Kuwait Oil Fire Meeting Minutes

File: 061796_DOC_118_Kuwait_Oil_Fires_Meeting_Minutes_16.txt
Page: 16
Total Pages: 15
                        UNITED STATES CENTRAL COMMAND      ~~\t   ~`
                     OPERATION DESERT SHIELD. APO NY 09852


CCSG                            `~oI 1                   April 1, 1991

MEMORANDUM Through USC      MS urge on

MEMORANDUM for Chief of Staff

SUBJECT:   Kuwait Oil Fire Meeting Minutes

1.  A meeting of agencies working with the environmental impact of
the  Kuwait  oil  fires  took place  at  King  Fahd     University  of
Petroleum and Minerals (KFtJPM), Dhahran, at 1030 hours,      31 March
1991.   Attendees and agenda are listed at enclosure 1.

2.   The   various  agencies presented  current     and  planned  data
collection as follows:

     2.a.   Meteorological Environmental Protection Administration
(MEPA), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.  This is the lead agency for Saudi
Arabia  and  will probably  become the  lead agency      for the  Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC).   In cooperation with KFUPM a mobile air
monitoring station has been stationed at Ras at Tanajib.          This
mobile monitoring station loved into Kuwait on 31 March 1991 to a
site to be designated.   MEPA is also hosting the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) team while they are in the Kingdom. As the
lead Saudi   agency, MEPA  is developing a  long-term surveillance
plan.   A first draft will be reviewed by a steering conimittee on
Saturday, 6 April 1991.

     2.b.   Saudi Arabian Oil Company (ARAMCO).     ARANCO has carried
out ambient air quality surveillance over the past six years and
has  one  of  the best   data bases  available.       They have  seven
monitoring stations that function on a 24 hour basis with daily and
monthly mean and peak measurements.   Yearly reports are forwarded
to MEPA.   The parameters measured include hydrogen sulfide, sulfur
dioxide,  ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and total particulate.       ARAMCO
has an Environmental Division that is responsible for monitoring
and reporting.   Only five of the seven monitoring stations were
named and these were Dhahran, Abqaiq1 Ras Tannurah (Rahima), Ras at
Tanajib, and Jumiah.

     2.c.     The   Research Institute  of  KFUPM.        The  primary
environmental   research of  the  KFUPM has  been     the  monitoring,
analysis,  and disposal of oil spills in the Arabian Gulf.        They
currently   have  no  equipment or   personnel for      air  pollution
sampling.   They do have a sampler on the roof of the institute that
has the capability to take filter samples to monitor for heavy
metals,  suspended particles,   and hydrocarbons.      They also have
computer equipment and software to do air dispersal modeling.     This
computer  modeling has   been used to  produce predictions     of  air
pollution,  but input data has been limited.        These models have
predicted  high  contamination  levels for  certain     areas  (e.g. -