API PUBL 4687:1999

PREFACE The 1999 International Oil Spill Conference sponsors--American Petroleum Institute, US Coast Guard, US Environmental Protection Agency, International Maritime Organization, and International Petroleum Industry Environmental Conservation Association--commissioned issue papers covering two topics of special importance to the oil spill community. The sponsors assigned responsibility for general management and oversight, scope definition, peer review, and publication of these issue papers to the Program Committee. The goals of these papers are to stimulate open discussion of complex and controversial issues and balance diverse positions of stakeholders. Each topic addresses varying scientific/technical and socio-political concerns. Therefore, each paper differs as to depth of study and breadth of conclusions. The views and opinions presented are those of the authors solely and do not represent the views, opinions, or policies of the International Oil Spill Conference or its sponsors. During the 1999 Conference, each of these issue paper topics will be the subject of a special panel session. Publication of these issue papers as separate companion documents to the Conference Proceedings continues the International Oil Spill Conference Technical Report Series. The Technical Reports are published biennially in conjunction with the International Oil Spill Conference. It is the Program Committee's hope that each issue paper topic furthers substantive discussion and serves as a catalyst for solutions to the topics discussed.