Clean Water Committees

Task Forces Focused on Water Issues

Biomonitoring Research Task Force
The Biomonitoring Research Task Force focuses on scientific research, addressing interactions between petroleum, petroleum constituents and petroleum products and aquatic organisms. Task Force efforts have dealt primarily with issues relating to refineries, but much of the work is applicable to other parts of the industry as well.

In general, work undertaken by the Task Force attempts to elucidate toxicity, mode of action, potential for exposure, attenuation or other information that would assist in environmental risk assessment or abatement. Recent projects, for example,

• developed ambient water quality criteria to protect aquatic life from exposure to MTBE,
  
  
• examined the determination and use of fish consumption advisories,
  
  
• developed a “guide” for PAHs, and
  
  
• investigated the water quality criteria for metals. 

Work is presently underway in projects that deal with the means of approaching Toxicity Identification Evaluation (TIE) in sediments and the water column, and an evaluation of methods for translating concentrations of chemicals in organisms to concentrations in the water column.

Clean Water Issues Task Force
The Clean Water Issues Task Force addresses issues concerning regulations dealing with potential industry impacts on surface water quality, including effluents to surface water controlled under EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program. 

Recent Task Force efforts include:

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• assessing the cost and strategies for complying with EPA’s new Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) program,
  
  
• identifying the impact and evaluating the treatability of trace metals in refinery effluents,
  
  
• providing guidance for establishment of site-specific water quality criteria for nutrients,
  
  
• identifying practical procedures for setting analytical quantification limits for reporting trace pollutant concentrations in water
  
  
• evaluating procedures for establishing discharge limits based on pollutant concentration limits in ambient fish tissue rather than in the water column,
  
  
• assessing the impact of new effluent guidelines for cooling water intakes, including the feasibility and cost of achieving flow reduction commensurate with complete cooling water recirculation, and,
  
  
• providing data to EPA to support its assessment of electric power cogeneration for possible consideration in the effluent guideline program.

Production Effluent Guidelines Task Force
The main focus of the Production Effluent Guidelines Task Force is on the environmental aspects of discharges associated with exploration and production activities, the “upstream” segment of the oil and natural gas industry. Effluent guidelines are technology-based regulatory limits on the concentration of pollutants discharged from industrial operations. When applied to the upstream segment of the petroleum industry, these address technologies that remove pollutants, such as oils and drilling materials, from the waste streams.

The Task Force oversees projects that:

• monitor the development and impact of effluent guidelines,
  
  
• evaluate treatment technology performance,
  
  
• develop and validate analytical methods for detecting and measuring pollutants,
  
  
• evaluate toxicity of selected pollutants on aquatic organisms, and
  
  
• model dispersion of effluents in the water column from offshore production platforms or drilling rigs.

The members of this Task Force are currently working with the Offshore Operators Committee (a non-API committee), the Minerals Management Service, as well as other industry and government organizations to determine research needs related to exploration and production activities in deep waters.

Soils/Groundwater Technical Task Force
The API Soil/Groundwater Technical Task Force is the focus for subsurface research within API.  Made up of representatives from more than 12 oil companies, it provides an expert, multidisciplinary focal point for soil and ground water issues identified by API committees.

Their primary role is to develop and manage research projects that improve approaches to understanding, restoring and protecting ground water quality.  The task force is also charged with disseminating the findings of such research through its publications, technical presentations, and sponsorship of conferences. Task force efforts include:

• MTBE Resource Center to provide information related this oxygenate;
  
  
• Light Non-Aqueous Phase Liquid (LNAPL) Resource Center, with technical material to assist in clean-up of petroleum hydrocarbons in shallow subsurface soils;
  
  
• Ethanol Resource Center to provide information concerning this material;
  
  
• Soil and Groundwater Research Bulletins.

Emergency Preparedness and Response Program Group
The Emergency Preparedness and Response Program Group works on issues, among others, that are related to the effects and mitigation of oil that is accidentally released into the water. This is a broad-based group because the reaction to such an accident requires a range of skills, experience and equipment. Members of this task force represent fire and safety personnel, those who manufacture and use containment equipment, wildlife and aquatic biologists, and chemists to evaluate possible effects.

The Task Force supports a similarly broad range of research in the oil spill area. Projects have examined, for example, effects of in-situ burning of excess oil, and effectiveness and effects of dispersants. They have used the information in developing guides for decision makers at an oil spill site, documents that discuss the potential effects and the options available for clean-up.

This group also supports the International Oil Spill Conference, a meeting providing scientific presentations, displays by equipment manufacturers, and discussion of plans, training and practical aspects of spill response. API and its members work closely with the U.S. Coast Guard, state and local response units, NOAA, EPA and the U.S. Navy in staging this event.