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WRECKS OF THE WORLD CONFERENCE, JUNE 6-7, DRAWS INTERNATIONAL CADRE OF SPEAKERS

News Release American Salvage Association May 12, 2011
Variety of speakers to address world-wide shipwrecks that may contain up to

20 million tons of oil, other hazardous materials



Washington, DC – The American Salvage Association (ASA) and the North American Marine

Environmental Protection Association (NAMEPA) will co-sponsor a conference, “Wrecks of

the World: Evaluating and Addressing Potential Underwater Threats” (WOW) II” on Monday, June 6 and Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS) in the Washington, DC area (Linthicum Heights, MD) USA.



The conference will explore the problem of potentially polluting wrecks and recent incidents around the world that have caused government agencies and responsible parties to look proactively at preventing catastrophic oil and other chemical releases from these long-submerged shipwrecks which may contain as much as 20 million tons of oil and other hazardous materials. Sporadic or continuous leakages or potential sudden massive spillages from these wrecks pose a continual risk across the globe.



The first day will include a discussion of state-of-the-art research and technology on wrecks, as presented by expected speakers Dr. Christopher Reddy and Michael Barrett, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute; regulatory issues of polluting wrecks by RADM Brian Salerno, USCG, Hans Petter Mortensholm, Kystverket Norway; Jan de Boer, IMO Legal Committee, and others; risk assessment issues with David Conlin, National Park Service; Jordan Stout, NOAA OR&R, and others; financial issues related to polluting wrecks with Craig Bennett, National Pollution Fund Center; Jose Maura, IOPC Fund; Charles Anderson, Skuld North America; and Dabney Hegg, U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations. See current program, attached, for details.



Sponsoring companies including T&T Bisso, Frank Mohn, Marine Pollution Control, and Ballard Marine. Sponsorship opportunities are available.



Further details are available on the ASA and NAMEPA websites at www.americansalvage.org and www.namepa.net.



The American Salvage Association is a trade association promoting professionalism and

improving marine casualty response in American coastal and inland waters.



NAMEPA is an industry led voluntary, non-profit and non-governmental organization committed

to preserving the marine environment through educating seafarers, port communities and

children about the need, and strategies, for protecting this important global resource.