Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 2, 1991 TAG: 9103020195
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: GREG EDWARDS NEW RIVER VALLEY BUREAU
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
The four-member scientific team, comprising three veterinarians from the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine and a zoology professor, will help the Saudis prepare a plan for restoring the ecology of the Persian Gulf and Saudi Peninsula. The water and land have been severely degraded by oil spills and the fallout from burning oil wells.
The scientists will not be dealing with the oil cleanup, itself, but will identify the ecological problems associated with the pollution and develop a plan for helping the region recover, said team member Donald Cordes, head of the veterinary school's pathology department.
"What veterinarians are supposed to be good at is diagnosing a problem and recommending some treatment," he said. Part of the team's recommendations may involve calling in specialists from other fields of expertise.
Cordes said he sees the work as a good opportunity to contribute to the recovery of the area and the establishment of peace in the Middle East.
One of the team's first jobs when it arrives in Saudi Arabia will be to assess the extent of the environmental damage to both marine and land-based ecology.
His only information at this point comes from the media, which reported as many as 500 oil wells burning in neighboring Kuwait and from 1 million to 11 million barrels of oil spilled in the Gulf, Cordes said.
By contrast, the Valdez spill in Alaska involved about 255,000 barrels.
"One of the characteristics of a war zone is chaos, so we've had different reports on the scale of the contamination," Cordes said.
"Whatever the numbers, it is contamination on an enormous scale."
The date of the team's departure will depend upon the Saudi government, which is making the arrangements, Cordes said.
The four expect their fact-finding stay in the country to last from 10 to 14 days, after which they will return to Tech and work on the recovery plan.
Tech's offer of help was conveyed to the Saudis by a West Virginia environmental consultant, Joseph Strauss, who has connections both with the veterinary school and the Saudi government.
The U.S. government, including Sen. John Warner's office, has also been involved in making arrangements for Tech's participation, Cordes said.
Cordes has experience in marine mammal diseases and has consulted with a variety of governments around the world on animal health and disease control.
Cordes has been to the Middle East before, spending three months in an Arab country three years ago.
Other members of the Tech team include:
Arthur Buikema, a professor of zoology in Tech's College of Arts and Sciences. Buikema recently co-wrote a book on the restoration of habitats damaged by oil spills and was the keynote speaker at a major scientific meeting on the Exxon Valdez spill in Alaska. He is an internationally recognized expert on biological monitoring and assessment of pesticides, oil products and other hazardous substances.
Dr. Hugo Veit, a veterinary pathologist, who has recently been involved in fresh-water aquaculture and has broad experience in food animal medicine.
Dr. Pierre Lessard, a veterinary epidemiologist, who has worked extensively throughout Africa. Included in his experience is the effect of climate and the environment on animal disease.
Strauss, the team's liaison with the Saudis, is an expert in endangered species and wild animal capture who has worked closely with the Smithsonian Institution.
Possibly the carcasses of some species of rare animals will be sent from the gulf to the Smithsonian for study, Cordes said.
Cordes said he did not know if scientists from any other universities would be helping plan the recovery effort.
The Saudi government will pay for the team's travel and operating expenses. Although team members are volunteering their time and knowledge to the effort, they will benefit from the experience of helping to deal with the pollution, Cordes said.
"It could be a very valuable experience for us from the scientific point of view," he said. And the team will be able to pass onto others the benefit of its experience, he said.
The recovery effort also provides a chance for the American people - who have recently been seen as breaking up things - to contribute to the region's peace and stability, Cordes said. "All of us have to make a contribution, if we are able."
Dr. Peter Eyre, dean of the veterinary college, wrote the chief of the Saudi wildlife conservation and development agency that Tech's "participation in the effort to protect the future of the Gulf is an effort to fulfill our common responsibility to the planet."
by CNB