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Chemistry 101 – Molecular Structure

Posted on April 16th, 2013 in Dust Control, Environmental, Freezing and Ice Build-Up, Industry Watchdog, Soil Stabilization, Synthetic Fluids, Synthetic Organic Dust Control by Bob Vitale

Chemistry 101 – Molecular Structure

I love “How To …..” books; they quickly educate and turn complicated tasks and technology into understandable information. So I thought, “How best do I describe one of the factors in molecular chemistry that has a critical impact on the performance of products used for roadways whether unpaved or gravel, whether mine haul roads, gravel runways, or drilling pads?” So here is the chemistry 101 for today on synthetic fluids vs. base oils.

The best, most perfect molecular structure for a chemical used to build or maintain a surface is one in which all molecules are exactly the same. Identical. That’s what you get in a synthetic fluid.

Base oils are made of inconsistently sized and shaped molecules, a difference that causes inconsistencies in product performance.. More importantly, the inconsistencies result in uneven environmental compliance from one part of a surface to another.

There! Now you can chat knowledgeably with chemical engineers over the barbeque pit this weekend. Well, in all seriousness, opting for a synthetic fluid over a base oil is a truly wise choice. Making it, though, requires a little sleuthing on your part to make sure you are, in fact, buying what you think you are. Others are attempting to duplicate our Synthetic Fluid Technology, but to date they are still using base oils which they claim are synonymous with synthetic organic fluids.

Click here to read “Synthetic Fluid for Results; It’s All About the Molecules,” the latest in our series of Intelligence articles. The more you know about a product from the inside-out, the fewer issues you will have with your total cost of ownership when it comes to when it comes to preserving a new road, runway or pad.

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Midwest named to Inc. Top 100 Privately-Owned Environmental Services Companies, for the 5th year!

Posted on September 30th, 2012 in Dust Control, Environmental, Freezing and Ice Build-Up, Industry Watchdog, Soil Stabilization, Synthetic Fluids, Synthetic Organic Dust Control by Bob Vitale

“I’m truly proud of the wonderful team at Midwest. For over 35 years we have been focused on creating environmentally safe solutions for the hundreds of dust control, erosion stabilization and anti-icing/de-icing applications. Inc.’s recognition of our efforts to be environmental stewards within our industry is a wonderful acknowledgement for our staff and our customers who have believed in us to solve their vastproblems over the years.”

Bob Vitale

Founder, CEO

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Just Because a Product is Called a Synthetic Fluid Does Not Mean it is One

Posted on May 8th, 2012 in Dust Control, Environmental, Industry Watchdog, Soil Stabilization, Synthetic Fluids, Synthetic Organic Dust Control by Bob Vitale

Mark Twain said “The difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug”. And words are never so important as when used to describe important environmental attributes. There are a couple of words that, used together, have kept me up at night for more than a decade: (1) Synthetic (2) fluid.

First they kept me up as a scientist eager to bring an idea into reality. Now the reality is that they keep me up because they have been misused, misrepresented, and misappropriated in the market. That results in misguided buying decisions that do not meet expectations in terms of life cycle cost, performance and environmental impact.

Midwest’s role in the development of synthetic fluids started back in the late nineties. When the biggest technological burden the world faced was Y2K, Midwest was working on another global concern: keeping the Earth green. Given the power that dust and the products used to reduce it can have on human and animal health, aquatic systems, food sources and other plant life, we set out to invent a new technology for dust mitigation.

We call the result Synthetic Organic Dust Control®, a game-changing manufacturing process used to create synthetic fluids that are more environmentally sound – and subject to fewer cumbersome regulations – than older dust control products that are oils.

The benefits of synthetic fluids over oils are significant. Marketers, therefore, are calling products synthetic fluids even when they are not synthetic fluids as defined by the EPA. As a buyer, you need to ask the right questions to assure you will not end up liable for unintended consequences in the form of costly reportable incidents and regulatory fines. That is why we have written a paper comparing synthetic-based fluids to oil dust suppressants. The tests tell the story. We provide the narrative. You make the judgment about the kind and class of dust suppressant that will best meet your needs.

Please take this matter seriously. I really need to get some sleep!

Click here to read ”Synthetic-Based Fluids Versus Oil Dust Suppressants: A Comparison of Environmental and Regulatory Issues”. Continuing work is under way, and we will publish it as soon as it is available. This article is one in a continuing Intelligence series because at Midwest, we believe that the right information is everything.

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Great case in point – Self-Regulation by Education!

Posted on April 19th, 2012 in Dust Control, Environmental, Industry Watchdog, Soil Stabilization, Synthetic Fluids, Synthetic Organic Dust Control by Bob Vitale

We’ve been developing a theme throughout our messaging lately, which calls for self-regulation through education. The notion is for an end-user of a dust control product/solution to educate themselves about their unique need, the various options they have, what the REAL and total cost implications are (the choice is between a lifetime value decision – or a short-term fix) and the environmental impacts… then you can make the most appropriate and informed decision for your circumstance.

