NEWPORT BEACH : Oil Cleanup Is Topic of Scientific Session

Eighteen months ago when they selected Newport Beach for their conference, three University of Massachusetts scientists had no idea how appropriate the choice would become.

Today, while workers sweep spilled crude oil from Newport’s beaches, the conference will discuss the latest in oil pollution cleanup technology and policies.

And the featured speaker, signed up for more than a year, will be Peter Leathard, president of the company in charge of the cleanup in Newport and Huntington Beach. Leathard’s topic: “The Prince William Sound Oil Spill--Are You Prepared?”

Leathard’s firm, Veco Inc. of Anchorage, Alaska, managed the Prince William Sound cleanup caused by the tanker Valdez’s running aground. The conference program, printed months ago, says Leathard would discuss in detail “what would have happened if the spill occurred offshore of Los Angeles and what could be done to prepare for such a spill.”

The Feb. 7 spill off Huntington Beach will make the discussion a lot less theoretical, said Charles E. Bell, one of the conference organizers. “I don’t doubt (Leathard) will talk about this cleanup. It’s a hot topic.”

Leathard is scheduled to speak during a 7 p.m. banquet today at the Sheraton Hotel-Newport Beach. Huntington Beach Fire Chief Raymond C. Picard is expected to appear as well and answer questions about the local cleanup.

The rest of the conference, which ends Thursday, is concerned with the technical and policy aspects of soil and ground water contamination, which usually comes from leaking storage tanks.