Category: Member Spotlights

We are proud to highlight one of our long-standing OCA members, Cascade Energy Services, whose innovative approach to foam berm deployment at their Permian Basin operations resulted in a 94% reduction in reportable spill incidents over a three-year period.

Background

Cascade Energy Services operates 47 active wellheads across the Delaware Basin in West Texas. Prior to 2022, the company averaged 11 reportable spill incidents per year, resulting in regulatory fines totaling over $340,000 and significant environmental remediation costs. Operations Manager James Hartley joined OCA in 2022 looking for solutions.

The Solution: Systematic Foam Berm Deployment

“We worked with the OCA technical team to develop a site-specific containment protocol,” said Hartley. “The key was deploying standardized polyurea-coated foam berms at every wellhead, fracking fluid transfer point, and production equipment cluster. We went from ad hoc containment to a systematic approach.”

The company deployed 127 foam berm units across their operational footprint, utilizing a tiered system: 12’x16′ standard berms for individual wellhead protection, 24’x32′ berms for multi-unit equipment pads, and custom 40’x60′ configurations for tank battery areas.

Results

Over 36 months of deployment:

• Reportable spill incidents dropped from 11/year to less than 1/year
• EPA fine exposure eliminated (zero reportable releases in 2025)
• Soil remediation costs reduced by $280,000 annually
• Insurance premium reduction of 22% on environmental liability coverage
• Passed all state and federal SPCC inspections with zero deficiencies

Lessons Learned

Hartley emphasizes that the containment system alone wasn’t the complete solution. “The OCA training program was equally important. We had all 215 employees complete the SPCC awareness training, and we added containment integrity checks to our daily safety routines. The equipment is only as good as the people using it.”

Cascade Energy Services received the OCA Environmental Excellence Award in 2025 for their outstanding commitment to spill prevention.

We sat down with Rebecca Osei, founder and CEO of EcoSeal Environmental Services, an OCA member firm that has grown from a two-person startup in 2019 to a 47-person operation serving clients in eight states. Here’s what she had to say about building a containment compliance practice.

How did you get started in oil containment?

“I was a project manager at a large environmental consulting firm and noticed that smaller industrial clients were underserved. They needed SPCC plans and containment system support but couldn’t afford large firm rates. I saw an opportunity to build a practice around affordable, high-quality compliance services for small and mid-sized operators.”

What role has OCA membership played in your growth?

“Enormous. When I joined OCA in 2020, I immediately gained access to resources that would have taken me years to develop on my own—technical standards, regulatory interpretation guidance, connections to other professionals. The annual conference was transformative for business development. I’ve probably generated over $2 million in business directly from relationships I developed at OCA events.”

What’s the biggest challenge in the containment compliance space?

“Educating clients about the true cost of non-compliance. Many facility managers see SPCC plans and secondary containment systems as pure cost with no return. My job is to help them understand that a single enforcement action can cost more than 10 years of proactive compliance, and that their insurance premiums reflect their compliance posture. When you frame it that way, the investment makes obvious sense.”

What advice would you give to others building a containment practice?

“Get the technical training first. The CCS certification from OCA gave me credibility with clients and referral sources. Then network aggressively within the industry—most of our clients come from referrals from other professionals. And stay current on regulations; in this field, a year-old guidance document can be significantly out of date.”