Speaker:  Ms. Chris Elfring, The Gulf Program, National Academy of
Sciences, Washington, DC
Thursday, April 11 at noon
 
What Would You Do with $500M for a New Science Program?
Initial Program Planning for the New NAS Gulf of Mexico Program
In April 2010, the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform in the Gulf of
Mexico exploded, killing 11 workers and injuring 17. The accident spilled
approximately 200 million gallons of crude oil into the Gulf of Mexico,
causing significant impacts on the Gulf environment and people.  As part
of a settlement agreement resolving criminal charges against the BP and
Transocean, the National Academy of Sciences has been charged to establish
a new $500 million program on human health and environmental protection in
the Gulf of Mexico. The program is to focus on ³human health and
environmental protection in the Gulf of Mexico and on the United States¹
outer continental shelf, including issues relating to offshore oil
drilling and hydrocarbon production and transportation.²  The program will
work in three broad areas:  environmental monitoring, research and
development, and education and training. This lunchtime talk will examine
the requirements of the new program, discuss how the program will be
planned, and provide some first glimpses at how the program might define
its mission and goals.
Location : Stamp Student Union - Charles Carroll room 2203K
 
Open to the public ­ please join us!