Accounting for Unobserved Time-Varying Quality in Recreation Demand: An Application to a Sonoran Desert Wilderness

EPA Science Inventory

Environmental variables can be important factors in recreation demand. Analysts wishing to quantify environmental quality impacts face the difficult issue of isolating them from unobserved variables. Quality changes may occur in space, varying between sites, or in time, varying b...

76 FR 41817 - Notice of Intent To Prepare a Joint Environmental Impact Statement and Environmental Impact...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-15

... amended (FLPMA), and the California Environmental Quality Act, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM... following preliminary issues: Air quality and greenhouse gas emissions, biological resources including... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Bureau of Land Management [LLCAD05000, L51010000.LVRWB11B4520.FX0000...

Quality of Living: Environmental Viewpoints. Make Up Your Own Mind, Book 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pollis, Adamantia, Ed.

This book is the third in a series of discussion materials, this issue being part of an action project to increase environmental awareness. Over 60 readings are included that cover a wide variety of opinions and interpretations of specific environmental problems and related philosophic issues. Examples of topics discussed include population, land…

Reducing the impact of environmental noise on quality of life requires an effective national noise policy

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-06-22

The focus here is on the impact of environmental noise on the quality of life. After : reviewing the terms of The Noise Control Act of 1972 (NCA 72) related to quality of life, : the authors explore the following issues: (1) the desire for an accepta...

Sustainability in Housing: A Curriculum Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parrott, Kathleen; Emmel, Joann M.

2001-01-01

Explores the influence of environmental issues on the field of housing, from the perspective of sustainable housing. Presents a case study of the development of a college course to address these issues by integrating energy management, air quality, water quality, and waste management. (Author)

Turning stumbling blocks into stepping stones in the analysis of cumulative impacts

Treesearch

Leslie M. Reid

2004-01-01

Federal and state legislation, such as the National Environmental Policy Act and the California Environmental Quality Act, require that responsible agency staff consider the cumulative impacts of proposed activities before permits are issued for certain kinds of public or private projects. The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ 1997) defined a cumulative impact as...

Nutrient Management Certification for Delaware: Developing a Water Quality Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, David J.; Binford, Gregory D.

2004-01-01

Water quality is a critical environmental, social, and political issue in Delaware. In the late 1990s, a series of events related to water quality issues led to the passage of a state nutrient management law. This new law required nutrient management planning and established a state certification program for nutrient users in the agricultural and…

The Quest for Environmental Quality, Federal and State Action, 1969-70, Annotated Bibliography.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanfield, Rochelle L.

This report and annotated bilbiography is issued by the Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations as part of its function to provide information on emerging issues with intergovernmental implications. Legislative and administrative environmental action of the Federal government during 1969-70 is reported. This covers policy and…

Learning in and about rural places: Connections and tensions between students' everyday experiences and environmental quality issues in their community

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimmerman, Heather Toomey; Weible, Jennifer L.

2017-03-01

Guided by sociocultural perspectives on the importance of place as a resource for learning, we investigated 14- and 15-year old students' understandings of their community and water quality during a school-based watershed unit. Methods included a theory-driven thematic analysis of field notes and video transcripts from four biology classrooms, a qualitative and quantitative analysis of 67 pairs of matched pre- and post-intervention mindmaps, and a content analysis of 73 student reflections. As they learned about water quality, learners recognized the relevance of the watershed's health to the health of their community. Students acknowledged the impacts of local economically driven activities (e.g., natural gas wells, application of agrichemicals) and leisure activities (e.g., boating, fishing) on the watershed's environmental health. As students learned in and about their watershed, they experienced both connections and tensions between their everyday experiences and the environmental problems in their community. The students suggested individual sustainability actions needed to address water quality issues; however, the students struggled to understand how to act collectively. Implications of rural experiences as assets to future environmental sciences learning are discussed as well as the implications of educational experiences that do not include an advocacy component when students uncover environmental health issues. We suggest further consideration is needed on how to help young people develop action-oriented science knowledge, not just inert knowledge of environmental problems, during place-based education units.

7 CFR 650.9 - NEPA and interagency planning.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... determined by the USDA Environmental Coordinator, Office of Environmental Quality Activities. (3) If NRCS and... cooperating agencies in preparing the environmental evaluation. This assistance will broaden the expertise in... significant environmental issues in its environmental evaluation. Formalized scoping is used to insure that an...

7 CFR 650.9 - NEPA and interagency planning.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... determined by the USDA Environmental Coordinator, Office of Environmental Quality Activities. (3) If NRCS and... cooperating agencies in preparing the environmental evaluation. This assistance will broaden the expertise in... significant environmental issues in its environmental evaluation. Formalized scoping is used to insure that an...

7 CFR 650.9 - NEPA and interagency planning.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... determined by the USDA Environmental Coordinator, Office of Environmental Quality Activities. (3) If NRCS and... cooperating agencies in preparing the environmental evaluation. This assistance will broaden the expertise in... significant environmental issues in its environmental evaluation. Formalized scoping is used to insure that an...

7 CFR 650.9 - NEPA and interagency planning.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... determined by the USDA Environmental Coordinator, Office of Environmental Quality Activities. (3) If NRCS and... cooperating agencies in preparing the environmental evaluation. This assistance will broaden the expertise in... significant environmental issues in its environmental evaluation. Formalized scoping is used to insure that an...

Environmental Resource Guide: Air Quality. A Series of Classroom Activities for Grades 6-8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reed, Elizabeth W., Ed.

Many different types of air quality can be studied in middle school science classes using available supplies. This grade 6-8 activity guide was developed to provide opportunities for children to learn about the issue of air quality. Sixteen hands-on activities integrate the issue into middle school science classes. A chart categorizes the…

40 CFR 1502.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... significant environmental issues and alternatives and shall reduce paperwork and the accumulation of... Protection of Environment COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT § 1502.1 Purpose. The primary purpose of an environmental impact statement is to serve as an action-forcing device to...

Coalbed methane produced water in China: status and environmental issues.

PubMed

Meng, Yanjun; Tang, Dazhen; Xu, Hao; Li, Yong; Gao, Lijun

2014-01-01

As one of the unconventional natural gas family members, coalbed methane (CBM) receives great attention throughout the world. The major associated problem of CBM production is the management of produced water. In the USA, Canada, and Australia, much research has been done on the effects and management of coalbed methane produced water (CMPW). However, in China, the environmental effects of CMPW were overlooked. The quantity and the quality of CMPW both vary enormously between coal basins or stratigraphic units in China. The unit produced water volume of CBM wells in China ranges from 10 to 271,280 L/well/day, and the concentration of total dissolved solids (TDS) ranges from 691 to 93,898 mg/L. Most pH values of CMPW are more than 7.0, showing the alkaline feature, and the Na-HCO3 and Na-HCO3-Cl are typical types of CMPW in China. Treatment and utilization of CMPW in China lag far behind the USA and Australia, and CMPW is mainly managed by surface impoundments and evaporation. Currently, the core environmental issues associated with CMPW in China are that the potential environmental problems of CMPW have not been given enough attention, and relevant regulations as well as environmental impact assessment (EIA) guidelines for CMPW are still lacking. Other potential issues in China includes (1) water quality monitoring issues for CMPW with special components in special areas, (2) groundwater level decline issues associated with the dewatering process, and (3) potential environmental issues of groundwater pollution associated with hydraulic fracturing.

Environmental Quality and Issues of Adoption Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pampel, Fred, Jr.; van Es, J. C.

1977-01-01

Data gathered through telephone interviews with Illinois farmers are used to study the adoption of soil conservation practices (operationalization of environmental innovation) and commercial practices. (NQ)

Policies and procedures for considering environmental impacts

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-03-20

This order updates the FAA agency-wide policies and procedures for compliance with the : National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and implementing regulations issued by the Council : on Environmental Quality (40 CFR parts 1500-1508). The provisions o...

Computational intelligence in earth sciences and environmental applications: issues and challenges.

PubMed

Cherkassky, V; Krasnopolsky, V; Solomatine, D P; Valdes, J

2006-03-01

This paper introduces a generic theoretical framework for predictive learning, and relates it to data-driven and learning applications in earth and environmental sciences. The issues of data quality, selection of the error function, incorporation of the predictive learning methods into the existing modeling frameworks, expert knowledge, model uncertainty, and other application-domain specific problems are discussed. A brief overview of the papers in the Special Issue is provided, followed by discussion of open issues and directions for future research.

Living in the Environment: A Sourcebook for Environmental Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sytnik, K. M.; And Others

This document presents a survey of ideas concerning environmental issues and educational efforts to improve the quality of life. Chapter one, "Environmental Education for Understanding and Solving Environmental Problems," includes sections on the relationship between cultural heritage and the environment, and methodologies in…

Indoor Air Quality in Schools

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This web site will educate the public about indoor environmental issues specific to educational facilities and the importance of developing and sustaining comprehensive indoor air quality management programs.

Indoor Air Quality in Schools: Understanding the Problem and Finding the Solution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bacci, Geoff

2002-01-01

Describes issues and solutions involving indoor air quality in school. Includes indoor air quality action plans, the role of the environmental consultant, and resources available to help school districts develop an indoor air quality action plan. (PKP)

Environmental Quality and the U.S. Power Sector: Air Quality, Land Use and Environmental Justice

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Massetti, Emanuele; Brown, Marilyn Ann; Lapsa, Melissa Voss

This baseline report summarizes key environmental quality issues associated with electricity generation, transmission, distribution, and end use in the United States. Its scope includes non-greenhouse gas air pollution (i.e., sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter and hazardous air pollutants), land use, water pollution, ecological impacts, human health, and environmental justice. The discussion characterizes both current impacts and recent trends, as well as assessments of key drivers of change. For example, the air emissions section includes a quantitative decomposition analysis of the drivers of change in sulfur dioxide emissions reductions from coal-fired power plants. The report is divided into four topicalmore » sections: air emissions, land use and ecology, water quality, and environmental justice.« less

ADDRESSING ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING CHALLENGES WITH COMPUTATIONAL FLUID DYNAMICS

EPA Science Inventory

In the field of environmental engineering, modeling tools are playing an ever larger role in addressing air quality issues, including source pollutant emissions, atmospheric dispersion and human exposure risks. More detailed modeling of environmental flows requires tools for c...

Final Draft of RACER Audit

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Paige, Karen Schultz; Gomez, Penelope E.

This document describes the approach Waste and Environmental Services - Environmental Data and Analysis plans to take to resolve the issues presented in a recent audit of the WES-EDA Environmental Database relative to the RACER database. A majority of the issues discovered in the audit will be resolved in May 2011 when the WES-EDA Environmental Database, along with other LANL databases, are integrated and moved to a new vendor providing an Environmental Information Management (EIM) system that allows reporting capabilities for all users directly from the database. The EIM system will reside in a publicly accessible LANL cloud-based software system.more » When this transition occurs, the data quality, completeness, and access will change significantly. In the remainder of this document, this new structure will be referred to as the LANL Cloud System In general, our plan is to address the issues brought up in this audit in three ways: (1) Data quality issues such as units and detection status, which impinge upon data usability, will be resolved as soon possible so that data quality is maintained. (2) Issues requiring data cleanup, such as look up tables, legacy data, locations, codes, and significant data discrepancies, will be addressed as resources permit. (3) Issues associated with data feed problems will be eliminated by the LANL Cloud System, because there will be no data feed. As discussed in the paragraph above, in the future the data will reside in a publicly accessible system. Note that report writers may choose to convert, adapt, or simplify the information they receive officially through our data base, thereby introducing data discrepancies between the data base and the public report. It is not always possible to incorporate and/or correct these errors when they occur. Issues in the audit will be discussed in the order in which they are presented in the audit report. Clarifications will also be noted as the audit report was a draft document, at the time of this response.« less

Livestock waste treatment systems of the future: A challenge to environmental quality, food safety, and sustainability. OECD Workshop

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This Special Issue of Bioresource Technology is dedicated to selected contributions presented at the international Workshop: “Livestock waste treatment systems of the future: A challenge to environmental quality, food safety, and sustainability,” held 2-4 April, 2008, in Florence, South Carolina (US...

Is Mold the New Asbestos?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colgan, Craig

2003-01-01

Mold and indoor air quality (IAQ) are matters of major concern to architects and their educational clients. The Environmental Protection Agency's Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools program offers help to districts seeking to tackle IAQ issues. Strengthening community relations is one way to be ready in case of a bad environmental or IAQ report.…

Environmental Impact Analysis Process. Supplement to Final Environmental Impact Statement Space Shuttle Program, Vandenberg AFB, California

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-07-01

problems . Six appendices offer more detailed environmental assessments for the key issues of air quality impacts, inadvertent weather modification...research studies in problem areas, and newly- acquired knowledge of the affected environment. The physical, chemi- cal, biological, and...Shuttle program, in conjunction with other projects within the county, will aggravate short-tenm problems concerning housing, and the quality and quantity

Representing inequities in the distribution of socio-economic benefits and environmental risk.

PubMed

Louis, Garric E; Magpili, Luna M

2002-10-01

There is currently no standard method for analyzing claims of environmental inequity. Neither is there a database of statistics on the extent of relationship between regional indicators of environmental quality, likely sources of pollution, and the demographic characteristics of affected populations. The resolution of environmental disputes is often hampered by inadequate communication between stakeholder groups about their perceptions and prioritization of the issues in dispute and by differential access to information about the issues by each stakeholder group. This paper describes a web-based tool, ICEP, that uses multi-layered GIS maps to establish a standard method for analyzing claims of environmental inequity and establish a database of correlation coefficients between environmental indicators, industry type by SIC code, and demographic characteristics of the population in proximity to noxious facilities. The maps are generated from stakeholder reports of environmental quality and are designed to be accessible via the Internet. This provides stakeholders with direct access to graphical displays of the perceptions of their co-stakeholders and provides all groups with links to relevant information sources about the issues in dispute. ICEP enhances existing community environmental websites like Scorecard and Envirofacts by providing displays of median household income as a measure of the distribution of benefits accrued within an area.

LOUISIANA ENVIRONMENTAL MODELING SYSTEM FOR HYPOXIA RELATED ISSUES

EPA Science Inventory

An environmental assessment tool to evaluate the impacts of nonpoint source (NPS) pollutants discharged from Mississippi River basins into the Gulf of Mexico and to assess their effects on receiving water quality will be described. This system (Louisiana Environmental Modeling S...

Responsible Environmental Action: Its Role and Status in Environmental Education and Environmental Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Short, Philip C.

2009-01-01

This century will be one of continued global population growth, technological advancement, and subsequent burdens on the natural world from consumer demands. A citizenry capable of understanding the complexity of environmental issues and actively participating in their resolutions is vital. The ultimate goal of environmental educators should be to…

The Hazardous-Drums Project: A Multiweek Laboratory Exercise for General Chemistry Involving Environmental, Quality Control, and Cost Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayes, David; Widanski, Bozena

2013-01-01

A laboratory experiment is described that introduces students to "real-world" hazardous waste management issues chemists face. The students are required to define an analytical problem, choose a laboratory analysis method, investigate cost factors, consider quality-control issues, interpret the meaning of results, and provide management…

Annual Report Card Shows Water Quality Improvements in Parts of the Mystic River Watershed

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Each year, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), in collaboration with the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA), issues a Water Quality Report Card on water quality in the Mystic River watershed.

24 CFR 50.11 - Responsibility of the HUD approving official.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... official shall make an independent evaluation of the environmental issues, take responsibility for the scope and content of the compliance finding, EA or EIS, and make the environmental finding, where... and Urban Development PROTECTION AND ENHANCEMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY General Policy...

Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA)

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between the U.S. and Canada addresses critical environmental health issues in the Great Lakes region. It's a model of binational cooperation to protect water quality. It was first signed in 1972 and amended in 2012.

40 CFR 1506.5 - Agency responsibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... of paragraph (a) of this section, shall make its own evaluation of the environmental issues and take... 1506.5 Protection of Environment COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OTHER REQUIREMENTS OF NEPA § 1506.5 Agency responsibility. (a) Information. If an agency requires an applicant to submit environmental...

High-quality collection and disposal of WEEE: Environmental impacts and resultant issues.

PubMed

Baxter, John; Lyng, Kari-Anne; Askham, Cecilia; Hanssen, Ole Jørgen

2016-11-01

Life cycle assessment of the collection, transport and recycling of various types of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) in Norway shows that small amounts of critical materials (refrigerants, precious/trace metals) are vital for the overall environmental accounts of the value chains. High-quality recycling ensures that materials and energy are effectively recovered from WEEE. This recovery means that responsible waste handling confers net environmental benefits in terms of global warming potential (GWP), for all types of WEEE analysed. For refrigeration equipment, the potential reduction of GWP by high-quality recycling is so large as to be of national significance. For all waste types, the magnitude of the net benefit from recovering materials and energy exceeds the negative consequences of irresponsible disposal. One outcome of this may be widespread misunderstanding of the need for recycling. Furthermore, framing public communication on recycling in terms of avoiding negative consequences, as is essentially universal, may not convey an appropriate message. The issue is particularly important where the consumer regards products as relatively disposable and environmentally benign, and/or where the "null option" of retaining the product at end-of-life is especially prevalent. The paper highlights the implications of all these issues for policy-makers, waste collectors and recyclers, and consumers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

EPA Collaboration with Sub-Saharan Africa

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA’s environmental program in Sub-Saharan Africa is focused on addressing Africa’s growing urban and industrial pollution issues, such as air quality, water quality, electronics waste and indoor air from cookstoves.

Campus Ecology: A Guide to Assessing Environmental Quality and Creating Strategies for Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, April A.; And Others

This book is designed to take the environmental issues and principles currently being studied in the classroom and move them outside the classroom doors into the campus community and the larger world. By making environmental knowledge part and parcel of campus environmental practice, students, faculty, and administrators have an extraordinary…

Pima County Department of Environmental Quality PSD Delegation Agreement

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This delegation agreement is for the entire Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) program. This allows Pima County Air Quality District (Pima County ACQD) to issue PSD permits using 40 CFR 52.21

The 1992 Vermont recreation survey and environmental index: Vermonters' perceptions of recreational and environmental issues in Vermont

Treesearch

Kevin R. Wiberg; Frederick E. Schmidt; Robert E. Manning; Susan Bulmer

1995-01-01

In 1992, Vermonters rated the state's recreational resources a "B-" with a corresponding grade of "B" for the quality of the state's environment. Scenic resources continued to be rated most highly as were state trails and commercial recreation establishments. Concern for water resource quality, solid and toxic waste disposal, acid rain,...

Issues in water quality trading: Introduction to featured collection

EPA Science Inventory

Water quality trading is a type of market mechanism for water pollution control. Policy makers have discovered that market mechanisms can play important roles in protecting and improving environmental quality by changing the economic signals an individual or firm faces. Potenti...

Science Overview: The LTTG Technology Review Meeting March 2006 Summary Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bruning, Claus; Ko, Malcolm; Lee, David; Miake-Lye, Richard

2006-01-01

This report presents an overview of the latest scientific consensus understanding of the effect of aviation emissions on the atmosphere for both local air quality and climate change in order to provide a contextual framework for raising future questions to help assess the environmental benefits of technology goals. Although studies of the two issues share a common framework (of quantifying the emissions, the change in concentrations in the atmosphere, and the environmental impacts), the communities of practitioners are distinctly different. The scientific community will continue to provide guidelines on trade-off among different contributors to a specific environmental impact, such as global climate, or local air quality. Ultimately, monetization of the costs and benefits of mitigation actions is the proper tool for quantifying and analyzing trade-offs between the two issues. Scientific assessment of the impacts and their uncertainties are critical inputs to these analyses. Until environmental effects of aviation emerge as a policy driven issue, there is little incentive within the scientific community to focus on research efforts specific to trade-off studies between local and global impacts.

Avoiding failure: tools for successful and sustainable quality-improvement projects.

PubMed

Donnelly, Lane F

2017-06-01

Involvement in successful and sustained quality improvement can be a very rewarding experience. However, it can be very difficult work. Up to 70% of attempted organizational change is not sustained. There are many reasons why quality-improvement projects might not be successful. In this article, the author reviews items associated with an increased or decreased likelihood of success. Such items have been categorized as structural issues, human issues and environmental context. This paper is intended to serve those embarking on quality-improvement projects as a resource to help position them for success.

Bugs in Your Rugs? Carpet Maintenance and Indoor Air Quality.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Edward A.

1994-01-01

This article, the second in a three-part series of articles that discuss indoor air quality (IAQ) issues affecting schools, looks at the effects of carpet maintenance and environmental influences on IAQ. (MLF)

75 FR 74740 - Measure M2 Natural Community Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan/Master Streambed...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-01

... significant direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts on biological resources, land use, air quality, water quality, water resources, socioeconomics, and other environmental issues that could occur with the...

Environmental Education . . . The Way of the Hula Hoop?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Applegate, Warren

1974-01-01

Given is information on a federally funded environmental education program based on field experience and community awareness. Problem-solving methods were used to involve students in local environmental issues. Field experiences included trips to the mountains and seashore and community projects in water quality, recycling, and nature trail…

Seagrass meadows in a globally changing environment.

PubMed

Unsworth, Richard K F; van Keulen, Mike; Coles, Rob G

2014-06-30

Seagrass meadows are valuable ecosystem service providers that are now being lost globally at an unprecedented rate, with water quality and other localised stressors putting their future viability in doubt. It is therefore critical that we learn more about the interactions between seagrass meadows and future environmental change in the anthropocene. This needs to be with particular reference to the consequences of poor water quality on ecosystem resilience and the effects of change on trophic interactions within the food web. Understanding and predicting the response of seagrass meadows to future environmental change requires an understanding of the natural long-term drivers of change and how these are currently influenced by anthropogenic stress. Conservation management of coastal and marine ecosystems now and in the future requires increased knowledge of how seagrass meadows respond to environmental change, and how they can be managed to be resilient to these changes. Finding solutions to such issues also requires recognising people as part of the social-ecological system. This special issue aims to further enhance this knowledge by bringing together global expertise across this field. The special issues considers issues such as ecosystem service delivery of seagrass meadows, the drivers of long-term seagrass change and the socio-economic consequences of environmental change to seagrass. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Healthy Water Healthy People Water Quality Educators Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Project WET Foundation, 2003

2003-01-01

This 200-page activity guide for educators of students in grades six through university level raises the awareness and understanding of water quality issues and their relationship to personal, public and environmental health. "Healthy Water Healthy People Water Quality Educators Guide" will help educators address science standards through 25…

Environmental Resource Management Issues in Agronomy: A Lecture/Laboratory Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munn, D. A.

2004-01-01

Environmental Sciences Technology T272 is a course with a laboratory addressing problems in soil and water quality and organic wastes utilization to serve students from associate degree programs in laboratory science and environmental resources management at a 2-year technical college. Goals are to build basic lab skills and understand the role…

Issues in Water Quality Trading: Perspectives on the Market-Based Approach

EPA Science Inventory

Market mechanisms and incentives can play an important role in addressing environmental problems. Potential advantages of using market-based approaches include reducing the costs of meeting environmental goals and encouraging innovation. One market mechanism that has been promo...

POLLUTION PREVENTION: THE ROLE OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND INFORMATION

EPA Science Inventory

The theoretical analysis undertaken here addresses the following issues. First we examine whether firms with high intrinsic quality products would choose to produce more or less environmentally friendly products than their competitors. Second, we investigate how the environmen...

ENGINEERED STORMWATER MANAGEMENT FOR LOW-INCOME URBAN COMMUNITIES

EPA Science Inventory

This project addresses issues related to water quality and quantity in New Jersey’s urbanized watersheds and targets the need for improved environmental quality as a form of prosperity for the people in low-income urban communities.

76 FR 76048 - Air Quality Designations for the 2008 Lead (Pb) National Ambient Air Quality Standards

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-06

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 81 [EPA-HQ-OAR-2009-0443; FRL-9492-3] RIN 2060-AR17 Air Quality Designations for the 2008 Lead (Pb) National Ambient Air Quality Standards Correction In rule document 2011-29460 appearing on pages 72097-72120 in the issues of Tuesday, November 22, 2011...

Defining criteria for good environmental journalism and testing their applicability: An environmental news review as a first step to more evidence based environmental science reporting.

PubMed

Rögener, Wiebke; Wormer, Holger

2017-05-01

While the quality of environmental science journalism has been the subject of much debate, a widely accepted benchmark to assess the quality of coverage of environmental topics is missing so far. Therefore, we have developed a set of defined criteria of environmental reporting. This instrument and its applicability are tested in a newly established monitoring project for the assessment of pieces on environmental issues, which refer to scientific sources and therefore can be regarded as a special field of science journalism. The quality is assessed in a kind of journalistic peer review. We describe the systematic development of criteria, which might also be a model procedure for other fields of science reporting. Furthermore, we present results from the monitoring of 50 environmental reports in German media. According to these preliminary data, the lack of context and the deficient elucidation of the evidence pose major problems in environmental reporting.

PHARMACEUTICALS AS ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTANTS: ISSUES REGARDING ANALYSIS

EPA Science Inventory

The Clean Water Act (CWA) provides the legislative mandate for the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Water Quality Program to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waters. Therefore, a common goal is to maintain water...

Water Quality Pollution, Treatment and Control in Contemporary and Future Environmental Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zoller, Uri

1988-01-01

Deals with the issue of water education, including problems, what should be done, what can be done, and what to do. Presents two curricular units on water and two interdisciplinary, environmentally oriented courses for use in Israel. (YP)

Earth Day in the Classroom: Mathematics and Science Materials and Resources for Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crow, Tracy, Ed.

1995-01-01

The 25th anniversary of Earth Day is 1995. This issue highlights useful, high quality educational materials and other resources that can be used to discuss environmental issues in the classroom. Activities, resources, and teaching materials in this Earth Day issue include: ATLAS 1: Studying Mysteries in the Earth's Atmosphere; Completing the…

15 CFR Appendix B to Subpart R of... - Minor Projects for Purposes of § 922.193(a)(2)(iii)

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...), the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (Department) issues permits for projects that are of... values or interests, including navigation and water quality. (h) Fish or wildlife habitat structures..., water monitoring devices, water quality testing devices, survey devices, and core sampling devices, if...

Clean Air by Design.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crawford, Gary N.

1995-01-01

Planning new construction is an opportunity to recognize indoor environmental quality (IEQ) issues. Provides an overview of some common IEQ issues associated with construction projects. A building's heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system is by far the single most common cause of IEQ problems and complaints. (MLF)

Characterizing Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Thermal Environment and Air Quality in Taipei Metropolitan Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Juang, J. Y.; Sun, C. H.; Jiang, J. A.; Wen, T. H.

2017-12-01

The urban heat island effect (UHI) caused by the regional-to-global environmental changes, dramatic urbanization, and shifting in land-use compositions has becoming an important environmental issue in recent years. In the past century, the coverage of urban area in Taipei Basin has dramatically increasing by ten folds. The strengthen of UHI effect significantly enhances the frequency of warm-night effect, and strongly influences the thermal environment of the residents in the Greater Taipei Metropolitan. In addition, the urban expansions due to dramatic increasing in urban populations and traffic loading significantly impacts the air quality and causes health issue in Taipei. In this study, the main objective is to quantify and characterize the temporal and spatial distributions of thermal environmental and air quality in the Greater Taipei Metropolitan Area by using monitoring data from Central Weather Bureau, Environmental Protection Administration. In addition, in this study, we conduct the analysis on the distribution of physiological equivalent temperature in the micro scale in the metropolitan area by using the observation data and quantitative simulation to investigate how the thermal environment is influenced under different conditions. Furthermore, we establish a real-time mobile monitoring system by using wireless sensor network to investigate the correlation between the thermal environment, air quality and other environmental factors, and propose to develop the early warning system for heat stress and air quality in the metropolitan area. The results from this study can be integrated into the management and planning system, and provide sufficient and important background information for the development of smart city in the metropolitan area in the future.

Environmental Issues Related to Conventional Hydropower

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Deng, Zhiqun; Colotelo, Alison HA; Brown, Richard S.

Hydropower is the largest renewable electrical energy source in the world and has a total global capacity of approximately 1,010 GW from 150 countries. Although hydropower has many environmental advantages, hydropower dams have potential adverse ecological impacts such as fish passage, water quality, and habitat alterations.

Quality from a Toddler's Perspective: A Bottom-Up Examination of Classroom Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallam, Rena; Fouts, Hillary; Bargreen, Kaitlin; Caudle, Lori

2009-01-01

Defining and measuring quality in group care settings has become a central issue in the field of early care and education in the United States, particularly as states develop systems to improve child care quality. Most research and policy definitions of quality rely on a top-down perspective focusing on structural and environmental features of the…

The Environmental Health/Home Safety Education Project: a successful and practical U.S.-Mexico border initiative.

PubMed

Forster-Cox, Susan C; Mangadu, Thenral; Jacquez, Benjamín; Fullerton, Lynne

2010-05-01

The Environmental Health/Home Safety Education Project (Proyecto de Salud Ambiental y Seguridad en el Hogar) has been developed in response to a wide array of severe and often preventable environmental health issues occurring in and around homes on the U.S.-Mexico border. Utilizing well-trained community members, called promotoras , homes are visited and assessed for potential environmental hazards, including home fire and food safety issues. Data analyzed from project years 2002 to 2005 shows a significant impact in knowledge levels and initial behavior change among targeted participants as it relates to fire and food safety issues. Since the initiation of the project in 1999, hundreds of participants have improved their quality of life by making their homes safer. The project has proven to be sustainable, replicable, flexible, and attractive to funders.

ADDRESSING EMERGING ISSUES IN WATER QUALITY THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY

EPA Science Inventory

Public concern over cleanliness and safety of source and recreational waters has prompted researchers to look for indicators of water quality. Giving public water authorities multiple tools to measure and monitor levels of chemical contaminants, as well as chemical markers of c...

33 CFR 337.7 - Emergency actions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... the procedures of this regulation to the maximum degree practicable. The district engineer will issue... action would constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human... Environmental Quality about alternative arrangements for compliance with the NEPA in accordance with 40 CFR 1506...

Conclusions to the special issue of Science of the Total Environment concerning 'The water quality of UK rivers entering the North Sea'.

PubMed

Neal, C; House, W A; Leeks, G J; Whitton, B A; Williams, R J

2000-05-05

This paper presents an overview of the water quality functioning of eastern UK rivers draining into the North Sea. It summarises the results of three special issues of Science of the Total Environment and related work and complements a companion bibliography (Neal and Turner, 2000, this volume). The rivers are described in straightforward broad terms, and the reader is guided via the bibliography to the special volumes for the detailed findings. The water quality is shown to be highly variable over space and time. The changes over the past 300 years reflect first the transition from a rural society to the major impact of the industrial revolution and subsequently to one of the worlds' most successful environmental cleanups. The present water quality reflects the relative impacts of diffuse agricultural sources, urban and industrial point source discharges together with background inputs associated with geology: all these can be modified by within-river processes associated with physical mixing, biology and inorganic reactions. The work is set within the context of water quality, modelling and flux outputs to the North Sea and contemporary and future environmental research and management needs. A range of environmental impact studies is included. The detailed information is now available on a major and easily accessible database.

Klickitat Cogeneration Project : Final Environmental Assessment.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

United States. Bonneville Power Administration; Klickitat Energy Partners

1994-09-01

To meet BPA`s contractual obligation to supply electrical power to its customers, BPA proposes to acquire power generated by Klickitat Cogeneration Project. BPA has prepared an environmental assessment evaluating the proposed project. Based on the EA analysis, BPA`s proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 for the following reasons: (1)it will not have a significant impact land use, upland vegetation, wetlands, water quality, geology, soils, public health and safety, visual quality, historical and cultural resources, recreation and socioeconomics, and (2)more » impacts to fisheries, wildlife resources, air quality, and noise will be temporary, minor, or sufficiently offset by mitigation. Therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement is not required and BPA is issuing this FONSI (Finding of No Significant Impact).« less

PM₂.₅ opened a door to public participation addressing environmental challenges in China.

PubMed

Huang, Ganlin

2015-02-01

China has long been regarded as a centralized society where the public has little influence on decision-making. Such a top-down management scheme is perceived as a major obstacle to address complicated environment issues. The recent public campaign in China to urge creation of a nationwide PM₂.₅ monitoring network and mitigation plan provides an unprecedented case of how the public participated and influenced policy-making in a centralized society. This paper reviews key incidents in the campaign chronologically. Here we identify information technology, public awareness of air quality's health impacts and the fact air quality affects everyone as public goods as the major factors promoting public participation. This case demonstrates that public participation can happen in a centralized, top-down society such as China. Continued environmental deterioration may stimulate similar campaigns for other issues. We anticipate this essay to be a starting point for more studies on how environmental issues stimulate incremental social change by making people involved in decision-making process, especially in societies where they are rarely able to do so. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Clean air issues in the 110th Congress : climate change, air quality standards, and oversight

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-07-28

Attention to environmental issues in the 110th Congress focused early and heavily on climate change the state of the science, and whether (and, if so, how) to address greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Fourteen bills had been introduced to establish...

Progress in Working Towards a More Sustainable Agri-Food Industry

EPA Science Inventory

The human health and environmental issues related to food, feed, and bio-based systems, range widely from greenhouse gas emissions and energy use to land use, water availability, soil quality, water quality and quantity, biodi-versity losses, and chemical exposure. Threats that s...

Considerations in the Derivation of Water Quality Criteria for Endocrine-disrupting Chemicals

EPA Science Inventory

When the USEPA’s 1985 guidelines for deriving numerical water quality criteria (WQC) for the protection of aquatic life were developed there was little anticipation that endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) would be come a widespread environmental issue. While the basic guidelin...

78 FR 20133 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Proposed Bull Mountain Unit...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-03

... associated pads, access roads, gas and water pipelines, screw compressors and overhead electric lines. This... projected air quality impacts. The project was initially scoped from October 29 to December 12, 2008, for 55..., the BLM has identified the following preliminary issues: Air quality; water quality and supply...

Research Collaboration in a Communication Rights Campaign: Lessons Learned.

PubMed

Ryan, Charlotte

2018-01-01

In building public support for social change, activists in communities of color routinely approach broader audiences via news media. Communities of color, however, routinely face disparities that limit their access to media including local news media outlets. This lack of access mirrors inequalities in political, social, and economic arenas and can slow public awareness campaigns to address disparities in health, environmental, and other quality-of-life issues. I describe two community-based collaborative action research studies that documented and challenged how local television newscasts underrepresented and misrepresented three communities of color in Boston. The linkage between communication rights and campaigns to address quality-of-life issues is presented, as well as unresolved challenges in the collaborative research process. The study has implications for environmental health campaigns.

78 FR 54962 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Connecticut; NOX

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-09

... health or environmental effects, using practicable and legally permissible methods, under Executive Order.... 2 issued to Northeast Nuclear Energy Company in Waterford on March 29, 2001. (lii) Trading Agreement and Order No. 8152 issued to Northeast Nuclear Energy Company in Waterford on July 9, 1998. (liii...

76 FR 41192 - Mines Management Inc. Montanore Project, Kootenai National Forest, Lincoln County, MT

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-13

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Mines Management Inc. Montanore Project, Kootenai... can be reviewed at: http://www.fs.fed.usda.gov/goto/kootenai/projects . Mines Management Inc. owns two... of Environmental Quality, issued a Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Montanore Project. In...

Correlates of Health, Sustainability and Environmental Metrics for 50 of the Most Populous U.S. Cities

EPA Science Inventory

Health, socioeconomic, education, and environmental (e.g. air and water quality) indicators are often correlated and may serve as markers for other underlying community issues. These diverse measurements are usually not fully integrated and rarely evaluated in the context of sust...

A Learning Progression for Water in Socio-Ecological Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gunckel, Kristin L.; Covitt, Beth A.; Salinas, Ivan; Anderson, Charles W.

2012-01-01

Providing model-based accounts (explanations and predictions) of water and substances in water moving through environmental systems is an important practice for environmental science literacy and necessary for citizens confronting global and local water quantity and quality issues. In this article we present a learning progression for water in…

The Exposure Dimension of Environmental Epidemiology: A Critical but Under-ExploredStudy Quality Issue in Environmental Health

EPA Science Inventory

Epidemiological research plays a critical role in assessing the effects of various chemical, physical, oiological, and social exposures on human health both in the general population and the workplace. However, even epidemiological studies that are specifically designed to test c...

75 FR 4842 - Winter Use Plan, Environmental Impact Statement, Yellowstone National Park

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-29

... establish a management framework that allows the public to experience Yellowstone's unique winter resources... the environmental effects of winter use on air quality and visibility, wildlife, natural soundscapes... U.S. Forest Service. A scoping brochure has been prepared that details the issues identified to date...

Adoption of Smart Structures for Prevention of Health Hazards in Buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oke, Ayodeji; Aigbavboa, Clinton; Ngema, Wiseman

2017-11-01

The importance of building quality to the health and well-being of occupants and surrounding neighbors cannot be overemphasized. Smart structures were construed to proffer solution to various issues of sustainable development including social factors that is concerned with health and safety of people. Based on existing literature materials on building quality, smart structures and general aspect of sustainable developments, this study examined the benefits of smart structures in the prevention of various health issues in infrastructural buildings, which has been a concern for stakeholders in the architecture, engineering and construction industry. The criterion for indoor environmental quality was adopted and various health and bodily issues related to building quality were explained. The adoption of smart structure concept will help to manage physical, chemical, biological and psychological factors of building with a view to enhancing better quality of life of occupants.

Environmental value transfer: an application for the South East Queensland waterways.

PubMed

Robinson, J J

2002-01-01

Economic valuations of the environmental resources provided by the waterways of South East Queensland are required for the evaluation of proposed environmental management strategies. Due to time and funding constraints it is unlikely that the environmental resources for each tributary of the river system will be subject to individual and explicit valuation. This paper reviews the literature about the validity of environmental benefit transfer, identifying the protocol for undertaking such a study. It then describes a study designed to transfer the estimated value of water quality improvements for the Bremer River to other waterways in South East Queensland. The study addresses some of the shortcomings of stated preference techniques to value the environment, including improving the quality of the information provided to survey respondents and the reliability of their responses by adopting a citizens' jury approach to the valuation exercise. In addition, the study is expected to provide the results in a form that will facilitate the estimation of a demand function for water quality improvements that will be meaningful for environmental value transfer to other sites with similar water quality issues.

48 CFR 1446.170 - Government-Industry Data Exchange Program (GIDEP).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... THE INTERIOR CONTRACT MANAGEMENT QUALITY ASSURANCE General 1446.170 Government-Industry Data Exchange... construction materials), manufacturing processes, environmental issues associated with those manufacturing...

40 CFR 130.12 - Coordination with other programs.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

....12 Section 130.12 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) WATER PROGRAMS WATER QUALITY PLANNING AND MANAGEMENT § 130.12 Coordination with other programs. (a) Relationship... 208(e) of the Act, no NPDES permit may be issued which is in conflict with an approved Water Quality...

Economic and Environmental Analysis for Advancing Sustainable Management of Livestock Waste: A Wisconsin Case Study

EPA Science Inventory

Livestock waste may cause air quality degradation from ammonia and methane emissions, soil quality detriment from the in-excess nutrients and acidification, and water pollution issues from nutrient and pathogens runoff to the water bodies, leading to eutrophication, algal blooms,...

Development of a Personal Integrated Environmental Monitoring System

PubMed Central

Wong, Man Sing; Yip, Tsan Pong; Mok, Esmond

2014-01-01

Environmental pollution in the urban areas of Hong Kong has become a serious public issue but most urban inhabitants have no means of judging their own living environment in terms of dangerous threshold and overall livability. Currently there exist many low-cost sensors such as ultra-violet, temperature and air quality sensors that provide reasonably accurate data quality. In this paper, the development and evaluation of Integrated Environmental Monitoring System (IEMS) are illustrated. This system consists of three components: (i) position determination and sensor data collection for real-time geospatial-based environmental monitoring; (ii) on-site data communication and visualization with the aid of an Android-based application; and (iii) data analysis on a web server. This system has shown to be working well during field tests in a bus journey and a construction site. It provides an effective service platform for collecting environmental data in near real-time, and raises the public awareness of environmental quality in micro-environments. PMID:25420154

Uncertainty considerations in calibration and validation of hydrologic and water quality models

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Hydrologic and water quality models (HWQMs) are increasingly used to support decisions on the state of various environmental issues and policy directions on present and future scenarios, at scales varying from watershed to continental levels. Uncertainty associated with such models may impact the ca...

A Menu of Options for Developing Tribal Air Grant Work Plans and Managing Grants for Environmental Results

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Tool to assist tribes that apply for Clean Air Act (CAA) funding to draft more effective work plans for projects that will develop tribal knowledge of air quality issues and build tribal expertise to manage air quality on tribal lands.

BEYOND WATER QUALITY: CAN THE CLEAN WATER ACT BE USED TO REDUCE THE QUANTITY OF STORMWATER RUNOFF?

EPA Science Inventory

Improving water quality by targeting stormwater runoff and the pollutants it carries has become an increasingly important and discussed issue in both environmental policy and urban management literature. Although this is certainly an important concern in both realms of policy, l...

