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NAS Gulf of Mexico Program
July 24, 2013 -- First Meeting of Gulf Program Advisory Group Begins in New Orleans
The recently formed advisory group for the NAS Gulf of Mexico Program is holding its first meeting to gather input that will be helpful in the group's creation of a strategic plan for the program. Watch a video of NAS President Ralph J. Cicerone that will start off the event, describing the program's origins and purpose.
June 7, 2013 -- Advisory Group Appointed to Lead Program
The National Academy of Sciences’ Gulf of Mexico program has appointed an advisory group to create a strategic vision and guide the program’s development and implementation.
Nov. 15, 2012 -- NAS President's Statement on New Gulf of Mexico Program
Background
When the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in April 2010, killing 11 workers, it resulted in the biggest oil spill in U.S. history. Impacts of the approximately 200 million gallons of oil spilled in the Gulf of Mexico will affect the environment and people who live and work in the region for decades. As part of legal settlements with the companies involved, the federal government asked the National Academy of Sciences to establish a new 30-year research program focused on human health and environmental protection in the Gulf region, including issues concerning the safety of offshore oil drilling and hydrocarbon production and transportation in the Gulf of Mexico and on the United States' outer continental shelf.
The NAS program, which has yet to be formally named, will concentrate on three areas: environmental monitoring, research anddevelopment, and education and training. The settlements require penalty payments totaling $500 million to be made over the next five years into a fund to be administered by the NAS, which will support the program's studies, projects, and activities over the next 30 years. The program will draw upon the scientific, engineering, and health expertise of the NAS, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council. These private, nonprofit organizations provide independent, expert advice under a congressional charter granted to the NAS in 1863. In accordance with NAS policies and procedures, the program will be conducted based on scientific merit and integrity, with emphasis on freedom of inquiry.
Preliminary Planning
Beginning in June 2013, an advisory group will work to develop a strategic vision and operational framework for the program. Chris Elfring, former director of both the National Research Council's Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate and Polar Research Board, is leading the program. A series of outreach and scoping meetings will be held to help identify research opportunities and issues the program should address. The meetings will be held in a variety of formats and locations to encourage wide participation. A major early focus will be to establish relationships with local stakeholders and engage state environmental protection departments and other coastal research managers.
Building on the NAS's core strength of bringing together a range of experts to provide the best possible advice on science, engineering, and health issues, the program will be guided by the advisory group for the first year. Once there is a clear strategic vision for the program, the advisory group’s role will end, and guidance of the program will transition to a board appointed by the NAS. Ultimately, the program will encompass a diverse array of activities, both short and long term.
Download slides from a presentation by Ms. Chris Elfring summarizing the early status of the program.
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