AN MD-S80 FLT CREW ADMITTED THAT; AFTER A FUEL IMBAL HAD BEEN DETECTED DURING APCH TO EWR; THEY FAILED TO MONITOR THE XFEED CONFIGN WHICH RESULTED IN THE CAPT'S INVOKING EMER AUTH IN ORDER TO LAND.

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WHILE XFEEDING IN AN ATTEMPT TO CORRECT A 400 LB FUEL IMBAL DURING THE TERMINAL ARR PHASE OF FLT; NUMEROUS DISTRS AND 'TASKINGS' (MULTIPLE HOLDING PATTERNS; EXTENSIVE VECTORING; POSSIBLE DIVERSION ALTERNATE QUALIFICATION AND DETERMINATION; ETC) DISTR THE CREW FROM MONITORING THE XFEEDING. A LARGER OPPOSITE IMBAL RESULTED. THE DISCREPANCY WAS DISCOVERED AND CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS INITIATED. DUE TO THE MINIMUM FUEL REMAINING; I ELECTED TO INVOKE MY CAPT'S EMER AUTH AND LAND THE ACFT WITH A FUEL IMBAL EXCEEDING THE LIMITATIONS. THE L TANK HAD 3850 LBS AND THE R TANK CONTAINED 1350 LBS. WHILE NOT MONITORING THE XFEEDING CREATED THIS SIT; I FEEL THE LACK OF ANY VISUAL INDICATIONS OF THE XFEEDING PROCESS (VIEW OF XFEED LEVER BLOCKED BY THE THROTTLE QUADRANT AND NO ANNUNCIATION) ON THE S80 CONTRIBUTED TO THE PROB. FROM THIS POINT ON; I CONSIDER THE USE OF XFEEDING ON THE SAME LEVEL AS AN EMER OP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 622882: WE ELECTED TO BAL THE FUEL THROUGH FUEL XFER. SHORTLY AFTER WE BEGAN XFERRING FUEL; ATC INFORMED US OF HOLDING INSTRUCTIONS INTO EWR DUE TO RWY CLOSURE. ON DSCNT AND APCH WE WERE GIVEN 2 SEPARATE HOLDING PATTERNS AND MULTIPLE VECTORS. OUR WORKLOAD WAS HIGHER THAN NORMAL AS WE ENTERED AND EXITED HOLDING PATTERNS; DETERMINED POSSIBLE ALTERNATES; BRIEFED CREW AND PAX AND COMPLETED CHKLISTS FOR APCH AND LNDG. THOUGH WE WERE CONSTANTLY ASSESSING OUR FUEL SIT (WE LANDED WITH 5500 LBS TOTAL FUEL ON BOARD) FOR A POSSIBLE DIVERT; WE BOTH FIXATED ON TOTAL FUEL AND NOT FUEL BAL.