Developing new emission factors for the Texas cotton ginning industry

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is the regulatory authority that issues air quality permits in Texas. All cotton gins operating in Texas are required to obtain a permit from the TCEQ. The TCEQ is very experienced at permitting cotton gins, having rules in place requiring these p...

The World Coal Quality Inventory (WoCQI)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Finkelman, Robert B.; Lovern, Vivian S.

2001-01-01

The Issue Policymakers around the world require accurate information on coal, particularly information on coal properties and characteristics, to make informed decisions regarding the best use of indigenous resources, international import needs and export opportunities, domestic and foreign policy objectives, technology transfer opportunities, foreign investment prospects, environmental and health assessments, and byproduct use and disposal issues.

Harnessing the Environmental Professional Expertise of Engineering Students—The Course: ``Environmental Management Systems in the Industry''

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben-Zvi-Assaraf, Orit; Ayal, Nitzan

2010-12-01

More and more technical universities now advocate integrating sustainability in higher education and including it as a strategic goal for improving education's quality and relevance to society. This study examines 30 fourth-year chemical engineering students, graduates of a university course designed to combine their terminological domain with sustainability-oriented goals, focusing on topics like corporate sustainability, developing environmental policy, introduction to ISO 14001—Environmental Management Systems (EMS), and environmental legislation. The study explores their perception of industrial-environmental issues and asks—How did the study unit influence the students' ability to use their preexisting scientific knowledge, while relating to industrial-environmental issues? Our findings indicate that engineering students can develop industrial-environmental awareness, and make use of interdisciplinary knowledge beyond that strictly related to the realm of engineering. Regarding the research's particular aim—i.e. determining the study unit's influence on students' ability to relate industrial-environmental issues to their own field of engineering—the findings indeed show a change in the students' conceptions of environmental elements related to industry. The course graduates became more attentive to the environmental aspects associated with building and opening a factory, and the concepts they raised in connection with the topic gained in variety.

GIS as a Tool in Interdisciplinary Environmental Studies: Student, Teacher, and Community Perspectives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alibrandi, Marsha

1998-01-01

Describes an application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology as a tool in an environmental community-service project in which students and adult community members participated in water-quality monitoring and biological assessment. Discusses issues and problems associated with technology in education and recommends a balance of…

Development and evaluation of the microbial fate and transport module for the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Microbial contamination of waters in agricultural watershed is the critical public health issue. The watershed-scale model has been proven to be one of the candidate tools for predicting microbial water quality and evaluating management practices. The Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX...

36 CFR 228.8 - Requirements for environmental protection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... State water quality standards, including regulations issued pursuant to the Federal Water Pollution... to minimize or, where practicable, eliminate damage to soil, water, and other resource values. Unless...

Interdisciplinary science in support of environmental health along the United States-Mexico border

USGS Publications Warehouse

Papoulias, Diana; Parcher, Jean; Stefanov, Jim; Page, Ric

2006-01-01

The diverse, fragile ecosystems of the borderlands have been pushed beyond sustainable levels due to rapid population growth and land-use changes. Water shortages and pollution, poor air quality, increased soil salinities, residual pesticides and heavy metal contaminants are some of the many stressors that are degrading the quality of life in the borderlands. The relationship between human health and environmental quality challenges public officials, medical professionals, and resource managers on both sides of the border in their efforts to provide for and maintain healthy communities. To help understand the relationship between environmental and human health, the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Border Environmental Health Initiative (BEHI) created an Internet Map Service (IMS) with binational georeferenced data. The goal is to have seamless integration of borderwide datasets at regional and local scales that can lend understanding of the linkages between the condition of the physical environment and public health issues.

The environmental implications of intensified land use in developing countries

PubMed Central

Tinker, P. B.

1997-01-01

The major agricultural intensifications in the developed world over the last half century have produced a range of important environmental problems. These include pollution, damage to wildlife and landscape and other issues, both on- and off-site. These are largely being controlled by scientific investigation and Government regulation. As developing countries increase agricultural production over the next 30 years, this may also cause even more serious environmental damage.
The paper distinguishes between production-related on-site damage, and off-site and more extensive effects. Both may involve soil and water effects, such as soil erosion, salinization, siltation, eutrophication and loss of water quality. The use of more agrochemicals can damage water quality, health, wildlife and biodiversity. Loss of habitat from the extension of farming is particularly damaging to biodiversity. A developing off-site problem is the production of greenhouse gases by farming systems, including the conversion of forests to farmland. In the future the introduction of genetically engineered species of plants, animals or microbes will need secure control.
Work, probably on a catchment basis, is necessary to understand and control these problems. The three main requirements are much better environmental information from the developing world; the selection of environmental indicators to be monitored; and the support of local farmers in protecting the environment. There are encouraging indications of farmer concern and action over obvious on-site damage, but this may not extend to extensive off-site issues. The main danger is that developing food scarcity would cause the environmental issues to be ignored in a race for production.

77 FR 25953 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Maryland; Removal of the 1980...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-02

... Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Maryland; Removal of the 1980 Consent Order for the Maryland Slag Company AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Proposed rule. SUMMARY: EPA... issued to the Maryland Slag Company (now known as MultServ). The 1980 Consent Order is no longer required...

Water quality of Danube Delta systems: ecological status and prediction using machine-learning algorithms.

PubMed

Stoica, C; Camejo, J; Banciu, A; Nita-Lazar, M; Paun, I; Cristofor, S; Pacheco, O R; Guevara, M

2016-01-01

Environmental issues have a worldwide impact on water bodies, including the Danube Delta, the largest European wetland. The Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) implementation operates toward solving environmental issues from European and national level. As a consequence, the water quality and the biocenosis structure was altered, especially the composition of the macro invertebrate community which is closely related to habitat and substrate heterogeneity. This study aims to assess the ecological status of Southern Branch of the Danube Delta, Saint Gheorghe, using benthic fauna and a computational method as an alternative for monitoring the water quality in real time. The analysis of spatial and temporal variability of unicriterial and multicriterial indices were used to assess the current status of aquatic systems. In addition, chemical status was characterized. Coliform bacteria and several chemical parameters were used to feed machine-learning (ML) algorithms to simulate a real-time classification method. Overall, the assessment of the water bodies indicated a moderate ecological status based on the biological quality elements or a good ecological status based on chemical and ML algorithms criteria.

Decision makers, scientists and the public as stakeholders: the connection between traffic intervention policy and air quality in a local context.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiand, L.; von Schneidemesser, E.; Schmitz, S.; Niehoff, N.

2017-12-01

Urban mobility is a key issue to make cities more inclusive, safer, and more environmentally friendly. To ensure a sustainable future, local policy should, among other actions, aim to improve access to sustainable transport systems and enhance mobility opportunities, while at the same time addressing critical environmental and health targets. In order to assess whether these objectives are met, measures should be informed and evaluated from a social and environmental perspective. Citizens' opinions and the acceptance of environmental policies are crucial to successful implementation of urban mobility measures. The complexity of urban air quality issues require transparent decision-making processes that are grounded in evidence-based research and embrace local knowledge. From this basis, our research group and the city council collaborated to assess a new policy action intended to address environmental and health targets. This talk will present the results from the assessment of this new policy, that was implemented in large part to alleviate air quality exceedances, from the perspective of public acceptability of the measure and the approach taken by the city council to implement the measure. Parallel to assessing the effect of this policy on the recorded levels of air pollution and traffic counts, we conducted a social survey to examine public opinions of this measure, as well as the link between air quality awareness and mobility decisions. 4661 responses were collected over a one month period. Survey participants were those most affected by the traffic measure, including commuters and local residents. The results show that there is an overall low acceptance rate of the measure (8%) as well as low concern for air quality (2,90 - where 1 = not concerned and 6 = very concerned). We also found that there is a negative relationship between air quality rating and air quality concern. A similar approach was taken to understand climate change concern, which will be discussed further in the talk as well as how concern for air quality can increase acceptability for climate change mitigation policies.

The Environmental Protection Agency's Community-Focused Exposure and Risk Screening Tool (C-FERST) and its potential use for environmental justice efforts.

PubMed

Zartarian, Valerie G; Schultz, Bradley D; Barzyk, Timothy M; Smuts, Marybeth; Hammond, Davyda M; Medina-Vera, Myriam; Geller, Andrew M

2011-12-01

Our primary objective was to provide higher quality, more accessible science to address challenges of characterizing local-scale exposures and risks for enhanced community-based assessments and environmental decision-making. After identifying community needs, priority environmental issues, and current tools, we designed and populated the Community-Focused Exposure and Risk Screening Tool (C-FERST) in collaboration with stakeholders, following a set of defined principles, and considered it in the context of environmental justice. C-FERST is a geographic information system and resource access Web tool under development for supporting multimedia community assessments. Community-level exposure and risk research is being conducted to address specific local issues through case studies. C-FERST can be applied to support environmental justice efforts. It incorporates research to develop community-level data and modeled estimates for priority environmental issues, and other relevant information identified by communities. Initial case studies are under way to refine and test the tool to expand its applicability and transferability. Opportunities exist for scientists to address the many research needs in characterizing local cumulative exposures and risks and for community partners to apply and refine C-FERST.

An Associational Research on Turkish Children's Environmentally Responsible Behaviors, Nature Relatedness, and Motive Concerns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bahar, Fatma; Sahin, Elvan

2017-01-01

Science education has changed in recent decades with respect to key issues faced in this century. These issues such as renewable energy, waste management, air quality, and biodiversity require dealing with the transition toward a sustainable future. Thus, to contribute to the reconceptualization of science education in a developing country, the…

Environmental Measurements Laboratory fiscal year 1998: Accomplishments and technical activities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Erickson, M.D.

1999-01-01

The Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) is government-owned, government-operated, and programmatically under the DOE Office of Environmental Management. The Laboratory is administered by the Chicago Operations Office. EML provides program management, technical assistance and data quality assurance for measurements of radiation and radioactivity relating to environmental restoration, global nuclear nonproliferation, and other priority issues for the Department of Energy, as well as for other government, national, and international organizations. This report presents the technical activities and accomplishments of EML for Fiscal Year 1998.

75 FR 74131 - Notice of Finding of No Significant Impact for the Washington State Portion of the Pacific...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-30

... Environmental Assessment AGENCY: Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), United States Department of... Transportation (WSDOT) prepared a Tier-1 Environmental Assessment (Tier-1 EA) that evaluates the impacts of a... have a significant impact on the quality of the human or natural environment and has issued a Finding...

Environmental Indicator Principium with Case References to Agricultural Soil, Water, and Air Quality and Model-Derived Indicators.

PubMed

Zhang, T Q; Zheng, Z M; Lal, R; Lin, Z Q; Sharpley, A N; Shober, A L; Smith, D; Tan, C S; Van Cappellen, P

2018-03-01

Environmental indicators are powerful tools for tracking environmental changes, measuring environmental performance, and informing policymakers. Many diverse environmental indicators, including agricultural environmental indicators, are currently in use or being developed. This special collection of technical papers expands on the peer-reviewed literature on environmental indicators and their application to important current issues in the following areas: (i) model-derived indicators to indicate phosphorus losses from arable land to surface runoff and subsurface drainage, (ii) glutathione-ascorbate cycle-related antioxidants as early-warning bioindicators of polybrominated diphenyl ether toxicity in mangroves, and (iii) assessing the effectiveness of using organic matrix biobeds to limit herbicide dissipation from agricultural fields, thereby controlling on-farm point-source pollution. This introductory review also provides an overview of environmental indicators, mainly for agriculture, with examples related to the quality of the agricultural soil-water-air continuum and the application of model-derived indicators. Current knowledge gaps and future lines of investigation are also discussed. It appears that environmental indicators, particularly those for agriculture, work efficiently at the field, catchment, and local scales and serve as valuable metrics of system functioning and response; however, these indicators need to be refined or further developed to comprehensively meet community expectations in terms of providing a consistent picture of relevant issues and/or allowing comparisons to be made nationally or internationally. Copyright © by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America, Inc.

Interactions of water quality and integrated groundwater management: Examples from the United States and Europe: Chapter 14

USGS Publications Warehouse

Warner, Kelly L.; Barataud, Fabienne; Hunt, Randall J.; Benoit, Marc; Anglade, Juliette; Borchardt, Mark A.

2015-01-01

Groundwater is available in many parts of the world, but the quality of the water may limit its use. Contaminants can limit the use of groundwater through concerns associated with human health, aquatic health, economic costs, or even societal perception. Given this broad range of concerns, this chapter focuses on examples of how water quality issues influence integrated groundwater management. One example evaluates the importance of a naturally occurring contaminant Arsenic (As) for drinking water supply, one explores issues resulting from agricultural activities on the land surface and factors that influence related groundwater management, and the last examines unique issues that result from human-introduced viral pathogens for groundwater-derived drinking water vulnerability. The examples underscore how integrated groundwater management lies at the intersections of environmental characterization, engineering constraints, societal needs, and human perception of acceptable water quality. As such, water quality factors can be a key driver for societal decision making.

Psychosocial issues in children and adolescents with HIV infection evaluated with a World Health Organization age-specific descriptor system.

PubMed

Giannattasio, Antonietta; Officioso, Annunziata; Continisio, Grazia Isabella; Griso, Giovanna; Storace, Cinzia; Coppini, Simonetta; Longhi, Daniela; Mango, Carmela; Guarino, Alfredo; Badolato, Raffaele; Pisacane, Alfredo

2011-01-01

After active antiretroviral therapy, children with HIV are clinically well, whereas psychosocial issues continue to influence their quality of life. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) of the World Health Organization evaluates health status and environmental and social factors associated with health. We investigated the efficacy of the ICF to describe the health status and needs of a cohort of children and adolescents with HIV seen at a reference center for pediatric AIDS in Europe. A quantitative analysis of structured interviews was performed. Caregivers of children and adolescents with HIV infection in follow-up at 2 reference centers for pediatric AIDS were enrolled. Four major areas included in the ICF instrument were investigated: impairments of body structures; impairments of body functions; environmental factors; and activity limitations and restrictions to social life. Forty-one families of children with HIV were enrolled. Body structures and functions were marginally impaired, whereas environmental factors and psychosocial issues had a relevant impact on quality of life. Most families considered environmental factors to be "barriers"; these were poverty, unemployment, and single-parent family structure. Activity limitations and social restrictions were also reported in a few cases. Almost all parents reported problems in disclosing their child's HIV status because of the fear of social stigma. Psychosocial issues are part of the well-being of children with HIV. The ICF is a standard tool to evaluate the clinical and psychosocial status of children and adolescents with HIV infection and to measure the impact of therapeutic interventions and strategies on psychosocial functioning.

A Vision for the Future of Environmental Research: Creating Environmental Intelligence Centers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barron, E. J.

2002-12-01

The nature of the environmental issues facing our nation demands a capability that allows us to enhance economic vitality, maintain environmental quality, and limit threats to life and property through more fundamental understanding of the Earth. It is "advanced" knowledge of how the system may respond that gives environmental information most of its power and utility. This fact is evident in the demand for new forecasting products, involving air quality, energy demand, water quality and quantity, ultraviolet radiation, and human health indexes. As we demonstrate feasibility and benefit, society is likely to demand a growing number of new operational forecast products on prediction time scales of days to decades into the future. The driving forces that govern our environment are widely recognized, involving primarily weather and climate, patterns of land use and land cover, and resource use with its associated waste products. The importance of these driving forces has been demonstrated by a decade of research on greenhouse gas emissions, ozone depletion and deforestation, and through the birth of Earth System Science. But, there are also major challenges. We find the strongest intersection between human activity, environmental stresses, system interactions and human decision-making in regional analysis coupled to larger spatial scales. In addition, most regions are influenced by multiple-stresses. Multiple, cumulative, and interactive stresses are clearly the most difficult to understand and hence the most difficult to assess and to manage. Currently, we are incapable of addressing these issues in a truly integrated fashion at global scales. The lack of an ability to combine global and regional forcing and to assess the response of the system to multiple stresses at the spatial and temporal scales of interest to humans limits our ability to assess the impacts of specific human perturbations, to assess advantages and risks, and to enhance economic and societal well being in the context of global, national and regional stewardship. These societal needs lead to a vision that uses a regional framework as a stepping-stone to a comprehensive national or global capability. The development of a comprehensive regional framework depends on a new approach to environmental research - the creation of regional Environmental Intelligence Centers. A key objective is to bring a demanding level of discipline to "forecasting" in a broad arena of environmental issues. The regional vision described above is designed to address a broad range of current and future environmental issues by creating a capability based on integrating diverse observing systems, making data readily accessible, developing an increasingly comprehensive predictive capability at the spatial and temporal scales appropriate for examining societal issues, and creating a vigorous intersection with decision-makers. With demonstrated success over a few large-scale regions of the U.S., this strategy will very likely grow into a national capability that far exceeds current capabilities.

Eutrophication of lakes and reservoirs: A framework for making management decisions

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rast, W.; Holland, M.

1988-01-01

The development of management strategies for the protection of environmental quality usually involves consideration both of technical and nontechnical issues. A logical, step-by-step framework for development of such strategies is provided. Its application to the control of cultured eutrophication of lakes and reservoirs illustrates its potential usefulness. From the perspective of the policymaker, the main consideration is that the eutrophication-related water quality of a lake or reservoir can be managed for given water uses. The approach presented here allows the rational assessment of relevant water-quality parameters and establishment of water-quality goals, consideration of social and other nontechnical issues, the possibilities of public involvement in the decision-making process, and a reasonable economic analysis within a management framework.

International Conference on Environmental Sensing and Assessment, Las Vegas, Nev., September 14-19, 1975, Proceedings. Volumes 1 & 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The papers deal with the detection of hazardous environmental pollutants, the development of emission control plans, and the design of compliance monitoring systems. Topics include remote sensing techniques in environmental pollution monitoring, monitoring of atmospheric particulate matter, air pollution due to sulfur dioxide and other inorganic compounds, marine pollution, atmospheric aerosols, industrial pollution, and legal aspects of pollution monitoring. Other papers examine the toxic effects of heavy metals and halogenated hydrocarbons, pollution associated with waste-disposal processes, pesticide residues in soil and groundwater, evaluations of groundwater quality, and monitoring of nuclear wastes. The interaction of climate and pollution is also discussed along with global pollutant transport, environmental modeling, ambient environmental air quality, aircraft and ground-vehicle emissions, and pollution associated with energy extraction and utilization processes. Individual items are announced in this issue.

Two Superfund environmental justice case studies

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hirschhorn, J.S.

1997-12-31

One of the environmental contributions of the Clinton Administration was Executive Order No. 12898 on Environmental Justice issued in 1994. Environmental justice has received considerable attention in EPA`s Superfund program. Many Superfund sites are located in or close by residential areas composed populated by ethnic minorities and people of the lowest economic status. Over the years, minority communities have often asserted that they have been treated more unfairly than predominantly white, middle class communities, with respect to the quality of environmental cleanups and the relocation of residents. The environmental justice claim is also that these communities have been intentionally placedmore » in harm`s way because of historical racial prejudice and injustice, meaning that either polluting industrial facilities were intentionally placed in minority neighborhoods or that residential areas for minority workers were built close to industrial facilities. This paper presents discussions of two Superfund sites where environmental justice issues have been very important, and it analyzes how specific parts of the Executive Order have been complied with in EPA`s Superfund program.« less

77 FR 66398 - Partial Approval and Disapproval of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Arizona; Infrastructure...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-05

... Ozone and Fine Particulate Matter AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Final rule...- hour ozone national ambient air quality standards (NAAQS) and the 1997 and 2006 NAAQS for fine..., 1997, EPA issued a revised NAAQS for ozone \\1\\ and a new NAAQS for fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ).\\2...

Introduction: Special Issue of Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health for Air Pollution and Health: Bridging the Gap from Source-to-Health Outcomes

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has established the National Ambient Air Quality Standards for six principal air pollutants (criteria pollutants): carbon monoxide (CO), lead (Pb), nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter in two size ranges [less than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) and less ...

75 FR 32857 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Virginia; Revision to Clean Air...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-10

... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 40 CFR Part 52 [EPA-R03-OAR-2009-0599; FRL-9125-2] Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Virginia; Revision to Clean Air Interstate Rule Sulfur Dioxide Trading Program Correction In final rule document 2010-5105 beginning on page 11738 in the issue...

43 CFR 404.49 - What criteria will Reclamation use to determine whether to recommend that a proposed rural water...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...; (3) Addresses environmental quality and source water protection issues; (4) Addresses opportunities to treat and use low-quality or non-potable water, water-reuse based supplies, and brackish and... technologies to reduce water use and water system costs; (6) Addresses opportunities to take advantage of...

Improving Voluntary Environmental Management Programs: Facilitating Learning and Adaptation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Genskow, Kenneth D.; Wood, Danielle M.

2011-05-01

Environmental planners and managers face unique challenges understanding and documenting the effectiveness of programs that rely on voluntary actions by private landowners. Programs, such as those aimed at reducing nonpoint source pollution or improving habitat, intend to reach those goals by persuading landowners to adopt behaviors and management practices consistent with environmental restoration and protection. Our purpose with this paper is to identify barriers for improving voluntary environmental management programs and ways to overcome them. We first draw upon insights regarding data, learning, and adaptation from the adaptive management and performance management literatures, describing three key issues: overcoming information constraints, structural limitations, and organizational culture. Although these lessons are applicable to a variety of voluntary environmental management programs, we then present the issues in the context of on-going research for nonpoint source water quality pollution. We end the discussion by highlighting important elements for advancing voluntary program efforts.

[Updating the problems of human ecology and environmental health and the ways of solving them].

PubMed

Rakhmanin, Iu A

2012-01-01

Displaying a variety of scientific areas studying the influence of the environment on human health, the state and modern issues of assessment of environmental quality, hygienic standardization of chemical and biological contamination, methodical support of sanitarian and health monitoring and risk assessment of pollution, environmental health, the need for improvement and harmonization with the international instruments of the legal and methodological framework for the protection of the human environment, of the development of a modern management system of her quality based on epidemiological methods for simulation, risk analysis, assessment of economic damage to the environment and health of the population, forming a new branch of medicine--medicine of environment.

Air Fair: Q & A with Mary Smith.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Patta, Joe

2002-01-01

Presents an interview with the director of the Indoor Environments Division at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) about the issue of poor air quality inside schools and what the government is doing to address it. (EV)

78 FR 37782 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-24

... staff from state agencies who deal with issues such as coastal water quality and habitat management. The... Ocean Science (NCCOS) and HDR, Inc., an environmental consulting firm. NOAA has a long history of...

Review: Characterization, evolution, and environmental issues of karst water systems in Northern China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liang, Yongping; Gao, Xubo; Zhao, Chunhong; Tang, Chunlei; Shen, Haoyong; Wang, Zhiheng; Wang, Yanxin

2018-05-01

In Northern China, karst systems in widely distributed carbonate rocks are one of the most important water supplies for local inhabitants. Constrained by the specific geological and geomorphological conditions, most karst water in this region is discharged as individual or groups of springs. This paper summarizes the characteristics, chemistry, and environmental quality of these karst systems in Northern China. Five structural models of karst water systems were identified based on the relationships between the karst geological strata and karst groundwater flow fields. These specific structural models may closely relate to the attendant environmental geological issues and consistent risks from pollution. Over the past 40 years, the karst water systems in Northern China have suffered from various environmental problems, including deteriorating water quality, the drying up of springs, a continuous decline in the level of karst water, and so on. Based on the field investigation and previous data, a preliminary summary is provided of the environmental problems related to the development and evolutionary trends of karst water in this region. The results highlight the significant challenges associated with karst water, and it is essential that all segments of society be made aware of the situation in order to demand change. In addition, the study provides a scientific basis for the management, protection, and sustainable utilization of karst water resources.

Quality of Agricultural Products and Protection of the Environment: Training, Knowledge Dissemination and Certification. Synthesis Report of a Study in Five European Countries. CEDEFOP Reference Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Papadaki-Klavdianou, A.; Menkisoglou-Spiroudi, O.; Tsakiridou, E.

This book examines existing European environmental education and agricultural practices friendly to the environment. Focus is on studies conducted in five countries Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain--that aimed to define new knowledge qualifications related to environmental issues in producing alternative agricultural products…

Life-Cycle Thinking in Inquiry-Based Sustainability Education--Effects on Students' Attitudes towards Chemistry and Environmental Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Juntunen, Marianne; Aksela, Maija

2013-01-01

The aim of the present study is to improve the quality of students' environmental literacy and sustainability education in chemistry teaching by combining the socio-scientific issue of life-cycle thinking with inquiry-based learning approaches. This case study presents results from an inquiry-based life-cycle thinking project: an interdisciplinary…

Worldwide Report, Environmental Quality, No. 388, China Addresses Environmental Issues -- IV

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-03-04

resources and collaborate in a joint effort, the large helping the small, and the strong leading the weak. The Hanxiang Plant which produces fermented bean...1981 the rain falling on Chongqing had an average pH of 4.64 and a minimum value of 3. A pH of 3 is similar to that of vinegar . This minimum value is

Impact of shale gas development on regional water quality.

PubMed

Vidic, R D; Brantley, S L; Vandenbossche, J M; Yoxtheimer, D; Abad, J D

2013-05-17

Unconventional natural gas resources offer an opportunity to access a relatively clean fossil fuel that could potentially lead to energy independence for some countries. Horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing make the extraction of tightly bound natural gas from shale formations economically feasible. These technologies are not free from environmental risks, however, especially those related to regional water quality, such as gas migration, contaminant transport through induced and natural fractures, wastewater discharge, and accidental spills. We review the current understanding of environmental issues associated with unconventional gas extraction. Improved understanding of the fate and transport of contaminants of concern and increased long-term monitoring and data dissemination will help manage these water-quality risks today and in the future.

Agroforestry systems and environmental quality: introduction.

PubMed

Nair, P K Ramachandran

2011-01-01

Investments in agroforestry research during the past three decades-albeit modest-have yielded significant gains in understanding the role of trees on farmlands, and the ecological and economic advantages of integrated farming systems. While early research focused mostly on farm or local levels, broader-level ecosystem services of agroforestry systems (AFS) have raised high expectations in recent years. The nine papers included in this special collection deal with three of such environmental benefits of AFS: water-quality enhancement, carbon sequestration, and soil improvement. These benefits are based on the perceived ability of (i) vegetative buffer strips (VBS) to reduce surface transport of agrochemical pollutants, (ii) large volumes of aboveground and belowground biomass of trees to store high amounts of C deeper in the soil profile, and (iii) trees to enhance soil productivity through biological nitrogen fixation, efficient nutrient cycling, and deep capture of nutrients. The papers included have, in general, substantiated these premises and provided new insights. For example, the riparian VBS are reported to increase the reservoir life, in addition to reducing transport of agrochemicals; the variations in C storage in different soil-fraction sizes suggest that microaggregate (250-53 μm) dynamics in the soil could be a good indicator of its C-storage potential; and the use of vector analysis technique is recommended in AFS to avoid consequences of inaccurate and overuse of fertilizers. The papers also identified significant knowledge gaps in these areas. A common theme across all three environmental quality issues covered is that more and varied research datasets across a broad spectrum of conditions need to be generated and integrated with powerful statistical tools to ensure wide applicability of the results. Furthermore, appropriate management practices that are acceptable to the targeted land users and agroforestry practitioners need to be designed to exploit these environmental benefits. The relative newness of research in environmental quality of AFS will pose some additional challenges as well. These include the lack of allometric equations for tree-biomass determination, absence of standardized norms on soil sampling depth, and limitations of fixed-effect models arising from issues such as pseudo-replication and repeated measures that are common in studies on preexisting field plots. Overall, this special collection is a timely effort in highlighting the promise of AFS in addressing some of the environmental quality issues, and the challenges in realizing that potential. American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

Anthropogenic activities and coastal environmental quality: a regional quantitative analysis in southeast China with management implications.

PubMed

Chen, Kai; Liu, Yan; Huang, Dongren; Ke, Hongwei; Chen, Huorong; Zhang, Songbin; Yang, Shengyun; Cai, Minggang

2018-02-01

Regional analysis of environmental issues has always been a hot topic in the field of sustainable development. Because the different levels of economic growth, urbanization, resource endowments, etc. in different regions generate apparently different ecological responses, a better description and comparison across different regions will provide more valuable implications for ecological improvement and policymaking. In this study, seven typical bays in southeast China that are a rapid developing area were selected to quantitatively analyze the relationship between socioeconomic development and coastal environmental quality. Based on the water quality data from 2007 to 2015, the multivariate statistical method was applied to analyze the potential environmental risks and to classify the seven bays based on their environmental quality status. The possible variation trends of environmental indices were predicted based on the cross-regional panel data by Environmental Kuznets Curve. The results showed that there were significant regional differences among the seven bays, especially Quanzhou, Xiamen, and Luoyuan Bays, suffered from severer artificial disturbances than other bays, despite their different development patterns. Socioeconomic development level was significantly associated with some water quality indices (pH, DIN, PO 4 -P); the association was roughly positive: the areas with higher GDP per capita have some worse water quality indices. In addition, the decreasing trend of pH values and the increasing trend of nutrient concentration in the seven bays will continue in the foreseeable future. In consideration of the variation trends, the limiting nutrient strategy should be implemented to mitigate the deterioration of the coastal environments.

Developing for the future: hometown USA.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-09-01

In a trend that continues to build, citizens : across the country are joining forces locally to : address environmental issues that affect their : health, natural resources, and the quality of : life in their communities. Groups of people are : takin...

Earth Patrol.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menoche, Terri; And Others

This guide contains a series of lessons for elementary school students covering environmental issues including waste reduction and recycling, decomposition and composting, landfills, natural resources, energy sources and conservation, and water quality. The lessons include an objective, background information, method, and activities for…

Calidad del aire interior

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This web site will educate the public about indoor environmental issues including health risks and means by which human exposures can be reduced. Content on this site will be focused on Spanish translated resources for information about indoor air quality.

Integrated Management of Residential Indoor Air Quality: A Call for Stakeholders in a Changing Climate.

PubMed

Levasseur, Marie-Eve; Poulin, Patrick; Campagna, Céline; Leclerc, Jean-Marc

2017-11-25

A paradigm change in the management of environmental health issues has been observed in recent years: instead of managing specific risks individually, a holistic vision of environmental problems would assure sustainable solutions. However, concrete actions that could help translate these recommendations into interventions are lacking. This review presents the relevance of using an integrated indoor air quality management approach to ensure occupant health and comfort. At the nexus of three basic concepts (reducing contaminants at the source, improving ventilation, and, when relevant, purifying the indoor air), this approach can help maintain and improve indoor air quality and limit exposure to several contaminants. Its application is particularly relevant in a climate change context since the evolving outdoor conditions have to be taken into account during building construction and renovation. The measures presented through this approach target public health players, building managers, owners, occupants, and professionals involved in building design, construction, renovation, and maintenance. The findings of this review will help the various stakeholders initiate a strategic reflection on the importance of indoor air quality and climate change issues for existing and future buildings. Several new avenues and recommendations are presented to set the path for future research activities.

Integrated Management of Residential Indoor Air Quality: A Call for Stakeholders in a Changing Climate

PubMed Central

Levasseur, Marie-Eve; Poulin, Patrick; Campagna, Céline; Leclerc, Jean-Marc

2017-01-01

A paradigm change in the management of environmental health issues has been observed in recent years: instead of managing specific risks individually, a holistic vision of environmental problems would assure sustainable solutions. However, concrete actions that could help translate these recommendations into interventions are lacking. This review presents the relevance of using an integrated indoor air quality management approach to ensure occupant health and comfort. At the nexus of three basic concepts (reducing contaminants at the source, improving ventilation, and, when relevant, purifying the indoor air), this approach can help maintain and improve indoor air quality and limit exposure to several contaminants. Its application is particularly relevant in a climate change context since the evolving outdoor conditions have to be taken into account during building construction and renovation. The measures presented through this approach target public health players, building managers, owners, occupants, and professionals involved in building design, construction, renovation, and maintenance. The findings of this review will help the various stakeholders initiate a strategic reflection on the importance of indoor air quality and climate change issues for existing and future buildings. Several new avenues and recommendations are presented to set the path for future research activities. PMID:29186831

U.S. District Court, District of Oregon, Order, Oregon Environmental Council and the Sierra Club v. Oregon Department on Environmental Quality

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the New Source Review (NSR) air permitting regulations including the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) requirements. This document is part of the NSR Policy and Guidance Database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Automatic Multi-sensor Data Quality Checking and Event Detection for Environmental Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LIU, Q.; Zhang, Y.; Zhao, Y.; Gao, D.; Gallaher, D. W.; Lv, Q.; Shang, L.

2017-12-01

With the advances in sensing technologies, large-scale environmental sensing infrastructures are pervasively deployed to continuously collect data for various research and application fields, such as air quality study and weather condition monitoring. In such infrastructures, many sensor nodes are distributed in a specific area and each individual sensor node is capable of measuring several parameters (e.g., humidity, temperature, and pressure), providing massive data for natural event detection and analysis. However, due to the dynamics of the ambient environment, sensor data can be contaminated by errors or noise. Thus, data quality is still a primary concern for scientists before drawing any reliable scientific conclusions. To help researchers identify potential data quality issues and detect meaningful natural events, this work proposes a novel algorithm to automatically identify and rank anomalous time windows from multiple sensor data streams. More specifically, (1) the algorithm adaptively learns the characteristics of normal evolving time series and (2) models the spatial-temporal relationship among multiple sensor nodes to infer the anomaly likelihood of a time series window for a particular parameter in a sensor node. Case studies using different data sets are presented and the experimental results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm can effectively identify anomalous time windows, which may resulted from data quality issues and natural events.

Environmental Measurements Laboratory 1994 annual report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chieco, N.A.; Krey, P.W.; Beck, H.L.

1995-08-01

This report summarizes the activities of the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) for the calendar year 1994 and it serves as an annual report to the Director of the Office of Energy Research (ER), the Associate Director and staff of the Office of Health and Environmental Research (OHER), the manager and staff of the Chicago Field Office, and the authors colleagues. Emphasized are the progress and accomplishments of the year, rather than future plans or expectations. The technical summaries are grouped according to the following seven general program areas: environmental radiation and radioactivity; radiation transport and dosimetry; environmental radon, thoron, andmore » related aerosols; atmospheric and surface pollutant studies related to global climate change; atmospheric chemistry; metrology, consultation, and emergency response; environmental management. EML`s mission is to address important scientific questions concerning human health and environmental impacts. Through its multidisciplinary staff, EML conducts experimental and theoretical research on radioactive and other energy-related pollutants, and provides DOE and other federal agencies with the in-house capability to respond effectively and efficiently with regard to quality assurance activities, environmental issues and related national security issues.« less

Development of fuzzy air quality index using soft computing approach.

PubMed

Mandal, T; Gorai, A K; Pathak, G

2012-10-01

Proper assessment of air quality status in an atmosphere based on limited observations is an essential task for meeting the goals of environmental management. A number of classification methods are available for estimating the changing status of air quality. However, a discrepancy frequently arises from the quality criteria of air employed and vagueness or fuzziness embedded in the decision making output values. Owing to inherent imprecision, difficulties always exist in some conventional methodologies like air quality index when describing integrated air quality conditions with respect to various pollutants parameters and time of exposure. In recent years, the fuzzy logic-based methods have demonstrated to be appropriated to address uncertainty and subjectivity in environmental issues. In the present study, a methodology based on fuzzy inference systems (FIS) to assess air quality is proposed. This paper presents a comparative study to assess status of air quality using fuzzy logic technique and that of conventional technique. The findings clearly indicate that the FIS may successfully harmonize inherent discrepancies and interpret complex conditions.

Gas Emission Measurements from the RD 180 Rocket Engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, H. R.

2001-01-01

The Science Laboratory operated by GB Tech was tasked by the Environmental Office at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to collect rocket plume samples and to measure gaseous components and airborne particulates from the hot test firings of the Atlas III/RD 180 test article at MSFC. This data will be used to validate plume prediction codes and to assess environmental air quality issues.

Environmental And Quality Management System In The Context Of Sustainable Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusko, Miroslav

2015-06-01

Growing load and deterioration of the environment can be interpreted as a result of some external effects interventions. While the positive externalities influence the positive productional and utilizational functions of other subjects, the negative externalities influence the negative ones. Both types of external effects can act as parcial or global externalities. Linking of environmental issues to economy and finance is an important sphere.

Land use and transportation issues in environmental control.

PubMed Central

Liff, S D; Bellomo, S J

1975-01-01

Analyses have been made of the effects of environmental controls and planning at regional, subarea, and project levels. The results obtained at the regional level are reviewed for a proposed highway development around Baltimore, Md. The findings for both short-term and long-term effects of alternative transport policies are summarized in respect of population and employment, economic indicators, traffic and travel, air quality, water and solid waste, noise, and environmentally sensitive areas. Problems at subarea and project levels are briefly considered. PMID:1157795

Measuring the quality of life of the elderly in health promotion intervention clinical trials.

PubMed Central

Kutner, N G; Ory, M G; Baker, D I; Schechtman, K B; Hornbrook, M C; Mulrow, C D

1992-01-01

The Multicenter Trials of Frailty and Injuries: Cooperative Studies of Intervention Techniques (FICSIT) is a series of clinical trials of biomedical, behavioral, and environmental interventions to reduce the risks of frailty and injury among the elderly. Reliable assessment of the quality of life reported by the subjects is a central issue in evaluating the interventions. An intervention may have a significant impact on an elderly person's sense of well-being, even though significant improvement is not observed in selected physical outcome measures. Elderly persons' compliance with particular intervention regimens may be influenced by the quality of life effects that they perceive in relation to the intervention. The researchers review the definition and measurement of quality of life in the trials, with particular attention to issues in determining common measures used at all study locations. Practical considerations in the selection and use of quality of life measures in both community and institutional populations are addressed. Topics discussed include the interrelation of aging, functional capacities, and quality of life; the multi-dimensionality of quality of life in relation to differential intervention effects; and age-related issues in the collection of quality of life data. Preliminary observations are reviewed, and potential contributions of FICSIT to intervention-sensitive quality of life assessments among the elderly are noted. PMID:1410233

APSIC Guidelines for environmental cleaning and decontamination.

PubMed

Ling, Moi Lin; Apisarnthanarak, Anucha; Thu, Le Thi Anh; Villanueva, Victoria; Pandjaitan, Costy; Yusof, Mohamad Yasim

2015-01-01

This document is an executive summary of APSIC Guidelines for Environmental Cleaning and Decontamination. It describes best practices in routine cleaning and decontamination in healthcare facilities as well as in specific settings e.g. management of patients with isolation precautions, food preparation areas, construction and renovation, and following a flood. It recommends the implementation of environmental hygiene program to keep the environment safe for patients, staff and visitors visiting a healthcare facility. Objective assessment of cleanliness and quality is an essential component of this program as a method for identifying quality improvement opportunities. Recommendations for safe handling of linen and bedding; as well as occupational health and safety issues are included in the guidelines. A training program is vital to ensure consistent adherence to best practices.

Building a Healthy Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simon, Elizabeth

1997-01-01

Describes how school districts, with the help of a good architect, can construct or renovate schools and avoid most environmental hazards. Issues concerning indoor air quality, asbestos, lead poisoning, ergonomics, and adverse exposure to radon and electric and magnetic fields are addressed. (GR)

Fecal Source Identification with Real-Time Quantitative PCR

EPA Science Inventory

Waterborne diseases that originate from fecal pollution remain a significant public health issue. Current fecal indicator technologies recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for water quality testing do not discriminate between different animal sources of fecal ...

Committing to creating time for integrating contemporary environmental issues into a traditional introduction to Earth Science course, one topic at a time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, H. M.

2014-12-01

I teach an Earth Science course, designed as an introductory science class that also fulfills the Earth Science requirement for pre-service teachers preparing to take their state content exam. This course provides an introduction to astronomy, geology, oceanography, and meteorology. By design, the class is content-heavy. Despite this, with so many current environmental and societal issues directly tied to the Earth Sciences, it is essential to address contemporary problems and to educate students about the changes and challenges in the world around them. I have made a commitment to doing this by incorporating relevant societal and environmental issues into every topic and every class session. While this may sound basic, doing so requires diligence and research. For example, when teaching about weathering and erosion, I discuss soils, soil quality and erosion, and the impact this has on our global food supply. A hands-on mineral activity lends itself to looking at the energy and waste involved in ore extraction. A lecture on ocean circulation results in an opportunity to analyze the consequences of the interruption of this pattern due to global warming. Through this approach, students are provided with necessary content; furthermore, by linking traditional content to modern issues on a regular basis, students see the relevance of what they are learning and become more aware of the environmental issues facing society today. Student evaluations indicate that this approach has been successful: 100% of students reported that they learned a great deal from the course, and 100% of students agreed that the quality of the course was high. In addition, prior to the class 55.8% of the students indicated interested in the content; whereas, after the course 88.6% indicated interest, with strong interest in the content increasing from 16.3% to 41%.

The Thin Green Line: An Assessment of DoD’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Initiative to Buffer Installation Encroachment

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-01-01

degraded natural ecosys- tems so much that few wild bees are left. Farmers who relied on wild bees for pollination must now rent bees commercially...around military installations, noise and air pollution, endangered species and critical habitat, wetlands , water quality and supply, cultural resources...encroachment issues:1 noise pollution endangered species and critical habitat wetlands water quality and supply air pollution and quality cultural

Assessing the quality of the nation's water resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hamilton, Pixie A.

