@MrGrimm888 Some local laws outlaw different aspects of the same thing. It’s up to whomever you elected as your local representatives. They usually look around, not too hard, and copy a template from some other town or county. If you’ve elected smart people who are actually interested in civil government and their community versus being a local celeb or using their stint as a rung up the corporate ladder, you get better laws. A lot of these laws also have to do with unsightliness of oil stains on driveways. It’s a matter of taste, but that’s the way it is.
But don’t kid yourself, it’s mostly about dumping and run-off. It’s a much bigger problem than most people think. Here’s a few more stats for ya:
Acccording to the USCG:
Only 5% of the oil entering the world’s oceans come from oil spills (think Exxon Valdiz—11 million gal/42 million liters of oil, or the 87-day 2010 Deepwater Horizon GoM Disaster—134 million gallons/507.3 million liters).
10% comes from sewage treatment plants (mostly dumping and street run-off).
The other 85% comes from world-wide recreational boating and land run-off which is mostly due to urban street run-off, agricultural petrochemicals and dumping.
Let me ask you this: How would you dispose of old motor oil in suburbia or elsewhere? Dump it in a field? Down the drain? Under federal HAZMAT laws, you can no longer legally store it in your garage or anywhere on your property without a license, proper containers and inspections. What are you going to do with it? What can you do with it? What will most people be tempted to do with it? City councils have anticipated this problem and have passed ordinances that prevent you from taking the oil out of your car in the first place. Yes, it’s draconian. Get in line.
Have you checked the local, state and federal laws on proper disposal lately and the penalties for not following those laws? Trust me, it’s a hell of a lot easier and cheaper to take an hour of your time, run down to Jiffy-Lube and pay the $19.95.
Ha. In rural Florida in the 1960’s, the more civic minded people would dump their old motor oil into the nearest lake or pond instead of wasting it down the sewer. It was considered the responsible thing to do. They called it mosquito control.