Local (Andalusia/Opp Area) Woman Coordinates UA’s Project R.O.S.E., Now in its 25th Year

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – University of Alabama-sponsored Project R.O.S.E. (Recycled Oil Saves Energy), one of the oldest volunteer used motor oil outreach and education programs in the United States, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

Sheri D. Powell, a native of Sanford who now lives in Tuscaloosa, is the coordinator of the program, a position she has held for 10 years.

Powell graduated from the Opp City School System. Her father, Forest Powell, was the mayor of Sanford for 22 years, and her mother, Dorothy Powell, taught first grade at South Highlands Elementary School for 40 years.

Founded in 1977 by Dr. Gary C. April, professor and head of UA’s chemical engineering department, Project R.O.S.E. began with two 55-gallon drums placed at a pair of service stations in Tuscaloosa and Mobile, giving customers the opportunity to dispose of their used motor oil. Today, Project R.O.S.E. provides more than 500 volunteer used motor oil collection sites across the state and collects over 8 million gallons of used motor oil for recycling annually. The program has gained national attention from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy, which have recognized it as a model volunteer used oil program for do-it-yourself oil changers.

“Project R.O.S.E. is a grass-roots effort,” said April. “It enables communities to implement a recycling program that aids that specific community’s needs.” Project R.O.S.E. has been contacted by every state in the nation, along with 12 foreign countries, for assistance in implementing their own oil recycling programs, according to April. “That’s the most gratifying aspect of this program,” he said, “and we owe much of its success to coordinators like Sheri Powell.”

Powell says the longevity of the program can be attributed to its ability to reinvent itself. “There have been scientific changes and environmental concerns regarding other automotive solvents and materials since Project R.O.S.E. began,” said Powell. “It has evolved in order to enable people to do their part in preserving the environment, and we look forward to another 25 years of exciting challenges.”

Powell says that at least 4 million gallons of used motor oil are still discharged in backyards, storm drains, landfills and streams in Alabama each year, something Project R.O.S.E. is trying to change by informing the public about the importance of disposing of motor oil properly. Used motor oil contains dangerous toxins, like lead, chromium and cadmium, said Powell. When not recycled or disposed of correctly, it contaminates surface water and soil; kills plants and animals; and is hazardous to the health of humans-some toxins found in used oil can cause cancer. “The oil from a single oil change can contaminate one million gallons of fresh water, a year’s supply for 50 people,” she said.

Project R.O.S.E. is headquartered in the chemical engineering department in UA’s College of Engineering, and is funded by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs Science, Technology and Energy Division.

For more information, or to locate used oil collection sites throughout Alabama, visit the Project R.O.S.E. Web site at www.eng.ua.edu/~prose, or call 1-800-452-5901.