VZCZCXYZ0009
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHAMA #8577 3291308
ZNR UUUUU ZZH ZUI RUEWCSE0328 3291337
R 251308Z NOV 06
FM AMEMBASSY AMMAN
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0000
INFO RUEAEPA/HQ EPA WASHDC
RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA
RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC
ZEN/RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE
ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS AMMAN 008577 
 
SIPDIS 
 
ANKARA FOR FAS/GIFFORD 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV PREL TU XF
SUBJECT: CONCERN OVER GAS STATION POLLUTION UNITES MIDDLE EAST 
WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS 
 
 
¶1.  (U) SUMMARY: TWENTY-TWO PARTICIPANTS FROM ISRAEL, THE WEST BANK 
AND GAZA, AND JORDAN PUT REGIONAL TENSIONS ASIDE AT A WORKSHOP IN 
ISTANBUL ON NOVEMBER 12-16 TO FOCUS ON A COMMON CONCERN -- POLLUTION 
FROM LEAKING STORAGE TANKS AT GASOLINE STATIONS.  TWO EPA 
SPECIALISTS PRESENTED A MEATY, PRACTICAL PROGRAM THAT GENERATED 
EXCELLENT DISCUSSION WITHIN AND BETWEEN DELEGATIONS.  END SUMMARY. 
 
-------------------------------------------- 
STATE FUNDS REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL WORKSHOPS 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) THIS TRAINING WORKSHOP WAS THE SIXTH IN A SERIES OF MIDDLE 
EAST REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL WORKSHOPS SUPPORTED BY STATE AND 
ORGANIZED BY USDA/FAS UNDER THE MULTILATERAL PEACE PROCESS WORKING 
GROUP ON THE ENVIRONMENT.  OTHER TOPICS FOR WHICH TRAINING HAS BEEN 
OFFERED OVER RECENT YEARS INCLUDE HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT, 
WASTEWATER TREATMENT, WASTEWATER REUSE, WATER IN AGRICULTURE, 
BIOSOLIDS USE IN AGRICULTURE, AND ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMICS. THE USG 
ORGANIZES THE LOGISTICS, PAYS THE EXPENSES, AND FACILITATES THE 
SUBSTANTIVE PROGRAM.  EIGHT PERSONS EACH FROM ISRAEL, THE WEST 
BANK/GAZA AND JORDAN WERE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE.  TWO PALESTINIAN 
PARTICIPANTS (ONE FROM GAZA, ONE FROM THE WEST BANK) WERE NOT ABLE 
TO MAKE IT TO ISTANBUL FOR THE WORKSHOP, DESPITE STRENUOUS EFFORTS 
FROM CONGEN JERUSALEM AND EMBASSY TEL AVIV. 
 
--------------------------------------------- 
EPA SPECIALISTS PREPARED MUCH USEFUL MATERIAL 
--------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3.  (U) PARTICIPANTS NOTED WITH APPRECIATION THE BREADTH AND DEPTH 
OF THE WORKSHOP ORGANIZED AND PRESENTED BY EPA UNDERGROUND STORAGE 
TANK SPECIALISTS STEVE LINDER FROM REGION 9 (SAN FRANCISCO) AND JUDY 
BARROWS (HEADQUARTERS).  MATERIALS INCLUDED PHOTOGRAPHS, VIDEO 
SEGMENTS, A CLIP FROM A MAJOR TV NEWS SHOW, PROFESSIONAL JOURNALS, 
TRAINING MANUALS, GOVERNMENT FORMS, STANDARDS, AND PROCEDURE 
MANUALS.  ALL MATERIALS WERE PUT ON A COMPUTER DISK AND A COPY WAS 
GIVEN TO EACH PARTICIPANT. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
COLLEGIAL ATMOSPHERE IN ROOM - STILL SOME TENSIONS 
--------------------------------------------- ----- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) SEVERAL PARTICIPANTS COMMENTED FAVORABLY ON THE WARM, 
PROFESSIONAL ATMOSPHERE DURING THE WORKSHOP.  THIS WAS A FUNCTION OF 
THE TYPES OF PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED, AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE 
PRACTICAL ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES.  IN SOME CASES, PEOPLES' INTEREST IN 
THE SUBJECT OVERRODE THEIR RELUCTANCE TO INTERACT WITH THE 
FACILITATORS AND WITH EACH OTHER.  THERE WAS MUCH DISCUSSION WITHIN 
AND BETWEEN DELEGATIONS. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) THERE WERE TIMES, THOUGH, WHEN THE POLITICAL REALITIES OF 
THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT WERE UNAVOIDABLE.  IN A ROUTINE 
PRESENTATION ON USAGE OF VARIOUS TYPES OF FUELS, A PALESTINIAN 
PARTICIPANT NOTED A SHARP DECREASE IN DEMAND FOR DIESEL FUEL DUE TO 
THE FACT THAT A LARGE GENERATOR IN GAZA HAD BEEN BOMBED BY ISRAEL 
AND WAS OFF-LINE. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) HANDPICKING THE PALESTINIAN DELEGATION FROM NGO'S, 
BUSINESSES AND ACADEMICS WAS TIME-CONSUMING FOR CONGEN JERUSALEM AND 
EMBASSY AMMAN ESTH HUB BUT ENABLED THE USG TO FIND INDIVIDUALS 
COMMITTED TO POLITICAL COOPERATION AS WELL AS ENVIRONMENTAL 
PROTECTION.  TWO MEMBERS OF THE JORDANIAN DELEGATION WHO FULLY AND 
RESPECTFULLY PARTICIPATED IN THE MEETING CHOSE NOT TO BE IN THE 
GROUP PHOTOGRAPH OR TO ATTEND A GROUP DINNER ONE EVENING BECAUSE OF 
THEIR FEELINGS TOWARD ISRAELI ACTIONS IN GAZA.  THEIR ABSENCE WAS 
NOT NOTICED, THOUGH, AND IN FACT THE INTERACTION DURING THE DINNER 
WAS CASUAL AND FRIENDLY. 
 
