The widely divergent techniques applied for water and air conservation in the Petroleum Industries Operations lead to discussions, which may show little coherence. Moreover, reviewing the whole field of air and water conservation from reduction/removal of contaminating emissions, through the effects of these contaminants in the biological sphere to the establishment of criteria for acceptable air and water quality, involves various scientific disciplines with different methodologies. Here again, the proper use of the relevant terminology is important as witnessed by various questions put up by the audience, which required some fast-thinking and sometimes rewording, in order to bring audience and author together on a level of mutual comprehension.
Elements of Pollution Control The introductory paper by Mr. E. H. HUBBARD provoked little discussion. Its concluding remarks, emphasising the need for continuing discussion of mutual or conflicting interests by all branches of the community in order to set proper priorities (political) and to achieve the best cost benefit ratio (economical), were underwritten by various speakers, albeit that the emphasis was sometimes slightly shifted (Prof. I. L. WARSHAVSKY, V. I.
ISSAGULYANTS (U.S.S.R.).
Conservation of Water The next two papers dealing with prevention and abatement of sea, water and soil pollution, reflected the public uneasiness about the contamination of our water resources by oil. However, these papers demonstrated clearly how much well directed research has already been applied to these problems, and how our knowledge and experience of sometimes sophisticated preventive and remedial measures has increased since the 7th World Petroleum Congress, when the Torrey Canyon disaster had just occurred.
The happy collaboration between Mr. J.
WARDLEY SMITH, an engineer, and Dr. R. G. J.
SHELTON, a biologist, in the second paper showed also how the difference in methodology mentioned in the introduction can be overcome. The need for such collaboration was also demonstrated in the third paper, where Messrs. BEYNON and OLDHAM in dealing with the migration of oil spills in soil described how these problems cannot be solved by hydraulic engineering alone, but need the assistance of microbiologists.
In the discussion of these papers, Mr. V. BISKE (U.K.) commented that references to 100 ppm of oil as not fouling the surface of the sea in paper No. 3 have been deleted in recent modifications of the relevant British acts (Oil in Navigable Water Act 1971 and Continental Shelf Act 1964).
Mr. BEYNON agreed that this had changed since the writing of the paper. He added that in a new act now before Parliament a Agure is mentioned of 60 Itr per