2002-01-01

This issue of IMPACT highlights findings from the first decade of studies (1991 to 2001) by the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The articles also discuss the Program’s approaches and models designed to help understand and estimate the fate and transport of contaminants in different geographic areas and environmental settings and over different time frames. NAWQA was established by Congress in 1991 with a goal of developing long-term, consistent, and comparable science-based information on nationwide water-quality conditions. This information is used to support sound management and policy decisions by decision makers at all levels – local, state, and national – who, every day, face complex regulations and management issues related to water resources.

[Monitoring of environmental pollution in Armenia and certain issues on reproductive health and cytogenetic status of organism].

PubMed

Tadevosian, N S; Muradian, S A; Tadevosian, A E; Khachatrian, B G; Dzhandzhapanian, A N; Parsadanian, G G; Pogosian, S B; Gevorkian, N B; Guloian, A A

2012-01-01

Investigations aimed at the study on the state of environment from the point of pollution by organochlorine pesticides and their metabolites (HCH, DDT, DDE and DDD), as well as on possible unfavorable impact due to carriage of mentioned persistent organic pollutants (POPs) towards reproductive health and cytogenetic status of organism were done. In parallel, monitoring of possible mutagenic components of the environment was also conducted. As to obtained data, residues of organochlorine pesticides are continually determined with high frequency both in environmental media, agricultural foodstuffs and biomedia of rural population of observed region (Aragatsotn marz, Armenia). No changes in mutagenic background were registered. The represented results of the study make fragment of complex social-hygienic, monitoring investigations on environmental quality that would further serve as a platform for working out the recommendations on reduction of environmental pollution and improvement of health protection issues in Armenia.

Water management in the framework of environmental management systems in Bulgarian seaports

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quynh, Le Xuan; Hens, Luc; Stoyanov, Stoyan

Seaports or harbours are major hub of economic activities, connecting sea routes with the hinterland via rail, road and inland waterway. At the same time, they are hubs of environmental issues, resulting from its diversified operations involving vessels, machines, vehicles and industries. The Black Sea Commission in 2007 pointed out that water pollution at the ports around Black Sea, including the ports of Bourgas and Varna, poses a great threat to the overall water quality of the Black Sea and the quality of the Mediterranean Sea. The two ports, and their facilities, are the black spots of pollution that need immediate intervention to safeguard the Black Sea. The first steps of an environmental management system were implemented at both ports. Environmental protection objectives are identified and initial actions are being implemented. However, assessment of the environmental performance of both ports based on concrete indicators was not done. Further efforts are needed to advance the environmental management system to contribute more to the protection of the Mediterranean and Black Sea region.

Auditor Independence: Beyond the Dilemma of Combining Auditing and Advisory Activities for the Development of Quality Assurance Systems in Agriculture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maxime, Francoise; Maze, Armelle

2006-01-01

This article aims to study the design and the organization of auditing systems to develop environmental or quality assurance schemes at the farm level and the role that extension services could play in these processes. It starts by discussing the issue of combining auditing and advisory activities and developing auditing competences. Empirical…

Developing and Implementing Inquiry-Based, Water Quality Laboratory Experiments for High School Students to Explore Real Environmental Issues Using Analytical Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mandler, Daphna; Blonder, Ron; Yayon, Malka; Mamlok-Naaman, Rachel; Hofstein, Avi

2014-01-01

This paper describes the rationale and the implementation of five laboratory experiments; four of them, intended for high-school students, are inquiry-based activities that explore the quality of water. The context of water provides students with an opportunity to study the importance of analytical methods and how they influence our everyday…

Learning in and about Rural Places: Connections and Tensions between Students' Everyday Experiences and Environmental Quality Issues in Their Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimmerman, Heather Toomey; Weible, Jennifer L.

2017-01-01

Guided by sociocultural perspectives on the importance of place as a resource for learning, we investigated 14- and 15-year old students' understandings of their community and water quality during a school-based watershed unit. Methods included a theory-driven thematic analysis of field notes and video transcripts from four biology classrooms, a…

Educating Young People about Water. A Guide to Goals and Resources with an Emphasis on Nonformal and School Enrichment Settings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, Elaine; And Others

Water quality is an environmental issue that has received increased attention in recent years and for which there is now a variety of educational materials. This guide was developed by the Water Curriculum Needs Assessment Project to help curriculum coordinators select and develop water quality training programs and curricula. The initial sections…

View from the center: Supercities conference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knox, J. B.

The Supercities Conference (26-30 October 1992) was the initial activity planned and executed by the Pacific Basin Study Center (PBSC), a research center founded by San Francisco State University and the University of California, Davis. The Conference focused on issues of environmental quality and the quest for sustainable development in the great urban centers—Supercities—of the Pacific. The Conference, with its working group process, highlighted the long-term commitment of the PBSC to education, training, and research in regard to environmental, energy, and resource utilization issues that challenge society now and the coming century. We define a "Supercity" as a large metropolitan area of about eight million population currently undergoing rapid growth in population and urbanization. Some of the cities considered at the conference are emerging "Supercities"—large urban complexes destined to soon be "Supercities". Supercities in both the developing and developed nations are at critical stages of development, with the size and number of Supercities appearing to be unstoppable. These urban centers and their surrounding areas are large users of resources and energy. In many cases, the national demand for energy and materials will be largely patterned by the strategies, management, and actions taken within the Supercities. It is for this reason that our focus is on these dynamic, urban entities of the Pacific. Appropriate technology transfer, sharing of common concerns and knowledge, and the seeking of workable conservation and remediation efforts within Supercities could improve living conditions within these centers, and address regional and global environmental issues in parallel. The Conference focused on urban air quality conditions in 14 metropolitan areas, common health impacts, and projected emissions; a working group process defined needed areas for research and development of key information. Through the medium of panels, the progress of several major cities in addressing urban air quality issues was reported, as well as the rationale for the documented successes of environmental improvement. The Conference played a key role in the definition of the early research directions of the PBSC, and in the establishment of a Pacific Basin network of researchers and planners committed to the pursuit of sustainable development.

Technical issues affecting the implementation of US environmental protection agency's proposed fish tissue-based aquatic criterion for selenium

Treesearch

A. Dennis Lemly; Joseph P. Skorupa

2007-01-01

The US Environmental Protection Agency is developing a national water quality criterion for selenium that is based on concentrations of the element in fish tissue. Although this approach offers advantages over the current water-based regulations, it also presents new challenges with respect to implementation. A comprehensive protocol that answers the ‘‘what, where, and...

Grizzly Substation Fiber Optics : Environmental Assessment.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

United States. Bonneville Power Administration.

1998-02-01

This notice announces BPA`s decision to construct, operate, and maintain the Grizzly Substation Fiber Optic Project (Project). This Project is part of a continuing effort by BPA to complete a regionwide upgrade of its existing telecommunications system. The US Forest Service and BPA jointly prepared the Grizzly Substation Fiber Optic Project Environmental Assessment (EA) (DOE/EA-1241) evaluating the potential environmental impacts of the Proposed Action, the Underground Installation Alternative, and the No Action Alternative. Based on the analysis in the EA, the US Forest Service and BPA have determined that the Proposed Action is not a major Federal action significantly affectingmore » the quality of the human environment, within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. Therefore, the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not required and BPA is issuing this FONSI. The US Forest Service has separately issued a FONSI and Decision Notice authorizing BPA to construct, operate, and maintain the Project within the Crooked River National Grassland (Grassland).« less

Proposals for the mitigation of the environmental impact of clinical laboratories.

PubMed

Lopez, Joseph B; Badrick, Tony

2012-03-24

Laboratories should be aware of the carbon footprint resulting from their activities and take steps to mitigate it as part of their societal responsibilities. Once committed to a mitigation programme, they should announce an environmental policy, secure the support of senior management, initiate documentation, institute a staff training programme, schedule environmental audits and appoint an environmental manager. Laboratories may aspire to be accredited to one of the standards for environmental management, such as the ISO 14000. As environmental and quality issues are linked, the improvement in the environmental management of an organisation will ultimately lead to improved quality system performance. Indeed, environmental management could conceivably come under overall quality management. Although there will be initial costs, good environmental practices can bring savings. Environmental improvement should be based on the 3R concept to reduce, reuse and recycle. Several policy initiatives may be introduced. These include a green purchasing policy for equipment, laboratory furniture and reagents as well as the management of packaging wastes. There are several ways to reduce energy, water usage and wastage. A reduction of test numbers and collection tubes should be attempted. Paper management involves all aspects of 3R. The recycling of solvents and general wastes should be practised where feasible. The construction new laboratories or renovations to existing ones are opportunities to make them more environmentally-friendly. The advocacy of policies to associates and the inclusion of environmentally-friendly conditions on contractors are integral parts of the programme.

Asthma and Air Quality in the Presence of Fires - A Foundation for Public Health Policy in Florida

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crosson, William; Al-Hamdan, Mohammad; Estes, Maurice, Jr.; Estes, Sue; Luvall, Jeffrey; Sifford, Cody; Young, Linda

2012-01-01

Outdoor air quality and its associated impacts on respiratory problems in Florida are of public health significance. Air quality in Florida can be poor during the extended wildfire season, threatening persons with compromised respiratory systems each year. Studies have demonstrated that particulate matter, which is generally elevated in the vicinity of wildfires, is associated with increases in hospital admissions and occurrences of acute asthma exacerbations. However, few studies have examined the modifying effect of socio-demographic characteristics of cities or regional areas on the relationship between air quality and health outcomes. In an ongoing university/multi-agency project, asthma hospital/emergency room (patient) data are being used to create a health outcome indicator of human response to environmental air quality. Environmental data are derived from satellite measurements, with special attention being given to the effect of wildfires and prescribed burns on air quality. This presentation will focus on the environmental data sets particulate matter, location of fires, smoke plumes that are being collected and processed for linkage with health data. After this linkage has been performed, space-time models of asthma rates as a function of air quality data and socio-demographic variables will be developed and validated. The Florida Department of Health (FDOH) will work with county health department staff and representatives from the medical community to establish a protocol with triggers for issuing public health advisories/alerts based on the developed and validated health outcome indicators. From this effort, a science-based policy for issuing public health advisories/alerts for asthma relating to air quality will be developed, giving FDOH the ability to (1) predict, with stated levels of uncertainty, case load of hospital admissions based on air quality, (2) reduce asthma exacerbations by forewarning asthmatics to limit outside activities on poor air quality days, (3) apply management practices on the rates of hospital/emergency room visits for asthma, and (4) provide information that would help translate interventions into policy decisions, thereby reducing the economic burden and increasing well being of asthmatics. Further, the results of the study will be incorporated into Florida s Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) program, which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) EPHT network.

Examining the effects of technology-infused issue investigations on high school students' environmental and ocean literacies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plankis, Brian J.

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of technology-infused issue investigations on high school students' environmental and ocean literacies. This study explored the effects of a new educational enrichment program termed Connecting the Ocean, Reefs, Aquariums, Literacy, and Stewardship (CORALS) on high school science students. The study utilized a mixed methods approach combining a quantitative quasi-experimental pre-post test design with qualitative case studies. The CORALS program is a new educational program that combines materials based on the Investigating and Evaluating Environmental Issues and Actions (IEEIA) curriculum program with the digital storytelling process. Over an 18-week period four high school science teachers and their approximately 169 students investigated environmental issues impacting coral reefs through the IEEIA framework. An additional approximately 224 students, taught by the same teachers, were the control group exposed to standard curriculum. Students' environmental literacy was measured through the Secondary School Environmental Literacy Instrument (SSELI) and students' ocean literacy was measured through the Students' Ocean Literacy Viewpoints and Engagement (SOLVE) instrument. Two classrooms were selected as case studies and examined through classroom observations and student and teacher interviews. The results indicated the CORALS program increased the knowledge of ecological principles, knowledge of environmental problems/issues, and environmental attitudes components of environmental literacy for the experimental group students. For ocean literacy, the experimental group students' scores increased for knowledge of ocean literacy principles, ability to identify oceanic environmental problems, and attitudes concerning the ocean. The SSELI measure of Responsible Environmental Behaviors (REB) was found to be significant for the interaction of teacher and class type (experimental or control). The students for Teachers A and B reported a statistically significant increase in the self-reported REB subscales of ecomanagement and consumer/economic action. This indicates the students reported an increase in the REBs they could change within their lifestyles. This study provides baseline data in an area where few quality studies exist to date. Recommendations for practice and administration of the research study instruments are explored. Recommendations for further research include CORALS program modifications, revising the instruments utilized, and what areas of students' environmental and ocean literacies warrant further exploration.

TESPI (Tool for Environmental Sound Product Innovation): a simplified software tool to support environmentally conscious design in SMEs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Misceo, Monica; Buonamici, Roberto; Buttol, Patrizia; Naldesi, Luciano; Grimaldi, Filomena; Rinaldi, Caterina

2004-12-01

TESPI (Tool for Environmental Sound Product Innovation) is the prototype of a software tool developed within the framework of the "eLCA" project. The project, (www.elca.enea.it)financed by the European Commission, is realising "On line green tools and services for Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs)". The implementation by SMEs of environmental product innovation (as fostered by the European Integrated Product Policy, IPP) needs specific adaptation to their economic model, their knowledge of production and management processes and their relationships with innovation and the environment. In particular, quality and costs are the main driving forces of innovation in European SMEs, and well known barriers exist to the adoption of an environmental approach in the product design. Starting from these considerations, the TESPI tool has been developed to support the first steps of product design taking into account both the quality and the environment. Two main issues have been considered: (i) classic Quality Function Deployment (QFD) can hardly be proposed to SMEs; (ii) the environmental aspects of the product life cycle need to be integrated with the quality approach. TESPI is a user friendly web-based tool, has a training approach and applies to modular products. Users are guided through the investigation of the quality aspects of their product (customer"s needs and requirements fulfilment) and the identification of the key environmental aspects in the product"s life cycle. A simplified check list allows analyzing the environmental performance of the product. Help is available for a better understanding of the analysis criteria. As a result, the significant aspects for the redesign of the product are identified.

Optimisation in the Design of Environmental Sensor Networks with Robustness Consideration

PubMed Central

Budi, Setia; de Souza, Paulo; Timms, Greg; Malhotra, Vishv; Turner, Paul

2015-01-01

This work proposes the design of Environmental Sensor Networks (ESN) through balancing robustness and redundancy. An Evolutionary Algorithm (EA) is employed to find the optimal placement of sensor nodes in the Region of Interest (RoI). Data quality issues are introduced to simulate their impact on the performance of the ESN. Spatial Regression Test (SRT) is also utilised to promote robustness in data quality of the designed ESN. The proposed method provides high network representativeness (fit for purpose) with minimum sensor redundancy (cost), and ensures robustness by enabling the network to continue to achieve its objectives when some sensors fail. PMID:26633392

22 CFR 216.6 - Environmental assessments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... proposal and its alternatives in comparative form, thereby sharpening the issues and providing a clear... including the proposed action so that reviewers may evaluate their comparative merits; include the... and mitigation measures; urban quality; historic and cultural resources and the design of the built...

22 CFR 216.6 - Environmental assessments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... proposal and its alternatives in comparative form, thereby sharpening the issues and providing a clear... including the proposed action so that reviewers may evaluate their comparative merits; include the... and mitigation measures; urban quality; historic and cultural resources and the design of the built...

22 CFR 216.6 - Environmental assessments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... proposal and its alternatives in comparative form, thereby sharpening the issues and providing a clear... including the proposed action so that reviewers may evaluate their comparative merits; include the... and mitigation measures; urban quality; historic and cultural resources and the design of the built...

22 CFR 216.6 - Environmental assessments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... proposal and its alternatives in comparative form, thereby sharpening the issues and providing a clear... including the proposed action so that reviewers may evaluate their comparative merits; include the... and mitigation measures; urban quality; historic and cultural resources and the design of the built...

22 CFR 216.6 - Environmental assessments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... proposal and its alternatives in comparative form, thereby sharpening the issues and providing a clear... including the proposed action so that reviewers may evaluate their comparative merits; include the... and mitigation measures; urban quality; historic and cultural resources and the design of the built...

AN ELECTRIFYING NEW SOLUTION TO AN OLD PROBLEM?

EPA Science Inventory

The adverse health effects of particles have been linked to many factors, including particle size. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) first issued National Ambient Air QualityStandards (NAAQS) for particular matter (PM) in 1971, amended the standards in 1987 for part...

15 CFR 287.4 - Responsibilities of Federal agencies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... requirements and measures. An example of this would be to collect and review information on similar activities..., quality and environmental management systems, management system registration and accreditation are issued... Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Codex Alimentarius Commission...

15 CFR 287.4 - Responsibilities of Federal agencies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... requirements and measures. An example of this would be to collect and review information on similar activities..., quality and environmental management systems, management system registration and accreditation are issued... Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Codex Alimentarius Commission...

15 CFR 287.4 - Responsibilities of Federal agencies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... requirements and measures. An example of this would be to collect and review information on similar activities..., quality and environmental management systems, management system registration and accreditation are issued... Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Codex Alimentarius Commission...

ASSESSING VULNERABILITIES FROM ALTERNATIVE DEVELOPMENT PATTERNS

EPA Science Inventory

Planners in a rapidly urbanizing area must take into account trade offs between multiple environmental issues of concern. A 15-county region centered on Charlotte, North Carolina, is experiencing a boom in growth resulting in both air and water quality concerns. In this paper,...

Pathway-based monitoring of biological effects at Great Lakes sites (Presntation)

EPA Science Inventory

The Great Lakes region suffers from degradation of water and environmental quality due to release of chemicals of emerging concern. Critical issues remain in delisting Areas of Concern (AOC) including determining sources of chemicals causing fish health impacts, relating health ...

10 CFR 32.210 - Registration of product information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... sent to the Office of Federal and State Materials and Environmental Management Programs, by an... device must include sufficient information about the design, manufacture, prototype testing, quality... the evaluation, the Commission issues a certificate of registration to the person making the request...

75 FR 41881 - Notice of Intent To Prepare a Shoreline Restoration and Management Plan/Environmental Impact...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-19

... addressed in the SRMP include: Restoration or replication of natural shoreline sand movement; foredune/dune... lakeshore; and improved water quality. DATES: Any comments on the scope of issues to be addressed in the EIS...

Health Effects of Energy Resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orem, William; Tatu, Calin; Pavlovic, Nikola; Bunnell, Joseph; Kolker, Allan; Engle, Mark; Stout, Ben

2010-01-01

Energy resources (coal, oil, and natural gas) are among the cornerstones of modern industrial society. The exploitation of these resources, however, is not without costs. Energy materials may contain harmful chemical substances that, if mobilized into air, water, or soil, can adversely impact human health and environmental quality. In order to address the issue of human exposure to toxic substances derived from energy resources, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Energy Resources Program developed a project entitled 'Impacts of Energy Resources on Human Health and Environmental Quality.' The project is intended to provide policymakers and the public with the scientific information needed to weigh the human health and environmental consequences of meeting our energy needs. This fact sheet discusses several areas where the USGS Energy Resources Program is making scientific advances in this endeavor.

The impact of globalisation, free trade and technology on food and nutrition in the new millennium.

PubMed

McMichael, P

2001-05-01

The millennium promises a dramatic politicisation of the food question. In addition to the prominent issues of food security, hunger and nutrition, bioengineering, food safety and quality, there are related issues of environmental sustainability, power, sovereignty and rights. All these issues are deeply implicated in the current corporate form of globalisation, which is transforming historic global arrangements by subordinating public institutions and the question of food security to private solutions. The present paper questions the self-evident association between globalisation and nutritional improvement.

Water-Quality Data Collected from Vallecito Reservoir, Its Inflows and Outflow, Southwestern Colorado, 1999-2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ranalli, Anthony J.

2008-01-01

The Pine River Watershed Stakeholders Group was created in December 1997 to allow local participation in addressing water-quality issues in Los Pi?os River watershed, including Vallecito Reservoir in southwestern Colorado. One water-quality issue identified by the stakeholder group is to increase the understanding of the current water quality of Vallecito Reservoir, its two major inflows, and its outflow. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with volunteers from the Pine River Watershed Stakeholders Group and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), Pine River Irrigation District, Southern Ute Tribe, San Juan Basin Health Department, and San Juan Resource Conservation and Development, collected water-quality samples from Vallecito Reservoir, its two major inflows, and its outflow between August 1999 and November 2002 at about monthly intervals from April through November. The water-quality samples were analyzed for total and dissolved metals (aluminum, arsenic, cadmium, copper, chromium, iron, lead, manganese, mercury, nickel, silver, and zinc), dissolved major ions (calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, and sulfate), dissolved silica, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), ultraviolet (UV) absorbance at 254 and 280 nanometers, nutrients (total organic nitrogen, dissolved organic nitrogen, dissolved ammonia, dissolved nitrate, total phosphorus, dissolved phosphorus, and orthophosphate), chlorophyll-a (reservoir only), and suspended sediment (inlets to the reservoir only). Measurements of field properties (pH, specific conductance, water temperature, and dissolved oxygen) were also made at each sampling site each time a water-quality sample was collected. This report documents (1) sampling sites and times of sample collection, (2) sample-collection methods, (3) laboratory analytical methods, and (4) responsibilities of each agency/group involved in the project. The report also provides the environmental and quality-control data collected during the project and provides an interpretation of the quality-control data (field blanks and field duplicates) to assess the quality of the environmental data. This report provides a baseline data set against which future changes in water quality can be assessed.

Epidemiology and quality assurance: applications at farm level.

PubMed

Noordhuizen, J P; Frankena, K

1999-03-29

Animal production is relevant with respect to farm income and the position of the sector in the market, but also with respect to the quality and safety of products of animal origin, related to public health. Animal production is part of a chain of food production. Therefore, producers have to take consumer expectations and demands in the domains of animal health, welfare and environment into account. A different attitude for production has to be adopted; this attitude can be visualized in good farming practice, GFP, codes. Farmers who focused on quality in its broadest sense need a system supporting them in their management and control of quality risks. Generally speaking, there are three systems for that purpose: GFP, ISO and HACCP. When the hypothesis followed relates to animal health being a feature of quality, or else welfare and environmental issues, then animal health care can be executed following quality control principles. The HACCP concept is well suited for quality control at farm level, involving risk identification and risk management. The on-farm monitoring and surveillance system of critical control points in the animal production process is the most important tool in this procedure. Principles for HACCP application as well as certification fitness of HACCP are elaborated upon. They are illustrated by using salmonellosis in meat-pig farms as objective for an HACCP approach. It is further discussed that, in addition to animal health and quality, animal welfare and environmental issues could also be covered by an HACCP-like system in an integrated manner. Ultimately, the HACCP modules could end up in an overall ISO certification.

Of moss and men: Using moss as a bioindicator of toxic heavy metals at the city scale

Treesearch

Natasha Vizcarra; Sarah Jovan; Demetrios Gatziolis; Vicente Monleon

2018-01-01

Air quality is a critical issue affecting the health of billions of people worldwide, yet often little is known about what is in the air we breathe. To reduce air pollution’s health impacts, pollution sources must first be reliably identified. Otherwise, it is impossible to design and effectively enforce environmental standards. However, urban networks of air quality...

Environmental Measurements Laboratory, annual report 1995

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Krey, P.W.; Heit, M.

1996-07-01

This report summarizes the activities of the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) for the calendar year 1995 and serves as an annual report to the Director of the Office of Energy Research (ER), the Associate Director and staff of the Office of Health and Environmental Research (OHER), the Manager and staff of the Chicago Operations Office, and our colleagues. Emphasized are the progress and accomplishments of the year, rather than future plans or expectations. The technical summaries are grouped according to the following seven research program areas: (1) Environmental Radiation and Radioactivity; (2) Radiation Transport and Dosimetry; (3) Environmental Radon, Thoron,more » and Related Aerosols; (4) Atmospheric and Surface Pollutant Studies Related to Global Climate Change; (5) Atmospheric Chemistry; and (6) Metrology, Consultation, and Emergency Response Environmental Management The mission of EML is to address important scientific questions concerning human health and environmental impacts. Through its multidisciplinary staff, EML conducts experimental and theoretical research on radioactive and other energy-related pollutants and provides DOE and other federal agencies with the in-house capability to respond effectively and efficiently with regard to quality assurance activities, environmental issues, and related national security issues.« less

To the issue of the environmental development of housing construction in the integrated land use management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Politi, Violetta

2018-03-01

The paper considers environmental problems arising during the implementation of housing programs for the integrated development of territories by high-rise buildings. The need to assess the quality of the environment in the functional zoning of territories is identified and a calculation of the index of the ecological potential of the territories is proposed. The main stages of organization of construction of environmental real estate and the introduction of energy-saving and resource-saving technologies at the regional level are formulated

Environmental Setting and Implications on Water Quality, Upper Colorado River Basin, Colorado and Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Apodaca, Lori E.; Driver, Nancy E.; Stephens, Verlin C.; Spahr, Norman E.

1995-01-01

The Upper Colorado River Basin in Colorado and Utah is 1 of 60 study units selected for water-quality assessment as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment program, which began full implementation in 1991. Understanding the environmental setting of the Upper Colorado River Basin study unit is important in evaluating water-quality issues in the basin. Natural and human factors that affect water quality in the basin are presented, including an overview of the physiography, climatic conditions, general geology and soils, ecoregions, population, land use, water management and use, hydrologic characteristics, and to the extent possible aquatic biology. These factors have substantial implications on water-quality conditions in the basin. For example, high concentrations of dissolved solids and selenium are present in the natural background water conditions of surface and ground water in parts ofthe basin. In addition, mining, urban, and agricultural land and water uses result in the presence of certain constituents in the surface and ground water of the basin that can detrimentally affect water quality. The environmental setting of the study unit provides a framework of the basin characteristics, which is important in the design of integrated studies of surface water, ground water, and biology.

The World Coal Quality Inventory: South America

USGS Publications Warehouse

Karlsen, Alex W.; Tewalt, Susan J.; Bragg, Linda J.; Finkelman, Robert B.

2006-01-01

Executive Summary-Introduction: The concepts of a global environment and economy are strongly and irrevocably linked to global energy issues. Worldwide coal production and international coal trade are projected to increase during the next several decades in an international energy mix that is still strongly dependent on fossil fuels. Therefore, worldwide coal use will play an increasingly visible role in global environmental, economic, and energy forums. Policy makers require information on coal, including coal quality data, to make informed decisions regarding domestic coal resource allocation, import needs and export opportunities, foreign policy objectives, technology transfer policies, foreign investment prospects, environmental and health assessments, and byproduct use and disposal issues. The development of a worldwide, reliable, coal quality database would help ensure the most economically and environmentally efficient global use of coal. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with many agencies and scientists from the world's coal producing countries, originally undertook a project to obtain representative samples of coal from most of the world's producing coal provinces during a limited period of time (roughly 1998-2005), which is called the World Coal Quality Inventory (WoCQI). The multitude of producing coal mines, coal occurrences, or limited accessibility to sites in some countries can preclude collecting more than a single sample from a mine. In some areas, a single sample may represent an entire coal mining region or basin. Despite these limitations in sampling and uneven distribution of sample collection, the analytical results can still provide a general overview of world coal quality. The USGS intends to present the WoCQI data in reports and, when possible, in Geographic Information System (GIS) products that cover important coal bearing and producing regions.

Management of environmental health issues for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games: is enhanced integrated environmental health surveillance needed in every day routine operation?

PubMed Central

Hadjichristodoulou, Christos; Mouchtouri, Varvara; Vaitsi, Vasiliki; Kapoula, Christina; Vousoureli, Anastasia; Kalivitis, Isidiros; Chervoni, Julia; Papastergiou, Panagiotis; Vasilogiannakopoulos, Antonios; Daniilidis, Vasilis D; Kremastinou, Jenny

2006-01-01

Background Management of environmental health issues is an integral part of public health systems. An active integrated environmental health surveillance and response system was developed for the Athens Olympics to monitor and prevent exposure to environmental hazards. The potential for permanent implementation of the program was examined. Methods The environmental health surveillance and response system included standardization, computerization and electronic transmission of data concerning environmental inspections of 17 site categories (restaurants, swimming pools etc) of public health interest, drinking and recreational water examinations and suggested corrective actions. The Olympic Planning Unit integrated and centrally managed data from 13 public health agencies, recommended, supervised and coordinated prompt corrective actions. Methods used to test the effectiveness of the program were the assessment of water quality test and inspection results trends over time using linear regression and epidemiological surveillance findings. Results Between January 2003 and September the 30th, 2004, 196 inspectors conducted 8562 inspections, collected 5024 water samples and recommended 17 027 corrective actions. In 10 cruise ships used as floating hotels inspectors conducted 10 full inspections, 2 re-inspections, and 27 follow-up inspections. Unsatisfactory inspection results (r = 0.44, p < 0.0001) and positive water quality tests (r = 0.39, p < 0.001) presented an overall decrease trend over time. In August, 2003, an outbreak of salmonellosis was linked to a hotel restaurant which accommodated athletes during a test event. Conclusion Lessons learned for future events include timely implementation and installation of communication processes, and rapid and coordinated response to unsatisfactory inspection results. Routine national programs need to adopt enhanced environmental health surveillance aimed at public health decision-making, but with a different perspective. PMID:17176469

Management of environmental health issues for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games: is enhanced integrated environmental health surveillance needed in every day routine operation?

PubMed

Hadjichristodoulou, Christos; Mouchtouri, Varvara; Vaitsi, Vasiliki; Kapoula, Christina; Vousoureli, Anastasia; Kalivitis, Isidiros; Chervoni, Julia; Papastergiou, Panagiotis; Vasilogiannakopoulos, Antonios; Daniilidis, Vasilis D; Kremastinou, Jenny

2006-12-18

Management of environmental health issues is an integral part of public health systems. An active integrated environmental health surveillance and response system was developed for the Athens Olympics to monitor and prevent exposure to environmental hazards. The potential for permanent implementation of the program was examined. The environmental health surveillance and response system included standardization, computerization and electronic transmission of data concerning environmental inspections of 17 site categories (restaurants, swimming pools etc) of public health interest, drinking and recreational water examinations and suggested corrective actions. The Olympic Planning Unit integrated and centrally managed data from 13 public health agencies, recommended, supervised and coordinated prompt corrective actions. Methods used to test the effectiveness of the program were the assessment of water quality test and inspection results trends over time using linear regression and epidemiological surveillance findings. Between January 2003 and September the 30th, 2004, 196 inspectors conducted 8562 inspections, collected 5024 water samples and recommended 17 027 corrective actions. In 10 cruise ships used as floating hotels inspectors conducted 10 full inspections, 2 re-inspections, and 27 follow-up inspections. Unsatisfactory inspection results (r = 0.44, p < 0.0001) and positive water quality tests (r = 0.39, p < 0.001) presented an overall decrease trend over time. In August, 2003, an outbreak of salmonellosis was linked to a hotel restaurant which accommodated athletes during a test event. Lessons learned for future events include timely implementation and installation of communication processes, and rapid and coordinated response to unsatisfactory inspection results. Routine national programs need to adopt enhanced environmental health surveillance aimed at public health decision-making, but with a different perspective.

Results of a modeling workshop concerning economic and environmental trends and concomitant resource management issues in the Mobile Bay area

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hamilton, David B.; Andrews, Austin K.; Auble, Gregor T.; Ellison, Richard A.; Johnson, Richard A.; Roelle, James E.; Staley, Michael J.

1982-01-01

During the past decade, the southern regions of the U.S. have experienced rapid change which is expected to continue into the foreseeable future. Growth in population, industry, and resource development has been attributed to a variety of advantages such as an abundant and inexpensive labor force, a mild climate, and the availability of energy, water, land, and other natural resources. While this growth has many benefits for the region, it also creates the potential for increased air, water, and solid waste pollution, and modification of natural habitats. A workshop was convened to consider the Mobile Bay area as a site-specific case of growth and its environmental consequences in the southern region. The objectives of the modeling workshop were to: (1) identify major factors of economic development as they relate to growth in the area over the immediate and longer term; (2) identify major environmental and resource management issues associated with this expected growth; and (3) identify and characterize the complex interrelationships among economic and environmental factors. This report summarizes the activities and results of a modeling workshop concerning economic growth and concomitant resource management issues in the Mobile Bay area. The workshop was organized around construction of a simulation model representing the relationships between a series of actions and indicators identified by participants. The workshop model had five major components. An Industry Submodel generated scenarios of growth in several industrial and transportation sectors. A Human Population/Economy Submodel calculated human population and economic variables in response to employment opportunities. A Land Use/Air Quality Submodel tabulated changes in land use, shoreline use, and air quality. A Water Submodel calculated indicators of water quality and quantity for fresh surface water, ground water, and Mobile Bay based on discharge information provided by the Industry and Human Population/Economy Submodels. Finally, a Fish Submodel calculated indicators of habitat quality for finfish and shellfish, utilizing information on water quality and wetlands acreage. The workshop was successful in identifying many of the critical interrelations between components of the Mobile area system. Not all of those interactions, such as the feedback of air quality as a limitation on development, could be incorporated into the workshop model because of the model's broad spatial scale and because of uncertainties or data gaps. Thus, the value of the modeling workshop was in the areas outlines below, rather than in the predictive power of the initial model developed at the workshop. First, participants developed a holistic perspective on the interactions which will determine future economic and environmental trends within the Mobile Bay area. Potential environmental consequences and limitations to grown identified at the workshop included: shoreline and water access; water quality of Mobile Bay; finfish and shellfish habitat quality with respect to dissolved oxygen and coliforms; air quality; and acreage of critical wetland habitat. Second, the model's requirements for specific, quantitative information stimulated supporting analyses, such as economic input-output calculations, which provide additional insight into the Mobile Bay area system. Third, the perspective of the Mobile area as an interacting system was developed in an open, cooperative forum which my provide a foundation for conflict resolution based on common understanding. Finally, the identification of model limitations and uncertainties should be useful in guiding the efficient allocation of future research effort.

Pathway-based monitoring of biological effects at Great Lakes sites

EPA Science Inventory

The Great Lakes region suffers from degradation of water and environmental quality due to release of chemicals of emerging concern (CEC) that may threaten near shore health. Critical issues remain in delisting AOC including determining sources of chemicals causing fish health im...

7 CFR 1469.6 - Enrollment criteria and selection process.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CONSERVATION SECURITY PROGRAM... ground water quality to degradation; (ii) Potential of soil to degradation; (iii) Potential of grazing land to degradation; (iv) State or national conservation and environmental issues e.g., location of air...

7 CFR 1469.6 - Enrollment criteria and selection process.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CONSERVATION SECURITY PROGRAM... ground water quality to degradation; (ii) Potential of soil to degradation; (iii) Potential of grazing land to degradation; (iv) State or national conservation and environmental issues e.g., location of air...

7 CFR 1469.6 - Enrollment criteria and selection process.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS CONSERVATION SECURITY PROGRAM... ground water quality to degradation; (ii) Potential of soil to degradation; (iii) Potential of grazing land to degradation; (iv) State or national conservation and environmental issues e.g., location of air...

Industrial oilseeds bolster "hub" crop yields when used in rotation

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Lack of agroecosystem diversity across the U.S. agricultural landscape is linked to several environmental issues associated with air, water, and soil quality and biodiversity. Several new industrial oilseed crops with commercial potential, offer farmers new economic opportunities and a portfolio of ...

Environmental Health Impacts of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations: Anticipating Hazards—Searching for Solutions

PubMed Central

Thorne, Peter S.

2007-01-01

A scientific conference and workshop was held March 2004 in Iowa City, Iowa, that brought together environmental scientists from North America and Europe to address major environmental health issues associated with concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in large, industrialized livestock production facilities. After one and a half days of plenary sessions, five expert workgroups convened to consider the most relevant research areas, including respiratory health effects, modeling and monitoring of air toxics, water quality issues, influenza pandemics and antibiotic resistance, and community health and socioeconomic issues. The workgroup reports that follow outline the state of the science and public health concerns relating to livestock production as they apply to each workgroup topic. The reports also identify areas in which further research is needed and suggest opportunities to translate science to policy initiatives that would effect improvements in public and environmental health. Viable solutions to some of the current environmental health problems associated with CAFOs are outlined. In addition, these reports bring to light several major concerns, including air and water contamination, the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in livestock, and the specter of influenza outbreaks arising from siting industrialized poultry and swine production in proximity to each other and to humans. PMID:17384781

Static yields and quality issues: Is the agri-environment program the primary driver?

PubMed

Peltonen-Sainio, Pirjo; Salo, Tapio; Jauhiainen, Lauri; Lehtonen, Heikki; Sieviläinen, Elina

2015-10-01

The Finnish agri-environmental program (AEP) has been in operation for 20 years with >90 % farmer commitment. This study aimed to establish whether reduced nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) use has impacted spring cereal yields and quality based on comprehensive follow-up studies and long-term experiments. We found that the gap between genetic yield potential and attained yield has increased after the AEP was imposed. However, many contemporary changes in agricultural practices, driven by changes in prices and farm subsidies, also including the AEP, were likely reasons, together with reduced N, but not phosphorus use. Such overall changes in crop management coincided with stagnation or decline in yields and adverse changes in quality, but yield-removed N increased and residual N decreased. Further studies are needed to assess whether all the changes are environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable, and acceptable, in the long run. The concept of sustainable intensification is worth considering as a means to develop northern European agricultural systems to combine environmental benefits with productivity.

Environmental Lessons from China: Finding Promising Policies 
in Unlikely Places

PubMed Central

Zhang, Junfeng

2011-01-01

Background: Alongside the major health risks posed by environmental pollution in China are recent achievements on several environmental issues that have affluent Western nations racing to catch up. The country has propelled itself to a position of leadership in clean energy and efficiency, for instance, with important consequences for public health. Objectives: We comment on China’s challenges and recent accomplishments in addressing environmental problems from domestic pollution to global climate change. We compare China’s commitment to clean energy technology with that of other leading nations and discuss key achievements in other areas, including vehicle efficiency standards and transportation policy. Discussion: We discuss policy directions that would secure much-needed improvements to environmental quality and health in China, along with actions that could motivate global action on issues of energy conservation and pollution reduction. Conclusions: A comprehensive regulatory and institutional framework for environmental policy is within reach in China but will require addressing major hurdles such as the lack of an independent monitoring mechanism and the need for greater transparency and enforcement in environmental matters. Meanwhile, China can continue to set important examples by investing in renewable energy, improving energy efficiency, and limiting greenhouse gas emissions. PMID:21402514

Exploring Elementary Students' Understanding of Energy and Climate Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boylan, Colin

2008-01-01

As environmental changes become a significant societal issue, elementary science curricula need to develop students' understanding about the key concepts of energy and climate change. For teachers, developing quality learning experiences involves establishing what their students' prior understanding about energy and climate change are. A survey…

Effects of biochars produced from solid organic municipal waste on soil quality parameters

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

New, value-added uses for solid organic waste are needed for environmental and economic sustainability. Fortunately, value-added biochars can be produced from mixed organic solid waste, thereby addressing solid waste management issues, and enabling long-term carbon sequestration. We hypothesize that...

Recent advances in molecular genetic linkage maps of cultivated peanut

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The competitiveness of peanuts in domestic and global markets has been threatened by losses in productivity and quality that are attributed to diseases, pests, environmental stresses and allergy or food safety issues. Narrow genetic diversity and deficiency of polymorphic DNA markers had severely hi...

School Finance and the Conditions of Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ornstein, Allan C.

1994-01-01

Problems relating to school environment and building concerns eat up school budgets and negatively influence the overall fiscal condition of school districts. The article examines three issues impacting on school finance for the 1990s: environmental hazards (asbestos, radon, lead, electromagnetic fields, and air quality), school infrastructure…

Life in a Regulated Environment: Do You Comply with Environmental Laws?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKeague, Kevin J.

1994-01-01

Discusses the following issues: (1) implications of the Americans with Disabilities Act; (2) Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act regulations; (3) new lead guidelines; (4) requirements regarding underground storage tanks; (5) potential indoor air quality requirements; and (6) Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines. (MLF)

"Sustaining the Shrinking City: Concepts, Dynamics and Management" (A special issue of Sustainability) (ISSN 2071-1050).

EPA Science Inventory

Sustainability can be broadly defined as the resilient outcome of the interaction among social equity, economic stability, and environmental quality factors. For example, the utilization of natural resource capitals are constrained by economic forces, and further modulated by soc...

Systems approach to detect and evaluate contaminants of emerging concern in the Great Lakes

EPA Science Inventory

The release of chemicals of emerging concern threatens near shore health in the Great Lakes, particularly in regions already suffering from degradation of water and environmental quality due to past and present anthropogenic activities. Critical issues remain in delisting Areas ...

Consumers' Perspectives on Water Issues: Directions for Educational Campaigns.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DeLorme, Denise E.; Hagen, Scott C.; Stout, I. Jack

2003-01-01

Explores the relationship between population growth, development, and water resources to glean insight for environmental education campaigns. Reports high awareness and moderate concern about rapid growth and development, dissatisfaction with water resource quantity and quality, and varied water management strategies among consumers. (Contains 37…

Rural Science Education as Social Justice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eppley, Karen

2017-01-01

What part can science education play in the dismantling of obstacles to social justice in rural places? In this Forum contribution, I use "Learning in and about Rural Places: Connections and Tensions Between Students' Everyday Experiences and Environmental Quality Issues in their Community" (Zimmerman and Weible 2016) to explicitly…

Oikos, The Environment and Education. Fastback 52.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Hearn, George T.

