Patent ID: 8389270

Claim:
A method of bioremediating hydrocarbon-containing waste, comprising: (a) providing a composition comprising a wood particle derived from a wood source affected by a mountain pine beetle; and (b) contacting the waste with the wood particle wherein the wood particles have a moisture content of 4% to 25%; and wherein the composition does not comprise wood particles with a moisture content that is outside the range of 4% to 25%, wherein the composition comprises a plurality of wood particles, wherein the wood particles comprise a microorganism associated with a mountain pine beetle, wherein the wood is selected from the group consisting of lodgepole pine, ponderosa pine, Scotch pine, whitebark pine, limber pine, Douglas-fir, blue spruce, Pinus contorta , beech, western scrub, north coast scrub, and sand, shore and knotty pine; wherein the microorganism is selected from the group consisting of Grosmannia clavigera, Ophiostoma clavigerum, Ophiostoma montium, Leptographium longiclavatum, Entomocorticium, Entomocorticium dendroctoni, Ophiostoma montium, Ceratocystiopsis manitobensis, Pichia capsulate, Pichia scolytii, Pichia holstii, Bacillus subtilis, Pseudomonas , and Alcaligenes faecalis.