Forty years is a considerable amount of time in any case, but for the marine pollution liability industry, itâs an entire lifetime. WQIS, which essentially founded the industry in 1971, is celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2011 with signature moments taking place throughout the year. The anchor event was a cocktail party at The Public House in New Yorkâs midtown. Attended by close to 300 industry professionals, it was a veritable whoâs-who of the marine industry. âWe wanted an event that was simple and elegant, but that really said âthank youâ to all of those in attendance, as theyâre the ones who have helped us reach this milestone,â said Richard Hobbie, President of WQIS. âThis is a big deal for us,â said Russ Brown, Executive Vice President of WQIS.