Designed for individuals in the educational process, this publication concerns the quality of human life. Major environmental problems are discussed, handling of these issues will determine our future direction. Man's belief that freedom places him separate from the environment causes drastic changes, upsetting the ecosystem balance. Wise…

40 CFR 52.1384 - Emission control regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Emission control regulations. 52.1384 Section 52.1384 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS... Quality and Exxon Company, USA, adopted by Board Order issued on June 12, 1998, by the Montana Board of...

40 CFR 52.1384 - Emission control regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Emission control regulations. 52.1384 Section 52.1384 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS... Quality and Exxon Company, USA, adopted by Board Order issued on June 12, 1998, by the Montana Board of...

40 CFR 52.1384 - Emission control regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Emission control regulations. 52.1384 Section 52.1384 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS... Quality and Exxon Company, USA, adopted by Board Order issued on June 12, 1998, by the Montana Board of...

40 CFR 52.1384 - Emission control regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 4 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Emission control regulations. 52.1384 Section 52.1384 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS... Quality and Exxon Company, USA, adopted by Board Order issued on June 12, 1998, by the Montana Board of...

FILTER FENCE DESIGN AID FOR SEDIMENT CONTROL AT CONSTRUCTION SITES

EPA Science Inventory

The focus of environmental policy and regulation is increasing on water quality issues. Particularly, there is a more widespread awareness that sediment is one of the most prevalent pollutants and that the impacts of excess sediment released into lakes and rivers can be as damag...

Preface Article for the Atmospheric Environment Special Issue on AQMEII Phase 2

EPA Science Inventory

Since its start in 2008, the Air Quality Model Evaluation International Initiative (AQMEII), coordinated by the European-Commission Joint Research Center (JRC) and the US-Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has had as its primary goal the collaboration of the European and North...

Community Problems in Five West Central Counties. Report No. 7 of a Series on Quality of Life and Development in Northwestern Wisconsin, February 1976.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lambert, Virginia; Linn, Gary

As part of a study on development and the quality of life in northwestern Wisconsin, questions concerning important problems, public services, and environmental issues were asked of samples of 150 people in each of 4 west central counties (Clark, Dunn, Eau Claire, and Polk) in 1974. Responses to similar questions asked in a 1973 study of St. Croix…

Environmental assessment for the Processing and Environmental Technology Laboratory (PETL)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-09-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an environmental assessment (EA) on the proposed Processing and Environmental Technology Laboratory (PETC) at Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico (SNL/NM). This facility is needed to integrate, consolidate, and enhance the materials science and materials process research and development (R&D) currently in progress at SNL/NM. Based on the analyses in the EA, DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. Therefore, an environmental impact statement is not required, andmore » DOE is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).« less

JPL Test Effectiveness Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shreck, Stephanie; Sharratt, Stephen; Smith, Joseph F.; Strong, Edward

2008-01-01

1) The pilot study provided meaningful conclusions that are generally consistent with the earlier Test Effectiveness work done between 1992 and 1994: a) Analysis of pre-launch problem/failure reports is consistent with earlier work. b) Analysis of post-launch early mission anomaly reports indicates that there are more software issues in newer missions, and the no-test category for identification of post-launch failures is more significant than in the earlier analysis. 2) Future work includes understanding how differences in Missions effect these analyses: a) There are large variations in the number of problem reports and issues that are documented by the different Projects/Missions. b) Some missions do not have any reported environmental test anomalies, even though environmental tests were performed. 3) Each project/mission has different standards and conventions for filling out the PFR forms, the industry may wish to address this issue: a) Existing problem reporting forms are to document and track problems, failures, and issues (etc.) for the projects, to ensure high quality. b) Existing problem reporting forms are not intended for data mining.

Crowdsensing in Smart Cities: Overview, Platforms, and Environment Sensing Issues.

PubMed

Alvear, Oscar; Calafate, Carlos T; Cano, Juan-Carlos; Manzoni, Pietro

2018-02-04

Evidence shows that Smart Cities are starting to materialise in our lives through the gradual introduction of the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm. In this scope, crowdsensing emerges as a powerful solution to address environmental monitoring, allowing to control air pollution levels in crowded urban areas in a distributed, collaborative, inexpensive and accurate manner. However, even though technology is already available, such environmental sensing devices have not yet reached consumers. In this paper, we present an analysis of candidate technologies for crowdsensing architectures, along with the requirements for empowering users with air monitoring capabilities. Specifically, we start by providing an overview of the most relevant IoT architectures and protocols. Then, we present the general design of an off-the-shelf mobile environmental sensor able to cope with air quality monitoring requirements; we explore different hardware options to develop the desired sensing unit using readily available devices, discussing the main technical issues associated with each option, thereby opening new opportunities in terms of environmental monitoring programs.

Crowdsensing in Smart Cities: Overview, Platforms, and Environment Sensing Issues

PubMed Central

2018-01-01

Evidence shows that Smart Cities are starting to materialise in our lives through the gradual introduction of the Internet of Things (IoT) paradigm. In this scope, crowdsensing emerges as a powerful solution to address environmental monitoring, allowing to control air pollution levels in crowded urban areas in a distributed, collaborative, inexpensive and accurate manner. However, even though technology is already available, such environmental sensing devices have not yet reached consumers. In this paper, we present an analysis of candidate technologies for crowdsensing architectures, along with the requirements for empowering users with air monitoring capabilities. Specifically, we start by providing an overview of the most relevant IoT architectures and protocols. Then, we present the general design of an off-the-shelf mobile environmental sensor able to cope with air quality monitoring requirements; we explore different hardware options to develop the desired sensing unit using readily available devices, discussing the main technical issues associated with each option, thereby opening new opportunities in terms of environmental monitoring programs. PMID:29401711

Data quality control in eco-environmental monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Chunyan; Wang, Jing

2007-11-01

With the development of science and technology, a number of environmental issues, such as sustainable development, climate change, environmental pollution, and land degradation become serious. Greater attention has been attached to environmental protection. The government gradually launched some eco--environmental construction projects. In 1999, China begin to carry out the project of Grain-for-Green in the west, to improve the eco-environment, and it make some good effect, but there are some questions that still can not be answered. How about the new grass or forest? Where are they? How can we do in the future? To answer these questions, the government began to monitor the eco-environment, based on remote sensing technology. Geography information can be attained timely, but the issue of uncertainty has become increasingly recognized, and this uncertainty affects the reliability of applications using the data. This article analyzed the process of eco-environment monitoring, the uncertainty of geography information, and discussed the methods of data quality control. The Spot5 span data and multi-spectral data in 2003(2002) were used, combined with land use survey data at the scale of 1:10,000, topography data at the scale of 1:10,000, and the local Grain-for-Green project map. Also the social and economic data were collected. Eco-environmental monitoring is a process which consists of several steps, such as image geometric correction, image matching, information extraction, and so on. Based on visual and automated method, land information turned to grass and forest from cultivated land was obtained by comparing the information form remote sensing data with the land survey data, and local Grain-for-Green project data, combined with field survey. According to the process, the uncertainty in the process was analyzed. Positional uncertainty, attribute uncertainty, and thematic uncertainty was obvious. Positional uncertainty mainly derived from image geometric correction, such as data resource, the number and spatial distribution of the control points are important resource of uncertainty. Attribution uncertainty mainly derived from the process of information extraction. Land classification system, artificial error was the main factor induced uncertainty. Concept defined was not clear, and it reduced thematic uncertainty. According to the resource of uncertainty, data quality control methods were put forward to improve the data quality. At first, it is more important to choose appropriate remote sensing data and other basic data. Secondly, the accuracy of digital orthophoto map should be controlled. Thirdly, it is necessary to check the result data according to relative data quality criterion to guarantee GIS data quality.

Utilizing steel slag in environmental application - An overview

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, J. W.; Chew, L. H.; Choong, T. S. Y.; Tezara, C.; Yazdi, M. H.

2016-06-01

Steel slags are generated as waste material or byproduct every day from steel making industries.The potential environmental issues which are related with the slag dump or reprocessing for metal recovery are generally being focused in the research. However the chemistry and mineralogy of slag depends on metallurgical process which is able to determine whether the steel slag can be the reusable products or not. Nowadays, steel slag are well characterized by using several methods, such as X-ray Diffraction, ICP-OES, leaching test and many more. About the industrial application, it is mainly reused as aggregate for road construction, as armour stones for hydraulic engineering constructions and as fertilizers for agricultural purposes. To ensure the quality of steel slag for the end usage, several test methods are developed for evaluating the technical properties of steel slag, especially volume stability and environmental behaviour. In order to determine its environmental behaviour, leaching tests have been developed. The focus of this paper however is on those applications that directly affect environmental issues including remediation, and mitigation of activities that negatively impact the environment.

Data-quality measures for stakeholder-implemented watershed-monitoring programs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Greve, Adrienne I.

2002-01-01

Community-based watershed groups, many of which collect environmental data, have steadily increased in number over the last decade. The data generated by these programs are often underutilized due to uncertainty in the quality of data produced. The incorporation of data-quality measures into stakeholder monitoring programs lends statistical validity to data. Data-quality measures are divided into three steps: quality assurance, quality control, and quality assessment. The quality-assurance step attempts to control sources of error that cannot be directly quantified. This step is part of the design phase of a monitoring program and includes clearly defined, quantifiable objectives, sampling sites that meet the objectives, standardized protocols for sample collection, and standardized laboratory methods. Quality control (QC) is the collection of samples to assess the magnitude of error in a data set due to sampling, processing, transport, and analysis. In order to design a QC sampling program, a series of issues needs to be considered: (1) potential sources of error, (2) the type of QC samples, (3) inference space, (4) the number of QC samples, and (5) the distribution of the QC samples. Quality assessment is the process of evaluating quality-assurance measures and analyzing the QC data in order to interpret the environmental data. Quality assessment has two parts: one that is conducted on an ongoing basis as the monitoring program is running, and one that is conducted during the analysis of environmental data. The discussion of the data-quality measures is followed by an example of their application to a monitoring program in the Big Thompson River watershed of northern Colorado.

Linking Research and Teaching: Context, Conflict and Complementarity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pan, Wei; Cotton, Debby; Murray, Paul

2014-01-01

Although research and teaching have often been regarded as complementary in enhancing the quality of student learning, little previous research has explored the conflicts associated with linking the two activities. This paper aims to examine specific issues arising within the environmental building disciplines at a UK university, and to explore…

The soil health tool - theory and initial broad-scale application

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Soil health has traditionally been judged in terms of production; however, it recently has gained a wider focus with a global audience, as soil condition is becoming an environmental quality, human health, and political issue. A crucial initial step in evaluating soil health is properly assessing t...

Examining the Impact of Regional-Scale Air Quality Regulations on Human Health Outcomes

EPA Science Inventory

The NOx State Implementation Plan Call was issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce the emissions of nitrogen oxides from the electric power sector to curtail the regional transport of the secondarily-formed pollutant, ozone. As emission control actions often...

Maintaining a Quality Environmental Health & Safety Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Otto, Ann K.; And Others

1994-01-01

The college or university human resources department's responsibilities in assuring a healthy and safe environment are enumerated. First, issues to be considered in school safety are outlined, and then the role of the health and safety officer is discussed. A sample job description and list of duties are included. (MSE)

Thinking Globally, Acting Locally: Using the Local Environment to Explore Global Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simmons, Deborah

1994-01-01

Asserts that water pollution is a global problem and presents statistics indicating how much of the world's water is threatened. Presents three elementary school classroom activities on water quality and local water resources. Includes a figure describing the work of the Global Rivers Environmental Education Network. (CFR)

78 FR 14951 - State of Washington; Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program Revision

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-08

... of Ecology to the Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council to issue UIC permits at energy facilities... telephone number for the Library is (206) 553-1289. (2) Washington Department of Ecology, Water Quality... the Environmental Protection Agency, and MOUs between the Department of Ecology and the Department of...

Project Water Science. General Science High School Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Water Education Foundation, Sacramento, CA.

This teacher's guide presents 12 hands-on laboratory activities for high school science classes that cover the environmental issue of water resources in California. The activities are separated into three sections. Five activities in the section on water quality address the topics of groundwater, water hardness, bottled water, water purity, and…

THE AGING SOCIETY, NATURAL RESOURCE UTILIZATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. is undergoing a dramatic demographic transformation toward older adults, spearheaded by the aging Baby Boomers, but projected to last beyond the Boomer generation. In August 2004, EPA held a workshop on (1) the change in aging demographics over time, (2) key issues (i.e...

Education as an Environmental Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vasquez-Martinez, Claudio-Rafael; Gonzalez, Clara; Carrillo, Fatima; Delgado, Luis; Alvarez, Miguel; Morfin-Otero, Maria

2015-01-01

One of the main factors in the globalization of problems and opportunities that face human society is science, which deals with matters of health, environment, competitive production, and employment, among other issues, and generally ways for promoting a better quality of life. Science has become a central part of the culture in the developed…

Critical Issues in the Delivery of Local Government Services in Rural America.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doeksen, Gerald A.; Peterson, Janet

Technological changes, an increase in demand for quality community services, and environmental controls have created conditions of continual change in the delivery of rural services. This report summarizes economic theory on community service delivery, reviews economic literature on specific community services, and identifies research gaps and…

Broiler litter management effects on the nutrient composition of the litter

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Application of poultry litter as a fertilizer source is a common practice in agriculture production. However, potential water quality concerns as a result of over application of poultry litter has risen as a major environmental issue in states with substantial poultry production. Fundamental to the ...

Recent advances in molecular genetic linkage maps of cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The competitiveness of peanuts in domestic and global markets has been threatened by losses in productivity and quality that are attributed to diseases, pests, environmental stresses and allergy or food safety issues. Narrow genetic diversity and deficiency of polymorphic DNA markers have severely h...

The Cornucopian Fallacies: The Myth of Perpetual Growth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grant, Lindsey

1983-01-01

Julian Simon and Herman Kahn argue that population growth is good, not bad; they ignore or dismiss critical environmental issues. Fallacies in their arguments about predicting the future from the past, climate change, population growth, air quality, resource expansion, the finite earth, and technological growth are examined. (SR)

40 CFR 52.1780 - VOC rule deficiency correction.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Region IV Air Division Director to the Chief of the Air Quality Section, North Carolina Division of Environmental Management. The deficiency in the following aspect of the rule has not been corrected. (a... deficiency must be corrected as soon as EPA issues final guidance on Capture Efficiency regulations. (b...

Indoor Air Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, Mike

2008-01-01

When a problem affects one out of every 13 children, it clearly is an issue that schools must address. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), that is the incident rate for asthma among the nation's children. The inflammatory disease causes a person's airways to constrict, leading to wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness…

Weight loss and fillet quality characteristics of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) after purging for 5, 10, 15 or 20 days

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar, are typically cultured in marine net pens. However, technological advancements in recirculating aquaculture systems have increased the feasibility of culturing Atlantic salmon in land-based systems to alleviate environmental and disease issues limiting sustainability. ...

A decision support system for drinking water production integrating health risks assessment.

PubMed

Delpla, Ianis; Monteith, Donald T; Freeman, Chris; Haftka, Joris; Hermens, Joop; Jones, Timothy G; Baurès, Estelle; Jung, Aude-Valérie; Thomas, Olivier

2014-07-18

The issue of drinking water quality compliance in small and medium scale water services is of paramount importance in relation to the 98/83/CE European Drinking Water Directive (DWD). Additionally, concerns are being expressed over the implementation of the DWD with respect to possible impacts on water quality from forecast changes in European climate with global warming and further anticipated reductions in north European acid emissions. Consequently, we have developed a decision support system (DSS) named ARTEM-WQ (AwaReness Tool for the Evaluation and Mitigation of drinking Water Quality issues resulting from environmental changes) to support decision making by small and medium plant operators and other water stakeholders. ARTEM-WQ is based on a sequential risk analysis approach that includes consideration of catchment characteristics, climatic conditions and treatment operations. It provides a holistic evaluation of the water system, while also assessing human health risks of organic contaminants potentially present in treated waters (steroids, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, bisphenol-a, polychlorobiphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, petrochemical hydrocarbons and disinfection by-products; n = 109). Moreover, the system provides recommendations for improvement while supporting decision making in its widest context. The tool has been tested on various European catchments and shows a promising potential to inform water managers of risks and appropriate mitigative actions. Further improvements should include toxicological knowledge advancement, environmental background pollutant concentrations and the assessment of the impact of distribution systems on water quality variation.

Evaluation of Environmental Quality Productive Ecosystem Guayas (Ecuador).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pozo, Wilson; Pardo, Francisco; Sanfeliu, Teófilo; Carrera, Gloria; Jordan, Manuel; Bech, Jaume; Roca, Núria

2015-04-01

Natural resources are deteriorating very rapidly in the Gulf of Guayaquil and the area of influence in the Guayas Basin due to human activity. Specific problems are generated by the mismanagement of the aquaculture industry affecting the traditional agricultural sectors: rice, banana, sugarcane, cocoa, coffee, and soya also studied, and by human and industrial settlements. The development of industrial activities such as aquaculture (shrimp building for shrimp farming in ponds) and agriculture, have increasingly contributed to the generation of waste, degrading and potentially toxic elements in high concentrations, which can have adverse effects on organisms in the ecosystems, in the health of the population and damage the ecological and environmental balance. The productive Guayas ecosystem, consists of three interrelated ecosystems, the Gulf of Guayaquil, the Guayas River estuary and the Guayas Basin buffer. The objective of this study was to evaluate the environmental quality of the productive Guayas ecosystem (Ecuador), through operational and specific objectives: 1) Draw up the transition coastal zone in the Gulf of Guayaquil, 2) Set temporal spatial variability of soil salinity in wetlands rice, Lower Guayas Basin, 3) evaluate the heavy metals in wetland rice in the Lower Basin of Guayas. The physical and chemical parameters of the soils have been studied. These are indicators of environmental quality. The multivariate statistical method showed the relations of similarities and dissimilarities between variables and parameter studies as stable. Moreover, the boundaries of coastal transition areas, temporal spatial variability of soil salinity and heavy metals in rice cultivation in the Lower Basin of Guayas were researched. The sequential studies included and discussed represent a broad framework of fundamental issues that has been valued as a basic component of the productive Guayas ecosystem. They are determinants of the environmental quality of the Guayas productive ecosystem. Keyword: Evaluation, Environmental Quality, Productive Ecosystem

Reliability issues in PACS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taira, Ricky K.; Chan, Kelby K.; Stewart, Brent K.; Weinberg, Wolfram S.

1991-07-01

Reliability is an increasing concern when moving PACS from the experimental laboratory to the clinical environment. Any system downtime may seriously affect patient care. The authors report on the several classes of errors encountered during the pre-clinical release of the PACS during the past several months and present the solutions implemented to handle them. The reliability issues discussed include: (1) environmental precautions, (2) database backups, (3) monitor routines of critical resources and processes, (4) hardware redundancy (networks, archives), and (5) development of a PACS quality control program.

Ambient Air Issue from New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the New Source Review (NSR) air permitting regulations including the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) requirements. This document is part of the NSR Policy and Guidance Database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Multiple Sensitivity Testing for Regional Air Quality Model in summer 2014

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Y.; Lee, P.; Pan, L.; Tong, D.; Kim, H. C.; Huang, M.; Wang, J.; McQueen, J.; Lu, C. H.; Artz, R. S.

2015-12-01

The NOAA Air Resources laboratory leads to improve the performance of the U.S. Air Quality Forecasting Capability (NAQFC). It is operational in NOAA National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) which focuses on predicting surface ozone and PM2.5. In order to improve its performance, we tested several approaches, including NOAA Environmental Modeling System Global Aerosol Component (NGAC) simulation derived ozone and aerosol lateral boundary conditions (LBC), bi-direction NH3 emission and HMS(Hazard Mapping System)-BlueSky emission with the latest U.S. EPA Community Multi-scale Air Quality model (CMAQ) version and the U.S EPA National Emission Inventory (NEI)-2011 anthropogenic emissions. The operational NAQFC uses static profiles for its lateral boundary condition (LBC), which does not impose severe issue for near-surface air quality prediction. However, its degraded performance for the upper layer (e.g. above 3km) is evident when comparing with aircraft measured ozone. NCEP's Global Forecast System (GFS) has tracer O3 prediction treated as 3-D prognostic variable (Moorthi and Iredell, 1998) after being initialized with Solar Backscatter Ultra Violet-2 (SBUV-2) satellite data. We applied that ozone LBC to the CMAQ's upper layers and yield more reasonable O3 prediction than that with static LBC comparing with the aircraft data in Discover-AQ Colorado campaign. NGAC's aerosol LBC also improved the PM2.5 prediction with more realistic background aerosols. The bi-direction NH3 emission used in CMAQ also help reduce the NH3 and nitrate under-prediction issue. During summer 2014, strong wildfires occurred in northwestern USA, and we used the US Forest Service's BlueSky fire emission with HMS fire counts to drive CMAQ and tested the difference of day-1 and day-2 fire emission estimation. Other related issues were also discussed.

Current situation and future prospects for the Australian beef industry.

PubMed

Greenwood, Paul Leo; Ferguson, Drewe M

2018-04-12

Beef production extends over almost half of Australia, with about 47,000 cattle producers that contribute about 20% ($A12.7 billion GVP) of the total value of farm production in Australia. Australia is one of the world's most efficient producers of cattle and was the world's third largest beef exporter in 2016. The Australian beef industry had 25 million head of cattle in 2016-17, with a national beef breeding herd of 11.5 million head. Australian beef production includes pasture based cow-calf systems, a backgrounding or grow-out period on pasture, and feedlot or pasture finishing. Feedlot finishing has assumed more importance in recent years to assure the eating quality of beef entering the relatively small Australian domestic market, and to enhance the supply of higher value beef for export markets. Maintenance of Australia's preferred status as a quality assured supplier of high value beef produced under environmentally sustainable systems from 'disease-free' cattle is of highest importance. Stringent livestock and meat quality regulations and quality assurance systems, and productivity growth and efficiency across the supply chain to ensure price competiveness, are crucial for continued export market growth in the face of increasing competition. Major industry issues, that also represent research, development and adoption priorities and opportunities for the Australian beef industry have been captured within exhaustive strategic planning processes by the red meat and beef industries. At the broadest level, these issues include consumer and industry support, market growth and diversification, supply chain efficiency, productivity and profitability, environmental sustainability, and animal health and welfare. This review provides an overview of the Australian beef industry including current market trends and future prospects, and major issues and opportunities for the continued growth, development and profitability of the industry.

Aircraft LTO emissions regulations and implementations at European airports

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yunos, Siti Nur Mariani Mohd; Ghafir, Mohammad Fahmi Abdul; Wahab, Abas Ab

2017-04-01

Aviation affects the environment via the emission of pollutants from aircraft, impacting human health and ecosystem. Impacts of aircraft operations at lower ground towards local air quality have been recognized. Consequently, various standards and regulations have been introduced to address the related emissions. This paper discussed both environmental regulations by focusing more on the implementations of LTO emissions charges, an incentive-based regulation introduced in Europe as an effort to fill the gap in addressing the environmental issues related to aviation.

Annual committee reports in 1983: Environmental Quality Committee

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1984-01-01

The committee reports several judicial developments under the Endangered Species Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act. Among other issues, the lawsuits dealt with the recovery of attorneys' fees, plans to open forest and offshore areas for resource exploration and development, the incidental taking of porpoises during tuna fishing, and pesticide labeling requirements and proprietary secrets. Although there was no legislative action, there was some rule and guideline writing under administrative development. 112 references.

Environmental education: Ensuring a sustainable future

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rogers, D.P.; Lee, J.C.

1997-12-31

It is important to remember that personal actions and decisions have a significant impact on the environment. Although they may sometimes forget, today`s school children are the policy and decision makers of tomorrow. Today`s students must be exposed to factual information about the environment so they will be able to make responsible and informed ecological decisions. Since the National Environmental Education Act was signed into law in 1990, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken an active role in ensuring a sustainable future through environmental education. Through its education programs, the EPA strives to increase environmental literacy throughout the countrymore » and encourages young people to pursue careers in math, science, engineering, communications, and other fields essential to a sustainable environment. The US Environmental Protection Agency`s Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS), located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, is an international center for air quality research and information. One of the ways OAQPS invests in the environmental preservation of the Nation is through unique environmental education programs that target teachers and students of all ages. To be sure that environmental education programs incorporate a complete look at the environment, including issues associated with air quality, the EPA works with North Carolina teachers and students through the Education and Outreach Group`s Environmental Education Program. The EPA recognizes that the key to a sustainable future is engaging teachers and others in significant environmental education experiences. They will in turn instill a sense of environmental stewardship in America`s young people. There is hope that by the year 2000, every citizen will be fluent in the principles of ecology.« less

Pragmatics of policy: the compliance of dutch environmental policy instruments to European union standards.

PubMed

Kruitwagen, Sonja; Reudink, Melchert; Faber, Albert

2009-04-01

Despite a general decrease in Dutch environmental emission trends, it remains difficult to comply with European Union (EU) environmental policy targets. Furthermore, environmental issues have become increasingly complex and entangled with society. Therefore, Dutch environmental policy follows a pragmatic line by adopting a flexible approach for compliance, rather than aiming at further reduction at the source of emission. This may be politically useful in order to adequately reach EU targets, but restoration of environmental conditions may be delayed. However, due to the complexity of today's environmental issues, the restoration of environmental conditions might not be the only standard for a proper policy approach. Consequently this raises the question how the Dutch pragmatic approach to compliance qualifies in a broader policy assessment. In order to answer this question, we adapt a policy assessment framework, developed by Hemerijck and Hazeu (Bestuurskunde 13(2), 2004), based on the dimensions of legitimacy and policy logic. We apply this framework for three environmental policy assessments: flexible instruments in climate policy, fine-tuning of national and local measures to meet air quality standards, and derogation for the Nitrate Directive. We conclude with general assessment notes on the appliance of flexible instruments in environmental policy, showing that a broad and comprehensive perspective can help to understand the arguments to put such policy instruments into place and to identify trade-offs between assessment criteria.

Solutions to health care waste: life-cycle thinking and "green" purchasing.

PubMed

Kaiser, B; Eagan, P D; Shaner, H

2001-03-01

Health care waste treatment is linked to bioaccumulative toxic substances, such as mercury and dioxins, which suggests the need for a new approach to product selection. To address environmental issues proactively, all stages of the product life cycle should be considered during material selection. The purchasing mechanism is a promising channel for action that can be used to promote the use of environmentally preferable products in the health care industry; health care facilities can improve environmental performance and still decrease costs. Tools that focus on environmentally preferable purchasing are now emerging for the health care industry. These tools can help hospitals select products that create the least amount of environmental pollution. Environmental performance should be incorporated into the evolving definition of quality for health care.

Polluting Canada's Public Square: The Harper Government's War on Science and the Environment?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Linnitt, C.; Hoggan, J. C.

2013-12-01

Conversations about key environmental issues like climate change are increasingly viewed as matters of politics rather than matters of science. As a result, competing -and often polarized - interests have made public debate on these issues vulnerable to aggressive politicization. This politicization, particularly when it comes to important policy decisions regarding industrial (and especially fossil fuel) development, obscures the facts on these issues, leaving democratic public debate prey to aggressive public relations tactics, misinformation campaigns, pseudo-science, modern-day propaganda and/or the deliberate ';pollution' of the public square. In Canada a coordinated effort is underway to mischaracterize environmental groups as radical ideologues, associating environmental views and pursuits with extremism. A Tea Party-style echo chamber has also emerged in Canada, coordinating anti-science messaging in an attempt to bolster industrial development while misaligning environmental non-profits with domestic terror threats. This attempt to undermine ecological agendas and to push environmental concerns to the margins is paired with government-sponsored censorship of federally-funded scientists and the elimination of vital public science programs in Canada. The result is a dearth of scientific information surrounding significant environmental concerns - such as the Alberta oil sands and industry contamination of waterways - and a dangerous and false association of these issues with an extremist agenda. Ultimately scientists and science communicators face a unique set of challenges in Canada when it comes to addressing environmental issues. Although the 'science' of science communication has evolved to address relevant cultural and socio-political barriers associated with change resistance (for example, adapting one's behavior to minimize greenhouse gas emissions), much work remains in both acknowledging and ameliorating the politicization of science and the intentional pollution of public conversations. Democracy depends on the public's access to information; however, in a climate in which that access is under threat, scientists and science communicators may need to address those fundamental concerns deliberately in order to participate effectively in the public policy and decision-making process. This paper provides a brief overview of environmental communications theory and practice, current misinformation techniques, and key instances in which either government policy and/or media and industry behavior have actively sought to contaminate or impede more constructive discourse on issues of science and environmental regulation. We conclude by offering a set of recommendations for improving the ability of scientists and experts to communicate effectively in an increasingly complex political and media environment, and for safeguarding the quality of democratic discourse on these and other issues.

Characteristics of public concern on haze in China and its relationship with air quality in urban areas.

PubMed

Lu, Yaling; Wang, Yuan; Zuo, Jian; Jiang, Hongqiang; Huang, Dacang; Rameezdeen, Raufdeen

2018-10-01

Severe air pollution associated with the rapid urbanization is a pressing issue in China. Moreover, the public awareness of environmental protection in China is awakening, which poses enormous pressure on governments to enforce environmental regulations. The study of environmental problems from the public perspective plays a crucial role in effective environmental governance. The Baidu search engine is the China's largest search engine. The search index of haze based on Baidu search engine reflects the public concern on air quality in China. The aim of this study is to uncover important relationships between public concern and air quality monitoring data based on the case study of haze pollution crisis in China. The results indicate that: (1) the year 2013 is the turning point of the public concern on air quality in China; (2) according to daily data analysis, the search index of haze has increased progressively with increased PM 2.5 concentration with a time lag of 0-4 days and the lag time has a declining tendency from 2013 to 2017; (3) according to annual data analysis, the public concern showed a weak correlation with air quality and they showed an opposite temporal trend. However, when the long-term annual trend was removed, the strong positive correlation emerges between the fluctuation parts of the search index of haze and monitoring data of air quality. This indicates the public is more sensitive to the short-term fluctuation of air quality. The results of this paper provide statistical evidence on the evolution of public concern on air quality from 2013 to 2017. This study will help policy makers to better understand the patterns of the public's perception of environmental problems and consequently improve the government's capability to deal with these challenges. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Earth Observation Data Quality Monitoring and Control: A Case Study of STAR Central Data Repository

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, W.; Jochum, M.

2017-12-01

Earth observation data quality is very important for researchers and decision makers involved in weather forecasting, severe weather warning, disaster and emergency response, environmental monitoring, etc. Monitoring and control earth observation data quality, especially accuracy, completeness, and timeliness, is very useful in data management and governance to optimize data flow, discover potential transmission issues, and better connect data providers and users. Taking a centralized near real-time satellite data repository, STAR (Center for Satellite Applications and Research of NOAA) Central Data Repository (SCDR), as an example, this paper describes how to develop new mechanism to verify data integrity, check data completeness, and monitor data latency in an operational data management system. Such quality monitoring and control of large volume satellite data help data providers and managers improve data transmission of near real-time satellite data, enhance its acquisition and management, and overcome performance and management issues to better serve research and development activities.

Effects of manure storage additivies on manure composition and greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Abstract: Storage of dairy manure slurry allows for flexibility in the timing of land application of manure to reduce environmental impacts related to water quality. Yet, manure storage can increase greenhouse gas (GHG) and ammonia emissions and cause operational issues due to the buildup of slurry ...

Ecology of an urban park

Treesearch

Derek J. Coleman

1977-01-01

A controversial issue in the city of Kitchener, Ontario, involves the proposed extension of a boulevard through Lakeside Park. A study of this proposal revealed several facets of human interrelations with an urban park. Most important, there was a large gap between the perception and the reality of environmental quality. This has several practical implications in...

Biochar research activities and their relation to development and environmental quality: A meta-analysis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Developing agricultural technologies to double food supply by 2030 and at the same time reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases from agriculture will be challenging, but an imperative issue for the 21st century. The production and application of biochar could contribute to achieving these goals, ...

Assessing the Educational Needs of Urban Gardeners and Farmers on the Subject of Soil Contamination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harms, Ashley Marie Raes; Presley, DeAnn Ricks; Hettiarachchi, Ganga M.; Thien, Stephen J.

2013-01-01

Participation in urban agriculture is growing throughout the United States; however, potential soil contaminants in urban environments present challenges. Individuals in direct contact with urban soil should be aware of urban soil quality and soil contamination issues to minimize environmental and human health risks. The study reported here…

Soil-profile distribution of organic C and N at the end of 6 years of tillage and grazing management

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC) and total soil nitrogen (TSN) are key determinants for evaluating agricultural management practices to address climate change, environmental quality, and soil productivity issues. We determined SOC, TSN, and particulate organic C and N depth distributions and cum...

Estimation of furrow irrigation sediment loss using an artificial neural network

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The area irrigated by furrow irrigation in the U.S. has been steadily decreasing but still represents about 20% of the total irrigated area in the U.S. Furrow irrigation sediment loss is a major water quality issue and a method for estimating sediment loss is needed to quantify the environmental imp...

75 FR 12745 - SFIREG Environmental Quality Issues Working Committee Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-17

..., beginning on April 26, 2010, and ending April 27, 2010. This notice announces the location and times for... CONTACT, preferably at least 10 days prior to the meeting, to give EPA as much time as possible to process... Crystal Dr., Arlington, VA., First Floor, South Conference Room. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ron...

Finding of No Significant Impact: Construction and Operation of an Emergency Services Center United States Air Force Academy, Colorado

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-02-08

alternatives and resource issues. Agencies and Persons Consulted Jay Burgoon, Environmental Manager, USAFA Jeanie Duncan , Air Quality and Solid Waste Manager...Academy and their conservation. Colorado Natural Heritage Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO. Fitzgerald , J.P. and R.R

Nutritional and environmental effects on ammonia emissions from dairy cattle housing: A meta-analysis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Nitrogen (N) excreted in urine by dairy cows can be potentially transformed to ammonia (NH3) and emitted to the atmosphere. Dairy production contributes to NH3 emission, which can create human respiratory problems and odor issues, reduces manure quality, and is an indirect source of nitrous oxide (N...

Life-Cycle Analysis and Inquiry-Based Learning in Chemistry Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Juntunen, Marianne; Aksela, Maija

2013-01-01

The purpose of this design research is to improve the quality of environmental literacy and sustainability education in chemistry teaching through combining a socio-scientific issue, life-cycle analysis (LCA), with inquiry-based learning (IBL). This first phase of the cyclic design research involved 20 inservice trained chemistry teachers from…

40 CFR 52.681 - Permits to construct and tier II operating permits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) APPROVAL AND PROMULGATION OF IMPLEMENTATION PLANS Idaho § 52.681 Permits... Permits issued by the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality in accordance with the Federally-approved State of Idaho Rules for Control of Air Pollution in Idaho, incorporated by reference in section 52.670...

Calendar Year 2016 Stationary Source Emissions Inventory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Evelo, Stacie

2017-01-01

The City of Albuquerque (COA) Environmental Health Department Air Quality Program has issued stationary source permits and registrations the Department of Energy/Sandia Field Office for operations at the Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico. This emission inventory report meets the annual reporting compliance requirements for calendar year (CY) 2016 as required by the COA.

Overview and insights regarding the JEQ soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) special issue

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model has emerged as one of the most widely used water quality watershed- and river basin-scale models worldwide, and has been extensively applied for a broad range of hydrologic and/or environmental problems. Factors driving the international use of SWAT i...

The Quiet Revolution in Land Use Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bosselman, Fred; Callies, David

The Council on Environmental Quality commissioned this report on the innovative land use laws of several states to learn how some of the most complex land use issues and problems of re-allocating responsibilities between state and local governments are being addressed. Many of the laws analyzed are designed to deal with problems that are treated…

Social Well-Being and Rural Community Development: Issues in Policy and Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkinson, Kenneth P.

Rural development literature yields three images of improved social well-being--economic technical growth, human-interpersonal growth, and environmental-quality protection. While the economic growth dimension of rural development has received much attention, little is known about the structural conditions in the social organization or the kinds of…

Report: EPA Needs to Assess the Quality of Vulnerability Assessments Related to the Security of the Nation’s Water Supply

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report #2003-M-00013, September 24, 2003. In connection with our ongoing evaluation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) activities to enhance the security of the Nation’s water supply, we noted an issue that requires your immediate attention.

Once upon a Future Time: Thoughts on the Global Environment and LRE.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Mary Louise

1993-01-01

Argues that law-related education should prepare students to be able to debate global environmental issues. Discusses overpopulation, water quality, and species extinction. Concludes that law-related education's critical contribution may be to prepare citizens to balance competing interests and make decisions that promote the common good. (CFR)

40 CFR 1506.1 - Limitations on actions during NEPA process.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... process. 1506.1 Section 1506.1 Protection of Environment COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OTHER REQUIREMENTS OF NEPA § 1506.1 Limitations on actions during NEPA process. (a) Until an agency issues a record of decision as provided in § 1505.2 (except as provided in paragraph (c) of this section), no action...

Seasonal Variation of Groundwater Quality in Erode District, Tamil Nadu, India.

PubMed

Kavidha, R; Elangovan, K

2014-07-01

In recent years, the recurring environmental issues regarding hazardous waste, global climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, groundwater contamination, disaster mitigation and removal of pollutant have become the focus of environmental attention. In the management of water resources, quality of water is just as important as its quantity. In order to assess the quality and/or suitability of groundwater for drinking and irrigation in Erode District, 144 water samples each in post-monsoon and pre-monsoon during the year 2007 were collected and analyzed for various parameters. These parameters were compared with IS: 10500-1991 drinking water standards. Out of 144 samples, 29 samples exceeded the permissible limit for both the monsoons, 71 samples were within the permissible limit for both the monsoons and the remaining samples exceeded the permissible limit for any one of the monsoon. During both monsoons, except some samples, most of the samples were suitable for drinking and irrigation.

Aggregate resource availability in the conterminous United States, including suggestions for addressing shortages, quality, and environmental concerns

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langer, William H.

2011-01-01

Although potential sources of aggregate are widespread throughout the United States, many sources may not meet certain physical property requirements, such as soundness, hardness, strength, porosity, and specific gravity, or they may contain contaminants or deleterious materials that render them unusable. Encroachment by conflicting land uses, permitting considerations, environmental issues, and societal pressures can prevent or limit development of otherwise suitable aggregate. The use of sustainable aggregate resource management can help ensure an economically viable supply of aggregate. Sustainable aggregate resource management techniques that have successfully been used include (1) protecting potential resources from encroachment; (2) using marginal-quality local aggregate for applications that do not demand a high-quality resource; (3) using substitute materials such as clinker, scoria, and recycled asphalt and concrete; and (4) using rail and water to transport aggregates from remote sources.

Benchmark dynamics in the environmental performance of ports.

PubMed

Puig, Martí; Michail, Antonis; Wooldridge, Chris; Darbra, Rosa Mari

2017-08-15

This paper analyses the 2016 environmental benchmark performance of the port sector, based on a wide representation of EcoPorts members. This is the fifth time that this study has been conducted as an initiative of the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO). The data and results are derived from the Self-Diagnosis Method (SDM), a concise checklist against which port managers can self-assess the environmental management of their port in relation to the performance of the EcoPorts membership. The SDM tool was developed in the framework of the ECOPORTS project (2002-2005) and it is managed by ESPO. A total number of 91 ports from 20 different European Maritime States contributed to this evaluation. The main results are that air quality remains as the top environmental priority of the respondent ports, followed by energy consumption and noise. In terms of environmental management, the study confirms that key components are commonly implemented in the majority of European ports. 94% of contributing ports have a designated environmental manager, 92% own an environmental policy and 82% implement an environmental monitoring program. Waste is identified as the most monitored issue in ports (80%), followed by energy consumption (73%) and water quality (70%). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental Engineering Curricula assessment in the global world

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caporali, Enrica; Catelani, Marcantonio; Manfrida, Giampaolo; Valdiserri, Juna

2014-05-01

Environmental engineers are technicians with specific expertise on the sustainability of human presence in the environment. Among other global dilemmas, to the environmental engineers it is often demanded to be able in developing systematic, innovative solutions in order to simultaneously meet water and energy needs, to build resilience to natural and technological disasters, to more accurately gauge and manage countries' greenhouse gas emissions. The general objectives of the Environmental Engineers are to establish actions of environmental sustainability as well as to verify progress toward global goals or international commitments. The globalization of challenges and problems to be faced, leads, in general, to the globalization of the engineering profession. In particular, since the environmental issues are without boundaries, and many and different are the involved professions and the competences, the environmental engineer must have a multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary approach to adequately answer to the demand of technical innovative knowledge at global scale. The environmental engineers, more and more, are involved in international projects were the effective collaboration requires not only the capacity to communicate in a common technical language, but also the assurance of an adequate and common level of technical competences, knowledge and understanding. The Europe-based EUR ACE system, currently operated by ENAEE - European Network for Accreditation of Engineering Education, can represent the proper framework and accreditation system in order to provide a set of measures to assess the quality of engineering degree programmes in Europe and abroad. In the global frame of the knowledge triangle: education-innovation-research, the accreditation and quality assurance of engineering curricula in Europe is discussed with reference to the Environmental engineering curricula, of the 1st and 2nd cycle, based on the European Credit Transfer System and in accordance with the Bologna Process, offered at School of Engineering, University of Firenze. The application of the accreditation model EUR-ACE to the multidisciplinary first cycle degree in Civil, Building and Environmental Engineering and the more specific second cycle degree in Environmental Engineering is discussed. Particularly, the critical issues to guarantee the quality and the status of environmental engineering graduates, in terms of applying knowledge capacities and technical innovative competences are examined. The expected learning outcomes of the quality assessment according the Dublin descriptors or the more engineering focused EUR-ACE skill descriptors, and at local and global scale are analysed. The system for educating engineers in communicating knowledge and understanding, making informed judgments and choices, capacities to lifelong learning is also assessed. The involvement of the professional working world in the definition of goals in skills, of typical expectations of achievements and abilities, and in general in comparing the teaching profile with the actual needs of the technical workforce, is described. With the aim to promote the innovative aspects related with the environmental engineering education, the important role that science and technology could play is also taken into consideration.

