In a message dated 12/16/2003 2:21:26 PM Pacific Standard Time,
ryoung@navcomtech.com writes:
> > One of the Valvoline quick-oil-change shops here in town does this
> > too. Ever since they told me about it I've wondered what it dumps
> > into the air. I would think that used oil (or even fresh oil) has
> > heavy metals and other stuff besides fully-combustible hydrocarbons.
> > Of course, when you combust it in your engine you are also dumping it
> > into the air, but you generally combust only a fraction of the oil
> > you put into your car, and any sludge (heaven forbid!) generally gets
> > drained off at the next oil change. Plus, you burn your quart or so
> > spread over a large area instead of all immediately upwind of your
> > neighbors. I don't mean to be judgemental of M.H. here, just
> > curious. Is this one of those things the flies under the
> > environmental (and EPA) radar because it is so uncommon? Is it
> > really believed to be not a problem?
>
> Jim, I don't think anyone would disagree that burning used oil generates
> more pollution than burning virgin oil. However, you have to balance that
> against the pollution that would be generated in producing the virgin oil,
> plus the pollution generated by other means of disposing of the used oil;
> not to mention the cost both monetary and political in obtaining the virgin
> oil. To put it another way, we need people that are happy to get used oil,
> to keep other people from pouring it down the drain and wasting all that
> energy.
>
> So, for those and probably other reasons as well, the EPA has chosen to not
> classify used oil as hazardous waste, and to allow burning it for fuel under
> some circumstances. Here's one article on the subject :
> http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/airwaste/wm/Oil/Documents/OILNEW1.ht
> m
>
> Randall
>
Randall, I read your response and wondered if the same comments
might not be attributed to the TOTAL costs of running an old car versus
the TOTAL costs of a newly manufactured vehicle.....just change used
oil to old car and virgin oil to new car........perhaps an interesting
thread.
Regards,
Percy Ballentine
(Returning to lurk mode with a winter dose of single malt or two)
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