Monday, December 20, 2010

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- 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.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)