DURHAM, N.H. - Nancy Kinner, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of New Hampshire, will speak before the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling in Washington, D.C., today (Sept. 27, 2010). Kinner, who is co-director of the UNH/NOAA Coastal Response Research Center, was asked to speak about the use of dispersants in the response to the spill.

The Commission, established by President Barack Obama in May, is chaired by Senator Bob Graham and former EPA Administrator William K. Reilly. Joining Kinner in the discussion of dispersants will be current EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Coast Guard Commander Rear Admiral Mary Landry.

Since the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill began in late April, Kinner has been sought after for her expertise, sharing her expert commentary with hundreds of national media outlets and testifying before federal lawmakers three times. In addition, she has taken a leadership role in creating and disseminating scientific knowledge in support of clean-up efforts, convening several high-level meetings among spill responders, scientists, and other stakeholders in the Gulf of Mexico spill region.

For more information on the meeting, including an agenda and live streaming during the meeting, go to http://www.oilspillcommission.gov/meeting-3/meeting-details.

The Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC) is focused on developing new approaches to oil spill response and restoration in marine and estuarine environments through research and synthesis of information..Established as a partnership between NOAA and UNH in 2004, it is part of the Environmental Research Group at UNH.

The University of New Hampshire, founded in 1866, is a world-class public research university with the feel of a New England liberal arts college. A land, sea, and space-grant university, UNH is the state's flagship public institution, enrolling 12,200 undergraduate and 2,200 graduate students.

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