designated drop off sites, so how can pouring it all over the road be fine??
is htere anything i can do? i'm not sure who is doing it, but they did it all the way up to my driveway this time (it's the 3rd time this summer that it's been done)
2007-08-21 04:48:23 · 7 answers · asked by Ember Halo 6 in Environment ➔ Other - Environment
i moved when it was rainy, almost a year ago. they didn't put the oil on until July.
2007-08-21 05:29:42 · update #1
thankfully, i AM moving in about a month, if all goes well.
2007-08-21 05:30:18 · update #2
it's mostly dirt, with some gravel. it's not the kind of dense gravel that's held together, it's big chunky loose gravel, mostly dirt.
2007-08-21 05:50:22 · update #3
It could be illegal dumping, or it could be the state.
I know when I was a kid they used to spray the larger dirt roads because oil repels water and so it kept the roads from washing out in storms.
It does get into the water table.
My advice would be to get your own answers and take it to your local government, or to the press. Start that movement, instead of looking for other people to fix it for you.
Find out what they put on the roads, and on whose authority they spray it. Then go to the press, or gather support from your local colleges, Your biggest allies will be the press, the environmentalists, the Parents and Teachers might also help. They're worried about their own kids. Do the work up front though. It shouldn't be that difficult to talk to the road crews and figure out just what they did put down, and then you can show that it's bad.
Spread the word that it's happening and do a little footwork and you can make the world a better place.
2007-08-21 04:55:26 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
You mentioned that your road is gravel. This sounds to me like chip sealing ....which is a very typical way to maintain rural roads. It is much less expensive than an asphalt road and is typically done in phases that span several months.
Chip seal is basically a layer of gravel, covered with a binder. Different parts of the country use different binders, which range from emulsified asphalt, polymer asphalts, latex modified emulsified asphalt, or rejuvenating oil modified asphalt emulsions.
To find out the components of the binder they are using in your area, you must call the highway district or your state's department of transportation.
In some areas, a binder is poured directly over a dirt road to reduce dust (as mentioned above) and to minimize wash boarding and erosion.
This practice is so wide spread, that I doubt seriously it would be allowed to continue if it was leaching into the water table. As far as the fumes, if you are sensitive to it ~ you might want to consider staying in town with a friend for a few days.
I know this isn't the answer you want ~ but if your road is a public road and used by others and if the process doesn't pose a serious health risk to the community, than you really have little say in the matter.
2007-08-21 05:44:19 · answer #2 · answered by Jeanbug 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's not exactly illegal. Depending on where you live, some rural communities have these liquids (I'm not sure what they're made of, but I don't think it's pure oil), to cut down on the dust. And unless the wells are literally inches from the road, the justification of it tainting the water is that the amount of oil is not enough to seep more than a few inches into the soil.
Have you checked with your local municipality to see how many times the road crews will be passing by with the oil tanks? Unfortunantly, not much can be done, but if you have a heads-up as to when the crews will be around, you might have no choice but to stay indoors.
2007-08-21 04:55:53 · answer #3 · answered by bethanne 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
It's dust control.
Your neighbors are probably paying to have oil sprayed on the road.
As far as doing something about it.....
Did you not notice the oil BEFORE you moved in to the neighborhood?
Kinda like people who move into the flight path of an airport and complain about the noise, or move to farm country and then complain about field burning.
Find a nice apartment in the city.
2007-08-21 05:23:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
It is illegal in certain areas, but not everywhere. Check the local officials to see if there is a violation. If so, report it. If not, write your local elected officials and state Congressman to see if you can get a law.
A more immediate solution might be to report this to the local media. If you get enough attention, it will stop. Write a letter to the editor.
2007-08-21 05:49:15 · answer #5 · answered by jdkilp 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
You should build a catapult in your yard. When the workers are out pouring oil on the road, you can shoot urine balloons at them from a distance.
2007-08-21 05:36:57 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
I would report it to the sheriff first, then the city council, and the county commissioner.
2007-08-21 04:56:54 · answer #7 · answered by ? 5 · 1⤊ 2⤋