Product Release

Release date: Friday, 23rd July, 2010 (for immediate release)

VersaDock Introduces the VersaBarrier Floating Oil Containment System

Miami, Florida (USA) July 21, 2010 – VersaDock, a leading manufacturer of modular floating dock systems, has announced its patent pending VersaBarrier floating oil containment barrier.

VersaBarrier provides significant advantages over other approaches to protecting beaches, harbors, and wetlands from the Gulf oil spill. Conventional oil booms fail to trap oil in even moderate wave action and barges are costly to serve as oil barriers and sand containment berms are similarly unfeasible.

The VersaDock oil containment system eliminates this problem by providing an inexpensive, rigid floating “walkway” of any desired length or width that can be anchored to the sea bed, and therefore it is able to withstand higher wind and water conditions than existing systems. Attached on either side of the walkway is a two-foot high rail. Draped from this rail is Ultra-Tech Fabric, an oil capturing material. This fabric has a pocket stitched along its bottom edge where a chain is threaded through to ensure the fabric maintains submerged at two feet or deeper, depending upon fabric width.

The Ultra-X-Tex® has proven its ability to pass water, while absorbing and capturing oil. The floating walkway double barrier of fabric provides many unique benefits. This includes the ability to “walk the line” and inspect oil saturation levels in the fabric. The double barrier provides twice the ability to capture oil. A skimmer can clean oil from the outboard side of the scrim. When the fabric is eventually removed for oil reclamation, the other barrier is still preventing the passage of oil until the cleaned fabric is reinstalled.

VersaDock has extensive experience providing floating walkways and docks for rough-water applications. The modular floating system, consisting of nineteen-inch (c. half meter) square floats, can be interconnected to create any type or size of floating platform. The modules are extremely portable and can be readily transported and assembled even in the most difficult to reach locations. VersaDock is already experienced in providing innovative solutions to Emergency & Relief situations and already has achieved success and recognition with their “Bridge in a Box” and Flood Rescue Raft projects. Based upon this experience, combined with installations of floating wave attenuators, walkways, vehicular floating bridges, as well as implementations in rough water locations, the VersaBarrier was a logical progression. When the spill remediation is eventually concluded, the VersaDock floats can be re-used in innumerable harbor and waterside improvement projects.

Harry Horgan, co-founder and director of Shake-A-Leg Miami, a non-profit community water sports organization that helps children and adults with physical, developmental and economic challenges, states: “We have grave concerns about the Gulf Oil Spill, its potential to reach the South Florida and beyond, and the potential to impact Biscayne Bay and the sea life. We have used other VersaDock systems for several years now and have been pleased to support the development and testing of this oil containment system at our facility. We were able to prove the efficacy of this robust system, and the ability for rapid installation by volunteer, untrained personnel.”

Demonstration videos are available for viewing at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fz6PJnCHLU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McMIuh5EAYo

For more information about the VersaBarrier, visit www.versadockint.com

or call (USA) +1 659-929-6000 or +1-888 999-3625

and for outside the USA +44 (0) 1590 677499

or more information about Shake-A-Leg visit www.shakalegmiami.org

or call +1 305 858-5550

or information about Ultra Tech International visit www.spillcontainment.com

or call +1 904 292-1611