Take a read on the Larimer article linked here. This is a great twist on Regulation by Education. They self-regulated themselves and stopped using magnesium chloride for about five years, then recently having reassessed the use of mag, they are considering beginning mag chloride use again due to low cost and effectiveness.

But there are tradeoffs – environmental issues! (Of which they are properly informed.)

Their concern is that other products are more expensive and less effective and that they do not have very many option. However while this has been true in the past it is not the case today when you think “life-cycle value” and performance. There are products that are manufactured with the intended use of dust control and gravel road stabilization – that meet very specific criteria in terms of environmental soundness and long-term, cost effective performance. Their unit price is higher than that of mag chloride and other more traditional palliatives but their cost of use can be as much as 50% less when an analysis of the life-cycle cost is calculated.

Using an environmentally sound product is being socially responsible, whether by choice or regulation, and it may require a broader perspective in order to make the decision because there is an important measure of each product’s short- and long-term performance.

While you want a product that is kind to the environment, you also want one that works! As an industry, we must further define sustainable dust suppression and gravel road stabilization products and regulate (i.e. be open to new principles or conditions that customarily govern our behavior) ourselves by better understanding what will lead to the use of the most sustainable products. This will require ongoing in-depth research and development with some demonstration roads used in the evaluation so that new products can be evaluated and prove if they can do a better job preserving natural resources such as water.

Ask the vendors you evaluate what they are doing in this area.

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TCO – Critical to your Dust Control Strategy

Posted on February 22nd, 2012 in Environmental, Industry Watchdog by Bob Vitale

You consider TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) in so many decisions you make each day. From really big purchases like the car you buy and the house you live in to your next computer and printer. Even the smaller ones: Do I buy that single unit coffee maker or stay with the conventional drip maker.

But when it comes to your Dust Control solution, too many just decide by price. It just doesn’t make sense. Here is what we have noticed, time and time again.

A company makes their decision on lowest price. The product they have purchased has, let’s call them, “reduced qualities” to the products formulation, which means they work well on initial application, but quickly wear down and need additional applications. A number of issues arise:

  • Water washes the product away, maybe into a drain or even a body of water – Trouble with a capital T.
  • The need to keep extra Dust Control product on-hand for on-going maintenance – Increased costs for storage.
  • The need to regularly apply more product to keep their dust issue under control – Increased cost for handling.
  • The need to constantly monitor their road or site area since the product they used needs constant maintenance – Increased costs in management time.
  • And way too many times there are accidents associated with use of a low-quality product that result in way too many costs: from medical, to lost time, to legal, to public relations, etc., etc.

In the end, we get called back in to review the original project, help determine what went wrong, and get hired to provide the proper solution. All they needed to do was consider TOC when they started their evaluation or their project.

TOC – it’s time it becomes part of the decision-making process for Dust Control Solutions.

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Toxic Coal Ash – 20 New Dump Sites Just Found!

Posted on January 13th, 2012 in Industry Watchdog by Bob Vitale

The Environmental Integrity Project (EIP) has found Arsenic and Other Dangerous Pollutants contaminating groundwater and soil at 20 new coal ash dump sites. Since 2010 the EIP has identified 90 such sites. You read that right 90! (read article linked below)

There are solutions to mitigate arsenic and other pollutants. At Midwest we have been dealing with Coal Ash for more than 30 years. Here are some of the things we have learned:

  • Geotechnical engineering is an essential part of coal ash storage facility design
  • Parameters used for coal ash strength and stability can vary from site to site
  • Industry resources are available and can make important contributions to develop solutions (Midwest and other companies have products and services specifically designed to assist with Coal Ash)

Midwest is kicking off a new campaign in 2012 themed “Regulation by Education.” Our goal is for companies and organizations to better understand the implications of the dust control products and services they are using to solve both what seems to be simple and complex challenges. The issues many organizations are having with Coal Ash is an example of how they can self-regulate and prevent dangerous arsenic and pollutants from contaminating the environment.

Read the article here.

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Regulation by EducationSM — We are going to make a difference.

Posted on November 2nd, 2011 in Dust Control, Environmental, Industry Watchdog, Soil Stabilization by Bob Vitale

Last month’s accident on Wetzel County’s Blake Ridge Road where a natural gas drilling truck rolled over, the third such occurrence in a week, got my attention – really got my attention. No driver error here. The problem was that a chemical that ostensibly was to makes a road safer, may have actually made it dangerous. My ire would be no less – probably more – if it were a Midwest product involved in the incident.

The bottom line is that it is time for someone to step up and bring important change to the game, and that means self regulation. The EPA has risen to the occasion in the last few years, helping to create regulations related to dust as a pollutant. But there is no regulation or industry oversight – none, zippo, zero – regarding the chemicals and their applications used to control dust. It’s 2011 and it’s still the Wild West out there!

I tasked my team to create a plan to help bring awareness and creative solutions to this critical issue so, among other things, we won’t be seeing any more incidents as we did on Blake Ridge Road. They proposed a broad-based communications effort – we are calling it Regulation by Education – to educate industry influencers and decision-makers about the questions they need to ask before committing to a dust-control solution.

