Joseph D. Martinez is director emeritus of the Institute for Environmental Studies@Louisiana State University (LSU); he organized the institute in 1968 and directed it until 1981. He retired from LSU in 1982. He holds a B.S. in electrical engineering and an M.S. and Ph.D. in geology, all from LSU. He has published widely on issues relating to the utilization of salt domes and the environmental significance of salt, and has served as a consultant and advisor to local, state and federal governments, and to U.S. and foreign corporations on the use of salt domes for mining and storage. Address: P.O. Box 25314, University Station, Baton Rouge, LA 70894.