API PUBL 4529:1991

FOREWORD This is the 12th biennial International Oil Spill Conference. It is jointly sponsored by the American Petroleum Institute, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Conference provides an opportunity for experts from all over the world to share their knowledge with other people in the field, and to discuss their concerns. It is estimated to attact more than a thousand participants from 35 different countries and will have more than 125 exhibits of oil spill equipment and services. The first Oil Spill Conference was held in 1969. The goals of the conference were to delineate the overall dimensions of the spills problem, to explore the state of the art in the prevention and control of spills, and to review the relevant research. While much has been learned in the past 22 years, there are still many challenges ahead in identifying better ways to prevent spills and to respond to those that occur. This year there are an unusual number of new developments which will enhance our knowledge on spill response and cleanup. There will be papers on the use of bioremediation, dispersants, management of spills, fate and effects of oil, efforts to improve the capabilities of spill response organizations, and spill modeling. There also will be case histories on the response to a number of significant spills. In addition, there will be extensive discussions on the new oil spill legislation and its implications. As a special attraction, this year's Conference will include an open water demonstration of a number of new and innovative types of cleanup equipment. The sponsors of this Conference thank the authors of the papers which constitute the Proceedings as well as all members of the panels, session chairmen, and planning committees for their generous contribution of time to make this conference a success.