As oil continues to pour into the Gulf of Mexico, British energy giant BP is welcoming suggestions for stopping the leak and cleaning it up. And with more than 110,000 tips received so far, at least two have come from our region.
A number of solutions have already been attempted, from stopping the leak using mud, to building a giant dome to catch the oil, but nothing has worked so far.
One local man believes he has a solution. Ian Thomson and his partner have developed technology that he says could use a chemical reaction to freeze the oil leak.
"We can create the cold. We can create a Popsicle out of this thing," said Thomson.
Thomson says with the thousands of suggestions pouring in, it's difficult to get his idea noticed.
But Thomson isn't the only local adding their two cents to the mix. A Drayton Valley environmental clean-up company believes it may have the answer.
It says it can't plug the leak, but in the meantime, claims its product Gelco can start the clean-up process.
"It's the most critical time in terms of the ecosystems and the wildlife being affected here," said Brent Greer, operations officer for Universal Environmental Safety Services.
The company's product solidifies fossil fuels making it easier to scoop up. It already has 50 tonnes of the product in the U.S. ready to go.
"It makes it very easy to remove the product up off of the water instead of trying to skim the oil off."
For now, the plan is to intensify clean-up efforts and have the oil flowing into a tanker by later this week. If that doesn't work, BP may start digging into the pile of suggestions.
With files from Bill Fortier