Here are some questions you should have answers to before committing to a dust-control solution for roadways:

  1. Is the product you are considering certified effective or environmentally safe? By which independent third parties? If so, for what has it been certified and by whom?
  2. Do assessments meet ASTM and AASHTO standards?
  3. Has any supplier you are considering asked for samples of your roadway materials to determine the optimal dust-control product and application treatment for your problem area?
  4. Can the supplier you are considering customize a product solution for your unique needs, based upon laboratory and field testing?
  5. Has your supplier done a competitive cost-per-performance comparison for three-, or five- year programs to demonstrate lifecycle cost savings?
  6. Have suppliers talked to you about the short- and long-term impacts their products have on the environment?

In the absence of true regulations for product development and application, Midwest has regulated itself for more than 35 years now, a practice started because of our own concern about the environment long before such concern was trendy. We have also learned that products that are gentle on the environment can also, over the not-so-long term be gentler on our customers’ wallets.

Over the next few months Midwest’s R&D teams will help craft “self regulation recommendation” guidelines that will help assure that your project is estimated and executed with a focus on environmentally-friendly, safe products that deliver the best cost/value and have a positive impact on society and your community, not the negative impact of an overturned truck or worse!!

Contact us now if you are in the consideration phase of a project. We’ll be happy to answer the questions above – and many others – so you can make a truly informed decision about which vendor will deliver the most for you.

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Fracking: Frack Vs Fiction

Posted on August 31st, 2011 in Dust Control, Environmental, Industry Watchdog by Bob Vitale

A recent Wall Street Journal article goes into wonderful detail on how this 60 year-old technique has revitalized our gas industry and is impacting our ability to create energy, LOCALLY. No dealing with foreign countries, no jobs overseas. Right here in our own US of A backyard.

It now accounts for 25% of our gas supply and has brought what was once $15 per million BTUs to $4.

Something to be excited about no? Well not so fast. Environmentalists and their allies have come out against hydraulic fracturing and are raising public concern. The article goes on to separate Fact from Fiction.

•  Fracking contaminates drinking water allowing chemicals to leach into water sources. And Fracking
can release methane gas into our drinking water. Read the article, both NOT TRUE.

•  Fracking releases toxic or radioactive chemicals. With 99.5% of the fluid injected into fracture rock
is water and sand. Again, NOT TRUE.

•  Fracking causes cancer. Fracking causes earthquakes. Shale exploration is unregulated.
Again all untrue.

Pollution from trucks. This however is a fact, and in the article it talks about risk vs reward. It is obvious that the author of the article, and most likely the companies that were interviewed for the research are not connected to the Dust Control Industry. We need to work with energy industry leaders and show them how we can help minimize and prevent pollution that stems from fracking with high-quality dust and road stabilization techniques that are proven and available today. The reality is our solutions did not even exists 10 years ago, so the old way of thinking needs to be transformed with our new solutions.

My personal mission, and the DNA of my company Midwest is to be an environmental steward in the area of dust control, where we can impact the safety of both air and water. As an industry we need to step up and let the environmentalists know there are wonderful solutions that can help keep and grow fracking as a preferred technique to support our energy solutions. There you have it, all fracks.

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Will Blacktop Driveways and Parking Lots Soon Be a Thing of The Past?

Posted on August 8th, 2011 in Industry Watchdog by Bob Vitale

Officials of the U.S. Geological Survey in Austin Texas told Long Island Suffolk County lawmakers a ban on coal tar sealers for driveways and parking lots could begin to significantly reduce contamination within five years and cut it in half in 15 years.

Now take a moment to think about this. Think about our driveways that are coal tar-based blacktops. Our kids are playing basketball on them, drawing chalk games and down on their hands and knees on them. How many times have you seen your kids hands and skin black from playing on these blacktops. And now discussions are taking place about the environmental impact on coal tar sealers.

There is a solution; Non-asphaltic alternative paving system that are “green” and eco-friendly. Many of your neighbors have already installed them. Many parks and town walking trails as well. If you are involved with your local schools or communities, and there are construction projects being considered, look for alternatives to coal tar blacktop.

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EPA Really Cares About Stormwater Enforcement

Posted on December 14th, 2010 in Industry Watchdog by Bob Vitale

And so does Midwest! Having spent my life trying to create powerful solutions that will help control dust particle pollutants so the air we breathe and the water we drink is safer for our planet, I support the EPA on last weeks injunction and settlement.

The dust control industry as a whole has looked at stormwater regulations as an incredibly positive move to help reduce pollution and impove the safety and quality of our water. The enforcement of this settlement is a clear sign that the EPA is not fooling around.

We have always said the price you pay to do things right will save tens of thousands and sometimes millions of dollars. Even in these tough economic times we all must weigh the cost of not doing things properly, both the monetary consequences, and the important ethical and moral obligations we have to the environment.

I’ll get down from my soapbox now, but it is a heartfelt thank you to the EPA for sticking to their guns.

Here is the link to the recent settlement case.
Here is a pdf of the article.

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