Cleaning up Alaskan oil

Temple environmental engineer Michel Boufadel has received a $1.5 million grant to test a way to clean up the nearly 20,000 gallons of oil trapped under the beach in Alaska. Boufadel had previously found that low oxygen levels prevented bacteria that break down oil from living there. This summer, he will return to Alaska and inject hydrogen peroxide and other nutrients into the beaches. "We predict that the oil will biodegrade and the beach will become clean again," said Boufadel. "If our method works in Alaska, which has more complicated beaches, I have strong belief that it will work in the Gulf of Mexico."
March 13, 2011 | WHYY-FM