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THE VENUE: ISTANBUL WAS A BIG POSITIVE FACTOR 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶7.  (U) SELECTION OF ISTANBUL AS THE VENUE WAS AN INSPIRED CHOICE. 
AS A MAJORITY MUSLIM COUNTRY NOTABLE FOR ITS MODERATE ATTITUDES, 
TURKEY WAS A COMFORTABLE AND NEUTRAL LOCATION FOR PARTICIPANTS FROM 
ALL RELIGIONS.  ISTANBUL IS CLOSE TO THE MIDDLE EAST, MAKING TRAVEL 
EASY AND INEXPENSIVE.  VISAS WERE NOT DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN.  EMBASSY 
ANKARA AND CONSULATE ISTANBUL, PARTICULARLY FAS FSN IBRAHIM 
SIRTIOGLU, PROVIDED A CONSISTENT, HIGH LEVEL OF SUPPORT THROUGHOUT 
THE LONG PERIOD OF PREPARATION ON LOGISTICS AND FINDING TURKISH 
ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALISTS. 
 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
THE TEAM: LOGISTICAL, SUBSTANTIVE, REGIONAL, LOCAL 
--------------------------------------------- ------ 
 
¶8.  (U) ONE OF THE STRENGTHS OF THE WORKSHOP WAS ITS DIVERSITY. 
USDA/FAS MANAGED THE LOGISTICS, EPA DEVELOPED THE SUBSTANTIVE 
PROGRAM, AND STATE PROVIDED REGIONAL EXPERTISE.  EPA ALSO ELICITED 
THE PARTICIPATION, AT HIS OWN EXPENSE, OF BOB RENKES FROM THE 
TULSA-BASED PETROLEUM EQUIPMENT INSTITUTE, WHO BROUGHT YEARS OF 
PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE WITH STORAGE TANKS, PIPELINES, GAUGES AND OTHER 
EQUIPMENT.  WITH THE HELP OF STATE COLLEAGUES IN ANKARA, WE 
CONTACTED TURKISH ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST DR. CEM AVCI FROM 
BOSPHORUS UNIVERSITY.  DR. AVCI PRESENTED A SESSION ON TURKEY'S 
EXPERIENCE IN MANAGING GASOLINE STORAGE TANKS, AND HE ORGANIZED A 
HIGHLY USEFUL FIELD TRIP TO SEE THE EQUIPMENT AND PROCEDURES USED AT 
A WORKING GAS STATION IN ISTANBUL.  EACH OF THE DELEGATIONS HAD 
PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPANTS WHO ADDED THEIR PRACTICAL KNOWLEDGE TO 
THE DISCUSSION.  OTHER PARTICIPANTS CAME FROM GOVERNMENT, ACADEMIA 
AND NGO'S.  THIS DIVERSITY BROUGHT DEPTH AND INDIVIDUAL EMPOWERMENT 
TO THE DISCUSSION. 
 
-------------------------------- 
THE ISSUE: LEAKING STORAGE TANKS 
-------------------------------- 
 
¶9.  (U) THE SUBSTANCE OF THE WORKSHOP WAS FOCUSED ON PREVENTING, 
DETECTING AND REMEDIATING LEAKS FROM UNDERGROUND GASOLINE STORAGE 
TANKS AT PLACES SUCH AS GASOLINE STATIONS, MILITARY BASES, TAXI 
COMPANIES, RENTAL CAR OUTLETS AND MUNICIPAL GARAGES.  TANKS AND 
PIPELINES BREAK AND CORRODE, LETTING THEIR CONTENTS SEEP INTO THE 
SOIL AND SOMETIMES INTO GROUNDWATER.  WHILE UP TO 50% OF SUCH TANKS 
AND THEIR ASSOCIATED PARAPHERNALIA LEAK, EPA ESTIMATES THAT LESS 
THAN 5% OF THE TANKS HAVE A SERIOUS LEAK.  TELL THAT TO THE CITY OF 
SANTA MONICA, THOUGH.  GASOLINE, ESPECIALLY THE ADDITIVE MTBE, FROM 
ONE BADLY LEAKING TANK FOULED ITS ENTIRE CITY WATER SUPPLY.  THE 
TOTAL BILL IS NOW OVER $150 MILLION, AND THE METER IS STILL TICKING 
MERRILY.  DURING THE WORKSHOP, PEOPLE WERE SWEATING, AND GROANS 
COULD BE HEARD AROUND THE TABLE AS THE SANTA MONICA CASE HISTORY WAS 
PRESENTED.  WITH JORDAN TRANSITIONING SOON AWAY FROM LEADED GASOLINE 
AND TOWARDS MTBE-ENHANCED GASOLINE, THE LESSONS FROM SANTA MONICA 
WERE HIGHLY RELEVANT. 
 
¶10.  (SBU) COMMENT: THIS WAS THE FIRST THAT SOME MEMBERS OF THE 
JORDANIAN DELEGATION HAD EVER MET ISRAELIS.  WE CONSIDER OUR DUAL 
MISSION TO HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL ON BOTH FRONTS: PROVIDING A FORUM 
FOR ARABS AND ISRAELIS TO MEET AND WORK TOGETHER, AND HELPING TO 
ADDRESS AN IMPORTANT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. 
 
HALE