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The Environmental Impact Statements (EISs) for 70 large modern-era hardrock mines in the United States were reviewed to determine their predicted impacts to water resources. EIS predictions were then compared to actual water quality conditions for 24 of the 70 mines (case studies), and the effects of geochemical characteristics and hydrologic conditions on operational water quality were evaluated. Nearly all case study mines with close proximity to water resources and moderate to high potential for acid drainage or contaminant leaching had operational water quality impacts ranging from increases over baseline concentrations to exceedence of water quality standards, with most having exceedences of standards. EIS water quality predictions made after considering the effects of mitigations largely underestimated actual impacts to groundwater, seeps, and surface water. EIS water quality predictions made before the ameliorating effects of mitigations were considered were more accurate at predicting operational water quality. Of the case study mines with these inherent geochemical and hydrologic characteristics, at least three-quarters underestimated operational water quality impacts in their pre-mining EIS predictions.

ASIA AND OCEANIA CONGRESS OF ENDOCRINOLOGY T HE second Asia and Oceania Congress of Endocrinology was held in Sydney during May 28-June 3 under the auspices of the Endocrine Society of Australia. The president of the Congress was Prof. C. W. Emmens, and Prof. T. Miyake (Japan), Dr. H. D. Purves (New Zealand) and Prof. V. M. Trikojus (Australia) as vice-presidents. One hundred and eighty delegates participated in the Congress, including fifteen from Japan, six from New Zealand, five from the Philippines, four from both Great Britain and the United States, two from India, one from Hong Kong and one from Italy. Eighty papers were read from 120 offered. Prof. A. S. Parkes (Physiological Laboratory, Cambridge) opened a symposium on "Regulation of Fertility", and discussed climatic, social and nutritional factors. Rapid-acting and neural effects were differentiated from the slower-acting responses mediated via the anterior pituitary. The importance of smell as an exteroceptive factor working through slowly acting neurohumoral mechanisms was discussed. Related papers, including a number from workers in .Japan and from a group in Sydney on various aspects of oostrogenic and anti-oostrogenic effects, followed the opening paper. Dr. H. D. Purves (Endocrinology Research Department, Medical Research Council of New Zealand) opened a symposium on "Control of Thyroid Secretion" and discussed aspects of the feedback mechanism in relation to control of thyroid function. He was followed by Prof. T. Miyake (Kyoto, Japan), who reported on clinical studies of thyroid hormone metabolism, and a series of papers from groups working in New Zealand, in Melbourne and in Adelaide were presented. A symposium on "Hormonal Response to Environment" was led by Prof. E. C. Amoroso (Royal Veterinary College, London), who spoke on "The Endocrine Environment of the Fcetus" and discussed aspects of the complicated hormonal environment in which the developing mammalian organism grows pre-natally. This was followed by papers from a group in Melbourne on electrolyte balance in ruminants, and by a paper on the suckling stimulus in marsupials from workers in Canberra, and by two papers from Indian workers. Dr. M. S. Raben (Boston, United States) opened a symposium on "Protein Hormones in Growth", and reported investigations of metabolic and clinical effects of human growth hormone. Problems concerned with the production of a satisfactory preparation were summarized