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Prepared Statement of Dr. Robert C. Ayers, Jr. 



My name is Bob Ayers. I am a Senior Research Associate at Exxon Production 

 Research Company in Houston. I hold a Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry and a B.S. in 

 Chemical Engineering both from the University of Texas at Austin. I have been 

 with Exxon for twenty-one years and have spent much of this time working in the 

 field of environmental conservation. During the past few years I have con- 

 centrated my research efforts on the fate and effects of drilling discharges in 

 the marine environment. I am a member of the National Research Council Panel on 

 Fate and Effects of Drilling Discharges in the Marine Environment. I also serve 

 on several Industry committees concerned with environmental issues and am 

 representing the American Petroleum Institute and the Offshore Operators 

 Committee today. 



I have been asked to address certain aspects of the Georges Bank Biological 

 Task Force and the Georges Bank Monitoring program. I assisted the Task Force 

 in the development of the program and serve on the Georges Bank Monitoring 

 Program Scientific Review Board. 



The Biological Task Force was organized in 1979 to assess potential adverse 

 biological impacts of offshore oil and gas operations on Georges Bank and 

 recommend mitigating measures if needed. The Task Force is made up of 

 representatives of federal agencies who are voting members and representatives 

 of state agencies who are non-voting members. The Task Force meetings are open 

 to the public and serve as a forum for concerned groups to express their views 

 on environmental issues associated with offshore oil and gas activities. The 

 most significant product of the Task Force to date has been the monitoring 

 program to define the impacts of drilling discharges on Georges Bank. 



In early 1980, the Task Force formed a Working Group with the charge of 

 developing a monitoring program. Or. Suzanne Bolton, who was then with EPA, 

 chaired the Working Group. Federal, state and independent scientists 

 participated. I served as Industry advisor to the group. 



I would like to point out that Industry supported this program from its 

 inception. Our position was based on the belief that the program would show 

 that exploratory drilling could be accomplished on Georges Bank without 



