Today I was cleaning inside the frame rails for painting in the area of the front tank. So I'm using easy off oven degreaser, the stuff works great. Next thing I know a city code enforcement guy pulls up and tells me I need to clean the waste water out of the street gutter. Pretty soon 2 police units. We all have a talk, needless to say, there I was with the wet vac, sucking up the waste water or face a $2k fine. Unreal. Pretty soon a fire truck shows up and they spray some stuff on the residue while I scrub with a brush. Guess I'll have to do my cleaning at night.

Anyone know or have a link about legality?

I wrote and called EPA, no one answers the phone. Waiting on an email reply still.

 

Legality of what, you spraying oven cleaner into the street? You are releasing/dumping toxic chemicals into the water supply and are upset you had to clean it up? Hopefully the EPA does what the LEO's didn't.

 

lol yeah your lucky they didnt call epa and just told you to clean it up i think the epa woulda gave you a bigger fine than 2k

 

So if you actually use it to clean your oven and wash everything down the drain that's perfectly OK? Releasing toxins into the water supply? Anyone ever seen footage of New York City dumping those garbage barges at sea? How about the fire departments through out North America putting out industrial fires and all the run off going into the drains? Yes we all need to be more careful with chemicals getting where they don't belong. But come on now. My bet is you have a neighbour with a whole lot of idle time on their hands or maybe they don't like your kids playing in "their street". And so on. Guess it's time to have that fake biodegradable trigger bottle on hand for times such as this. But on a serious note, try going to the website and download the MSDS sheet for the product. Then you'll know what the EPA actually requires regarding accidental release. Or who to call for more instructions.

 

What goes down your drain (i.e sink) goes to the sewer and that water is sent to a treatment facility. The water that goes into a storm drain is sent to a nearby water way and into the water supply. Im pretty sure that DIY car washes utilize the sewer for their waste water. So next time you want to "Easy Off" a vehicle, do the right thing and follow proper handling procedures for whatever chemical your using. FWIW, i would think using a "fake biodegradable Bottle" would net you an even larger fine and p.o. the cops even more.

 

Are you sure it is a toxic chemical and if so please tell me what reference your using so I can educate myself?

I guess Im curious as to exactly what the "right thing" is? No one seems to be able to show me any statute. Additionally, if it's so toxic, why is it on the shelves?


The MSDS has for accidental release clean up to soak it with sand or earth and dispose of it. I guess into the landfill. What I find interesting is that the cleaner in Easy Off is sodiom hydroxide commonly known as lye. Food grade lye is used to clean food or cure it such as green olives, potassium hydroxide which is also lye, is nearly the same chemically and comes from potash which is an alkali leached from hardwood ashes. Thus, lye is a naturally occuring chemical.

Well, I suppose that perhaps I should find an alternative cleaning agent. I mean with BP releasing a gazzillion gallons of oil into the gulf, the rest of us need to be cognizant of the miniscule amounts of chemical we release into the enviroment.

I called Reckitt Benckiser that makes Easy Off and all they could tell me was to follow local regulations. Big help there.
I hope I get a return call from the EPA regarding this, but somehow I doubt they will have the time to answer my questions.

 

Even if you use a biodegradable "green" product to clean those frame rails with and it goes into the storm drains you are at fault. What is actually stuck on those rails can be toxic.

Even if it's not the EPA is very strict on anything going into a storm drain that is not runoff from an actual storm. If you are pressure washing your driveway with just water and remove oil stains from the concrete, that oil is going into the storm drain, in which they can stick you with a fine. Now 99.999% of the time this is not going to happen in a residential area.

Look into the EPA's Clean Water Act and you will see they don't mess around anymore. Alot of major cities have banned those mobile car washes in city limits for the same reason.

 

Really? You read the MSDS and couldn't figure it out? If you don't know what it is, you shouldn't be using it. Re-read the "Health Effects" box:http://householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov...ds&id=18001041

Better yet, read the label/instructions on the can.

Here's more info about one of the chemicals in oven cleaner:http://new-healthy-at-home.blogspot....n-cleaner.html
Follow local regulations, which say what you have already been told; and most likely even more.

I hope you get a phone call too. I'm sure they'd love to hear why you thought it was OK to wash that stuff off into the drainage system.

What was said about even washing your car and getting a fine is true...and there are quite a few automotive car soaps that are biodegradable, and still not allowed in the drains.

 

It's quite appaling to think that even after the city inspector, 2 police officers, and the fire department being involved in this, you still think that there isn't a problem. As for contacting the EPA, how big of a hole are you willing to dig? Being an avid fisherman I find it disrespectful your attitude in all this. Too many times have I seen local streams labeled as unsafe to enjoy because of someone's recklessness in their actions and unwilling to do the right thing. Take you reprimand from the local officials as warning and just leave it alone and learn from it. i think you will find it to be a better course of action. furthermore, if you keep up your banter about this subject , in the end, you will discredit yourself.

 

^^^^^^that.

 

Nice. A truck forum that becomes a place to harbour personal attacks.

You fellas can be sure that I will not be using easy off for cleaning, in fact I stated that in my previous post. I have learned my lesson, being ostracized by this community has been invaluable in my thought making process and I suppose "big brother" will be coming to pay me a visit as a result of my candidness here.

BTW, still no answer from the epa.

Lets get back to car talk, what is a good way to clean the residue from inside the frame rails and under the engine?

 

Go to one of those self car washes and pressure wash it

 

Personal attacks???? Hmmm. I guess making a statement with a couple of my own personal feelings with some sound advice is personal attack. Whatever, to each his own.

As far as your last question there is a product that is completely safe to use. It doesn't come in a can, have an MSDS, or attract any public official. Good ol' fanshoined ELBOW GREASE!!!

 

Let's be a little more dramatic

What to clean with? A biodegradable cleaner, which is what most automotive washing/cleaning products are as the thought is if you are going to be washing your car, the grime and the product will end up in a drain somewhere.

 

I would say so, yes.

Drama? Again, I would say so, yes. I told a story, asked a question and got flamed as a result. Hoping bad things happen to someone that made a mistake seems a little "over the top" to me.

I will not be cleaning the vehicle anymore until I can get it to point of being street legal and inspected by the "authorities" and then take it to a carwash, where the toxic, polluting, highball, brew will end up in the sewage treatment plant.

Wouldn't you feel better if I used the 2k for the old truck (that sat unmaintained and not running in someones driveway) back on the road and in good running condition? Or would you rather I gave it to a bloated government entity that can't stay within it's budget?

All of this over a half a can of easy off and about 5 gallons of water and road grit, that now sits in a enviromentally safe container in my garage.