Media and News

Media Coverage 


1.  NBC Miami, October 24, 2011
2.  Univision WLTV Channel 23, November 4th and 5th
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1.  NBC Miami, October 24, 2011

On October 24, 2011, NBC Miami ran the following story on News6.  To see the video, please copy and paste this link into your browser:

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/Build-a-Better-Oil-Trap-132488263.html

Local Start-Up Pushes Better Oil Trap

“Local retiree says his oil trap can do what booms and dispersants couldn’t when the BP spill devastated the Gulf in 2010″

As reported by Ari Odzer…

Hoping to prevent environmental harm, a group of local enthusiasts have formed a start-up to push a retiree’s oil-filtering invention.

“We all sat there and watched in disgust the devastation it caused,” said orthopedic surgeon Dr. Tom San Giovanni. “We were like, why did this happen?”

“We’re just a group of environmentalists that are volunteerng our help, our time to develop this here. Hopefully it’ll do something for the environment and for our nation. This is something that’s for the world,” says Mendes, the former Caterpillar salesman. 

Mendes explained that unlike traditional floating booms, his crates will contain the oil and filter the crude right out of the water.

San Giovanni said he and his partners firmly believe that if their system had been available, the BP spill could’ve been contained and much of the environmental damage averted.
Instead, the old methods of using booms and chemical dispersants were the preferred methods of dealing with the oil.

Mendes gave small-scale demonstrations of his oil trap at last week’s Society of Environmental Journalists convention in Miami.

The question is, can it work on a large scale, in the open ocean?

Mendes admits there’s still some research and development that needs to be done to make his system commercially viable. But he’s hoping the oil companies beat a path to his door, for inventing a better oil trap.

2.  Univision WLTV Channel 23, November 4th and 5th

Noticia 23 spot
Interview done at the Society of Environmental Journalist convention in Miami