A stand of five conifers (Pinus sp.) bordering a gasoline service station was studied to estimate the methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) emission rate from gasoline-impacted groundwater. Groundwater was impacted with gasoline oxygenates MTBE and tert-butyl alcohol (TBA) at combined concentrations exceeding 200,000 microg/L. Condensate from trees was collected in sealed environmental chambers and analyzed. Concentrations of MTBE in condensate ranged from 0.51 to 460 microg/L; TBA ranged from 12 to 4100 microg/L (n=19). Transpirate concentrations were derived from MTBE air-liquid partitioning data exhibited in controls spiked with known concentrations of analyte. Tree emissions were estimated by multiplying average transpirate concentrations by transpiration rates derived from evapotranspiration data. Stand evapotranspiration was calculated using meteorological data from the California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS) applied in the Standardized Reference Evapotranspiration Equation.

California State Water Resources Control BoardPhytoremediation is the use of plants to clean up environmental problems. While some have termed this technology a niche strategy, there are almost as many uses of phytoremediation as there are sites and problems. No plant will be able to survive in pure phase contamination, but in areas with low to moderate levels of contaminants, plants can perform a variety of functions. They can enhance the metabolism of microorganisms in the soil and thus the degradation of contaminants by the soil bacteria and fungi. Plants can be used in alternating methods to either immobilize soil metals, or to transport those metals out of the soil and into the aboveground portions of the plants for harvest and removal of the metals from the site. Plants have been used in aquatic situations, in wetlands, and in mountainous regions. But perhaps the most promising use of plants is in the control of ground water pollutants. Plants can be used to minimize the recharge of soil-based contaminants into the ground water, exert hydraulic control of a contaminant plume, or take up impacted water from the aquifer and degrade the contaminant within the plant tissues.Much work has been done with ground water-based contaminants, including industrial solvents like TCE (Newman et ai., 1999), pesticides such as atrazine (Burken and Schnoor, 1997), or energetics such as trinitrotoluene (TNT) and cyclotrimethylenetrinitramine (RDX) (Thompson et ai., 1998).Early studies with soluble compounds often focused on the ability of a plant to take up the contaminant. There has been much said about the Briggs coefficient (Briggs et ai., 1982), where it was stated that a plant could only take up a compound with a mid-range octanol-water partition coefficient (Kow), and that compounds that were strongly hydrophobic or hydrophilic would not be

GOAL The proposed Certification Program is a technical-professional recognition program to enhance the professional stature and welfare of petroleum engineers. The objectives of the program are:to encourage and reflect the continuing updating of skills by petroleum engineers;to identify and discern the clearly competent professional;to foster continuing recognition of the competent petroleum engineer in his professional career; andto aid the advancement of the technical and scientific disciplines associated with the profession. CERTIFICATION AND REGISTRATION The proposed Certification Program compliments and supplements professional registration programs. Registration means legal professional registration programs. Registration means legal license to practice in a particular geographical area; certification means recognition of an individual's continuing technical competence to engage in professional practice. In areas where no registration laws exist to cover work by petroleum engineers, the Certification Program sponsored by the Society of Petroleum Engineers could provide a form of recognition of competency Petroleum Engineers could provide a form of recognition of competency in petroleum engineering principles and practices. ELIGIBILITY To gain certification under the SPE-sponsored program, the applicant must meet the following requirements:Experience: A minimum of six years' experience in an engineering capacity related to the petroleum industry, preferably in the exploration, drilling, production, or pipelining areas. Such experience can include positions in industry, government, or in teaching at a four-year college or university. Credit of one year for a Masters degree and two years for a Doctorate degree will be provided.Registration: A current license as a Registered Professional Engineer in the state in which he practices.Education: (Applies only for those petroleum engineers who, for reason of residency, are unable to qualify for engineering registration at the time of application for certification.) A degree in engineering, engineering science, or applied science from a college or university whose engineering or scientific curricula is approved by the Engineers Council for Professional Development (ECPD) or the SPE Board of Directors.