Essential amino acids: master regulators of nutrition and environmental footprint?

PubMed Central

Tessari, Paolo; Lante, Anna; Mosca, Giuliano

2016-01-01

The environmental footprint of animal food production is considered several-fold greater than that of crops cultivation. Therefore, the choice between animal and vegetarian diets may have a relevant environmental impact. In such comparisons however, an often neglected issue is the nutritional value of foods. Previous estimates of nutrients’ environmental footprint had predominantly been based on either food raw weight or caloric content, not in respect to human requirements. Essential amino acids (EAAs) are key parameters in food quality assessment. We re-evaluated here the environmental footprint (expressed both as land use for production and as Green House Gas Emission (GHGE), of some animal and vegetal foods, titrated to provide EAAs amounts in respect to human requirements. Production of high-quality animal proteins, in amounts sufficient to match the Recommended Daily Allowances of all the EAAs, would require a land use and a GHGE approximately equal, greater o smaller (by only ±1-fold), than that necessary to produce vegetal proteins, except for soybeans, that exhibited the smallest footprint. This new analysis downsizes the common concept of a large advantage, in respect to environmental footprint, of crops vs. animal foods production, when human requirements of EAAs are used for reference. PMID:27221394

Essential amino acids: master regulators of nutrition and environmental footprint?

PubMed

Tessari, Paolo; Lante, Anna; Mosca, Giuliano

2016-05-25

The environmental footprint of animal food production is considered several-fold greater than that of crops cultivation. Therefore, the choice between animal and vegetarian diets may have a relevant environmental impact. In such comparisons however, an often neglected issue is the nutritional value of foods. Previous estimates of nutrients' environmental footprint had predominantly been based on either food raw weight or caloric content, not in respect to human requirements. Essential amino acids (EAAs) are key parameters in food quality assessment. We re-evaluated here the environmental footprint (expressed both as land use for production and as Green House Gas Emission (GHGE), of some animal and vegetal foods, titrated to provide EAAs amounts in respect to human requirements. Production of high-quality animal proteins, in amounts sufficient to match the Recommended Daily Allowances of all the EAAs, would require a land use and a GHGE approximately equal, greater o smaller (by only ±1-fold), than that necessary to produce vegetal proteins, except for soybeans, that exhibited the smallest footprint. This new analysis downsizes the common concept of a large advantage, in respect to environmental footprint, of crops vs. animal foods production, when human requirements of EAAs are used for reference.

Empirical insights and considerations for the OBT inter-laboratory comparison of environmental samples.

PubMed

Kim, Sang-Bog; Roche, Jennifer

2013-08-01

Organically bound tritium (OBT) is an important tritium species that can be measured in most environmental samples, but has only recently been recognized as a species of tritium in these samples. Currently, OBT is not routinely measured by environmental monitoring laboratories around the world. There are no certified reference materials (CRMs) for environmental samples. Thus, quality assurance (QA), or verification of the accuracy of the OBT measurement, is not possible. Alternatively, quality control (QC), or verification of the precision of the OBT measurement, can be achieved. In the past, there have been differences in OBT analysis results between environmental laboratories. A possible reason for the discrepancies may be differences in analytical methods. Therefore, inter-laboratory OBT comparisons among the environmental laboratories are important and would provide a good opportunity for adopting a reference OBT analytical procedure. Due to the analytical issues, only limited information is available on OBT measurement. Previously conducted OBT inter-laboratory practices are reviewed and the findings are described. Based on our experiences, a few considerations were suggested for the international OBT inter-laboratory comparison exercise to be completed in the near future. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality challenges associated with microbial-based cleaning products from the Industry Perspective.

PubMed

Teasdale, Steve M; Kademi, Ali

2018-06-01

Microbial-based cleaning products (MBCPs) continue to gain popularity in the market as environmentally friendly cleaners. The majority of these products contain spores of various Bacillus species. Although the microorganisms used in MBCPs are subject to regulation in Canada under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, the products themselves are not. Unlike other types of microbial products such as probiotics and biopesticides, the use, manufacture and quality parameters of MBCPs in Canada and other countries are poorly defined and not specifically subject to any required standards. Due to their complexity and nature, these products feature unique quality challenges. We noted the existing MBCPs we analyzed vary vastly in quality; external microbial contaminants, viability of the spores and the biocompatibility of the ingredients are issues that greatly affect product quality. A proper taxonomic identification of the bacterial species used also seems to be a major challenge for a number of manufacturers. A good understanding of the mechanisms governing these quality challenges and the adoption of good practices for the cultivation, harvesting, formulation, and manufacture of these types of products are essential for achieving high-quality performance standards. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental pediatrics and its impact on government health policy.

PubMed

Goldman, Lynn; Falk, Henry; Landrigan, Philip J; Balk, Sophie J; Reigart, J Routt; Etzel, Ruth A

2004-04-01

Recent public recognition that children are different from adults in their exposures and susceptibilities to environmental contaminants has its roots in work that began >46 years ago, when the American Academy of Pediatrics (APA) established a standing committee to focus on children's radiation exposures. We summarize the history of that important committee, now the AAP Committee on Environmental Health, including its statements and the 1999 publication of the AAP Handbook of Pediatric Environmental Health, and describe the recent emergence of federal and state legislative and executive actions to evaluate explicitly environmental health risks to children. As a result in large part of these efforts, numerous knowledge gaps about children's health and the environment are currently being addressed. Government efforts began in the 1970s to reduce childhood lead poisoning and to monitor birth defects and cancer. In the 1990s, federal efforts accelerated with the Food Quality Protection Act, an executive order on children's environmental health, the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry/Environmental Protection Agency Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units, and National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences/Environmental Protection Agency Centers of Excellence in Research in Children's Environmental Health. In this decade, the Children's Environmental Health Act authorized the National Children's Study, which has the potential to address a number of critical questions about children's exposure and health. The federal government has expanded efforts in control and prevention of childhood asthma and in tracking of asthma, birth defects, and other diseases that are linked to the environment. Efforts continue on familiar problems such as the eradication of lead poisoning, but new issues, such as prevention of childhood exposure to carcinogens and neurotoxins other than lead, and emerging issues, such as endocrine disruptors and pediatric drug evaluations, are in the forefront. More recently, these issues have been taken up by states and in the international arena.

A Different Trolley Problem: The Limits of Environmental Justice and the Promise of Complex Moral Assessments for Transportation Infrastructure.

PubMed

Epting, Shane

2016-12-01

Transportation infrastructure tremendously affects the quality of life for urban residents, influences public and mental health, and shapes social relations. Historically, the topic is rich with social and political controversy and the resultant transit systems in the United States cause problems for minority residents and issues for the public. Environmental justice frameworks provide a means to identify and address harms that affect marginalized groups, but environmental justice has limits that cannot account for the mainstream population. To account for this condition, I employ a complex moral assessment measure that provides a way to talk about harms that affect the public.

The World Coal Quality Inventory: A status report

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tewalt, S.J.; Willett, J.C.; Finkelman, R.B.

2005-01-01

National and international policy makers and industry require accurate information on coal, including coal quality data, to make informed decisions regarding international import needs and export opportunities, foreign policy, technology transfer policies, foreign investment prospects, environmental and health assessments, and byproduct use and disposal issues. Unfortunately, the information needed is generally proprietary and does not exist in the public domain. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in conjunction with partners in about 60 countries, is developing a digital compilation of worldwide coal quality. The World Coal Quality Inventory (WoCQI) will contain coal quality information for samples obtained from major coal beds in countries having significant coal production, as well as from many countries producing smaller volumes of coal, with an emphasis on coals currently being burned. The information that will be incorporated includes, but is not limited to, proximate and ultimate analyses; sulfur-form data; major, minor, and trace element analysis; and semi-quantitative analyses of minerals, modes of occurrence, and petrography. The coal quality information will eventually be linked to a Geographic Information System (GIS) that shows the coal basins and sample locations along with geologic, land use, transportation, industrial, and cultural information. The WoCQI will be accessible on the USGS web page and new data added periodically. This multi-national collaboration is developing global coal quality data that contain a broad array of technologic, economic, and environmental parameters, which should help to ensure the efficient and environmentally compatible use of global coal resources in the 21st century.

Assessing equitable access to urban green space: the role of engineered water infrastructure.

PubMed

Wendel, Heather E Wright; Downs, Joni A; Mihelcic, James R

2011-08-15

Urban green space and water features provide numerous social, environmental, and economic benefits, yet disparities often exist in their distribution and accessibility. This study examines the link between issues of environmental justice and urban water management to evaluate potential improvements in green space and surface water access through the revitalization of existing engineered water infrastructures, namely stormwater ponds. First, relative access to green space and water features were compared for residents of Tampa, Florida, and an inner-city community of Tampa (East Tampa). Although disparities were not found in overall accessibility between Tampa and East Tampa, inequalities were apparent when quality, diversity, and size of green spaces were considered. East Tampa residents had significantly less access to larger, more desirable spaces and water features. Second, this research explored approaches for improving accessibility to green space and natural water using three integrated stormwater management development scenarios. These scenarios highlighted the ability of enhanced water infrastructures to increase access equality at a variety of spatial scales. Ultimately, the "greening" of gray urban water infrastructures is advocated as a way to address environmental justice issues while also reconnecting residents with issues of urban water management.

Optimization of a Coastal Environmental Monitoring Network Based on the Kriging Method: A Case Study of Quanzhou Bay, China

PubMed Central

Chen, Kai; Ni, Minjie; Wang, Jun; Huang, Dongren; Chen, Huorong; Wang, Xiao; Liu, Mengyang

2016-01-01

Environmental monitoring is fundamental in assessing environmental quality and to fulfill protection and management measures with permit conditions. However, coastal environmental monitoring work faces many problems and challenges, including the fact that monitoring information cannot be linked up with evaluation, monitoring data cannot well reflect the current coastal environmental condition, and monitoring activities are limited by cost constraints. For these reasons, protection and management measures cannot be developed and implemented well by policy makers who intend to solve this issue. In this paper, Quanzhou Bay in southeastern China was selected as a case study; and the Kriging method and a geographic information system were employed to evaluate and optimize the existing monitoring network in a semienclosed bay. This study used coastal environmental monitoring data from 15 sites (including COD, DIN, and PO4-P) to adequately analyze the water quality from 2009 to 2012 by applying the Trophic State Index. The monitoring network in Quanzhou Bay was evaluated and optimized, with the number of sites increased from 15 to 24, and the monitoring precision improved by 32.9%. The results demonstrated that the proposed advanced monitoring network optimization was appropriate for environmental monitoring in Quanzhou Bay. It might provide technical support for coastal management and pollutant reduction in similar areas. PMID:27777951

Optimization of a Coastal Environmental Monitoring Network Based on the Kriging Method: A Case Study of Quanzhou Bay, China.

PubMed

Chen, Kai; Ni, Minjie; Cai, Minggang; Wang, Jun; Huang, Dongren; Chen, Huorong; Wang, Xiao; Liu, Mengyang

2016-01-01

Environmental monitoring is fundamental in assessing environmental quality and to fulfill protection and management measures with permit conditions. However, coastal environmental monitoring work faces many problems and challenges, including the fact that monitoring information cannot be linked up with evaluation, monitoring data cannot well reflect the current coastal environmental condition, and monitoring activities are limited by cost constraints. For these reasons, protection and management measures cannot be developed and implemented well by policy makers who intend to solve this issue. In this paper, Quanzhou Bay in southeastern China was selected as a case study; and the Kriging method and a geographic information system were employed to evaluate and optimize the existing monitoring network in a semienclosed bay. This study used coastal environmental monitoring data from 15 sites (including COD, DIN, and PO 4 -P) to adequately analyze the water quality from 2009 to 2012 by applying the Trophic State Index. The monitoring network in Quanzhou Bay was evaluated and optimized, with the number of sites increased from 15 to 24, and the monitoring precision improved by 32.9%. The results demonstrated that the proposed advanced monitoring network optimization was appropriate for environmental monitoring in Quanzhou Bay. It might provide technical support for coastal management and pollutant reduction in similar areas.

Predicting and Mitigating Outbreaks of Vector-Borne Disease Utilizing Satellite Remote Sensing Technology and Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Estes, Sue M.

2009-01-01

The Public Health application area focuses on Earth science applications to public health and safety, particularly regarding infectious disease, emergency preparedness and response, and environmental health issues. The application explores issues of toxic and pathogenic exposure, as well as natural and man-made hazards and their effects, for risk characterization/mitigation and improvements to health and safety. The program elements of the NASA Applied Sciences Program are: Agricultural Efficiency, Air Quality, Climate, Disaster Management, Ecological Forecasting, Water Resources, Weather, and Public Health.

A Decision Support System for Drinking Water Production Integrating Health Risks Assessment

PubMed Central

Delpla, Ianis; Monteith, Donald T.; Freeman, Chris; Haftka, Joris; Hermens, Joop; Jones, Timothy G.; Baurès, Estelle; Jung, Aude-Valérie; Thomas, Olivier

2014-01-01

The issue of drinking water quality compliance in small and medium scale water services is of paramount importance in relation to the 98/83/CE European Drinking Water Directive (DWD). Additionally, concerns are being expressed over the implementation of the DWD with respect to possible impacts on water quality from forecast changes in European climate with global warming and further anticipated reductions in north European acid emissions. Consequently, we have developed a decision support system (DSS) named ARTEM-WQ (AwaReness Tool for the Evaluation and Mitigation of drinking Water Quality issues resulting from environmental changes) to support decision making by small and medium plant operators and other water stakeholders. ARTEM-WQ is based on a sequential risk analysis approach that includes consideration of catchment characteristics, climatic conditions and treatment operations. It provides a holistic evaluation of the water system, while also assessing human health risks of organic contaminants potentially present in treated waters (steroids, pharmaceuticals, pesticides, bisphenol-a, polychlorobiphenyls, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, petrochemical hydrocarbons and disinfection by-products; n = 109). Moreover, the system provides recommendations for improvement while supporting decision making in its widest context. The tool has been tested on various European catchments and shows a promising potential to inform water managers of risks and appropriate mitigative actions. Further improvements should include toxicological knowledge advancement, environmental background pollutant concentrations and the assessment of the impact of distribution systems on water quality variation. PMID:25046634

Environmental protection: applying the precautionary principle and proactive regulation to biotechnology.

PubMed

Richmond, Robert H

2008-08-01

Biotechnology is a broad field encompassing diverse disciplines from agriculture to zoology. Advances in research are occurring at a rapid pace, and applications that have broad implications socially, economically, ecologically and politically are emerging. Along with notable benefits, environmental consequences that affect core quality-of-life issues for present and future generations are materializing. The precautionary principle should be applied to biotechnology research, activities and products, and a strengthened, enforceable and proactive regulatory framework is needed. The environmental impacts of agriculture, aquaculture, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and even pharmaceuticals are raising public concerns and demonstrate the need for guidance from a variety of social, economic and scientific disciplines to insure the benefits of biotechnology are enjoyed without unacceptable and irreversible environmental costs.

Carbon footprint as an instrument for enhancing food quality: overview of the wine, olive oil and cereals sectors.

PubMed

Pattara, Claudio; Russo, Carlo; Antrodicchia, Vittoria; Cichelli, Angelo

2017-01-01

The quantification of greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions represents a critical issue for the future development of agro-food produces. Consumers' behaviour could play an important role in requiring environmental performance as an essential element for food quality. Nowadays, the carbon footprint (CFP) is a tool used worldwide by agro-food industries to communicate environmental information. This paper aims to investigate the role that CFP could have in consumers' choices in three significant agro-food sectors in the Mediterranean area: wine, olive oil and cereals. A critical review about the use of CFP was carried out along the supply chain of these three sectors, in order to identify opportunities for enhancing food quality and environmental sustainability and highlighting how environmental information could influence consumers' preferences. The analysis of the state of the art shows a great variability of the results about GHG emissions referred to agricultural and industrial processes. In many cases, the main environmental criticisms are linked to the agricultural phase, but the other phases of the supply chain could also contribute to the increased CFP. However, despite the wide use of CFP by companies as a communication tool to help consumers' choices in agro-food products, some improvements are needed in order to provide clearer and more understandable information. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Protecting Mother Earth: Hartman Seeks to Instill His Passion in Science Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dea, Sarah

2010-01-01

Students at Fort Berthold Community College (FBCC) have spent their entire lives hearing about the environmental issues facing the Three Affiliated Tribes (Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara). Located on the high plains of northwestern North Dakota, the area contains rich coal and oil resources, the development of which can damage air and water quality.…

The peanut genome consortium and peanut genome sequence: Creating a better future through global food security

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The competitiveness of peanuts in domestic and global markets has been threatened by losses in productivity and quality that are attributed to diseases, pests, environmental stresses and allergy or food safety issues. The U.S. Peanut Genome Initiative (PGI) was launched in 2004, and expanded to a gl...

Exploration of Antecedents of Environmentally Responsible Behavior by Stakeholders in Grand Lake Watershed

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holmes, Teri S.

2013-01-01

Grand Lake O' the Cherokees in Oklahoma is one of two lakes in the State of Oklahoma that allows private ownership and development of the shoreline. This has created water quality issues attributed to phosphorus levels in effluent waste water from septic systems and municipal water treatment facilities, as well as nutrient and sediment…

Fast Tracking School Site Acquisition: A Perspective of an Eminent Domain Attorney.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Behrens, Jerry

This paper discusses key issues in fast-tracking the acquisition of school sites in California. Discussion addresses: (1) assembling an experienced team; (2) whether the property owner is a willing or unwilling seller; (3) level of community support or opposition to the site; (4) timing and commencement of California Environmental Quality Act…

Long-term continuous measurement of near-road air pollution in Las Vegas: Seasonal variability in traffic emissions impact on local air quality

EPA Science Inventory

Excess air pollution along roadways is an issue of public health concern and motivated a long-term measurement effort established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Las Vegas, Nevada. Measurements of air pollutants – including black carbon (BC), carbon monoxide (CO),...

Social and environmental issues in developing vegetation and fire management plans

Treesearch

Leonard Charles

1995-01-01

To reduce the risk of wildfire in the California urban interface often requires actions that will be viewed by members of the public as having adverse effects on such resources as wildlife, vegetation, views, air quality, and recreational opportunities. These citizens can substantially delay and even thwart development of fire management plans. In developing such a...

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. Hearing before the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, One Hundredth Congress, First Session, Part 2, July 22, 1987

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1987-01-01

This hearing consisted primarily of the testimonies of two witnesses: Roger Herrera, Manager, Exploration and Lands, Standard Oil Production Co.; and Tim Mahoney, Alaska Coaliton, Washington, DC, representing the Sierra Club. The statements of these two, plus questions from the Committee, were to address six issues primarily in the gas and oil production versus environmental debate: (1) availability of water; (2) availability of gravel; (3) disposal of waste and toxic materials; (4) the concentrated caribou calving areas; (5) the environmental record at Prudhoe Bay; and (6) air-quality issues. Sen. Fran H. Murkowski of Alaska, in noting the conflicting statements ofmore » the two witnesses noted that many of the environmental questions raised were also raised for Prudhoe Bay; further, the problems are probably not as difficult. Mr. Mahoney foresees, but the solution not as easy as Mr. Herrera, representing the oil interests, foresees.« less

A multi-objective assessment of an air quality monitoring network using environmental, economic, and social indicators and GIS-based models.

PubMed

Pope, Ronald; Wu, Jianguo

2014-06-01

In the United States, air pollution is primarily measured by Air Quality Monitoring Networks (AQMN). These AQMNs have multiple objectives, including characterizing pollution patterns, protecting the public health, and determining compliance with air quality standards. In 2006, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a directive that air pollution agencies assess the performance of their AQMNs. Although various methods to design and assess AQMNs exist, here we demonstrate a geographic information system (GIS)-based approach that combines environmental, economic, and social indicators through the assessment of the ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM10) networks in Maricopa County, Arizona. The assessment was conducted in three phases: (1) to evaluate the performance of the existing networks, (2) to identify areas that would benefit from the addition of new monitoring stations, and (3) to recommend changes to the AQMN. A comprehensive set of indicators was created for evaluating differing aspects of the AQMNs' objectives, and weights were applied to emphasize important indicators. Indicators were also classified according to their sustainable development goal. Our results showed that O3 was well represented in the county with some redundancy in terms of the urban monitors. The addition of weights to the indicators only had a minimal effect on the results. For O3, urban monitors had greater social scores, while rural monitors had greater environmental scores. The results did not suggest a need for adding more O3 monitoring sites. For PM10, clustered urban monitors were redundant, and weights also had a minimal effect on the results. The clustered urban monitors had overall low scores; sites near point sources had high environmental scores. Several areas were identified as needing additional PM10 monitors. This study demonstrates the usefulness of a multi-indicator approach to assess AQMNs. Network managers and planners may use this method to assess the performance of air quality monitoring networks in urban regions. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a directive in 2006 that air pollution agencies assess the performance of their AQMNs; as a result, we developed a GIS-based, multi-objective assessment approach that integrates environmental, economic, and social indicators, and demonstrates its use through assessing the O3 and PM10 monitoring networks in the Phoenix metropolitan area. We exhibit a method of assessing network performance and identifying areas that would benefit from new monitoring stations; also, we demonstrate the effect of adding weights to the indicators. Our study shows that using a multi-indicator approach gave detailed assessment results for the Phoenix AQMN.

The psychology of drinking water quality: An exploratory study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Syme, Geoffrey J.; Williams, Katrina D.

1993-12-01

Perceptions of drinking water quality were measured for residents at four locations in Western Australia. The total dissolved solid levels for the locations varied. Four scales of drinking water satisfaction were measured: acceptability of water quality; water quality risk judgment; perception of neighborhood water quality; and attitudes toward fluoride as an additive. Responses to each of these scales did not appear to be highly related to total dissolved solids. The relationship between attitudes toward water quality and a variety of psychological, attitudinal, experiential, and demographic variables was investigated. It was found that responses to the acceptability of water quality and water quality risk judgment scales related to perceived credibility of societal institutions and feelings of control over water quality and environmental problems. For the remaining two scales few significant correlations were found. The results support those who advocate localized information and involvement campaigns on drinking water quality issues.

Identifying effective factors on consumers' choice behavior toward green products: the case of Tehran, the capital of Iran.

PubMed

Rahnama, Hassan; Rajabpour, Shayan

2017-01-01

The environment is increasingly turning to a vital and very important issue for all people. By increasing environmental concerns as well as legislating and regulating rules on the protection of the environment and the emergence of green consumers, implementing green marketing approach for organizations seems to be more crucial and essential. As a result, the need for ecological products and green business activities compels companies to combine environmental issues with marketing strategies. The first step in the success of companies and organizations is to identify consumers and their consumption behaviors correctly and accurately. So, the purpose of this study is to identify effective factors for the choice of consumers of green products. We used consumption values (functional value, social value, emotional value, conditional value, epistemic value, and environmental value) as the effective factor for choosing green products. The original place of this research was in Tehran, capital city of Iran, which is one of the most polluted cities in the world due to environmental issues. The results from the survey questionnaires are analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling. The results indicated that functional value-price, functional value-quality, social value, epistemic value, and environmental value had significantly positive effects on the choice of green products; also, conditional value and emotional value had no influence on it. It was concluded that the main influential factors for consumers' choice behavior regarding green products included environmental value and epistemic value. This study emphasized the proper pricing of green products by producers and sellers.

Engaging Underrepresented Group Youth in Environmental Science Research Activities: Catalyst for Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuff, K.; Cannady, M.; Dorph, R.; Rodriguez, V. A.; Romero, V.

2016-12-01

The UC Berkeley East Bay Academy for Young Scientists (EBAYS) program provides youth from non-dominant communities in the East San Francisco Bay Area with unique opportunities to develop deeper understanding of environmental science content, as well as fundamental scientific practice skills. A key component of EBAYS programming is collaborative research projects that generate information useful in addressing critical environmental issues. This important component also provides opportunities for youth to present results of their investigations to other community members and to the scientific community at large. Inclusion of the environmental science research component is intended to help address the following program goals: A) increasing appreciation for the value of scientific practices as a tool for addressing important community-based issues; B) helping raise community awareness of important issues; C) sparking interest in other forms of community activism; D) increasing understanding of key science concepts; and E) generating valuable environmental quality data. In an effort to assess the degree to which EBAYS programming accomplishes these goals, as well as to evaluate its capacity to be effectively replicated on a broader scale, EBAYS staff has engaged in an investigation of associated learning and youth development outcomes. In this regard a research strategy has been developed that includes the use of assessment tools that will help foster a deeper understanding of the ways in which EBAYS programming increases the extent to which participants value the application of science, affects their overall occupational trajectory, and inspires them to consider careers in STEM.

How do the public and policy makers communicate their perceptions of environmental risk to academics?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holden, Jennifer

2010-05-01

This paper investigates the ways that the public and policy makers talk about environmental risk to academics. The case study is heavy-metal contamination of food in Zambia, Southern Africa. In several localities in Zambia, urban agriculture is practised using heavy-metal contamination wastewater for irrigation. This leads to contaminated food crops that are subsequently consumed. One case study site where this occurs is Chunga, situated in the northwest of the Zambian capital: Lusaka. For members of the public, six focus groups were carried out at the Chunga, Zambia study site, involving a total of 48 participants. The participants were those involved in urban agriculture through cultivation, selling and consumption of food crops. Urban agriculturalist focus group participants were recruited through key field informants. Focus group discussion starter questions involved pollution awareness, health impacts of pollution in the area and who is responsible for communicating environmental contamination risks to the general population. For policy stakeholders, 39 semi-structured interviews were conducted with individuals from various organisations including government ministries, non-governmental organisations, community based organisations and international institutions. Semi-structured interviews investigated the perceived major health issues in Zambia, food safety, environmental contamination and specifically heavy-metal contamination. Policy stakeholders were identified through policy mapping and organisations mentioned in focus group discussions and other interviews. The results at the Chunga study site show that members of the public perceive: (i) heavy metal pollution is not an issue in Lusaka and for their irrigation practices, (ii) dirty food can cause illness, (iii) heavy metals in foods can cause illness but they are not present at the Chunga site. Amongst urban agriculturalists the quantity of food available is the greatest issue, with some saying that they do not have the luxury of thinking about the quality of food. Only two policy makers in the semi-structured interviews perceived there to be a possible health problems due to heavy metal contaminated food in Zambia. However, this was from personal experience and not a corporate view. Policy makers did not think that food safety was an issue in Zambia, with several interviewees stating that food security was more of a priority, reflecting the urban agriculture cultivators' views that quantity is the more important issue than quality of food. Risks due to environmental contamination are not high in the public and policy makers' priorities, even when asked directly about the issue. Both urban agriculturalists and policy stakeholders believe that academics have a key role to play in communicating the possible and actual risks to the affected populations and institutional stakeholders.

Earth Observation, Spatial Data Quality, and Neglected Tropical Diseases.

PubMed

Hamm, Nicholas A S; Soares Magalhães, Ricardo J; Clements, Archie C A

2015-12-01

Earth observation (EO) is the use of remote sensing and in situ observations to gather data on the environment. It finds increasing application in the study of environmentally modulated neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Obtaining and assuring the quality of the relevant spatially and temporally indexed EO data remain challenges. Our objective was to review the Earth observation products currently used in studies of NTD epidemiology and to discuss fundamental issues relating to spatial data quality (SDQ), which limit the utilization of EO and pose challenges for its more effective use. We searched Web of Science and PubMed for studies related to EO and echinococossis, leptospirosis, schistosomiasis, and soil-transmitted helminth infections. Relevant literature was also identified from the bibliographies of those papers. We found that extensive use is made of EO products in the study of NTD epidemiology; however, the quality of these products is usually given little explicit attention. We review key issues in SDQ concerning spatial and temporal scale, uncertainty, and the documentation and use of quality information. We give examples of how these issues may interact with uncertainty in NTD data to affect the output of an epidemiological analysis. We conclude that researchers should give careful attention to SDQ when designing NTD spatial-epidemiological studies. This should be used to inform uncertainty analysis in the epidemiological study. SDQ should be documented and made available to other researchers.

"Sustaining the Shrinking City: Concepts, Dynamics and ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Sustainability can be broadly defined as the resilient outcome of the interaction among social equity, economic stability, and environmental quality factors. For example, the utilization of natural resource capitals are constrained by economic forces, and further modulated by social norms and perceptions. Nowhere is this more apparent than in cities, where the social, economic and environmental capital within the city and in its supporting region may wax and wane due to internal dynamics and external drivers. These changes may be charted as shifts in land use, the type and qualities of infrastructure, population and its demography, and other characteristics that drive the trajectory of a city toward shrinkage. Our authors will discuss how fluxes of different capitals (social, cultural, financial, technological, natural resources, governance/political) might align or substitute for each other to create conditions in the structure and function of city to attain a sustainable size after undergoing a rapid depopulation. Other authors focus on how the misalignment of capitals can doom a city to shrink uncontrollably, and in combination with shifts in environmental quality, the may destroy a city’s ability to function as an integrative center for social and economic interactions. We see this special issue as an attractive venue for data-based research on environmental factors as they impact change in the socio-cultural, economic, political, and physiographic feature

Why do neighbors have different environmental priorities? Analysis of environmental risk perception in a Beirut neighborhood.

PubMed

El-Zein, Abbas; Nasrallah, Rola; Nuwayhid, Iman; Kai, Lea; Makhoul, Jihad

2006-04-01

Differences in environmental priorities within an urban neighborhood of Beirut are analyzed. The explanatory capabilities of five categories of contextual variables are compared: socioeconomic status, locality, health, behavior, and environmental beliefs. Semi-structured interviews with key individuals in the community and residents were first conducted. Four environmental issues of concern were identified. A survey was carried out to identify the relative priority accorded by respondents to these four issues, and to measure variables likely to explain differences of opinion. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted for each of the four problems. The 99% confidence interval (CI) of the odds ratio (OR) was used as a test of significance. Respondents suffering from a respiratory disease (OR = 6.94, 99%CI = 1.54-31.25), those living in less crowded houses (OR = 4.88, 99%CI = 1.38-17.24), and those not living close to the neighborhood's industrial street (OR=5.26, 99%CI = 1.01-27.78) are significantly more likely to rank poor air quality first. Significant associations are found between poor water quality as first priority and nonpresence of a smoker in the household (OR = 6.12, 99%CI = 1.84-20.32) and perception of water salinity as a problem (OR = 7.46, 99%CI = 1.50-37.03). Males (OR = 6.94, 99%CI = 1.02-47.62) and tenants versus owners (OR = 10.49, 99%CI = 1.36-80.61) are significantly more likely to rank the residential-industrial mix first. Socioeconomic variables retain their explanatory capability in the studied neighborhood, despite relatively small income disparities. Behavioral variables, such as smoking, may be causative factors of priorities. Analyzing relative priorities, rather than "concern" or lack of it, reveals more complex patterns of association. Identifying environmental-perception divide lines can help develop a more inclusive and effective participatory environmental management.

Environmental assessment proposed license renewal of Nuclear Metals, Inc. Concord, Massachusetts

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miller, R.L.; Easterly, C.E.; Lombardi, C.E.

1997-02-01

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) to evaluate environmental issues associated with the renewal of licenses issued by NRC for facilities operated by Nuclear Metals, Inc. (NMI) in Concord, Massachusetts. By renewing the licenses, NRC proposes to allow the continuation of ongoing operations involving radioactive materials at NMI`s facilities. This EA focuses on the potential impacts related to air emissions at NMI during normal (incident-free) operations and accidental releases. Findings indicate that there are only two areas of potential concern. First, modeling results for sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}) emissions from the boilers during normalmore » operations indicate that the potential exists for exceeding the short-term National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). NMI is prepared to undertake mitigative action to prevent potential exceedances of the short-term SO{sub 2} NAAQS, and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection is prepared to resolve the issue via a permit/approval change or through a Consent Order. Second, in the unlikely event of a severe fire, predicted sulfuric acid (H{sub 2}SO{sub 4}) concentrations based on conservative (upper bound) modeling exceed the Emergency Response Planning Guideline (ERPG) levels. NMI has committed to NRC to give a briefing for local emergency response officials regarding the potential for an accidental H{sub 2}SO{sub 4} release.« less

Evaluation of the Community Multiscale Air Quality Model for Simulating Winter Ozone Formation in the Uinta Basin with Intensive Oil and Gas Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matichuk, R.; Tonnesen, G.; Luecken, D.; Roselle, S. J.; Napelenok, S. L.; Baker, K. R.; Gilliam, R. C.; Misenis, C.; Murphy, B.; Schwede, D. B.

2015-12-01

The western United States is an important source of domestic energy resources. One of the primary environmental impacts associated with oil and natural gas production is related to air emission releases of a number of air pollutants. Some of these pollutants are important precursors to the formation of ground-level ozone. To better understand ozone impacts and other air quality issues, photochemical air quality models are used to simulate the changes in pollutant concentrations in the atmosphere on local, regional, and national spatial scales. These models are important for air quality management because they assist in identifying source contributions to air quality problems and designing effective strategies to reduce harmful air pollutants. The success of predicting oil and natural gas air quality impacts depends on the accuracy of the input information, including emissions inventories, meteorological information, and boundary conditions. The treatment of chemical and physical processes within these models is equally important. However, given the limited amount of data collected for oil and natural gas production emissions in the past and the complex terrain and meteorological conditions in western states, the ability of these models to accurately predict pollution concentrations from these sources is uncertain. Therefore, this presentation will focus on understanding the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model's ability to predict air quality impacts associated with oil and natural gas production and its sensitivity to input uncertainties. The results will focus on winter ozone issues in the Uinta Basin, Utah and identify the factors contributing to model performance issues. The results of this study will help support future air quality model development, policy and regulatory decisions for the oil and gas sector.

Contemporaneous Emissions Determination for PSD Netting from Region 5 to Michigan Department of Environmental Quality

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the New Source Review (NSR) air permitting regulations including the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) requirements. This document is part of the NSR Policy and Guidance Database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Microflora of the selected water reservoirs in Swietokrzyskie Voivodship.

PubMed

Adamus-Bialek, Wioletta; Karwacka, Karolina; Bak, Lukasz

2013-01-01

One of the important environmental issues is the quality of surface waters in the world. Poland belongs to countries with a low quality of the inland waters. The sanitary condition of the five water reservoirs of south-east Poland was analyzed. Water and sediment samples were incubated on the selective and/or differential media. High concentrations of many common and pathogenic microbial indicators were shown in those samples. Those reservoirs are used by people, especially during summer. Because of the high epidemiological risk, detailed analysis of all inland waters should be performed routinely.

Space use optimisation and sustainability-environmental assessment of space use concepts.

PubMed

van den Dobbelsteen, Andy; de Wilde, Sebastiaan

2004-11-01

In this paper, as part of a diptych, we discuss the factor space as a means of improving the environmental performance of building projects. There are indicators for space use efficiency and several more or less broadly supported methods for assessment of environmental issues such as ecological quality, use of building materials and energy consumption. These are discussed in this paper. Assessment methods coupling space use to environmental indicators had not been available until now. Beforehand, plans with different spatial properties could therefore not be environmentally compared. We present a method for the implementation of space use in assessments concerning sustainability. This method was applied to the urban case study presented in our second paper in this journal. In this paper, we also present solutions for improved environmental performance through intensive and multiple use of space in the second, third and fourth dimension.

Billy Shaw Dam and Reservoir : Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impacts.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

United States. Bonneville Power Administration; Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, Nevada.

This notice announces BPA`s decision to fund the construction, operation, and maintenance of the Billy Shaw Dam and Reservoir on the Duck Valley Reservation. This project is part of a continuing effort to address system-wide fish and wildlife losses caused by the development of the hydropower system in the Columbia River Basin. BPA has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) evaluating the potential environmental impacts of the proposed project. Based on the analysis in the EA, BPA has determined that the Proposed Action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, within the meaning ofmore » the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. Therefore, the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not required and BPA is issuing this FONSI.« less

Environmental auditing in hospitals: approach and implementation in an university hospital.

PubMed

Dettenkofer, M; Kümmerer, K; Schuster, A; Mühlich, M; Scherrer, M; Daschner, F D

1997-05-01

Medical audit in infection control today is accepted as an important element in the quality assurance of health care. In contrast, environmental auditing, which was approved in 1993 by the Council of the European Communities for industry ("Eco-Management and Audit Scheme-EMAS), has not so far been used as a tool to control and reduce environmental pollution caused by medical care in hospitals. The aim of this study was to investigate, whether environmental auditing in hospitals is useful. This process should also be cost effective. In this paper, methodological and organizational issues are described. Initially an environmental review of activities at the University Hospital, Freiburg and an eco-analysis of the input and output were performed. The first results of the study and a critical discussion will be presented in another paper.

[Application of hyper-spectral remote sensing technology in environmental protection].

PubMed

Zhao, Shao-Hua; Zhang, Feng; Wang, Qiao; Yao, Yun-Jun; Wang, Zhong-Ting; You, Dai-An

2013-12-01

Hyper-spectral remote sensing (RS) technology has been widely used in environmental protection. The present work introduces its recent application in the RS monitoring of pollution gas, green-house gas, algal bloom, water quality of catch water environment, safety of drinking water sources, biodiversity, vegetation classification, soil pollution, and so on. Finally, issues such as scarce hyper-spectral satellites, the limits of data processing and information extract are related. Some proposals are also presented, including developing subsequent satellites of HJ-1 satellite with differential optical absorption spectroscopy, greenhouse gas spectroscopy and hyper-spectral imager, strengthening the study of hyper-spectral data processing and information extraction, and promoting the construction of environmental application system.

Applications of aerospace technology in the public interest: Pollution measurement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heins, C. F.; Johnson, F. D.

1974-01-01

This study of selected NASA contributions to the improvement of pollution measurement examines the pervasiveness and complexity of the economic, political, and social issues in the environmental field; provides a perspective on the relationship between the conduct of aerospace R and D and specific improvements in on site air pollution monitoring equipment now in use; describes the basic relationship between the development of satellite-based monitoring systems and their influence on long-term progress in improving environmental quality; and comments on how both instrumentation and satellite remote sensing are contributing to an improved environment. Examples of specific gains that have been made in applying aerospace R and D to environmental problem-solving are included.

HEALTH, JUSTICE, AND THE ENVIRONMENT

PubMed Central

Roman, Gerard

2014-01-01

In this article, we argue that the scope of bioethical debate concerning justice in health should expand beyond the topic of access to health care and cover such issues as occupational hazards, safe housing, air pollution, water quality, food and drug safety, pest control, public health, childhood nutrition, disaster preparedness, literacy, and many other environmental factors that can cause differences in health. Since society does not have sufficient resources to address all of these environmental factors at one time, it is important to set priorities for bioethical theorizing and policy formation. Two considerations should be used to set these priorities: (1) the impact of the environmental factor on health inequality, and (2) the practicality of addressing the factor. PMID:17845481

Worldwide Emerging Environmental Issues Affecting the U.S. Military. September 2009

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

regional informative workshops on potential applications and risks associated with nanotechnologies and nanomaterials, as well as capacity assessment...quantity and quality, assessment of risks, and addressing vulnerability and adaptation strategies in the UNECE region and beyond. The draft Guidance...Department of Water Resources and the University of Idaho, offers specific measurements of the water consumed across a region . Using surface

78 FR 20623 - Environmental Impact Statement for Modernization and Repair of Piers 2 and 3, Military Ocean...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-05

..., the proposed action will replace a large number of piles; this work will likely result in water quality issues and an increase in noise. The Department of the Army will use the analysis in the EIS to... to Mr. Malcolm Charles, Directorate of Public Works, Attention: SDAT-CCA-MI (Charles), 410 Norman Ave...

User fees and the demand of OHV recreation

Treesearch

Thomas P. Holmes; Jeffrey E. Englin

2005-01-01

The recent boom in the demand for off-highway vehicle (OHV) recreation has created an important policy issue for public land managers who are concerned with the impacts of OHV use on environmental quality. Within the past few years, the U.S. Forest Service has recognized the need for greater authority in managing these recreation areas and has proposed to amend OHV...

