Iron K-edge x-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) of laboratory-scale model oxide systems was studied to provide insights about the mechanism of cathodic disbonding of fusion bonded epoxy (FBE) from underground steel pipelines. Two model systems were studied : (i) thin film iron (500 Angstrom thick) thermally oxidized at 240 degrees C; and (ii) thin film iron coated with FBE and cathodically disbonded. The thin film iron exhibited a trend of decreasing metallic character with increasing thermal oxidation times. After 122 h of oxidation, the oxidic character became predominant. The oxide appeared to be a mixture of Fe2O3 and Fe3O4. The XANES data for the region under the cathodically disbonded FBE coating exhibited more metallic character than the region that maintained the bond integrity. Under the cathodic disbonding conditions of the present study (-1.5 V-SCE in 1M KOH aqueous solution), the XANES results, although preliminary, support the oxide reduction and/or oxide dissolution mechanisms of disbonding.