PREFACE The Committee on Environmental Affairs is interested in the prevention of oil spills@ and has sponsored several studies during the past six years to encourage the development of cooperatives for oil spill cleanup. According to available data@ there were twelve oil spill cleanup cooperatives organized in 1968@ while today this number has increased to 100 units. Although the number of existing cooperatives is very impressive@ it is also essential that the capabilities of these organizations continue to expand. In this symposium@ all interested persons are afforded an opportunity to exchange viewpoints on the current activities. Hopefully@ this exchange will result in a better understanding of how different cooperatives are organized and of their current and future capabilities. In view of the importance of cooperatives to the petroleum industry as well as to others directly associated with the storage@ handling or consumption of crude oil or its products@ these proceedings have been prepared as a record of this symposium. As a reference document@ the proceedings should be a useful guide to existing cooperatives and to those groups which are still in the organizational process. The authors of the papers and the panelists are to be complimented on their contributions to the success of this symposium. It is hoped that the reader of these proceedings also benefits from these presentations.