Design, loading, and water quality in recirculating systems for Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) at the USDA ARS National Cold Water Marine Aquaculture Center (Franklin, ME)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Northeastern U.S has the ideal location and unique opportunity to be a leader in cold-water marine finfish aquaculture. However, problems and regulations on environmental issues, mandatory stocking of 100 percent native North American salmon, and disease have impacted economic viability of the U...

Take the S.M.I.L.E. Challenge: Indoor Air Quality and Your High School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deira, Maria-Isabel; Bloomfield, Molly

1998-01-01

The S.M.I.L.E. (Science and Math Investigative Learning Experiences) Program is a partnership between Oregon State University and eight rural Oregon school districts to provide science and math opportunities for disadvantaged students. Students in this program work on a problem that involves them in a real-world environmental issue. Describes an…

A deposit model for magmatic iron-titanium-oxide deposits related to Proterozoic massif anorthosite plutonic suites: Chapter K in Mineral Deposit Models for Resource Assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woodruff, Laurel G.; Nicholson, Suzanne W.; Fey, David L.

2013-01-01

Active mines have developed large open pits with extensive waste-rock piles, but because of the nature of the ore and waste rock, the major environmental impacts documented at the mine sites are reported to be waste disposal issues and somewhat degraded water quality.

78 FR 73921 - California High-Speed Rail Authority-Construction Exemption-In Fresno, Kings, Tulare, and Kern...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-09

... of the Authorization & Issuance of Gen. Obligation Bonds to be Issued Pursuant to the Safe, Reliable... under the National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. OEA is currently working with FRA.... 10502(b). This action will not significantly affect either the quality of the human environment or the...

78 FR 4879 - Nine Mile Point 3 Nuclear Project, LLC and UniStar Nuclear Operating Services, LLC Combined...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-23

... Analysis Report (FSAR). On December 1, 2009, UniStar Nuclear Energy (UNE), acting on behalf of the COL... Exclusion From Environmental Review With respect to the exemption's impact on the quality of the human... relation to security issues. Therefore, the common defense and security is not impacted by this exemption...

Environmental Assessment for Toxecon Retrofit for Mercury and Multi-Pollutant Control, Presque Isle Power Plant, Marquette, Michigan

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

N /A

This Environmental Assessment (EA) evaluates environmental issues associated with constructing and operating an integrated emissions control system proposed by We Energies and its project partners with cost-shared funding support by DOE. The proposed project would be demonstrated at the existing 90-MW Units 7, 8, and 9 of We Energies' coal-fired Presque Isle Power Plant in Marquette, Michigan. The commercial-scale demonstrate would allow utilities to make decisions regarding the integrated emissions control system as a viable commercial option. DOE's share of the funding for the 5-year demonstration project would be about $25 million, while $25 million would also be provided bymore » We Energies and its project partners. This project was selected by DOE under the Clean Coal Power Initiative (CCPI) for negotiation of a cooperative agreement to demonstrate the integration of technologies to reduce emissions of mercury (Hg) and particulate matter, as well as potentially control sulfur dioxide (SO{sub 2}), oxides of nitrogen (NO{sub x}) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) emissions. DOE's decision is whether or not to fund the project. The EA evaluates the principal environmental issues, including air quality, waste management, and traffic, that could result from construction and operation of the proposed project. The EA also considers two reasonably foreseeable scenarios that could result from the no-action alternative in which DOE would not provide cost-shared funding for the proposed project. Key findings include that potential air quality impacts resulting from the proposed project would generally be beneficial because plantwide air emissions would decrease or continue at the same level. The decrease in stack exit temperature would decrease the plume rise, which could result in increased downwind ground-level concentrations of those air pollutants experience little or no decrease in stack emissions. However, results of air dispersion modeling indicated that no major impacts would be expected relative to Prevention of Significant Deterioration increments and National Ambient Air Quality Standards.« less

Pharmaceuticals, hormones, personal-care products, and other organic wastewater contaminants in water resources: Recent research activities of the U.S. Geological Survey's toxic substances hydrology program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Focazio, Michael J.; Kolpin, Dana W.; Buxton, Herbert T.

2003-01-01

Recent decades have brought increasing concerns for potential contamination of water resources that could inadvertently result during production, use, and disposal of the numerous chemicals offering improvements in industry, agriculture, medical treatment, and even common household products. Increasing knowledge of the environmental occurrence or toxicological behavior of these contaminants from various studies in Europe, United States, and elsewhere has resulted in increased concern for potential adverse environmental and human health effects (Daughton and Ternes, 1999). Ecologists and public health experts often have incomplete understandings of the toxicological significance of many of these contaminants, particularly long-term, low-level exposure and when they occur in mixtures with other contaminants (Daughton and Ternes, 1999; Kümmerer, 2001). In addition, these ‘emerging contaminants’ are not typically monitored or assessed in ambient water resources. The need to understand the processes controlling the transport and fate of these contaminants in the environment, and the lack of knowledge of the significance of long-term exposures have increased the need to study environmental occurrence down to trace (nanogram per liter) levels. Furthermore, the possibility that mixtures of environmental contaminants may interact synergistically or antagonistically has increased the need to characterize the types of mixtures that are found in our waters. The U.S. Geological Survey’s Toxic Substances Hydrology Program (Toxics Program) is developing information and tools on emerging water-quality issues that will be used to design and improve water-quality monitoring and assessment programs of the USGS and others, and for proactive decision-making by industry, regulators, the research community, and the public (http://toxics.usgs.gov/regional/emc.html). This research on emerging water-quality issues includes a combination of laboratory work to develop new analytical capabilities as well as field work on the occurrence, fate, and effects of these contaminants.

Nutritional modulation of health, egg quality and environmental pollution of the layers.

PubMed

Wang, Jing; Yue, Hongyuan; Wu, Shugeng; Zhang, Haijun; Qi, Guanghai

2017-06-01

World egg production and consumption have been increasing for the past decades. Traditional strategies in poultry nutrition have made vital contributions to this great growth in quantity. However, current global issues should be considered in modern egg production such as growing populations and food security, food safety and quality, limited resources and environmental problems. The development of knowledge of poultry nutrition and modern biotechnology provides novel nutritional approaches to closely fit the requirement of pullets and laying hens, which will consequently decrease the nutrition excretion and maintain the lower cost of feed. Nutrition has also been widely accepted as a strategy to influence health and diseases of laying hens. The maintenance of good health is an important prerequisite for improving productivity and egg quality. In addition, there are many measures and strategies for minimizing the incidence of egg defects and providing a choice of lifestyle to enhance human health. This paper reviews current research progress on developing innovative technologies and strategies to maximize animal health and performance, improve the quality of egg products and minimize pollution caused by poultry production.

Greening Federal Facilities: An Energy, Environmental, and Economic Resource Guide for Federal Facility Managers and Designers; Second Edition

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilson, A.

2001-05-16

Greening Federal Facilities, Second Edition, is a nuts-and-bolts resource guide compiled to increase energy and resource efficiency, cut waste, and improve the performance of Federal buildings and facilities. The guide highlights practical actions that facility managers, design and construction staff, procurement officials, and facility planners can take to save energy and money, improve the comfort and productivity of employees, and benefit the environment. It supports a national effort to promote energy and environmental efficiency in the nation's 500,000 Federal buildings and facilities. Topics covered include current Federal regulations; environmental and energy decision-making; site and landscape issues; building design; energy systems;more » water and wastewater; materials; waste management, and recycling; indoor environmental quality; and managing buildings.« less

Development of a Real-Time Environmental Monitoring System, Life Cycle Assessment Systems, and Pollution Prevention Programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kocher, Walter M.

2003-01-01

Pollution prevention (P2) opportunities and Greening the Government (GtG) activities, including the development of the Real-Time Environmental Monitoring System (RTEMS), are currently under development at the NASA Glenn Research Center. The RTEMS project entails the ongoing development of a monitoring system which includes sensors, instruments, computer hardware and software, plus a data telemetry system.Professor Kocher has been directing the RTEMS project for more than 3 years, and the implementation of the prototype system at GRC will be a major portion of his summer effort. This prototype will provide mulitmedia environmental monitoring and control capabilities, although water quality and air emissions will be the immediate issues addressed this summer. Applications beyond those currently identified for environmental purposes will also be explored.

Interpreting and Reporting Radiological Water-Quality Data

USGS Publications Warehouse

McCurdy, David E.; Garbarino, John R.; Mullin, Ann H.

2008-01-01

This document provides information to U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Water Science Centers on interpreting and reporting radiological results for samples of environmental matrices, most notably water. The information provided is intended to be broadly useful throughout the United States, but it is recommended that scientists who work at sites containing radioactive hazardous wastes need to consult additional sources for more detailed information. The document is largely based on recognized national standards and guidance documents for radioanalytical sample processing, most notably the Multi-Agency Radiological Laboratory Analytical Protocols Manual (MARLAP), and on documents published by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the American National Standards Institute. It does not include discussion of standard USGS practices including field quality-control sample analysis, interpretive report policies, and related issues, all of which shall always be included in any effort by the Water Science Centers. The use of 'shall' in this report signifies a policy requirement of the USGS Office of Water Quality.

Influencing factors for household water quality improvement in reducing diarrhoea in resource-limited areas.

PubMed

Zin, Thant; Mudin, Kamarudin D; Myint, Than; Naing, Daw K S; Sein, Tracy; Shamsul, B S

2013-01-01

Water and sanitation are major public health issues exacerbated by rapid population growth, limited resources, disasters and environmental depletion. This study was undertaken to study the influencing factors for household water quality improvement for reducing diarrhoea in resource-limited areas. Data were collected from articles and reviews from relevant randomized controlled trials, new articles, systematic reviews and meta-analyses from PubMed, World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and WELL Resource Centre For Water, Sanitation And Environmental Health. Water quality on diarrhoea prevention could be affected by contamination during storage, collection and even at point-of-use. Point-of-use water treatment (household-based) is the most cost-effective method for prevention of diarrhoea. Chemical disinfection, filtration, thermal disinfection, solar disinfection and flocculation and disinfection are five most promising household water treatment methodologies for resource-limited areas. Promoting household water treatment is most essential for preventing diarrhoeal disease. In addition, the water should be of acceptable taste, appropriate for emergency and non-emergency use.

JV Task 94 - Air Quality V: Mercury, Trace Elements, SO3, and Particulate Matter Conference

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thomas A. Erickson

2007-01-31

This final report summarizes the planning, preparation, facilitation and production, and summary of the conference entitled 'Air Quality V: Mercury, Trace Elements, SO{sub 3}, and Particulate Matter,' held September 18-21, 2005, in Arlington, Virginia. The goal of the conference was to build on the discussions of the first four Air Quality Conferences, providing further opportunity for leading representatives of industry, government, research institutions, academia, and environmental organizations to discuss the key interrelationships between policy and science shaping near-term regulations and controls and to assist in moving forward on emerging issues that will lead to acceptable programs and policies to protectmore » human health, the environment, and economic growth. The conference was extremely timely, as it was the last large conference prior to publication of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's final regulations for mercury control from coal-fired utilities, and provided a forum to realistically assess the status of mercury controls in relation to the new regulations.« less

Weakly electric fish for biomonitoring water quality.

PubMed

Clausen, Juergen; van Wijk, Roeland; Albrecht, Henning

2012-06-01

Environmental pollution is a major issue that calls for suitable monitoring systems. The number of possible pollutants of municipal and industrial water grows annually as new chemicals are developed. Technical devices for pollutant detection are constructed in a way to detect a specific and known array of pollutants. Biological systems react to lethal or non-lethal environmental changes without pre-adjustment, and a wide variety have been employed as broad-range monitors for water quality. Weakly electric fish have proven particularly useful for the purpose of biomonitoring municipal and industrial waters. The frequency of their electric organ discharges directly correlates with the quality of the surrounding water and, in this way, concentrations of toxicants down to the nanomolar range have been successfully detected by these organisms. We have reviewed the literature on biomonitoring studies to date, comparing advantages and disadvantages of this test system and summarizing the lowest concentrations of various toxicants tested. Eighteen publications were identified investigating 35 different chemical substances and using six different species of weakly electric fish.

Effects of abiotic stress and crop management on cereal grain composition: implications for food quality and safety.

PubMed

Halford, Nigel G; Curtis, Tanya Y; Chen, Zhiwei; Huang, Jianhua

2015-03-01

The effects of abiotic stresses and crop management on cereal grain composition are reviewed, focusing on phytochemicals, vitamins, fibre, protein, free amino acids, sugars, and oils. These effects are discussed in the context of nutritional and processing quality and the potential for formation of processing contaminants, such as acrylamide, furan, hydroxymethylfurfuryl, and trans fatty acids. The implications of climate change for cereal grain quality and food safety are considered. It is concluded that the identification of specific environmental stresses that affect grain composition in ways that have implications for food quality and safety and how these stresses interact with genetic factors and will be affected by climate change needs more investigation. Plant researchers and breeders are encouraged to address the issue of processing contaminants or risk appearing out of touch with major end-users in the food industry, and not to overlook the effects of environmental stresses and crop management on crop composition, quality, and safety as they strive to increase yield. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Clearing the air and breathing freely: the health politics of air pollution and asthma.

PubMed

Brown, Phil; Mayer, Brian; Zavestoski, Stephen; Luebke, Theo; Mandelbaum, Joshua; McCormick, Sabrina

2004-01-01

This study examines the growing debate around environmental causes of asthma in the context of federal regulatory disputes, scientific controversy, and environmental justice activism. A multifaceted form of social discovery of the effect of air pollution on asthma has resulted from multipartner and multiorganizational approaches and from intersectoral policy that deals with social inequality and environmental justice. Scientists, activists, health voluntary organizations, and some government agencies and officials have identified various elements of the asthma and air pollution connection. To tackle these issues, they have worked through a variety of collaborations and across different sectors of environmental regulation, public health, health services, housing, transportation, and community development. The authors examine the role of activist groups in discovering the increased rates of asthma and framing it as a social and environmental issue; give an overview of the current knowledge base on air pollution and asthma, and the controversies within science; and situate that science in the regulatory debate, discussing the many challenges to the air quality researchers. They then examine the implications of the scientific and regulatory controversies over linking air pollution to increases in asthma. The article concludes with a discussion of how alliances between activists and scientists lead to new research strategies and innovations.

Quality of Life, Coping Styles, Stress Levels, and Time Use in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Comparing Single Versus Coupled Households.

PubMed

McAuliffe, Tomomi; Cordier, Reinie; Vaz, Sharmila; Thomas, Yvonne; Falkmer, Torbjorn

2017-10-01

This study aimed to examine the influence of differences in household status on the parental stress, coping, time use and quality of life (QoL) among mothers of children with autism spectrum disorders. Forty-three single and 164 coupled mothers completed the survey. Data were analysed using multivariate logistic regression. We found that single mothers were 1.05 times more likely to report lower levels of environmental QoL. Whilst they were 1.73 times more likely to use acceptance coping style, this association did not persist after adjusting for total number of children, household income and employment status. There was no difference in time use and stress between these mothers. Possible environmental issues for single mothers and implications for future research are discussed.

Environmental urban runoff monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Byunggu; Behera, Pradeep K.; Kim, Seon Ho; Ramirez Rochac, Juan F.; Branham, Travis

2010-04-01

Urban stormwater runoff has been a critical and chronic problem in the quantity and quality of receiving waters, resulting in a major environmental concern. To address this problem engineers and professionals have developed a number of solutions which include various monitoring and modeling techniques. The most fundamental issue in these solutions is accurate monitoring of the quantity and quality of the runoff from both combined and separated sewer systems. This study proposes a new water quantity monitoring system, based on recent developments in sensor technology. Rather than using a single independent sensor, we harness an intelligent sensor platform that integrates various sensors, a wireless communication module, data storage, a battery, and processing power such that more comprehensive, efficient, and scalable data acquisition becomes possible. Our experimental results show the feasibility and applicability of such a sensor platform in the laboratory test setting.

Eco-environmental vulnerability assessment for large drinking water resource: a case study of Qiandao Lake Area, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Qing; Li, Jun; Deng, Jinsong; Lin, Yi; Ma, Ligang; Wu, Chaofan; Wang, Ke; Hong, Yang

2015-09-01

The Qiandao Lake Area (QLA) is of great significance in terms of drinking water supply in East Coast China as well as a nationally renowned tourist attraction. A series of laws and regulations regarding the QLA environment have been enacted and implemented throughout the past decade with the aim of negating the harmful effects associated with expanding urbanization and industrialization. In this research, an assessment framework was developed to analyze the eco-environmental vulnerability of the QLA from 1990-2010 by integrating fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) and geographical information systems (GIS) in an attempt to gain insights into the status quo of the QLA so as to review and evaluate the effectiveness of the related policies. After processing and analyzing the temporal and spatial variation of eco-environmental vulnerability and major environmental issues in the QLA, we found that the state of eco-environmental vulnerability of the QLA was acceptable, though a moderate deterioration was detected during the study period. Furthermore, analysis of the combination of vulnerability and water quality indicated that the water quality showed signs of declination, though the overall status remained satisfactory. It was hence concluded that the collective protection and treatment actions were effective over the study period, whereas immediately stricter measures would be required for protecting the drinking water quality from domestic sewage and industrial wastewater. Finally, the spatial variation of the eco-environmental vulnerability assessment also implied that specifically more targeted measures should be adopted in respective regions for long-term sustainable development of the QLA.

Petition Requesting the Administrator Object to Operating Permits Issued to Consolidated Environmental Management, Inc./Nucor Steel Louisiana

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Petitior Requesting the Administrator Object to Operating Permit Issued to Consolidated Environmental Management, Inc./Nucor Steel

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

No Action Assurance Regarding EPA-Issued Step 2 Prevention of Significant Deterioraiton Permits and Related Title V Requirements Following Utility Air Regulatory Group v. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the New Source Review (NSR) air permitting regulations including the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) requirements. This document is part of the NSR Policy and Guidance Database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Petition to Object to the Proposed Title V Permit for Sunbury Generation, LP's Power Plant Issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Change in Environmental Benefits of Urban Land Use and Its Drivers in Chinese Cities, 2000–2010

PubMed Central

Song, Xiaoqing; Chang, Kang-tsung; Yang, Liang; Scheffran, Jürgen

2016-01-01

Driven by rising income and urban population growth, China has experienced rapid urban expansion since the 1980s. Urbanization can have positive effects on the urban environment; however, improvement of urban environment quality, especially its divergence between relatively developed and undeveloped cities in China, is currently a rather rudimentary and subjective issue. This study analyzed urban environmental benefits among China’s prefectural cities based on their structure of urban land use in 2000 and 2010. First, we divided 347 prefectural cities into two groups, 81 coastal and capital cities in the relatively developed group (RD) and 266 other prefectural cities in the undeveloped group (RP). Then, we defined three areas of urban environmental benefits, including green infrastructure, industrial upgrade, and environmental management, and developed an assessment index system. Results showed that all prefectural cities saw improvement in urban environmental quality in 2000–2010. Although the RD cities had higher income and more population growth, they had less improvement than the RP cities during the same period. We also found that demographic and urban land agglomeration among RD cities restrained green infrastructure expansion, making green infrastructure unsuitable as a permanent solution to environmental improvement. It is therefore urgent for China to promote balanced improvement among the three areas of urban environmental benefits and between the RD and RP cities through regional differentiation policies. PMID:27240386

Change in Environmental Benefits of Urban Land Use and Its Drivers in Chinese Cities, 2000-2010.

PubMed

Song, Xiaoqing; Chang, Kang-Tsung; Yang, Liang; Scheffran, Jürgen

2016-05-26

Driven by rising income and urban population growth, China has experienced rapid urban expansion since the 1980s. Urbanization can have positive effects on the urban environment; however, improvement of urban environment quality, especially its divergence between relatively developed and undeveloped cities in China, is currently a rather rudimentary and subjective issue. This study analyzed urban environmental benefits among China's prefectural cities based on their structure of urban land use in 2000 and 2010. First, we divided 347 prefectural cities into two groups, 81 coastal and capital cities in the relatively developed group (RD) and 266 other prefectural cities in the undeveloped group (RP). Then, we defined three areas of urban environmental benefits, including green infrastructure, industrial upgrade, and environmental management, and developed an assessment index system. Results showed that all prefectural cities saw improvement in urban environmental quality in 2000-2010. Although the RD cities had higher income and more population growth, they had less improvement than the RP cities during the same period. We also found that demographic and urban land agglomeration among RD cities restrained green infrastructure expansion, making green infrastructure unsuitable as a permanent solution to environmental improvement. It is therefore urgent for China to promote balanced improvement among the three areas of urban environmental benefits and between the RD and RP cities through regional differentiation policies.

The Case of Ozone Depletion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lambright, W. Henry

2005-01-01

While the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is widely perceived as a space agency, since its inception NASA has had a mission dedicated to the home planet. Initially, this mission involved using space to better observe and predict weather and to enable worldwide communication. Meteorological and communication satellites showed the value of space for earthly endeavors in the 1960s. In 1972, NASA launched Landsat, and the era of earth-resource monitoring began. At the same time, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the environmental movement swept throughout the United States and most industrialized countries. The first Earth Day event took place in 1970, and the government generally began to pay much more attention to issues of environmental quality. Mitigating pollution became an overriding objective for many agencies. NASA's existing mission to observe planet Earth was augmented in these years and directed more toward environmental quality. In the 1980s, NASA sought to plan and establish a new environmental effort that eventuated in the 1990s with the Earth Observing System (EOS). The Agency was able to make its initial mark via atmospheric monitoring, specifically ozone depletion. An important policy stimulus in many respects, ozone depletion spawned the Montreal Protocol of 1987 (the most significant international environmental treaty then in existence). It also was an issue critical to NASA's history that served as a bridge linking NASA's weather and land-resource satellites to NASA s concern for the global changes affecting the home planet. Significantly, as a global environmental problem, ozone depletion underscored the importance of NASA's ability to observe Earth from space. Moreover, the NASA management team's ability to apply large-scale research efforts and mobilize the talents of other agencies and the private sector illuminated its role as a lead agency capable of crossing organizational boundaries as well as the science-policy divide.

The Citizens and Remote Sensing Observational Network (CARSON) Guide: Merging NASA Remote Sensing Data with Local Environmental Awareness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acker, James; Riebeek, Holli; Ledley, Tamara Shapiro; Herring, David; Lloyd, Steven

2008-01-01

"Citizen science" generally refers to observatoinal research and data collection conducted by non-professionals, commonly as volunteers. In the environmental science field, citizen scientists may be involved with local nad regional issues such as bird and wildlife populations, weather, urban sprawl, natural hazards, wetlands, lakes and rivers, estuaries, and a spectrum of public health concerns. Some citizen scientists may be primarily motivated by the intellectual challenge of scientific observations. Citizen scientists may now examine and utilize remote-sensing data related to their particular topics of interest with the easy-to-use NASA Web-based tools Giovanni and NEO, which allow exploration and investigation of a wide variety of Earth remote sensing data sets. The CARSON (Citizens and Remote Sensing Observational Network) Guide will be an online resource consisting of chapters each demonstrating how to utilize Giovanni and NEO to access and analyze specific remote-sensing data. Integrated in each chapter will be descriptions of methods that citizen scientists can employ to collect, monitor, analyze, and share data related to the chapter topic which pertain to environmental and ecological conditions in their local region. A workshop held in August 2008 initiated the development of prototype chapters on water quality, air quality, and precipitation. These will be the initial chapters in the first release of the CARSON Guide, which will be used in a pilot project at the Maryland Science Center in spring 2009. The goal of the CARSON Guide is to augment and enhance citizen scientist environmental research with NASA satellite data by creating a participatory network consisting of motivated individuals, environmental groups and organizations, and science-focused institutions such as museuma and nature centers. Members of the network could potentially interact with government programs, academic research projects, and not-for-profit organizations focused on environmental issues.

Where does walkability matter the most? An environmental justice interpretation of New Jersey data.

PubMed

Greenberg, Michael R; Renne, John

2005-03-01

Physical inactivity contributes to a growing proportion of premature mortality and morbidity in the United States, and the last decade has been the focus of calls for action. Analysis of 340 residents of New Jersey found that 15%-20% reported multiple problems with using their immediate neighborhoods for physical activity. These respondents were disproportionately African Americans living in neighborhoods that they regard as only of fair or poor quality. Neighborhood walkability is a second-wave environmental justice issue meriting carefully designed research and ameliorative actions in concert with other neighborhood-level redevelopment activities.

School-Based Multidisciplinary Teacher Team-Building Combining On-Line Professional Development (ESSEA) and Field-Based Environmental Monitoring (GLOBE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Low, R.

2003-12-01

The multidisciplinary nature of Earth system science provides a strong foundation for integrated science teaching at the K-12 level. In a Minneapolis-St. Paul based project, urban middle school teaching teams composed of language arts and math specialists as well as physical, Earth, and biological science teachers participate in the NASA Earth system science course (ESSEA) and in the international GLOBE environmental monitoring project. For students, the goal is to integrate science throughout the curriculum as well as involve classes from different subjects in a high-interest school science project. For teachers, the project provides greatly-needed classroom support and teacher team building, as well as professional development. The on-line course provides continuity and communication between the different team members. Face-to-face meetings with the instructors on site are conducted every 4 weeks. The problem-based learning approach to environmental issues developed in the ESSEA course lends itself to application to local environmental issues. New ESSEA modules developed for the project highlight environmental problems associated with flooding, introduced species, and eutrofication of lakes and rivers located near the participating schools. In addition, ESSEA participants are certified as GLOBE teachers, and assist their students in monitoring water quality. The synergistic partnership of ESSEA and GLOBE provides an attractive package upon which long-term school-based environmental monitoring projects can be based.

Socioeconomic dynamics of water quality in the Egyptian Nile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malik, Maheen; Nisar, Zainab; Karakatsanis, Georgios

2016-04-01

The Nile River remains the most important source of freshwater for Egypt as it accounts for nearly all of the country's drinking and irrigation water. About 95% of the total population is accounted to live along the Banks of the Nile(1). Therefore, water quality deterioration in addition to general natural scarcity of water in the region(2) is the main driver for carrying out this study. What further aggravates this issue is the water conflict in the Blue Nile region. The study evaluates different water quality parameters and their concentrations in the Egyptian Nile; further assessing the temporal dynamics of water quality in the area with (a) the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC)(3) and (b) the Jevons Paradox (JP)(4) in order to identify water quality improvements or degradations using selected socioeconomic variables(5). For this purpose various environmental indicators including BOD, COD, DO, Phosphorus and TDS were plotted against different economic variables including Population, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Annual Fresh Water Withdrawal and Improved Water Source. Mathematically, this was expressed by 2nd and 3rd degree polynomial regressions generating the EKC and JP respectively. The basic goal of the regression analysis is to model and highlight the dynamic trend of water quality indicators in relation to their established permissible limits, which will allow the identification of optimal future water quality policies. The results clearly indicate that the dependency of water quality indicators on socioeconomic variables differs for every indicator; while COD was above the permissible limits in all the cases despite of its decreasing trend in each case, BOD and phosphate signified increasing concentrations for the future, if they continue to follow the present trend. This could be an indication of rebound effect explained by the Jevons Paradox i.e. water quality deterioration after its improvement, either due to increase of population or intensification of economic activities related to these indicators. Keywords: Water quality dynamics, Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), Jevons Paradox (JP), economic variables, polynomial regressions, environmental indicators, permissible limit References: (1)Evans, A. (2007). River of Life River Nile. (2)Egypt's Water Crisis - Recipe for Disaster. (2016). [Blog] EcoMENA- Echoing Sustainability. (3)Alstine, J. and Neumayer, E. (2010). The Environmental Kuznets Curve. (4)Garrett, T. (2014). Rebound, Backfire, and the Jevons Paradox. [Blog] (5)Data.worldbank.org

The 2009 National Environmental Public Health Conference: one model for planning green and healthy conferences.

PubMed

Ruckart, Perri Zeitz; Moore, Cory; Burgin, Deborah; Byrne, Maggie Kelly

2011-01-01

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Environmental Health and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry committed to making their 2009 National Environmental Public Health Conference a model for green and healthy conferences. The conference included increased opportunities for physical activity, both as part of conference events and for transportation to the conference. In addition, conference meals were healthy and sustainably sourced. The conference also implemented intuitive, accessible recycling; online scheduling and evaluation to minimize hard-copy materials; and the purchase of carbon offsets to reduce the unwanted environmental impact of the conference. Public health professionals have an opportunity and obligation to support healthy behaviors at their events and to serve as leaders in this area. Facilitating healthy and sustainable choices is in alignment with goals for both public health and broader social issues-such as environmental quality-that have a direct bearing on public health.

Standards for Environmental Measurement Using GIS: Toward a Protocol for Protocols.

PubMed

Forsyth, Ann; Schmitz, Kathryn H; Oakes, Michael; Zimmerman, Jason; Koepp, Joel

2006-02-01

Interdisciplinary research regarding how the built environment influences physical activity has recently increased. Many research projects conducted jointly by public health and environmental design professionals are using geographic information systems (GIS) to objectively measure the built environment. Numerous methodological issues remain, however, and environmental measurements have not been well documented with accepted, common definitions of valid, reliable variables. This paper proposes how to create and document standardized definitions for measures of environmental variables using GIS with the ultimate goal of developing reliable, valid measures. Inherent problems with software and data that hamper environmental measurement can be offset by protocols combining clear conceptual bases with detailed measurement instructions. Examples demonstrate how protocols can more clearly translate concepts into specific measurement. This paper provides a model for developing protocols to allow high quality comparative research on relationships between the environment and physical activity and other outcomes of public health interest.

Environmental Scanning as a Public Health Tool: Kentucky's Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Project.

PubMed

Wilburn, Amanda; Vanderpool, Robin C; Knight, Jennifer R

2016-08-18

Borrowing from business, quality improvement programs, and strategic planning principles, environmental scanning is gaining popularity in public health practice and research and is advocated as an assessment and data collection tool by federal funding agencies and other health-related organizations. Applicable to a range of current and emerging health topics, environmental scans - through various methods - assess multiple facets of an issue by engaging stakeholders who can ask or answer research questions, exploring related policy, critiquing published and gray literature, collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data in both primary and secondary forms, disseminating findings to internal and external stakeholders, and informing subsequent planning and decision making. To illustrate the environmental scanning process in a public health setting and showcase its value to practitioners in the field, we describe a federally funded environmental scan for a human papillomavirus vaccination project in Kentucky.

The Environmental Quality Act and the Belmont Learning Complex: A Breakdown in Process. A Special Report of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California State Legislature, Sacramento. Joint Legislative Audit Committee.

The California legislature's Joint Legislative Audit Committee has issued a report concerning the Belmont Learning Complex (BLC) and the Los Angeles Unified School District's (LAUSD's) propensity for engaging in a series of school construction projects on contaminated land. The analysis suggests that the LAUSD was made aware of the BLC site's…

Final Environmental Impact Statement. Disposal and Reuse of Norton Air Force Base, California

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-06-01

transportation, utilities, hazardous materials/wastes, soils and geology, water resources, air quality, noise, biological resources, and cultural resources...as project-related influencing factors. Issues related to current and future management of hazardous materials and wastes are also discussed...34 Hazardous Materials/ Hazardous Waste Management (Sections 3.3 and 4.3) includes expanded discussions on the following: - FFA schedule moved from

30 CFR 280.31 - Whom will MMS notify about environmental issues?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Whom will MMS notify about environmental issues... Obligations Under This Part Environmental Issues § 280.31 Whom will MMS notify about environmental issues? (a... submission for approval. (b) In cases where an environmental assessment is to be prepared, the Director will...

Evaluation and Control of Soil Degradation in Russia on the Basis of the Assessment of Soil Ecological Functions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakovlev, Aleksandr

2016-04-01

Sustainable development of the territory is possible only under certain environmental requirements. These requirements are based on the implementation of the concept, conventionally called "zero land degradation", which cannot be reached in the process of real land use. "Zero degradation" is the establishment of acceptable ecological state of the environment and permissible anthropogenic impact on it, wherein self-healing of nature quality is possible and there is no accumulation of irreversible environmental damage. The values of parameters that characterize the relationship between the ecological state of the environment, in particular, land degradation, and the socio-economic development of the Russian Federation are represented in the materials of recent issues of the Russian State environmental report (2012 - 2014). Environmental problems in Russia are actively discussed in relation to issues of environmental and socio-economic development of the neighboring countries of the Eurasian region. So the Law "On Soil Protection", which was developed and adopted by the Union: Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, is dedicated to the protection of soil and soil degradation control. Ecological Doctrine of Russia (2012) and the State Environmental Program (2012-2020) identify the main strategic steps to combat land degradation in our country. In the first place, it has been tasked to identify and eliminate past environmental damage followed by the organization of nature "from scratch", in accordance with environmental regulations. Currently the Ministry of natural resources of Russia started implementation of the Federal program on environmental-economic assessment and the elimination of past environmental damage. The main steps of this program are: the works related to the inventory of degraded and contaminated lands and their subsequent reclamation and return to the appropriate land use system. The territory must comply with officially approved environmental requirements. The list of requirements can be divided into two areas: - the standards and norms of environmental assessment for all components of environment, - requirements to the level of environmental stress on the land when designing the system of nature management. Environmental requirements for components of the environment are based primarily on stringent environmental and health standards (maximum permissible concentration, permissible residual oil content in the soil, etc.), compliance of which involves the maintenance of the ecological state of nature in close to background rates. The assessment of environmental stress in planning and land management is not provided with official regulations and is based primarily on expert opinions. However, projects and land use programs must pass the corresponding procedure of environmental expertise. Rating, ranking and regulation of soil and land quality allow to establish the level of its disturbance and the ability to heal itself, according to the methodological approach developed and adopted by several Russian Agencies (Environmental, Agricultural and Land use Agencies). The basis for assessing the ecological status of soils was based on the five-level evaluation scale according to which a fairly conventional boundary of reversibility is considered to be the third (threshold) level, and irreversible accumulation of environmental damage occurs when reaching . fourth and fifth level of loss of environmental quality of soils. According to a separate study in the field of environmental regulation irreversible changes occur in the loss of more than a quarter of Bioorganic capacity of soils. The main condition for sustainable development is the development, which does not cause irreversible damage to nature and society, based on compliance with environmental quality requirements for components of the environment, particularly soils and lands and secure planning and safe placement of the productive forces. Acknowledgments: This study was supported by the Russian Science Foundation, project no. 143800023.

Environmental legacy of copper metallurgy and Mongol silver smelting recorded in Yunnan Lake sediments.

PubMed

Hillman, Aubrey L; Abbott, Mark B; Yu, JunQing; Bain, Daniel J; Chiou-Peng, TzeHuey

2015-03-17

Geochemical measurements on well-dated sediment cores from Lake Er (Erhai) are used to determine the timing of changes in metal concentrations over 4500 years in Yunnan, a borderland region in southwestern China noted for rich mineral deposits but with inadequately documented metallurgical history. Our findings add new insight into the impacts and environmental legacy of human exploitation of metal resources in Yunnan history. We observe an increase in copper at 1500 BC resulting from atmospheric emissions associated with metallurgy. These data clarify the chronological issues related to links between the onset of Yunnan metallurgy and the advent of bronze technology in adjacent Southeast Asia, subjects that have been debated for nearly half a century. We also observe an increase from 1100 to 1300 AD in a number of heavy metals including lead, silver, zinc, and cadmium from atmospheric emissions associated with silver smelting. Culminating during the rule of the Mongols, known as the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD), these metal concentrations approach levels three to four times higher than those from industrialized mining activity occurring within the catchment today. Notably, the concentrations of lead approach levels at which harmful effects may be observed in aquatic organisms. The persistence of this lead pollution over time created an environmental legacy that likely contributes to known issues in modern day sediment quality. We demonstrate that historic metallurgical production in Yunnan can cause substantial impacts on the sediment quality of lake systems, similar to other paleolimnological findings around the globe.

Why sustainable population growth is a key to climate change and public health equity.

PubMed

Howat, Peter; Stoneham, Melissa

2011-12-01

Australia's population could reach 42 million by 2050. This rapid population growth, if unabated, will have significant social, public health and environmental implications. On the one hand, it is a major driver of climate change and environmental degradation; on the other it is likely to be a major contributor to growing social and health issues including a decline in quality of life for many residents. Disadvantaged and vulnerable groups will be most affected. The environmental, social and health-related issues include: pressure on the limited arable land in Australia; increased volumes of industrial and domestic waste; inadequate essential services; traffic congestion; lack of affordable housing; declining mental health; increased obesity problems; and inadequate aged care services. Many of these factors are related to the aggravation of climate change and health inequities. It is critical that the Australian Government develops a sustainable population plan with stabilisation of population growth as an option. The plan needs to ensure adequate hospitals and healthcare services, education facilities, road infrastructure, sustainable transport options, water quality and quantity, utilities and other amenities that are already severely overburdened in Australian cities. There is a need for a guarantee that affordable housing will be available and priority be given to training young people and Indigenous people for employment. This paper presents evidence to support the need for the stabilisation of population growth as one of the most significant measures to control climate change as well as to improve public health equity.

Mediating equity in shared water between community and industry: The effects of an after school program that addresses adolescents' knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of water science and environmental issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patton, Mary Chandler

This critical ethnography deconstructs how one participant researcher came to understand young adults' changing knowledge about water science and environmental issues in an after school program in Colombia. The program intended to empower self-identified young community leaders by teaching participants to engage community members in discourse related to how environmental factors impact one's level of health and quality of life. The data presented in this study illustrate how student participants responded to long-term teacher engagement and to particular curricular components that included hands-on science teaching and social justice coaching. I assessed how student interest in and knowledge of local water ecology and sanitation infrastructure changed throughout the program. Students' responses to the use of technology and digital media were also included in the analysis. The data demonstrates a dramatic change in student's attitudes and perceptions related to their environment and how they feel about their ability to make positive changes in their community.

Challenge theme 7: Information support for management of border security and environmental protection: Chapter 9 in United States-Mexican Borderlands: Facing tomorrow's challenges through USGS science

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parcher, Jean W.; Page, William R.

2013-01-01

Historically, international borders were located far from the major political and economic capitals of their countries and rarely received adequate planning or infrastructure development. Today, as a result of global economics and increased movement of goods between nations, border regions play a much greater role in commerce, tourism, and transportation. For example, Mexico is the second largest destination for United States exports (Woodrow Wilson Center Mexico Institute, 2009). The rapid population and economic growth along the United States–Mexican border, undocumented human border crossings, and the unique natural diversity of resources in the Borderlands present challenges for border security and environmental protection. Assessing risks and implementing sustainable growth policies to protect the environment and quality of life greatly increase in complexity when the issues cross an international border, where social services, environmental regulations, lifestyles, and cultural beliefs are unique for each country. Shared airsheds, water and biological resources, national security issues, and disaster management needs require an integrated binational approach to assess risks and develop binational management strategies.

Environmental management in North American mining sector.

PubMed

Asif, Zunaira; Chen, Zhi

2016-01-01

This paper reviews the environmental issues and management practices in the mining sector in the North America. The sustainable measures on waste management are recognized as one of the most serious environmental concerns in the mining industry. For mining activities, it will be no surprise that the metal recovery reagents and acid effluents are a threat to the ecosystem as well as hazards to human health. In addition, poor air quality and ventilation in underground mines can lead to occupational illness and death of workers. Electricity usage and fuel consumption are major factors that contribute to greenhouse gases. On the other hand, many sustainability challenges are faced in the management of tailings and disposal of waste rock. This paper aims to highlight the problems that arise due to poor air quality and acid mine drainage. The paper also addresses some of the advantages and limitations of tailing and waste rock management that still have to be studied in context of the mining sector. This paper suggests that implementation of suitable environmental management tools like life cycle assessment (LCA), cleaner production technologies (CPTs), and multicriteria decision analysis (MCD) are important as it ultimately lead to improve environmental performance and enabling a mine to focus on the next stage of sustainability.

St. Bernard Citizens for Environmental Quality (et al.) Petition to Object to Chalmette Refinery Wastewater Treatment and Coker Title V Permits

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Review of maintenance, start-up, shutdown activities by Region 6 of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality draft model permit

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the New Source Review (NSR) air permitting regulations including the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) requirements. This document is part of the NSR Policy and Guidance Database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

St. Bernard Citizens for Environmental Quality (et al.) Petition to Object to Chalmette Refinery Utilities Title V Permit

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Petition Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-petition-database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

The role of 'Big Society' in monitoring the state of the natural environment.

PubMed

Mackechnie, Colin; Maskell, Lindsay; Norton, Lisa; Roy, David

2011-10-01

Environmental monitoring is essential for assessing the current state of the environment, measuring impacts of environmental pressures and providing evidence to government. Recent UK government announcements have indicated an increased role for 'Big Society' in monitoring. In this paper, we review available literature concerning the use of citizen science for monitoring, present examples of successful volunteer monitoring work and highlight important issues surrounding the use of volunteers. We argue that in order to ensure that environmental monitoring continues to be effective it is important to learn from examples where volunteers are currently used, acknowledging constraints and identifying potential approaches which will help to maximise both their engagement and data quality. Effective partnerships between environmental monitoring organisations and volunteers may thus aid the UK in developing robust coordinated monitoring systems that will be less vulnerable to funding variances.

