DOE sponsoring Black Sea environmental workshop

The US Department of Energy said Thursday that it will sponsor a July 25-27 workshop in Constanta, Romania, to encourage environmentally responsible energy development in the Black Sea region. Representatives of Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Georgia, Romania, and Bulgaria are expected to attend the workshop, as are oil industry officials.

July 24, 2000

Washington, DC�The US Department of Energy said Thursday that it will sponsor a July 25-27 workshop in Constanta, Romania, to encourage environmentally responsible energy development in the Black Sea region. Representatives of Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Georgia, Romania, and Bulgaria are expected to attend the workshop, as are oil industry officials.

A similar workshop was held last September in Odessa, Ukraine, at the request of the Ukrainian government.

US Energy Sec. Bill Richardson said, �As more and more oil is being shipped across the Black Sea, these workshops provide a unique opportunity for the countries to work together to share technology and build stronger plans for preventing spills and protecting the fragile environment.�

DOE said that the volume of oil transiting the Black Sea is expected to double over the next 10 years to about 2 million b/d, and recognizing the increased potential for a spill will result in better response capability.

The Constanta workshop will include sessions on oil spill response policy, individual country contingency plans, Black Sea environment status, and civil-military emergency planning. There will also be a demonstration of a Black Sea environmental website.

DOE said its function is to facilitate cooperation among the countries and provide technical support.