Kuwait Oil Fires - Committee Meeting 13 April 1991

File: 970805_DOC_212_KUWAIT_OIL_FIRES_01.txt
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                  UNrm) STAThS CENmAL COMMAND
                          RIYADII, SAUDI ARABIA          I
                          APO NEW YORK O98S2~M)O6


CCSG                                                   April 14,199

MEMORANDUM Through USCENTCOM Surgeon

MEMORANDUM For Chief of Staff

SUBJECT:   Kuwait Oil Fires - Committee Meeting 13 April 1991

1.   A meeting of the    Steering Committee     for evaluation of the
Kuwait Oil Fires took place on 13 April 1991.      Representatives of
MEPA, Saudi ARANCO, KFUPM, the U.S. Air Assessment Team, and U.S.
CENTOOM were present.     The meeting was  chaired by     Dr. Ali Al
Thowaini of MEPA.

2.   The new members of the U.S. Air Assessment Team were introduced
and presented results of their trip to Kuwait on 10 April 1991.
The Kuwait Environmental Protection Department has been able to run
two of their three continuous air samplers and results for 30 March
through   7 April  were  presented and  compared    to   monthly mean
concentrations of gases from May 1980.  The readings were from the
Mansoriya station.   THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES.    These readings were
limited   to toxic   gases (H2S, 502,   N02)    and did  not  include
particulates which have been intermittently elevated during recent
spot checks  ("grab samples").  The interim conclusion is that as
far as toxic gases are concerned,   the oil fires have had little
impact.   The copying capability in Kuwait was poor, but enclosed
are the results as presented (mcl. 1).

3.   Mr.  Will Pendergrass of the U.S. Air Team presented current
copies  of the   Regional Air  Program  as corrected     the previous
meeting.   The only corrections were spellings of various locations
and the plan as presented is no enclosed since it is a reiteration
of the last packet.  He also presented the proposed organizational
structure as drafted by Mr. Gene Start of NOAA (mcl. 2).     Both Mr.
Start and Mr. Hunt have left country.   The reason for pushing an
organizational structure is to get the Saudi's to establish an Air
Quality monitoring system that is funded and managed.    To date most
of the motivation for this program has come from the U.S. Air Team
and the Research Institute of the King Fahd University of Petroleum
and Minerals.

4.   Mr. John Scweiss presented a brief review of the portable PM1O
air monitors.   The remainder of 20 of these monitors are scheduled
to arrive via Military Airlift on Monday,       15 April 1991.  There
will   be a  shortage  of these monitors   and     since they require
operators that are dedicated to the mission,       I recommended that
U.S.   Central Command NOT be involved in the monitoring.      I also
suggested  that  while  this program  will    take  several  years to
accomplish, the U.S. Central Command hopes to be out of the Kingdoin
of Saudi Arabia within two or three months and cannot be relied
upon for logistical support beyond that time frame.      Both the U.S.