Investigating the Environmental Effects of Agriculture Practices on Natural Resources: Scientific Contributions of the U.S. Geological Survey to Enhance the Management of Agricultural Landscapes

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2007-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) enhances and protects the quality of life in the United States by advancing scientific knowledge to facilitate effective management of hydrologic, biologic, and geologic resources. Results of selected USGS research and monitoring projects in agricultural landscapes are presented in this Fact Sheet. Significant environmental and social issues associated with agricultural production include changes in the hydrologic cycle; introduction of toxic chemicals, nutrients, and pathogens; reduction and alteration of wildlife habitats; and invasive species. Understanding environmental consequences of agricultural production is critical to minimize unintended environmental consequences. The preservation and enhancement of our natural resources can be achieved by measuring the success of improved management practices and by adjusting conservation policies as needed to ensure long-term protection.

The Environmental Data Initiative: A broad-use data repository for environmental and ecological data that strives to balance data quality and ease of submission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Servilla, M. S.; Brunt, J.; Costa, D.; Gries, C.; Grossman-Clarke, S.; Hanson, P. C.; O'Brien, M.; Smith, C.; Vanderbilt, K.; Waide, R.

2017-12-01

In the world of data repositories, there seems to be a never ending struggle between the generation of high-quality data documentation and the ease of archiving a data product in a repository - the higher the documentation standards, the greater effort required by the scientist, and the less likely the data will be archived. The Environmental Data Initiative (EDI) attempts to balance the rigor of data documentation to the amount of effort required by a scientist to upload and archive data. As an outgrowth of the LTER Network Information System, the EDI is funded by the US NSF Division of Environmental Biology, to support the LTER, LTREB, OBFS, and MSB programs, in addition to providing an open data archive for environmental scientists without a viable archive. EDI uses the PASTA repository software, developed originally by the LTER. PASTA is metadata driven and documents data with the Ecological Metadata Language (EML), a high-fidelity standard that can describe all types of data in great detail. PASTA incorporates a series of data quality tests to ensure that data are correctly documented with EML in a process that is termed "metadata and data congruence", and incongruent data packages are forbidden in the repository. EDI reduces the burden of data documentation on scientists in two ways: first, EDI provides hands-on assistance in data documentation best practices using R and being developed in Python, for generating EML. These tools obscure the details of EML generation and syntax by providing a more natural and contextual setting for describing data. Second, EDI works closely with community information managers in defining rules used in PASTA quality tests. Rules deemed too strict can be turned off completely or just issue a warning, while the community learns to best handle the situation and improve their documentation practices. Rules can also be added or refined over time to improve overall quality of archived data. The outcome of quality tests are stored as part of the data archive in PASTA and are accessible to all users of the EDI data repository. In summary, EDI's metadata support to scientists and the comprehensive set of data quality tests for metadata and data congruency provide an ideal archive for environmental and ecological data.

Association of western diet & lifestyle with decreased fertility

PubMed Central

Nazni, P.

2014-01-01

It has been accepted that food customs are closely associated with the quality of life in both men and women's reproductive life. Food customs are speculated to not only influence the present lifestyle but also to induce gynaecological disorders such as dysmenorrhoea, spermatogenesis and irregular menstruation. Though there is no consistent definition of regular or normal menstruation, epidemiologic evaluation of menstrual cycle has been becoming an important issue. In addition, latent development of organic diseases such as endometriosis, which are accompanied by dysmenorrhoea, is a concern under the current nutritional environment. Thus, it is an important issue to evaluate the present situation of eating habits in couples and estimate the influence of these habits on the quality of reproductive functions. A multi-faceted therapeutic approach to improving fertility involves identifying harmful environmental and occupational risk factors, while correcting underlying nutritional imbalances to encourage optimal reproduction and its function. PMID:25673548

Delay Discounting as an Index of Sustainable Behavior: Devaluation of Future Air Quality and Implications for Public Health.

PubMed

Berry, Meredith S; Nickerson, Norma P; Odum, Amy L

2017-09-01

Poor air quality and resulting annual deaths represent significant public health concerns. Recently, rapid delay discounting (the devaluation of future outcomes) of air quality has been considered a potential barrier for engaging in long term, sustainable behaviors that might help to reduce emissions (e.g., reducing private car use, societal support for clean air initiatives). Delay discounting has been shown to be predictive of real world behavior outside of laboratory settings, and therefore may offer an important framework beyond traditional variables thought to measure sustainable behavior such as importance of an environmental issue, or environmental attitudes/values, although more research is needed in this area. We examined relations between discounting of air quality, respiratory health, and monetary gains and losses. We also examined, relations between discounting and self-reported importance of air quality and respiratory health, and nature relatedness. Results showed rapid delay discounting of all outcomes across the time frames assessed, and significant positive correlations between delay discounting of air quality, respiratory health, and monetary outcomes. Steeper discounting of monetary outcomes relative to air quality and respiratory health outcomes was observed in the context of gains; however, no differences in discounting were observed across losses of monetary, air quality, and respiratory health. Replicating the sign effect, monetary outcomes were discounted more steeply than monetary losses. Importance of air quality, respiratory health and nature relatedness were significantly and positively correlated with one another, but not with degree of delay discounting of any outcome, demonstrating the need for more comprehensive measures that predict pro-environmental behaviors that might benefit individuals and public health over time. These results add to our understanding of decision-making, and demonstrate alarming rates of delay discounting of air quality and health. These results implicate a major public health concern and potential barriers to individual and societal behavior that reduce pollution and emissions for conservation of clean air.

Delay Discounting as an Index of Sustainable Behavior: Devaluation of Future Air Quality and Implications for Public Health

PubMed Central

Berry, Meredith S.; Nickerson, Norma P.; Odum, Amy L.

2017-01-01

Poor air quality and resulting annual deaths represent significant public health concerns. Recently, rapid delay discounting (the devaluation of future outcomes) of air quality has been considered a potential barrier for engaging in long term, sustainable behaviors that might help to reduce emissions (e.g., reducing private car use, societal support for clean air initiatives). Delay discounting has been shown to be predictive of real world behavior outside of laboratory settings, and therefore may offer an important framework beyond traditional variables thought to measure sustainable behavior such as importance of an environmental issue, or environmental attitudes/values, although more research is needed in this area. We examined relations between discounting of air quality, respiratory health, and monetary gains and losses. We also examined, relations between discounting and self-reported importance of air quality and respiratory health, and nature relatedness. Results showed rapid delay discounting of all outcomes across the time frames assessed, and significant positive correlations between delay discounting of air quality, respiratory health, and monetary outcomes. Steeper discounting of monetary outcomes relative to air quality and respiratory health outcomes was observed in the context of gains; however, no differences in discounting were observed across losses of monetary, air quality, and respiratory health. Replicating the sign effect, monetary outcomes were discounted more steeply than monetary losses. Importance of air quality, respiratory health and nature relatedness were significantly and positively correlated with one another, but not with degree of delay discounting of any outcome, demonstrating the need for more comprehensive measures that predict pro-environmental behaviors that might benefit individuals and public health over time. These results add to our understanding of decision-making, and demonstrate alarming rates of delay discounting of air quality and health. These results implicate a major public health concern and potential barriers to individual and societal behavior that reduce pollution and emissions for conservation of clean air. PMID:28862671

Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact: Kalina Geothermal Demonstration Project Steamboat Springs, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

N /A

1999-02-22

The Department of Energy (DOE) has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) to provide the DOE and other public agency decision makers with the environmental documentation required to take informed discretionary action on the proposed Kalina Geothermal Demonstration project. The EA assesses the potential environmental impacts and cumulative impacts, possible ways to minimize effects associated with partial funding of the proposed project, and discusses alternatives to DOE actions. The DOE will use this EA as a basis for their decision to provide financial assistance to Exergy, Inc. (Exergy), the project applicant. Based on the analysis in the EA, DOE has determinedmore » that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human or physical environment, within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. Therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement is not required and DOE is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).« less

[World deliberations in Rio].

PubMed

Annis, B

1991-01-01

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) was held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 and dealt with world trade, environmental education, environmental emergencies, the transfer of technology and financial resources, and the restructuring of international systems for tackling environmental problems. Other issues on the agenda were the protection of the atmosphere, the ozone shield, deforestation, the conservation of biological diversity, sustainable urban and rural development, and the safeguarding of human health and quality of life. The preparation for the conference took place through a series of meetings, which also featured the problems of rural areas in the Americas. Some environmental organizations based in Washington, D.C. had become impassive over the years and promoted bipartisan and apolitical issues in order to obtain funds. Nonetheless, some groups criticized the projects of the World Bank. In 1990 the World Bank established the World Environmental Program for developing countries, which envisioned the execution of 15 projects and 11 technical assistance proposals. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) were also active in this effort. The Interamerican Development Bank also launched a forest policy for preserving forest resources. This was the consequence of the 1982 scheme that aimed at protecting forest populations and promoting sustainable forest industries. At another conference of development specialists the discrimination against women was cited as a major factor in the deleterious use of natural resources. A new development concept was urged that would incorporate the rights and participation of women as a central strategy in solving the global environmental crisis. The global population is growing at a rate of 95 million people per year, which underlines the need for better representation of women, poor people, and rural areas in state agencies and multilateral and environmental organizations for promoting sustainable local development. The increasing use of energy, the North-South dichotomy, and the issue of global warming were also explored.

Valuing air quality impacts using stated choice analysis: trading off visibility against morbidity effects.

PubMed

Rizzi, Luis Ignacio; Maza, Cristóbal De La; Cifuentes, Luis Abdón; Gómez, Jorge

2014-12-15

Direct valuation of air quality has as a drawback; that estimated willingness to pay figures cannot be apportioned to the several environmental goods affected by air quality, such as mortality and morbidity effects, visibility, outdoor recreation, among others. To address this issue, we implemented a survey in Santiago de Chile to identify component values of confounded environmental services by means of a choice experiment. We designed a survey where two environmental goods, a morbidity health endpoint and improved visibility, had to be jointly traded off against each other and against money in a unified framework. The health endpoint is a respiratory illness that results in an emergency room visit with a probability of hospitalization being required for appropriate treatment. Visibility is described as an aesthetic effect related to the number of days per year of high visibility. Modeling comprises both a logit model with covariates and a mixed-logit model. The results suggest that the health endpoint midpoint value is in a range from USD 2,800 to USD 13,000, mainly depending on the model and age stratum. The mid point value of an extra day of high visibility per year ranges from USD 281,000 to USD 379,000. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Aquatic environmental assessment of Lake Balaton in the light of physical-chemical water parameters.

PubMed

Sebestyén, Vitkor; Németh, József; Juzsakova, Tatjana; Domokos, Endre; Kovács, Zsófia; Rédey, Ákos

2017-11-01

One of the issues of the Hungarian Water Management Strategy is the improvement and upgrading of the water of Lake Balaton. The Water Framework Directive (WFD) specifies and sets forth the achievement of the good ecological status. However, the assessment of the water quality of the lake as a complex system requires a comprehensive monitoring and evaluation procedure. Measurements were carried out around the Lake Balaton at ten different locations/sites and 13 physical-chemical parameters were monitored at each measurement site.For the interpretation of the water chemistry parameters the Aquatic Environmental Assessment (AEA) method devised by authors was used for the water body of the Lake Balaton. The AEA method can be used for all types of the water bodies since it is flexible and using individual weighting procedure for the water chemistry parameters comprehensive information can be obtain. The AEA method was compared with existing EIA methods according to a predefined criterion system and proved to be the most suitable tool for evaluating the environmental impacts in our study.On the basis of the results it can be concluded that the status of the quality of studied area on the Lake Balaton can be categorized as proper quality (from the outcome of the ten measurement sites this conclusion was reached at seven sites).

Geochemical Data on Waters, gases, scales, and rocks from the Dixie Valley Region, Nevada (1996-1999)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goff, Fraser; Bergfeld, Deborah; Janik, C.J.

2002-08-01

This report tabulates an extensive geochemical database on waters, gases, scales, rocks, and hot-spring deposits from the Dixie Valley region, Nevada. The samples from which the data were obtained were collected and analyzed during 1996 to 1999. These data provide useful information for ongoing and future investigations on geothermal energy, volcanism, ore deposits, environmental issues, and groundwater quality in this region.

Ageing in the Bush: The Role of Rural Places in Maintaining Identity for Long Term Rural Residents and Retirement Migrants in North-East Victoria, Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winterton, Rachel; Warburton, Jeni

2012-01-01

As a consequence of local population ageing, which is more pronounced in rural areas, the issue of maintaining a positive quality of life for rural older people is attracting significant attention. While environmental psychology theory has advocated the role of place identity in defining the self, there has been little applied research exploring…

Translations on Environmental Quality, Number 143

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-08-08

Struma River for the water supply of Sofia, Stanke Dimitrov , and Blagoevgrad. These commissions were to issue their opinions on the water balance and on...Nedyalkov, chairman of the commission of the Forest Institute of the BAN [Bulgarian Academy of Sciences], Professor Kiril Mishev from the Earth Sciences...300 million cubic meters of water are wasted, approximately the volume of the G. Dimitrov Dam. Such an amount of water could irrigate about 700

PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE: Crosscutting Issues Planning Conference Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-10-01

critical for reducing water use. As soon as you shift to increasing block tariffs, this will result in changing cropping patterns that reduce...because, as we manage our load, we can also manage our costs. I wanted to give you an idea of the context of energy use in the federal...Energy Management Program, Department of EnergyNext, to enhance indoor environmental quality, think about things, such as whether you have daylighting

High-rise housing in the city of Samara: the first steps on the path to sustainable development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vavilova, Tatiana Ya.; Makeeva, Elena Yu.

2018-03-01

This paper outlines theoretical background of high-rise housing and discusses its design experience. It particularly focuses on environmental, social and economic aspects which are among crucial sustainable development issues. The authors dwell upon the implementation of innovative solutions that meet principles and goals of sustainable development and take construction objects built in Samara (which is one of the largest metropolises in Russia) as an example. The research also investigates the quality of project designs and reveals techniques corresponding to the "green standards". It considers the issues of practicing high-rise building construction in specific urban conditions and identifies unresolved architectural problems.

Environmental assessment: Kotzebue Wind Installation Project, Kotzebue, Alaska

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1998-05-01

The DOE is proposing to provide financial assistance to the Kotzebue Electric Association to expand its existing wind installation near Kotzebue, Alaska. Like many rural Alaska towns, Kotzebue uses diesel-powered generators to produce its electricity, the high cost of which is currently subsidized by the Alaska State government. In an effort to provide a cost effective and clean source of electricity, reduce dependence on diesel fuel, and reduce air pollutants, the DOE is proposing to fund an experimental wind installation to test commercially available wind turbines under Arctic conditions. The results would provide valuable information to other Alaska communities experiencingmore » similar dependence on diesel-powered generators. The environmental assessment for the proposed wind installation assessed impacts to biological resources, land use, electromagnetic interference, coastal zone, air quality, cultural resources, and noise. It was determined that the project does not constitute a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. Therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement is not required, and DOE has issued a Finding of No Significant Impact.« less

Hydrologic monitoring and selected hydrologic and environmental studies by the U.S. Geological Survey in Georgia, 2011–2013

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clarke, John S.; Dalton, Melinda J.

2013-01-01

This compendium of papers describes results of hydrologic monitoring and hydrologic and environmental studies completed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Georgia during 2011–2013. The USGS addresses a wide variety of water issues in the State of Georgia working with local, State, and Federal partners. As the primary Federal science agency for water resource information, the USGS monitors the quantity and quality of water in the Nation’s rivers and aquifers, assesses the sources and fate of contaminants in aquatic systems, collects and analyzes data on aquatic ecosystems, develops tools to improve the application of hydrologic information, and ensures that its information and tools are available to all potential users. During 2011–2013, the USGS continued a long-term program of monitoring stream and groundwater resources, including flow, water quality, and water use. In addition, a variety of hydrologic and environmental studies were completed to assess water availability, hydrologic hazards, and the impact of development on water resources. Information on USGS activities in Georgia is available online at http://ga.water.usgs.gov/.

National Coal Utilization Assessment. a preliminary assessment of the health and environmental effects of coal utilization in the Midwest. Volume I. Energy scenarios, technology characterizations, air and water resource impacts, and health effects

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1977-01-01

This report presents an initial evaluation of the major health and environmental issues associated with increased coal use in the six midwestern states of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Using an integrated assessment approach, the evaluation proceeds from a base-line scenario of energy demand and facility siting for 1975-2020. Emphasis is placed on impacts from coal extraction, land reclamation, coal combustion for electrical generation, and coal gasification. The range of potential impacts and constraints is illustrated by a second scenario that represents an expected upper limit for coal utilization in Illinois. The following are among the more significantmore » issues identified and evaluated in this study: If environmental and related issues can be resolved, coal will continue to be a major source of energy for the Midwest; existing sulfur emission constraints will increase use of western coal; the resource requirements and environmental impacts of coal utilization will require major significant environmental and economic tradeoffs in site selection; short-term (24-hr) ambient standards for sulfur dioxide will limit the sizes of coal facilities or require advanced control technologies; an impact on public health may result from long-range transport of airborne sulfur emissions from coal facilities in the Midwest; inadequately controlled effluents from coal gasification may cause violations of water-quality standards; the major ecological effects of coal extraction are from pre-mining and post-reclamation land use; and sulfur dioxide is the major potential contributor to effects on vegetation of atmospheric emissions from coal facilities.« less

Conducting environmental health research in the Arabian Middle East: lessons learned and opportunities.

PubMed

Yeatts, Karin B; El-Sadig, Mohamed; Ali, Habiba I; Al-Maskari, Fatma; Campbell, Alan; Ng, Shu Wen; Reeves, Lisa; Chan, Ronna L; Davidson, Christopher A; Funk, William E; Boundy, Maryanne G; Leith, David; Popkin, Barry; Gibson, Jacqueline Macdonald; Rusyn, Ivan; Olshan, Andrew F

2012-05-01

The Arabian Gulf nations are undergoing rapid economic development, leading to major shifts in both the traditional lifestyle and the environment. Although the pace of change is brisk, there is a dearth of environmental health research in this region. We describe challenges and successes of conducting an environmental epidemiologic study in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a Gulf nation in the Middle East, with an inter-disciplinary team that includes in-country academic and government collaborators as well as U.S. academic collaborators. We present several issues, including study and data collection design, exposure assessment, scheduling and time coordination, quality assurance and quality control, and institutional review board protocols. These topics are considered in a cultural context. Benefits of this research included building linkages among multinational, interdisciplinary team members, generating data for local environmental decision making, and developing local epidemiologic research capacity. The Middle Eastern culture of hospitality greatly benefited the project team. Cultural differences impact multiple aspects of epidemiologic research and should be respectfully addressed. Conducting international population-based environmental research poses many challenges; these challenges can be met successfully with careful planning, cultural knowledge, and flexibility. Lessons learned are applicable to interdisciplinary research all over the world. The research conducted will benefit the environmental and public health agencies of the UAE and provide the nation's leadership with country-specific environmental health data that can be used to protect the public's health in a rapidly changing environment.

Conducting Environmental Health Research in the Arabian Middle East: Lessons Learned and Opportunities

PubMed Central

El-Sadig, Mohamed; Ali, Habiba I.; Al-Maskari, Fatma; Campbell, Alan; Ng, Shu Wen; Reeves, Lisa; Chan, Ronna L.; Davidson, Christopher A.; Funk, William E.; Boundy, Maryanne G.; Leith, David; Popkin, Barry; Gibson, Jacqueline MacDonald; Rusyn, Ivan; Olshan, Andrew F.

2012-01-01

Background: The Arabian Gulf nations are undergoing rapid economic development, leading to major shifts in both the traditional lifestyle and the environment. Although the pace of change is brisk, there is a dearth of environmental health research in this region. Objective: We describe challenges and successes of conducting an environmental epidemiologic study in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a Gulf nation in the Middle East, with an inter-disciplinary team that includes in-country academic and government collaborators as well as U.S. academic collaborators. Discussion: We present several issues, including study and data collection design, exposure assessment, scheduling and time coordination, quality assurance and quality control, and institutional review board protocols. These topics are considered in a cultural context. Benefits of this research included building linkages among multinational, interdisciplinary team members, generating data for local environmental decision making, and developing local epidemiologic research capacity. The Middle Eastern culture of hospitality greatly benefited the project team. Conclusion: Cultural differences impact multiple aspects of epidemiologic research and should be respectfully addressed. Conducting international population-based environmental research poses many challenges; these challenges can be met successfully with careful planning, cultural knowledge, and flexibility. Lessons learned are applicable to interdisciplinary research all over the world. The research conducted will benefit the environmental and public health agencies of the UAE and provide the nation’s leadership with country-specific environmental health data that can be used to protect the public’s health in a rapidly changing environment. PMID:22356946

South Asia transboundary water quality monitoring workshop summary report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Betsill, Jeffrey David; Littlefield, Adriane C.; Luetters, Frederick O.

2003-04-01

The Cooperative Monitoring Center (CMC) promotes collaborations among scientists and researchers in several regions as a means of achieving common regional security objectives. To promote cooperation in South Asia on environmental research, an international working group made up of participants from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and the United States convened in Kathmandu, Nepal, from February 17-23,2002. The workshop was held to further develop the South Asia Transboundary Water Quality Monitoring (SATWQM) project. The project is sponsored in part by the CMC located at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico through funding provided by the US. Department of State, Regionalmore » Environmental Affairs Office, American Embassy, Kathmandu, Nepal, and the National Nuclear Security Administration's (NNSA) Office of Nonproliferation and National Security. This report summarizes the SATWQM project, the workshop objectives, process and results. The long-term interests of the participants are to develop systems for sharing regional environmental information as a means of building confidence and improving relations among South Asian countries. The more immediate interests of the group are focused on activities that foster regional sharing of water quality data in the Ganges and Indus River basins. Issues of concern to the SATWQM network participants include studying the impacts from untreated sewage and industrial effluents, agricultural run-off, salinity increases in fresh waters, the siltation and shifting of river channels, and the environmental degradation of critical habitats such as wetlands, protected forests, and endangered aquatic species conservation areas. The workshop focused on five objectives: (1) a deepened understanding of the partner organizations involved; (2) garnering the support of additional regional and national government and non-government organizations in South Asia involved in river water quality monitoring; (3) identification of sites within the region at which water quality data are to be collected; (4) instituting a data and information collection and sharing process; and, (5) training of partners in the use of water quality monitoring equipment.« less

Environmental implications of excessive selenium: a review.

PubMed

Lemly, A D

1997-12-01

Selenium is a naturally occurring trace element that is nutritionally required in small amounts but it can become toxic at concentrations only twice those required. The narrow margin between beneficial and harmful levels has important implications for human activities that increase the amount of selenium in the environment. Two of these activities, disposal of fossil fuel wastes and agricultural irrigation of arid, seleniferous soils, have poisoned fish and wildlife, and threatened public health at several locations in the United States. Research studies of these episodes have generated a data base that clearly illustrates the environmental hazard of excessive selenium. It is strongly bioaccumulated by aquatic organisms and even slight increases in waterborne concentrations can quickly result in toxic effects such as deformed embryos and reproductive failure in wildlife. The selenium data base has been very beneficial in developing hazard assessment procedures and establishing environmentally sound water quality criteria. The two faces of selenium, required nutrient and potent toxin, make it a particularly important trace element in the health of both animals and man. Because of this paradox, environmental selenium in relation to agriculture, fisheries, and wildlife will continue to raise important land and water management issues for decades to come. If these issues are dealt with using prudence and the available environmental selenium data base, adverse impacts to natural resources and public health can be avoided.

76 FR 26996 - Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for New Corporate Average Fuel...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-10

...Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), NHTSA plans to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the potential environmental impacts of the agency's Corporate Average Fuel Economy program for passenger automobiles (referred to herein as ``passenger cars'') and non-passenger automobiles (referred to herein as ``light trucks''). The EIS will consider the potential environmental impacts of new fuel economy standards for model years 2017-2025 passenger cars and light trucks that NHTSA will be proposing pursuant to the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. This notice initiates the NEPA scoping process by inviting comments from Federal, State, and local agencies, Indian tribes, and the public to help identify the environmental issues and reasonable alternatives to be examined in the EIS. This notice also provides guidance for participating in the scoping process and additional information about the alternatives NHTSA expects to consider in its NEPA analysis. In preparing this notice, NHTSA has shared the document with the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Energy (DOE).

Environmental regulatory failure and metal contamination at the Giap Lai pyrite mine, Northern Vietnam.

PubMed

Håkan Tarras-Wahlberg, N; Nguyen, Lan T

2008-03-01

The causes for the failure in enforcement of environmental regulations at the Giap Lai pyrite mine in northern Vietnam are considered and the environmental impacts that are associated with this mine are evaluated. It is shown that sulphide-rich tailings and waste rock in the mining area represent significant sources of acid rock drainage (ARD). The ARD is causing elevated metal levels in downstream water bodies, which in turn, represent a threat to both human health and to aquatic ecosystems. Metal concentrations in impacted surface waters have increased after mine closure, suggesting that impacts are becoming progressively more serious. No post-closure, remediation measures have been applied at the mine, in spite of the existence of environmental legislation and both central and regional institutions charged with environmental supervision and control. The research presented here provides further emphasis for the recommendation that, while government institutions may need to be strengthened, and environmental regulations need to be in place, true on the ground improvement in environmental quality in Vietnam and in many other developing countries require an increased focus on promoting public awareness of industrial environmental issues.

Genetic influence on contrast sensitivity in middle-aged male twins.

PubMed

Cronin-Golomb, Alice; Panizzon, Matthew S; Lyons, Michael J; Franz, Carol E; Grant, Michael D; Jacobson, Kristen C; Eisen, Seth A; Laudate, Thomas M; Kremen, William S

2007-07-01

Contrast sensitivity is strongly associated with daily functioning among older adults, but the genetic and environmental contributions to this ability are unknown. Using the classical twin method, we addressed this issue by examining contrast sensitivity at five spatial frequencies (1.5-18 cycles per degree) in 718 middle-aged male twins from the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA). Heritability estimates were modest (14-38%), whereas individual-specific environmental influences accounted for 62-86% of the variance. Identifying the types of individual-specific events that impact contrast sensitivity may suggest interventions to modulate this ability and thereby improve overall quality of life as adults age.

QC-ART: A tool for real-time quality control assessment of mass spectrometry-based proteomics data.

PubMed

Stanfill, Bryan A; Nakayasu, Ernesto S; Bramer, Lisa M; Thompson, Allison M; Ansong, Charles K; Clauss, Therese; Gritsenko, Marina A; Monroe, Matthew E; Moore, Ronald J; Orton, Daniel J; Piehowski, Paul D; Schepmoes, Athena A; Smith, Richard D; Webb-Robertson, Bobbie-Jo; Metz, Thomas O

2018-04-17

Liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based proteomics studies of large sample cohorts can easily require from months to years to complete. Acquiring consistent, high-quality data in such large-scale studies is challenging because of normal variations in instrumentation performance over time, as well as artifacts introduced by the samples themselves, such as those due to collection, storage and processing. Existing quality control methods for proteomics data primarily focus on post-hoc analysis to remove low-quality data that would degrade downstream statistics; they are not designed to evaluate the data in near real-time, which would allow for interventions as soon as deviations in data quality are detected.  In addition to flagging analyses that demonstrate outlier behavior, evaluating how the data structure changes over time can aide in understanding typical instrument performance or identify issues such as a degradation in data quality due to the need for instrument cleaning and/or re-calibration.  To address this gap for proteomics, we developed Quality Control Analysis in Real-Time (QC-ART), a tool for evaluating data as they are acquired in order to dynamically flag potential issues with instrument performance or sample quality.  QC-ART has similar accuracy as standard post-hoc analysis methods with the additional benefit of real-time analysis.  We demonstrate the utility and performance of QC-ART in identifying deviations in data quality due to both instrument and sample issues in near real-time for LC-MS-based plasma proteomics analyses of a sample subset of The Environmental Determinants of Diabetes in the Young cohort. We also present a case where QC-ART facilitated the identification of oxidative modifications, which are often underappreciated in proteomic experiments. Published under license by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Empowering Youth to Think and Act Critically About Complex Climate Issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harden, L.; Michelson, M.; Schufreider, M.; Babcock, E.; Klotz-Chamberlin, R.; Bagley, E.; Cassidy, E. S.; Levedahl, K.; Perez, N.; Vanderbilt, C.; Hammond, K.; Brutus, D.; Arrowsmith, T.

2016-12-01

The world is facing complex environmental challenges and a changing climate is one of the most pressing. These challenges require innovative solutions, which can only be achieved by first developing a more science and environmentally literate public through high-quality education. We know a lot about how to frame climate change messages to be most effective for adults (1). However, we know much less about how youth respond to these same messages. It is important to engage adolescents in these conversations, as this is the age when kids begin to think more critically and abstractly about complex problems, but also when peer and social influences increase in importance (2). Thus, middle school is a critical point in young students' lives when they might either lose interest in science or gain a strong science identity. To keep them interested and invested in science and environmental issues, we need relevant and transformative climate change materials for use in the classroom—materials that are video-based, compelling, and presented by other youth. The California Academy of Sciences has developed a video-based series with lessons supporting the NGSS called Flipside Science that challenges youth to think critically about complex environmental issues. Exploring Energy: Designing a Brighter Future is a unit within this series that engages youth in thinking about how we can make changes to our current energy uses and behaviors to combat climate change. The videos in the unit are hosted by diverse teens who bring an optimistic and relevant voice to these issues, and the associated lessons engage students in honing their design thinking and problem-solving skills. Although intended for use inside the classroom, these resources inspire action among youth outside of the classroom and in their communities. Initial evaluations of two other Flipside Science units on water and food issues indicate that the youth-powered nature of the videos and the real-world challenges posed in the lessons are meaningful to students and useful for teachers. They also point the way to reimagining how environmental issues are taught by presenting them in a youth voice and injecting youth perspective on these pressing problems.1 ecoAmerica et al. (2015). Let's Talk Climate: Messages to Motivate Americans. 2 Keating, D P (1990). Adolescent thinking.

Teaching Environmental Health Science for Informed Citizenship in the Science Classroom and Afterschool Clubs.

PubMed

Keselman, Alla; Levin, Daniel M; Hundal, Savreen; Kramer, Judy F; Matzkin, Karen; Dutcher, Gale

2012-08-01

In the era of growing concerns about human-induced climate change and sustainable development, it is important for the schools to prepare students for meaningful engagement with environmental policies that will determine the future of our society. To do this, educators need to face a number of challenges. These include deciding on the science knowledge and skills needed for informed citizenship, identifying teaching practices for fostering such knowledge and skills, and finding ways to implement new practices into the tightly packed existing curriculum. This paper describes two collaborative efforts between the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) and University of Maryland College of Education that attempt to meet these challenges. The focus of both projects is on helping students develop information seeking and evaluation and argumentation skills, and applying them to complex socio-scientific issues that have bearing on students' daily lives. The first effort involves co-designing an afterschool environmental health club curriculum with an interdisciplinary team of middle school teachers. The second effort is the development and implementation of a week-long school drinking water quality debate activity in a high school environmental science classroom. Both projects center on Tox Town, an NLM web resource that introduces students to environmental health issues in everyday environments. The paper describes successes and challenges of environmental health curriculum development, including teachers' and researchers' perception of contextual constraints in the club and classroom setting, tensions inherent in co-design, and students' experience with socio-scientific argumentation.

Teaching Environmental Health Science for Informed Citizenship in the Science Classroom and Afterschool Clubs

PubMed Central

Keselman, Alla; Levin, Daniel M.; Hundal, Savreen; Kramer, Judy F.; Matzkin, Karen; Dutcher, Gale

2013-01-01

In the era of growing concerns about human-induced climate change and sustainable development, it is important for the schools to prepare students for meaningful engagement with environmental policies that will determine the future of our society. To do this, educators need to face a number of challenges. These include deciding on the science knowledge and skills needed for informed citizenship, identifying teaching practices for fostering such knowledge and skills, and finding ways to implement new practices into the tightly packed existing curriculum. This paper describes two collaborative efforts between the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) and University of Maryland College of Education that attempt to meet these challenges. The focus of both projects is on helping students develop information seeking and evaluation and argumentation skills, and applying them to complex socio-scientific issues that have bearing on students’ daily lives. The first effort involves co-designing an afterschool environmental health club curriculum with an interdisciplinary team of middle school teachers. The second effort is the development and implementation of a week-long school drinking water quality debate activity in a high school environmental science classroom. Both projects center on Tox Town, an NLM web resource that introduces students to environmental health issues in everyday environments. The paper describes successes and challenges of environmental health curriculum development, including teachers’ and researchers’ perception of contextual constraints in the club and classroom setting, tensions inherent in co-design, and students’ experience with socio-scientific argumentation. PMID:24382985

Green buildings need good ergonomics.

PubMed

Hedge, A; Dorsey, J A

2013-01-01

A retrospective post-occupancy evaluation survey of 44 occupants in two Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum buildings on a US college campus is reported. The Internet survey covered a range of indoor environment and ergonomics issues. Results show that working in these buildings were a generally positive experience for their health, performance and satisfaction. However, in one building there were persistent issues of variability in air temperature, air freshness, air quality and noise that affected the perceived health and performance of the occupants. Although the buildings were energy-efficient and sustainable structures, ergonomics design issues were identified. Implications for the role of ergonomics in green buildings and in the US LEED rating system are discussed. This survey identified a number of ergonomics design issues present in the LEED Platinum energy-efficient and sustainable buildings that were studied. These results highlight the importance of integrating ergonomics design into green buildings as a component in the US LEED rating system.

Lighting issues in the 1980's. Summary and proceedings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rubin, A. I.

1980-01-01

The Lighting Roundtable described in this report was conducted to foster an open discussion of the goals, issues, and responsibilities of the lighting community. It was not a problem-solving session, but rather a time to examine the long-term aspirations and objectives of lighting and the barriers that may stand in the way of achieving them. Eight major issues were addressed by nine panelists and a number of invited auditors. The issues are as follows: (1) The Public Image of the Lighting Community; (2) US Role in the Worldwide Lighting Community; (3) Factors Affecting Human Activities in the Built Environment; (4)more » Effect of Lighting on Environmental Quality; (5) Effects of Barriers; (6) Establishment of Illuminance Levels; (7) Integration of Subsystems; and (8) Professional Development and Lighting Education. Two parts presented are: (1) a summary of the proceedings; and (2) a complete transcript.« less

Uncertainties and applications of satellite-derived coastal water quality products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zheng, Guangming; DiGiacomo, Paul M.

2017-12-01

Recent and forthcoming launches of a plethora of ocean color radiometry sensors, coupled with increasingly adopted free and open data policies are expected to boost usage of satellite ocean color data and drive the demand to use these data in a quantitative and routine manner. Here we review factors that introduce uncertainties to various satellite-derived water quality products and recommend approaches to minimize the uncertainty of a specific product. We show that the regression relationships between remote-sensing reflectance and water turbidity (in terms of nephelometric units) established for different regions tend to converge and therefore it is plausible to develop a global satellite water turbidity product derived using a single algorithm. In contrast, solutions to derive suspended particulate matter concentration are much less generalizable; in one case it might be more accurate to estimate this parameter based on satellite-derived particulate backscattering coefficient, whereas in another the nonagal particulate absorption coefficient might be a better proxy. Regarding satellite-derived chlorophyll concentration, known to be subject to large uncertainties in coastal waters, studies summarized here clearly indicate that the accuracy of classical reflectance band-ratio algorithms depends largely on the contribution of phytoplankton to total light absorption coefficient as well as the degree of correlation between phytoplankton and the dominant nonalgal contributions. Our review also indicates that currently available satellite-derived water quality products are restricted to optically significant materials, whereas many users are interested in toxins, nutrients, pollutants, and pathogens. Presently, proxies or indicators for these constituents are inconsistently (and often incorrectly) developed and applied. Progress in this general direction will remain slow unless, (i) optical oceanographers and environmental scientists start collaborating more closely and make optical and environmental measurements in parallel, (ii) more efforts are devoted to identifying optical, ecological, and environmental forerunners of autochthonous water quality issues (e.g., onsite growth of pathogens), and, (iii) environmental processes associated with the source, transport, and transformation of allochthonous issues (e.g., transport of nutrients) are better understood. Accompanying these challenges, the need still exists to conduct fundamental research in satellite ocean color radiometry, including development of more robust atmospheric correction methods as well as inverse models for coastal regions where optical properties of both aerosols and hydrosols are complex.

A proposal for assessing study quality: Biomonitoring, Environmental Epidemiology, and Short-lived Chemicals (BEES-C) instrument.

PubMed

LaKind, Judy S; Sobus, Jon R; Goodman, Michael; Barr, Dana Boyd; Fürst, Peter; Albertini, Richard J; Arbuckle, Tye E; Schoeters, Greet; Tan, Yu-Mei; Teeguarden, Justin; Tornero-Velez, Rogelio; Weisel, Clifford P

2014-12-01

The quality of exposure assessment is a major determinant of the overall quality of any environmental epidemiology study. The use of biomonitoring as a tool for assessing exposure to ubiquitous chemicals with short physiologic half-lives began relatively recently. These chemicals present several challenges, including their presence in analytical laboratories and sampling equipment, difficulty in establishing temporal order in cross-sectional studies, short- and long-term variability in exposures and biomarker concentrations, and a paucity of information on the number of measurements required for proper exposure classification. To date, the scientific community has not developed a set of systematic guidelines for designing, implementing and interpreting studies of short-lived chemicals that use biomonitoring as the exposure metric or for evaluating the quality of this type of research for WOE assessments or for peer review of grants or publications. We describe key issues that affect epidemiology studies using biomonitoring data on short-lived chemicals and propose a systematic instrument--the Biomonitoring, Environmental Epidemiology, and Short-lived Chemicals (BEES-C) instrument--for evaluating the quality of research proposals and studies that incorporate biomonitoring data on short-lived chemicals. Quality criteria for three areas considered fundamental to the evaluation of epidemiology studies that include biological measurements of short-lived chemicals are described: 1) biomarker selection and measurement, 2) study design and execution, and 3) general epidemiological study design considerations. We recognize that the development of an evaluative tool such as BEES-C is neither simple nor non-controversial. We hope and anticipate that the instrument will initiate further discussion/debate on this topic. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

A proposal for assessing study quality: Biomonitoring, Environmental Epidemiology, and Short-lived Chemicals (BEES-C) instrument

PubMed Central

LaKind, Judy S.; Sobus, Jon R.; Goodman, Michael; Barr, Dana Boyd; Fürst, Peter; Albertini, Richard J.; Arbuckle, Tye E.; Schoeters, Greet; Tan, Yu-Mei; Teeguarden, Justin; Tornero-Velez, Rogelio; Weisel, Clifford P.

2015-01-01

The quality of exposure assessment is a major determinant of the overall quality of any environmental epidemiology study. The use of biomonitoring as a tool for assessing exposure to ubiquitous chemicals with short physiologic half-lives began relatively recently. These chemicals present several challenges, including their presence in analytical laboratories and sampling equipment, difficulty in establishing temporal order in cross-sectional studies, short- and long-term variability in exposures and biomarker concentrations, and a paucity of information on the number of measurements required for proper exposure classification. To date, the scientific community has not developed a set of systematic guidelines for designing, implementing and interpreting studies of short-lived chemicals that use biomonitoring as the exposure metric or for evaluating the quality of this type of research for WOE assessments or for peer review of grants or publications. We describe key issues that affect epidemiology studies using biomonitoring data on short-lived chemicals and propose a systematic instrument – the Biomonitoring, Environmental Epidemiology, and Short-lived Chemicals (BEES-C) instrument – for evaluating the quality of research proposals and studies that incorporate biomonitoring data on short-lived chemicals. Quality criteria for three areas considered fundamental to the evaluation of epidemiology studies that include biological measurements of short-lived chemicals are described: 1) biomarker selection and measurement, 2) study design and execution, and 3) general epidemiological study design considerations. We recognize that the development of an evaluative tool such as BEES-C is neither simple nor non-controversial. We hope and anticipate that the instrument will initiate further discussion/debate on this topic. PMID:25137624

A comparison of sediment quality results with acid volatile sulfide (AVS) and simultaneously extracted metals (SEM) ratio in Vojvodina (Serbia) sediments.

