MARSHALL (WKZO) -- The X-Prize Foundation is putting up 1.4-million dollars in prize money for the inventor or team that can come up with the best new way to recover oil from the environment. They say it should be innovative, rapidly deployable and highly efficient in capturing crude oil from water surfaces. The group has already put up prizes for the development of private space flight and fuel efficient cars.
X-Prize Foundation CEO Peter Diamandis says the spill in the Kalamazoo River won’t be the last one. They say as many as 400 teams could sign up ideas. They would be narrowed to 10 finalists who would be asked to make presentations, and then three would be awarded prizes. The top prize would be a million dollars. Second place would get 300-grand and third place would be worth $100,000. It won’t help Calhoun County. The winner won’t be picked until sometime next year.
