GM Uses Gulf Oil Spill Boom Material For Chevy Volt Parts

NEW ORLEANS — Boom from the BP oil spill is getting a new charge from the maker of the Chevrolet Volt electric car.

General Motors says that instead of going to landfills, roughly 100 miles of plastic boom material will be converted into vehicle parts.

The parts deflect air around the vehicle's radiator.

The Volt, a compact car, can go about 35 miles on battery power before a gasoline engine kicks in to generate electricity.

At the height of the oil spill, more than 2,550 miles of boom was used in the Gulf of Mexico to try to keep oil from reaching shore. Today, response officials say only 1 mile of boom is being used.

Tens of thousands of tons of boom and oily debris have made their way to landfills or incinerators.

Comments

[Ralph Perman]

12:02 PM on 12/26/2010

It's a Start, Good for you GM.

[fxtrade]

09:23 AM on 12/24/2010

Way to go GM. My next car will be a Cruze or Volt.

[MIKEinNYC]

09:29 PM on 12/22/2010

Well look who's being a responsible corporation!

I guess they got some humility.

[FalstaffsMind]

04:04 PM on 12/22/2010

The only drawback, if you are in an accident, instead of an airbag, you get slapped in the face with an oil soaked boom and a dead pelican.

[nfatt1]

10:34 AM on 12/22/2010

Second thoughts on buying a Volt. Is GM trying to pull a EV1.

[michael3ov]

07:12 AM on 12/22/2010

It will be nice when my volt finally gets here. I have already paid for it, just waiting for it to arrive. It will be nice to drive an electric car with a decent body style. Prius was getting very old.

[Jmaximus Spartacus]

03:18 AM on 12/22/2010

So GM got a shipload of plastic material for free or very little and then they brag that they did it to be green. The only green here is money, as in the tons of it they saved. Yes they may use it for the Volt, but they probably use more of it on a Suburban or truck. Just another Green Wash.

[MB1East]

05:34 AM on 12/22/2010

So what should have been done with the oily booms? Toss them in a landfill?

[jeremyv1980]

01:36 AM on 12/23/2010

Save them for the next oil spill.

[Heauxbeaux]

04:55 PM on 12/22/2010

This is the ultimate environmental win-win. Turns out that GM can save money by reusing something that was going to foul up the landfills for upteen million years. I am in favor of finding more opportunities like this for businesses to work with environmentalists to solve problems that face us all.

[repugnicansfearme]

12:57 AM on 12/22/2010

So, the car will float if it ever falls into a lake or is caught in a flash flood.

[FreeProgressLiberal]

09:02 PM on 12/21/2010

Great so Americans can all have the dirty BP oil on their hands...

Not such a comforting feeling...

[NobodySince1980]

08:06 PM on 12/21/2010

Great. BP found another way to eff up the planet with the cast off used to help the oil spill. Good for Chevy.

[anothervoter]

06:56 PM on 12/21/2010

If we make it we should be able to reuse it.

Good for Chevy.

[shthar]

04:29 PM on 12/21/2010

Oh good.

I thought they were talking about those booms made of hair.

[OutAtFirst]

03:58 PM on 12/21/2010

Just as long as they're not making them into seat covers.