343 



Prepared Statement of William S. Beller 



Good morning, Mr. Chairman and Members of the Subcommittee. I am 

 William S. Beller, Chairman of the Biological Task Force (BTF) for 

 Georges Bank. I am also Chief, Ocean Programs Branch, U.S. Environmental 

 Protection Agency. I am pleased to be here today to tell you briefly of 

 the role and work of the Task Force on environmental issues related to 

 Georges Bank oil and gas exploration activities. 



To do this, I have divided my statement into (1) organization and 

 responsibilities of the Task Force; (2) its interactions with other 

 parties and groups; (3) the design and usefulness of the Task Force's 

 monitoring program; (4) prospective changes in the program; and (5) 

 costs to date. 



A quick summary may be in order, which will help put the statement 

 into perspective. To date, oil /gas operators have drilled eight 

 exploratory wells into Georges Bank. All have been dry holes. 

 Scientists made initial baseline studies in the area, monitored the 

 drilling, and are determining the fates and effects of the drilling 

 fluids and cuttings. We are entering the third year of this work. To 

 date, the scientists have reported no significant effects of the drilling 

 discharges on benthic biota. 



