1 DR. BOTHNER: You do not expect that from an oil spill. 



2 DR. GRASSLE: The whole point is that oil spills over time result 



3 in the gradual accumulation, even though any one does not really show 



4 up. 



5 DR. BOTHNER: Okay. 



6 DR. GRASSLE: If there is a problem, it is a problem of increasing 



7 background. You know, will this environment get up to the 0.3 ppm? 



8 DR. KRAEUTER: Do we have evidence in an environment like this of 



9 gradual accumulation anywhere from oil spills of the kind we are talking 



10 about? 



11 I know in shallow water I would tend to agree with you. 



12 DR. GRASSLE: I think that in oil fields the background can be 



13 slightly higher than otherwise, and that is what we are talking about. 



14 DR. KRAEUTER: Is it produced water? 



15 DR. VALENTINE: It is probably both. 



16 DR. GRASSLE: I think with this document we are saying that it is 



17 likely to be the long-term effects of spills. 



18 DR. KRAEUTER: If any. 



19 DR. BOTHNER: How about "the long time cumulative effects of 



20 various discharges" or something like that? 



21 DR. GRASSLE: Yes, that is good. 



22 {Simultaneous discussion.) 



23 MR. BOURNE: You could just strike the paren altogether and end it 



24 the way you say, "the gradual accumulation"? 



25 DR. COOPER: Don't we make the point earlier in the report, here, 



26 though, Fred, "Gradual long-term build-up, given that it may exist, is 



27 more than offset by the biodegradation and decomposition?" 



28 DR. KRAEUTER: We do. 



29 DR. COOPER: We made that point very clearly earlier in the 



30 report. 



31 DR. GRASSLE: I think the "if it occurs" covers that. All this is 



32 saying--we are not really prepared to say unequivocally that there are 



33 no impacts, I do not think. At least I am not. 



402 



