The Integrated Petroleum Environmental Consortium (IPEC) is a consortium of four universities in Oklahoma and Arkansas: The University of Tulsa (TU), The University of Oklahoma (OU), Oklahoma State University (OSU), and The University of Arkansas (UA) at Fayetteville. The fiscal center of IPEC is The University of Tulsa. The consortium has the following specific objectives:

• development of new, cost-effective technologies for the solution of environmental problems in the domestic petroleum industry (especially the small independent producers) to improve the competitiveness of the industry
• dissemination of information regarding state-of-the-art petroleum environmental technology, new technology development, and legal and regulatory issues which can impact the competitiveness of the domestic petroleum industry.

The operational activities of IPEC are directed by an IPEC Executive Committee composed of representatives from the four IPEC institutions. The core leadership of this committee is the consortium Director and three Associate Directors. The IPEC Executive Committee and IPEC Directors is advised by two bodies, an Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) and a Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC). The Executive Committee is also advised by a Quality Assurance Officer. This officer may be a member of the IPEC Executive Committee. Each element of the IPEC administrative structure is detailed below.

IPEC Executive Committee

The IPEC Executive Committee is composed of three representatives from each IPEC institution, one administrator and two faculty researchers. This committee controls all funding within IPEC subject only to EPA oversight, IAB and SAC input, and restrictions imposed by assurances and testimony to Congress. This committee also determines the composition and individual membership of the IAB, nominates potential SAC members for EPA approval, solicits research topics from the IAB, and submits proposed research projects to the IAB and SAC for evaluation and approval. The committee develops guidelines for evaluating proposals by the IAB and SAC; however, funding of all research proposals requires a positive recommendation from both the IAB and SAC. This committee is also responsible for soliciting research proposals from IPEC institutions based on input from the IAB. The committee also receives unsolicited proposals and submits those to the IAB for an evaluation of relevancy to the mission of IPEC. The chair of the committee is responsible for convening the committee at a frequency determined to be appropriate to manage the business of the consortium. The chair is elected by the committee and rotates annually among the four participating institutions. The operating year for the committee is the same as the budget year for the consortium. Each year the executive committee also elects a chair-elect to serve as chair in the following budget period. The chair of the Executive Committee shall be the Director or one of the Associate Directors of the consortium.

Director

The Director of IPEC is be a member, but not necessarily chair, of the IPEC Executive Committee and is responsible for promoting the consortium to industry, the EPA, other government agencies, and Congress. The Director is also responsible for reporting to Congress on the activities and progress of the consortium. The Director develops additional funding opportunities and seeks out industry input for projects and matching funds. The Director also interfaces with the other consortia to develop joint research opportunities and other projects of mutual interest. The Director serves at the pleasure of the Executive Committee subject to periodic review. The Director of IPEC is Dr. Kerry Sublette (TU).

Associate Directors

Each IPEC institution not represented by the Director names an Associate Director from their two faculty representatives to the Executive Committee. The Associate Directors work with the Director in promoting the consortium. Each of these Associate Directors is responsible for promoting the expertise and capabilities of their institution and faculty to the Director and Executive Committee and assists the Director in promoting those capabilities to industry. The Associate Directors are responsible for communication between their faculty and the administration of the consortium. The Associate Directors of IPEC are Dr. Robert Babcock (UA), Dr. Joseph Suflita (OU), and Dr. Khaled Gasem (OSU).

Quality Assurance Officer

The responsibilities of the IPEC Quality Assurance Officer include:

1. establish and maintain an IPEC quality assurance program;
2. develop, prepare, issue and periodically revise, as the need arises, the IPEC Quality Assurance / Quality Control Plan;
3. prepare documents to be used as guidelines by the researchers to ensure successful adherence to EPA's quality assurance/quality control requirements;
4. ensure that all affected personnel have a good understanding of the IPEC Quality Assurance / Quality Control Plan, of their individual quality assurance responsibilities, and appreciation of the importance of their roles to the overall success of IPEC;
5. consult with IPEC principal investigators on analytical problems, review the QA/QC project plans and their implementation, and make necessary recommendations for revision/implementation;
6. audit periodically the activities of the principal investigators for compliance with approved QA/QC protocol;
7. transmit quality assurance and other appropriate technical information received from EPA's Office of Research and Development to IPEC researchers; and
8. maintain contact with EPA's Quality Assurance Management Staff (QAMS) in order to keep-up-to-date regarding QA requirements, documents, etc.

The position of IPEC Quality Assurance Officer is currently held by Dr. Greg Thoma who is also a member of the IPEC Executive Committee.

Industrial Advisory Board (IAB)

IPEC is industry driven to ensure that the consortium is meeting the needs of the industry and fulfilling its mission. The IPEC Executive Committee is advised by an Industrial Advisory Board (IAB) composed of technical, legal and business environmental professionals from major oil companies, independent producers and refiners, and regulatory bodies. Representatives of regulatory bodies include the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, the Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission, the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality, and the Pawhuska, OK office of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The independent oil companies (producers and refiners) are the majority group represented on the IAB. The responsibilities of the IAB are two-fold. First, the IAB advises the IPEC Executive Committee on environmental research needs in the domestic petroleum industry. Secondly, the IAB reviews research proposals at a pre-proposal stage for relevancy to the mission of IPEC. As noted above, research proposals must meet this test of relevancy to be considered further for funding. The IAB meets at least two times per year at the University of Tulsa. Many of the responsibilities of the committee are carried out at these meetings. However, IAB members are asked to perform relevancy reviews of IPEC pre-proposals as necessary to maintain an efficient use of funding resources within the consortium.

The Science Advisory Committee (SAC)

The Science Advisory Committee (SAC) is composed of technical peers selected from public and private sectors and academia knowledgeable of both the domestic petroleum industry and environmental science and engineering. The members of the SAC are selected by the IPEC Directors subject to confirmation by the EPA Project Officer. The EPA Project Officer is an ex officio member of the SAC. The responsibilities of the SAC are:

1. to provide objective, independent, high quality, technical advice to the IPEC Director about the consortium's mission and goals, project quality and progress, and related activities;
2. provide technical review of full IPEC proposals;
3. review and approve requests for proposals;
4. review and approve IPEC's Quality Assurance/Quality Control plan;
5. review final reports of funded projects and recommend acceptance or rejection; and
6. assist IPEC in identifying additional funding opportunities. The Director and the IPEC Executive Committee follow the recommendations of the SAC unless faced with a compelling, documented reason to do otherwise.

The SAC meets two times per year, once at the International Petroleum Environmental Conference and once at the University of Tulsa. Many of the responsibilities of the committee are carried out at these meetings. However, SAC members are asked to perform technical reviews of IPEC proposals and request for proposals as necessary to maintain an efficient use of funding resources within the consortium.