The Center for Advanced Ship Repair and Maintenance (CASRM), at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia was recently awarded a contract by US EPA for $1,155,200 for work associated with Tributyltin (TBT). TBT is the most toxic compound mankind has introduced into the marine environment as a biocide in antifouling paints. Under this contract CASRM will develop water treatment technologies to remove TBT, from shipyard wastewater and operate a demonstration pilot plant to treat 500,000 gallons of shipyard washdown wastewaters.

The Director of CASRM, Dr. Tom Fox, indicated that this funding is timely since a global ban on the use of TBT is under consideration at the International Maritime Organization in London. Dr. Michael A. Champ, former EPA science advisor who helped write the U.S. Organotin Act, will serve as the technical consultant to the project. Research and technology development will be carried out at Old Dominion University and the Virginia Institute of Marine Science.

Those requiring background information would find an interesting brief paper by Dr. Michael Champ entitled "Incorporating Good Environmental Science in the Current Organotin RegulatoryDebate" invaluable. Contact Dr Champ at machamp@aol.com for an emailed copy. Over the past 30 years he has served in many roles in academia, government and industry. In the mid 1980s hewas a Senior Science Advisor at EPA and was extensively involved in the Special Review for TBT and helped write for Congress the Antifouling Paint Control Act of 1988. He has co-chaired 3 international conferences on Organotins and authored over 300 scholarly publications and 5 books related to environmental and marine sciences.