Berms / Trenches

Spills on land can be contained for recovery by building berms or dikes in the path of the oil flow, using either soil from the area, sand bags, or other construction materials. It is important to make sure the berm does not cause oil to back up and permeate the soil, where it could contaminate groundwater. If the water table is high and the oil will not permeate the soil, shallow trenches may be dug to collect oil for removal.