PubMed

Prica, M; Dalmacija, B; Roncević, S; Krcmar, D; Becelić, M

2008-01-25

The acid-volatile sulfide (AVS), simultaneously extracted metals (SEM), total metals, and pore-water metal concentrations were studied in Vojvodina (Serbia) sediments. In Serbia, there are no regulations concerning sediment quality standards and sediment management. Harmonization of legislation in the domain of environmental protection with EU requirements will increase the significance of the sediment issue. Sediment quality was assessed according to Dutch standards, but the results were also compared with Canadian and USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) guidelines for sediment quality. A comparison of the results based on different criteria for sediment quality assessment shows that they are sometimes contradictory. Therefore, a single approach to quality assessment may be insufficient. The Sigma[SEM]/[AVS] ratio was found to be greater than one at several locations that were already recognized as places of high risk based on Dutch standards. Some other samples had Sigma[SEM]/[AVS]<1, despite of the high risk classification based on the Dutch evaluation. However, not all sediments with Sigma[SEM]/[AVS]>1 can cause increased toxicity because there are many other metal-binding phases in sediments. Metals that are associated with AVS may be released within sediments through storms, dredging activities, oxidation, etc., and may have adverse environmental impacts. This has to be taken into account during dredging, which is for some sediments necessary because the sediment is of class 4 (Dutch evaluation), because the dredging process will certainly increase the concentration of bioavailable heavy metals and disturb the sedimentation dynamics. The obtained results will be invaluable for future activities regarding dredging and sediment management in the country.

Environmental Assessment for decommissioning the Strategic Petroleum Reserve Weeks Island Facility, Iberia Parish, Louisiana

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-12-01

The Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) Weeks Island site is one of five underground salt dome crude oils storage facilities operated by the Department of Energy (DOE). It is located in Iberia Parish, Louisiana. The purpose of the proposed action is to decommission the Weeks Island crude oil storage after the oil inventory has been transferred to other SPR facilities. Water intrusion into the salt dome storage chambers and the development of two sinkholes located near the aboveground facilities has created uncertain geophysical conditions. This Environmental Assessment describes the proposed decommissioning operation, its alternatives, and potential environmental impacts. Based on thismore » analyses, DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and has issued the Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).« less

Achieving Healthy School Siting and Planning Policies: Understanding Shared Concerns of Environmental Planners, Public Health Professionals, and Educators

PubMed Central

Cohen, Alison

2013-01-01

Policy decisions regarding the quality of the physical school environment—both, school siting and school facility planning policies—are often considered through the lens of environmental planning, public health, or education policy, but rarely through all three. Environmental planners consider environmental justice issues on a local level and/or consider the regional impact of a school. Public health professionals focus on toxic exposures and populations particularly vulnerable to negative health outcomes. Educators and education policymakers emphasize investing in human capital of both students and staff. By understanding these respective angles and combining these efforts around the common goals of achieving adequacy and excellence, we can work towards a regulatory system for school facilities that recognizes children as a uniquely vulnerable population and seeks to create healthier school environments in which children can learn and adults can work. PMID:20359991

The use of plants for environmental monitoring and assessment.

PubMed

Wang, W; Freemark, K

1995-04-01

This paper presents a critical review on phytotoxicity tests for environmental monitoring and assessment. Vascular macrophytes used in the laboratory testing are emphasized; algae are mentioned only for comparison. Several issues are discussed, including the rationale for and misconceptions about phytotoxicity tests, relation to regulation, status of phytotoxicity test protocols, advantages and disadvantages of phytotoxicity tests, and possible research directions. Aquatic and terrestrial macrophytes, along with algae, are essential components of ecosystems. Macrophytes are becoming more important for the monitoring and assessment of herbicides, effluents, and industrial chemicals. In the United States, Canada, and international organizations, phytotoxicity tests can be required for environmental monitoring and assessment in statutes such as Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act; Toxic Substances Control Act; Water Quality Act; Canadian Pest Control Products Act; and Canadian Environmental Protection Act. Possible research directions for phytotoxicity tests are discussed relative to the role in regulations of industrial chemicals, effluents, hazardous waste sites, and pesticides.

Bonneville - Hood River Vegetation Management Environmental Assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

N /A

1998-08-01

To maintain the reliability of its electrical system, BPA, in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service, needs to expand the range of vegetation management options used to clear unwanted vegetation on about 20 miles of BPA transmission line right-of-way between Bonneville Dam and Hood River; Oregon, within the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area (NSA). We propose to continue controlling undesirable vegetation using a program of Integrated Vegetation Management (IVM) which includes manual, biological and chemical treatment methods. BPA has prepared an Environmental Assessment (EA) (DOE/EA-1257) evaluating the proposed project. Based on the analysis in the EA, BPA has determined thatmore » the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. Therefore, the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is not required and BPA is issuing this FONSI.« less

Science data in support of environmental health studies in the U.S.-Mexico border region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buckler, Denny; Strom, Eric

2004-01-01

The border region of the United States and Mexico encompasses a vast and diverse array of physical settings and habitats that include wetlands, deserts, rangeland, mountains, and forests, which are unique in terms of the diversity of their water, mineral, and biological resources. The region is interconnected economically, politically, and socially owing to its binational heritage. In 1995, nearly 11 million people lived immediately adjacent to the border. By one account, that population could more than double by 2020. This rapid population growth and consequent economic development and land-use changes are pushing the limits of environmental sustainability and quality. Infrastructure development has lagged behind the rapid growth of the region, resulting in a shortage of water for municipal, agricultural, and industrial uses. These stressors threaten the quality of life in the region and raise concerns about the interdependence of environmental quality and human health. To allow for continued economic growth while protecting the area’s natural resources and fostering a high quality of life, the United States and Mexico need an improved understanding of the threats posed by these anthropogenic changes.Issues of particular concern include (1) contaminants in ground water, surface water, and biota from agricultural, municipal, and industrial activities; (2) airborne pollutants from fossil-fuel combustion and other activities; (3) contaminants from past and present mining activities and mineral deposits; and (4) pathogens, pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other contaminants released in treated and untreated human and animal wastewaters.

PLUS: 'Planning Land Use with Students' is a Local Land Use Policy That Showcase the Geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turrin, M.

2014-12-01

Land Use decisions in the local community are well represented in geoscience topics and issues, and provide an excellent opportunity to showcase a wide range of geoscience careers to high school students. In PLUS (Planning Land Use with Students) we work with youth corps, volunteer agencies and the County Departments of Planning, Transportation, Public Health, Water Resources to run a program for high school seniors to engage the students in the complex layers of decision making connected with land use as we showcase geoscience careers (http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/edu/plus/index.html). How development occurs, what resources are in use and who makes these decisions is both interesting and relevant for students. We develop case studies around current, active, local land use issues large enough in scale to have a formal environmental review at the County and/or the State level. Sections of each case study are dedicated to addressing the range of environmental issues that are central to each land use decision. Water, its availability, planned use and treatment on the site, brings in both a review of local hydrology and a discussion of storm water management. Air quality and the impact of the proposed project's density, transportation plans, and commercial and industrial uses brings in air quality issues like air quality ratings, existing pollution, and local air monitoring. A review of the site plans brings in grading plans for the project area, which highlights issues of drainage, soil stability, and exposure to toxins or pollutants depending on the historic use of the site. Brownfield redevelopments are especially challenging with various monitoring, clean up and usage restrictions that are extremely interesting to the students. Students' work with mentors from the community who represent various roles in the planning process including a range of geosciences, community business members and other players in the planning process. This interplay of individuals provides a realistic look at the forces that move land use decision-making in a community. Discussion of impacts and mitigations highlight the intersection of policy and science. Debate arises on how much science should guide policy and how much land use policy decisions require science monitoring, pushing new scientific developments.

Online Tools for Uncovering Data Quality (DQ) Issues in Satellite-Based Global Precipitation Products

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Zhong; Heo, Gil

2015-01-01

Data quality (DQ) has many attributes or facets (i.e., errors, biases, systematic differences, uncertainties, benchmark, false trends, false alarm ratio, etc.)Sources can be complicated (measurements, environmental conditions, surface types, algorithms, etc.) and difficult to be identified especially for multi-sensor and multi-satellite products with bias correction (TMPA, IMERG, etc.) How to obtain DQ info fast and easily, especially quantified info in ROI Existing parameters (random error), literature, DIY, etc.How to apply the knowledge in research and applications.Here, we focus on online systems for integration of products and parameters, visualization and analysis as well as investigation and extraction of DQ information.

Using luminosity data as a proxy for economic statistics

PubMed Central

Chen, Xi

2011-01-01

A pervasive issue in social and environmental research has been how to improve the quality of socioeconomic data in developing countries. Given the shortcomings of standard sources, the present study examines luminosity (measures of nighttime lights visible from space) as a proxy for standard measures of output (gross domestic product). We compare output and luminosity at the country level and at the 1° latitude × 1° longitude grid-cell level for the period 1992–2008. We find that luminosity has informational value for countries with low-quality statistical systems, particularly for those countries with no recent population or economic censuses. PMID:21576474

Grazing Incidence Optics for X-rays Interferometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shipley, Ann; Zissa, David; Cash, Webster; Joy, Marshall

1999-01-01

Grazing incidence mirror parameters and constraints for x-ray interferometry are described. We present interferometer system tolerances and ray trace results used to define mirror surface accuracy requirements. Mirror material, surface figure, roughness, and geometry are evaluated based on analysis results. We also discuss mirror mount design constraints, finite element analysis, environmental issues, and solutions. Challenges associated with quantifying high accuracy mirror surface quality are addressed and test results are compared with theoretical predictions.

Effects of Environmental and Anthropogenic Factors on Water Quality in the Rock Creek Watershed

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-08

factors playing an augmenting role. The authors found a seasonal relationship with temperature , pH, and dissolved oxygen (DO). Additionally, they...2011 ), and nutrients (2013). In 1994, a Public Health Advisory ( fish consumption advisory) which is still in place today, was issued by the D.C...Dissolved Solids (TDS) Escherichia coli (E.coli) Temperature Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Total Colifonns - Electrical Conductivity (EC) Nitrate (N03-N

Green metacycles of attention: Reassessing the attention cycles of environmental news reporting 1961-2010.

PubMed

Djerf-Pierre, Monika

2013-05-01

This article examines the longitudinal development of environmental news reporting in Swedish television over an extended period of time, 1961-2010. It returns to Anthony Downs's (1972) seminal article on issue attention cycles when analyzing the cyclic nature of environmental news reporting and advances the issue attention cycle framework by introducing the concept of metacycles as it explores the trajectory of environmental news reporting. Metacycles refers to the major fluctuations in attention to the entire domain of environmental issues over time, while issue cycles refer to the oscillation in attention pertaining to single issues. The article analyzes the pattern of the metacycles, and investigates how cycles of attention to individual issues contribute to the shaping of the environmental metacycles in the news.

Environmental Quality Assessment of Built Areas with High Vacancy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Y.; Yuan, Y.; Neale, A. C.

2015-12-01

Around the world, many urban areas are challenged by vacant and abandoned residential and business property. High vacancy areas have often been associated with increasing public safety problems and declining property values and subsequent tax base. High vacancy can lead to visible signs of city decline and significant barriers to the revitalization of cities. Addressing the problem of vacancy requires knowledge of vacancy patterns and their possible contributing factors. In this study, we evaluated the ten year (2005-2015) urban environmental changes for some high vacancy areas. Social and economic variables derived from U.S. census data such as non-white population, employment rate, housing price, and environmental variables derived from National Land Cover Data such as land cover and impervious area, were used as the basis for analysis. Correlation analysis and principle components analysis were performed at the Census Block Group level. Three components were identified and interpreted as economic status, urbanness, and greenness. A synthetic Urban Environmental Quality (UEQ) index was developed by integrating the three principle components according to their weights. Comparisons of the UEQ indices between the 2005 and 2015 in the increasingly high vacancy area provided useful information for investigating the possible associations between social, economic, and environmental factors, and the vacancy status. This study could provide useful information for understanding the complex issues leading to vacancy and facilitating future rehabilitation of vacant urban area.

Space Life Support Technology Applications to Terrestrial Environmental Problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartzkopf, Steven H.; Sleeper, Howard L.

1993-01-01

Many of the problems now facing the human race on Earth are, in fact, life support issues. Decline of air Quality as a result of industrial and automotive emissions, pollution of ground water by organic pesticides or solvents, and the disposal of solid wastes are all examples of environmental problems that we must solve to sustain human life. The technologies currently under development to solve the problems of supporting human life for advanced space missions are extraordinarily synergistic with these environmental problems. The development of these technologies (including both physicochemical and bioregenerative types) is increasingly focused on closing the life support loop by removing and recycling contaminants and wastes to produce the materials necessary to sustain human life. By so doing, this technology development effort also focuses automatically on reducing resupply logistics requirements and increasing crew safety through increased self-sufficiency. This paper describes several technologies that have been developed to support human life in space and illustrates the applicability of the technologies to environmental problems including environmental remediation and pollution prevention.

Ethical Dilemmas in Protecting Susceptible Subpopulations From Environmental Health Risks: Liberty, Utility, Fairness, and Accountability for Reasonableness

PubMed Central

Resnik, David B.; MacDougall, D. Robert; Smith, Elise M.

2018-01-01

Various U.S. laws, such as the Clean Air Act and the Food Quality Protection Act, require additional protections for susceptible subpopulations who face greater environmental health risks. The main ethical rationale for providing these protections is to ensure that environmental health risks are distributed fairly. In this article, we (1) consider how several influential theories of justice deal with issues related to the distribution of environmental health risks; (2) show that these theories often fail to provide specific guidance concerning policy choices; and (3) argue that an approach to public decision making known as accountability for reasonableness can complement theories of justice in establishing acceptable environmental health risks for the general population and susceptible subpopulations. Since accountability for reasonableness focuses on the fairness of the decision-making process, not the outcome, it does not guarantee that susceptible subpopulations will receive a maximum level of protection, regardless of costs or other morally relevant considerations. PMID:29466133

Environmental process improvement feasibility study and demonstration program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, Rodger L.

1994-01-01

This report is the final product of an environmental study conducted by Western Commercial Space Center, Inc. under contract to Tennessee-Calspan Center for Space Transportation and Applied Research. The purpose of this investigation is to accurately document the current environmental and permitting processes associated with commercial space launch activity at Vandenberg AFB, and make recommendations to streamline those processes. The particular areas of interest focus on: identifying applicable Federal, state, and local laws, Department of Defense directives, and Air force regulations; defining the environmental process on Vandenberg AFB and how it relates with other agencies, including Federal and state regulatory agencies; and defining the air quality permit process. Study investigation results are applied to an example Pilot Space Launch Vehicle (PSLV) planning to launch from Vandenberg AFB. The PSLV space hardware is analyzed with respect to environmental and permitting issues associated with vehicle processing, facilities required (existing or new), and launch. The PSLV verified the earlier findings of the study and gave insight into streamlining recommendations.

The impact of an environmental health education intervention on the knowledge and attitudes of students of public health graduate programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Negron Martinez, Edna L.

The principal aim of this study is to ascertain any changes, if any, in the level of environmental knowledge and attitudes among graduate students, after being exposed to a Core Course in Public Health that included Environmental Health topics, as compared with a group of students that did not take courses in said field. The investigation followed a quasi-experimental design. A questionnaire derived from, The Survey of Environmental Issue Attitudes and The New Environmental Paradigm Growth and Technology Scale, was distributed through a pre- and post-test method. The total sample consisted of 75 students of Graduate Programs in the University of Puerto Rico. Forty-one students (experimental group) were selected at random, while 34 students (control group) were chosen by availability. The results of this study showed that the education pursued in the field of Environmental Health had no significant effects on students, as to any changes in their attitudes toward the environment, as compared with the control group. Forty-nine of the students, that is, 65%, showed attitudes corresponding to a level of neutrality, which usually leads to egocentric attitudes. Significant differences were demonstrated, on a scale from 1 to 100, regarding the relative importance given to several issues, 8.82 points were scored for the topic of population control, 15.16 for the subject of water quality improvement, 14.59 for the deterring of global warming, and 13.97 for the improvement of air quality. As to the measurement of ecocentric attitudes there was a significant difference, p < .05, in the average scoring obtained by females, who scored 30.7 points, and males, who scored 27.6 points. These results showed a more marked tendency towards egocentric attitudes among males. The average scoring on knowledge (1--10 scale) among male students (6.4) was higher in comparison with that of female students (5.4). Forty-eight participants, which was the majority (66.6%), indicated (during the pre-test) that they have been informed about environmental topics, through what they watch on television. One of the implications of this study is that the impact of environmental education on the learning-teaching processes, at the undergraduate and graduate level, must be reevaluated by academic institutions

Exploring Fragility: Industrial Delocalization, Occupational and Environmental Risks, and Non-Governmental Organizations

PubMed Central

Rigotto, Raquel Maria

2009-01-01

What is the role of non-governmental organizations – NGOs – in the process of industrial delocalization and socio-spatial redistribution of occupational and environmental risks? In an attempt to contribute to this debate, this study approaches the issue in a very specific socio-historical context, marked by recent accelerated industrialization in a small town in Northeast Brazil. Based on semi-structured interviews with leaders of four local NGOs, the way they perceive and value the risks introduced into the area and relations between industrialization and local development are analyzed. Findings show a strong adherence to the industrial plan by workers’ trade unions, whilst other NGOs are highly critical with regard thereto, but undertake no social or political activity regarding the issues they identify. This phenomenon is discussed in terms of the modus operandi of ideology and its strategies for symbolic construction, enabling a comprehensive reinterpretation of how capital also benefits, in its mobility, from local society’s fragility in organizing and protecting quality of life and public health. PMID:19440428

Western Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center--providing comprehensive earth science for complex societal issues

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frank, David G.; Wallace, Alan R.; Schneider, Jill L.

2010-01-01

Minerals in the environment and products manufactured from mineral materials are all around us and we use and come into contact with them every day. They impact our way of life and the health of all that lives. Minerals are critical to the Nation's economy and knowing where future mineral resources will come from is important for sustaining the Nation's economy and national security. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Mineral Resources Program (MRP) provides scientific information for objective resource assessments and unbiased research results on mineral resource potential, production and consumption statistics, as well as environmental consequences of mining. The MRP conducts this research to provide information needed for land planners and decisionmakers about where mineral commodities are known and suspected in the earth's crust and about the environmental consequences of extracting those commodities. As part of the MRP scientists of the Western Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center (WMERSC or 'Center' herein) coordinate the development of national, geologic, geochemical, geophysical, and mineral-resource databases and the migration of existing databases to standard models and formats that are available to both internal and external users. The unique expertise developed by Center scientists over many decades in response to mineral-resource-related issues is now in great demand to support applications such as public health research and remediation of environmental hazards that result from mining and mining-related activities. Western Mineral and Environmental Resources Science Center Results of WMERSC research provide timely and unbiased analyses of minerals and inorganic materials to (1) improve stewardship of public lands and resources; (2) support national and international economic and security policies; (3) sustain prosperity and improve our quality of life; and (4) protect and improve public health, safety, and environmental quality. The MRP supports approximately 40 USGS research specialists who utilize cooperative agreements with universities, industry, and other governmental agencies to support their collaborative research and information exchange. Scientists of the WMERSC study how and where non-fuel mineral resources form and are concentrated in the earth's crust, where mineral resources might be found in the future, and how mineral materials interact with the environment to affect human and ecosystem health. Natural systems (ecosystems) are complex - our understanding of how ecosystems operate requires collecting and synthesizing large amounts of geologic, geochemical, biologic, hydrologic, and meteorological information. Scientists in the Center strive to understand the interplay of various processes and how they affect the structure, composition, and health of ecosystems. Such understanding, which is then summarized in publicly available reports, is used to address and solve a wide variety of issues that are important to society and the economy. WMERSC scientists have extensive national and international experience in these scientific specialties and capabilities - they have collaborated with many Federal, State, and local agencies; with various private sector organizations; as well as with foreign countries and organizations. Nearly every scientific and societal challenge requires a different combination of scientific skills and capabilities. With their breadth of scientific specialties and capabilities, the scientists of the WMERSC can provide scientifically sound approaches to a wide range of societal challenges and issues. The following sections describe examples of important issues that have been addressed by scientists in the Center, the methods employed, and the relevant conclusions. New directions are inevitable as societal needs change over time. Scientists of the WMERSC have a diverse set of skills and capabilities and are proficient in the collection and integration of

Collaborative Potential between National Estuary Programs ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Estuaries are among the most productive ecosystems in the world, providing unique habitat for freshwater and marine species as well as valuable social and economic benefits. The wealth of ecosystem goods and services from estuaries has led to growth and development of human communities in adjacent areas and an increase in human activities that can adversely affect water quality and critical habitat. Managing for sustainable estuaries requires a balance of environmental concerns with community social and economic values. This has created an opportunity to leverage Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scientific knowledge and tools with National Estuary Program (NEP) planning and management expertise to address environmental challenges in important estuarine ecosystems. The non-regulatory National Estuary Program (NEP) was outlined in the Clean Water Act to provide stakeholders an opportunity to monitor and manage ‘nationally significant’ estuaries. Currently there are 28 estuaries in the NEP, broadly distributed across the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf Coasts, and in Puerto Rico. The local NEP management conferences must address a variety of environmental issues, from water quality and natural resources to coastal and watershed development. While the underlying objectives of each NEP are quite similar, each has unique landscapes, land uses, waterbodies, habitats, biological resources, economies and social culture. Consequently, the effects and severity of anthr

NNI Public Webinars | Nano

Science.gov Websites

Communities Environmental, Health, and Safety Issues Ethical, Legal, and Societal Issues Federal Legislation Environmental, Health, and Safety Issues Ethical, Legal, and Societal Issues Federal Legislation & Infrastructure (NNCI) Nodes and Environmental Research: Examples from the Field - Slides and Transcript An

C-FERST Environmental Issue Profiles

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This page provides links to the 45 issue profiles for C-FERST users, organized with tabs to show issues related to pollutants, environmental media, health effects, other community issues, and all issues.

Tribal-FERST Environmental Issue Profiles

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This page provides links to the 45 issue profiles for Tribal-FERST users, organized with tabs to show issues related to pollutants, environmental media, health effects, other community issues, and all issues.

Meeting Report: Threats to Human Health and Environmental Sustainability in the Pacific Basin

PubMed Central

Arnold, Robert G.; Carpenter, David O.; Kirk, Donald; Koh, David; Armour, Margaret-Ann; Cebrian, Mariano; Cifuentes, Luis; Khwaja, Mahmood; Ling, Bo; Makalinao, Irma; Paz-y-Miño, César; Peralta, Genandrialine; Prasad, Rajendra; Singh, Kirpal; Sly, Peter; Tohyama, Chiharu; Woodward, Alistair; Zheng, Baoshan; Maiden, Todd

2007-01-01

The coastal zone of the Pacific Rim is home for about one-third of the world’s population. Disproportionate growth of Far Eastern economies has produced a disproportionate share of related environmental difficulties. As the region searches for acceptable compromises between growth and environmental quality, its influence on global environmental health is certain to increase. Consequences of global environmental change such as habitat alteration, storms, and sealevel rise will be particularly acute among Pacific Rim nations. Adverse health effects from arsenic exposure in Pacific Rim nations have been used to justify drinking water standards in the United States and elsewhere. As global manufacturing in the Pacific Rim increases, the centroid of global air quality and waste management issues will shift further toward Far Eastern nations. The Eleventh International Conference of the Pacific Basin Consortium (PBC) was held in September 2005 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The purpose of the conference was to bring together individuals to discuss regional challenges to sustainable growth. The historic emphasis of the conference on hazardous wastes in relation to human health makes the PBC an ideal forum for discussing technical aspects of sustainable economic growth in the Pacific region. That role is reflected in the 2005 PBC conference themes, which included management of arsenic in potable waters, air quality, climate change, pesticides, mercury, and electronics industry waste—each with emphasis on relationships to human health. Arsenic management exemplifies the manner in which the PBC can focus interdisciplinary discussion in a single technical area. The conference program provided talks on arsenic toxicology, treatment technologies, management of arsenic-bearing residuals from water treatment, and the probable societal costs and benefits of arsenic management. PMID:18087598

Meeting report: threats to human health and environmental sustainability in the pacific basin.

PubMed

Arnold, Robert G; Carpenter, David O; Kirk, Donald; Koh, David; Armour, Margaret-Ann; Cebrian, Mariano; Cifuentes, Luis; Khwaja, Mahmood; Ling, Bo; Makalinao, Irma; Paz-Y-Miño, César; Peralta, Genandrialine; Prasad, Rajendra; Singh, Kirpal; Sly, Peter; Tohyama, Chiharu; Woodward, Alistair; Zheng, Baoshan; Maiden, Todd

2007-12-01

The coastal zone of the Pacific Rim is home for about one-third of the world's population. Disproportionate growth of Far Eastern economies has produced a disproportionate share of related environmental difficulties. As the region searches for acceptable compromises between growth and environmental quality, its influence on global environmental health is certain to increase. Consequences of global environmental change such as habitat alteration, storms, and sea level rise will be particularly acute among Pacific Rim nations. Adverse health effects from arsenic exposure in Pacific Rim nations have been used to justify drinking water standards in the United States and elsewhere. As global manufacturing in the Pacific Rim increases, the centroid of global air quality and waste management issues will shift further toward Far Eastern nations. The Eleventh International Conference of the Pacific Basin Consortium (PBC) was held in September 2005 in Honolulu, Hawaii. The purpose of the conference was to bring together individuals to discuss regional challenges to sustainable growth. The historic emphasis of the conference on hazardous wastes in relation to human health makes the PBC an ideal forum for discussing technical aspects of sustainable economic growth in the Pacific region. That role is reflected in the 2005 PBC conference themes, which included management of arsenic in potable waters, air quality, climate change, pesticides, mercury, and electronics industry waste-each with emphasis on relationships to human health. Arsenic management exemplifies the manner in which the PBC can focus interdisciplinary discussion in a single technical area. The conference program provided talks on arsenic toxicology, treatment technologies, management of arsenic-bearing residuals from water treatment, and the probable societal costs and benefits of arsenic management.

77 FR 38246 - Revisions to the Arizona State Implementation Plan, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-27

... the Arizona State Implementation Plan, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Maricopa County Air Quality Department, and Pima County Department of Environmental Quality AGENCY: Environmental... Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), Maricopa County Air Quality Department (MCAQD), and Pima County...

No Action Assurance Regarding EPA-Issued Step 2 Prevention of Significant Deterioraiton Permits and Related Title V Requirements Following Utility Air Regulatory Group v. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the Title V air operating permit regulations. This document is part of the Title V Policy and Guidance Database available at www2.epa.gov/title-v-operating-permits/title-v-operating-permit-policy-and-guidance-document-index. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Ranking of Cities According to Public Health Criteria: Pitfalls and Opportunities

PubMed Central

Ham, Sandra A.; Levin, Sarah; Zlot, Amy I.; Andrews, Richard R.; Miles, Rebecca

2004-01-01

Popular magazines often rank cities in terms of various aspects of quality of life. Such ranking studies can motivate people to visit or relocate to a particular city or increase the frequency with which they engage in healthy behaviors. With careful consideration of study design and data limitations, these efforts also can assist policymakers in identifying local public health issues. We discuss considerations in interpreting ranking studies that use environmental measures of a city population’s public health related to physical activity, nutrition, and obesity. Ranking studies such as those commonly publicized are constrained by statistical methodology issues and a lack of a scientific basis in regard to design. PMID:15053999

Characterizing transient noise in the LIGO detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nuttall, L. K.

2018-05-01

Data from the LIGO detectors typically contain many non-Gaussian noise transients which arise due to instrumental and environmental conditions. These non-Gaussian transients can be an issue for the modelled and unmodelled transient gravitational-wave searches, as they can mask or mimic a true signal. Data quality can change quite rapidly, making it imperative to track and find new sources of transient noise so that data are minimally contaminated. Several examples of transient noise and the tools used to track them are presented. These instances serve to highlight the diverse range of noise sources present at the LIGO detectors during their second observing run. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue `The promises of gravitational-wave astronomy'.

49 CFR 1150.36 - Exempt construction of connecting track.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... environmental issues have been raised or discovered during the environmental review process, the Board shall... significant environmental issues have been raised or discovered, the Board, through the Director of the Office... environmental issues cannot be made prior to the date that the exemption authority would otherwise become...

Application of cooperative and non-cooperative games in large-scale water quantity and quality management: a case study.

PubMed

Mahjouri, Najmeh; Ardestani, Mojtaba

2011-01-01

In this paper, two cooperative and non-cooperative methodologies are developed for a large-scale water allocation problem in Southern Iran. The water shares of the water users and their net benefits are determined using optimization models having economic objectives with respect to the physical and environmental constraints of the system. The results of the two methodologies are compared based on the total obtained economic benefit, and the role of cooperation in utilizing a shared water resource is demonstrated. In both cases, the water quality in rivers satisfies the standards. Comparing the results of the two mentioned approaches shows the importance of acting cooperatively to achieve maximum revenue in utilizing a surface water resource while the river water quantity and quality issues are addressed.

Quality and safety aspects of meat products as affected by various physical manipulations of packaging materials.

PubMed

Lee, Keun Taik

2010-09-01

This article explores the effects of physically manipulated packaging materials on the quality and safety of meat products. Recently, innovative measures for improving quality and extending the shelf-life of packaged meat products have been developed, utilizing technologies including barrier film, active packaging, nanotechnology, microperforation, irradiation, plasma and far-infrared ray (FIR) treatments. Despite these developments, each technology has peculiar drawbacks which will need to be addressed by meat scientists in the future. To develop successful meat packaging systems, key product characteristics affecting stability, environmental conditions during storage until consumption, and consumers' packaging expectations must all be taken into consideration. Furthermore, the safety issues related to packaging materials must also be taken into account when processing, packaging and storing meat products.

Review: Groundwater resources and related environmental issues in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hao, Aibing; Zhang, Yilong; Zhang, Eryong; Li, Zhenghong; Yu, Juan; Wang, Huang; Yang, Jianfeng; Wang, Yao

2018-05-01

As an important component of water resources, groundwater plays a crucial role in water utilization in China and an irreplaceable role in supporting economic and social development, especially in the northern arid and semi-arid plains and basin areas, which are densely populated and relatively short of surface-water resources. This paper comprehensively reviews and discusses the regional hydrogeological conditions, the temporal and spatial distribution of groundwater, the groundwater quality, and the actuality of groundwater exploitation and utilization in China. Meanwhile, aiming at the environmental problems induced by overexploitation to meet the sharply increasing water demand, this paper puts forward the major tasks for the next few years in terms of groundwater exploitation control, conservation and management.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

United States. Bonneville Power Administration.

In regard to the proposed Tenaska Washington II Generation Project, the goal of the Bonneville Power Administration`s (BPA) Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) public involvement process is to determine the issues to be examined and pertinent analyses to be conducted and to solicit comments on the content and quality of information presented in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). Comments and questions are solicited from the public and government agencies during the scoping process and during the comment period and public hearing on the DEIS, to find out what is of most concern to them. The end product of the publicmore » involvement process is the Comment Report which follows in part of this volume on Public Involvement.« less

Genetic Influence on Contrast Sensitivity in Middle-Aged Male Twins

PubMed Central

Cronin-Golomb, Alice; Panizzon, Matthew S.; Lyons, Michael J.; Franz, Carol E.; Grant, Michael D.; Jacobson, Kristen C.; Eisen, Seth A.; Laudate, Thomas M.; Kremen, William S.

2007-01-01

Contrast sensitivity is strongly associated with daily functioning among older adults, but the genetic and environmental contributions to this ability are unknown. Using the classical twin method, we addressed this issue by examining contrast sensitivity at five spatial frequencies (1.5–18 cycles per degree) in 718 middle-aged male twins from the Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA). Heritability estimates were modest (14%–38%), whereas individual-specific environmental influences accounted for 62%–86% of the variance. Identifying the types of individual-specific events that impact contrast sensitivity may suggest interventions to modulate this ability and thereby improve overall quality of life as adults age. PMID:17604073

Information for Government Agencies about Specific Environmental Health Issues in Child-Care Settings

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

research on child care environmental health issues, identify key state and regional healthy child care organizations for partnerships, and see how other states are addressing child care environmental health issues.

40 CFR 1518.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Protection of Environment COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT FUND... Management Fund (“Fund”): The Management Fund for the Office of Environmental Quality. (d) Interagency... of Environmental Quality. The Environmental Quality Improvement Act specifies that the Chairman of...

Urban public health assessment and pattern analysis: comparison of four cities in different countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, Meirong; Chen, Chen; Lu, Weiwei; Liu, Gengyuan; Yang, Zhifeng; Chen, Bin

2013-06-01

Urban public health is an important global issue, and receives extensive attention. It is necessary to compare urban public health status among different cities, so that each city can define its own health patterns and limiting factors. The following assessment indicators were established to evaluate urban public health status: living conditions, physical health, education and culture, environmental quality, and social security. A weighted-sum model was used in combination with these indicators to compare the urban public health status in four cities—Beijing, New York, London, and Tokyo—using data for 2000-2009. Although the urban public health level of Beijing was lower than that of the other cities, it showed the greatest increase in this level over the study period. Different patterns of urban public health were identified: London had the most balanced, steady pattern (almost all factors performed well and developed stably); New York and Tokyo showed balanced, but unsteady patterns (most factors remained high, though social security and environmental quality fluctuated); Beijing had the most unbalanced, unsteady pattern (the different factors were at different levels, and education and culture and social security fluctuated). For enhanced urban public health status, environmental quality and education and culture clearly need to be improved in Beijing. This study demonstrates that a comparison of different cities is helpful in identifying limiting factors for urban public health and providing an orientation for future urban development.

Greens, suits, and bureaucrats: A sociological study of dynamic organizational relationships in energy efficient appliance policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shwom-Evelich, Rachael Leah

In this dissertation I develop an approach to understanding dynamic organizational relations and the processes of environmental degradation and reform. To do this, I draw on environmental and organizational sociology to inform an empirical study of interorganizational relationships in defining and promoting energy efficient appliances in the United States (US). The dissertation follows a three paper approach which involves (a) an overall introduction to the substantive issue of appliance energy efficiency in the US; (b) producing three separate and stand alone articles of publishable quality to be submitted to professional journals; and (c) an overall conclusion. The three articles are as follows: (1) a synthetic literature review identifying five lessons that organizational sociology and environmental sociology can learn from each other to advance our sociological understanding of organizations, energy issues, and climate change (2) a qualitative case study of the changing relationships between business, government and environmental and energy advocacy organizations around mandatory appliance efficiency standards supporting the development of a context-dependent theory of ecological modernization and treadmill of production theories in environmental sociology and (3) a network analysis of public government, business and energy efficiency advocate's interorganizational relationships and its influence on subsequent organizational behaviors in the appliance energy efficiency field. The second and third articles are based on extensive archival research on organizational negotiations of public record over defining energy efficient appliances in both regulatory and voluntary settings. Finally I will provide an overall conclusion that brings together the most significant findings of each individual article in anticipation of a synthetic approach to the study of organizations in environmental reform.

A heuristic approach using multiple criteria for environmentally benign 3PLs selection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kongar, Elif

2005-11-01

Maintaining competitiveness in an environment where price and quality differences between competing products are disappearing depends on the company's ability to reduce costs and supply time. Timely responses to rapidly changing market conditions require an efficient Supply Chain Management (SCM). Outsourcing logistics to third-party logistics service providers (3PLs) is one commonly used way of increasing the efficiency of logistics operations, while creating a more "core competency focused" business environment. However, this alone may not be sufficient. Due to recent environmental regulations and growing public awareness regarding environmental issues, 3PLs need to be not only efficient but also environmentally benign to maintain companies' competitiveness. Even though an efficient and environmentally benign combination of 3PLs can theoretically be obtained using exhaustive search algorithms, heuristics approaches to the selection process may be superior in terms of the computational complexity. In this paper, a hybrid approach that combines a multiple criteria Genetic Algorithm (GA) with Linear Physical Weighting Algorithm (LPPW) to be used in efficient and environmentally benign 3PLs is proposed. A numerical example is also provided to illustrate the method and the analyses.

Watershed safety and quality control by safety threshold method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Da-Wei Tsai, David; Mengjung Chou, Caroline; Ramaraj, Rameshprabu; Liu, Wen-Cheng; Honglay Chen, Paris

2014-05-01

Taiwan was warned as one of the most dangerous countries by IPCC and the World Bank. In such an exceptional and perilous island, we would like to launch the strategic research of land-use management on the catastrophe prevention and environmental protection. This study used the watershed management by "Safety Threshold Method" to restore and to prevent the disasters and pollution on island. For the deluge prevention, this study applied the restoration strategy to reduce total runoff which was equilibrium to 59.4% of the infiltration each year. For the sediment management, safety threshold management could reduce the sediment below the equilibrium of the natural sediment cycle. In the water quality issues, the best strategies exhibited the significant total load reductions of 10% in carbon (BOD5), 15% in nitrogen (nitrate) and 9% in phosphorus (TP). We found out the water quality could meet the BOD target by the 50% peak reduction with management. All the simulations demonstrated the safety threshold method was helpful to control the loadings within the safe range of disasters and environmental quality. Moreover, from the historical data of whole island, the past deforestation policy and the mistake economic projects were the prime culprits. Consequently, this study showed a practical method to manage both the disasters and pollution in a watershed scale by the land-use management.

Effects of climatic control on tomato yield and nutritional quality in Mediterranean screenhouse.

PubMed

Leyva, Rocío; Constán-Aguilar, Christian; Blasco, Begoña; Sánchez-Rodríguez, Eva; Romero, Luis; Soriano, Teresa; Ruíz, Juan M

2014-01-15

The quality of vegetables for fresh consumption is a complex issue. In this study the yield and quality of cherry tomato fruits were assessed under different environmental control conditions, namely in a screenhouse (S), in a screenhouse equipped with a fogging system (SF) and in a screenhouse with complements such as plastic sheeting to maintain the microclimate created by the fogging system (SFS), as well as under open field (OF) cultivation. Levels of vitamin C, carotenoids (lycopene, β-carotene and lutein), phenolic compounds (flavonoids and phenolic acids), sugars (fructose, glucose and sucrose), organic acids (citric acid and malic acid) and flavour indices were measured. The aim of the study was to determine how different environmental control technologies could influence production and quality traits in tomato cherry fruits cultivated in a Mediterranean area. The results showed that the fogging system treatment's decline in maximum vapour pressure deficit (by 0.7 kPa compared with OF cultivation), increase in mean fruit weight (by about 4 g per fruit) and low radiation and temperature values may exert a positive effect on lycopene accumulation. For the production and nutritional parameters measured, it is postulated that the fogging system treatment offers a better balance between production and nutritional quality. This treatment proved to be best in terms of productivity, vitamin C and lycopene contents and antioxidant capacity. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Urban environment and well-being: cross-cultural studies on Perceived Residential Environment Quality Indicators (PREQIs).

PubMed

Bonaiuto, Marino; Fornara, Ferdinando; Alves, Susana; Ferreira, Ines; Mao, Yanhui; Moffat, Eva; Piccinin, Gloria; Rahimi, Leila

2015-09-01

Architectural and environmental psychology literature has shown the importance of urban design in provoking stress feelings or enhancing well-being and quality of life. The aim of this contribution is to show the main results of a set of cross-cultural survey studies concerning the perceived quality of urban features at the neighbourhood level. A questionnaire was used including the extended or the short version of the 11 scales measuring Perceived Residential Environment Quality Indicators (PREQIs), which cover architectural, social, functional, and contextual aspects. Both versions of PREQIs showed a similar factorial structure and a good (or at least acceptable) reliability across different geographical contexts, even though some differences emerged in those countries that are more distant from the Western linguistic and cultural milieu. The development of tools like PREQIs should increase a "user-centred" vision on urban issues.

76 FR 28020 - Sawgrass Storage LLC; Supplemental Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-13

... Storage Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues As previously noticed on August 6, 2010... scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EA on the important environmental issues. By this... agencies with jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to environmental issues to formally...

The population, environment, and health nexus: an Arab world perspective.

PubMed

Kulczycki, A; Saxena, P C

1998-01-01

This report describes models of the links between population growth, environmental degradation, and health in Arab countries and in the world; management of the commons; urbanization and water as critical issues; and challenges in Lebanon. It is concluded that the complexity of interrelationships is difficult to untangle. Researchers frequently neglect health issues in modeling the relationships. The lack of attention to the health, development, and environment nexus has serious implications in the Middle East and North Africa. In Lebanon, national strategies do not include a national waste management strategy based on reduction, reuse, and recycling. Most Arab countries face the major issue of the lack of adequate planning in many economic sectors, which results in imbalances in supply and demand. Most Arab countries do not have adequate statistical databases upon which to base development, planning, and policy-making. The last census in Lebanon was in 1932. Information is missing on health. Health economics are ignored. It is not possible to estimate the health costs due to deficiencies in sanitation, hygiene, water, and air quality. Capacity building for environmental management and intersectoral collaboration is hampered. Arab countries with large oil reserves have ignored the population and environment links. Poorer countries will suffer the most from limited renewable water resources and their decline due to population growth. The political agenda in Arab countries should give priority to health, environment, development, and population issues.

Field trip guide to selected studies of the Southwest Mineral and Environmental Investigations Project in southeastern Arizona

USGS Publications Warehouse

Houser, B.B.; Gettings, M.E.; Bultman, M.W.; Gray, Floyd; Caruthers, K.R.; Hirschberg, D.M.

1999-01-01

The Southwest Mineral and Environmental Investigations Project is designed to address issues raised by rapid urban development in the basins of the southwestern U.S. These issues require objective geoscientific data that can be used by land managers and stakeholders to develop informed land and water use strategies. The project integrates new and existing geologic, geophysical, and geochemical data, and imagery to provide three-dimensional visualizations of the basins of southeastern Arizona. Emphasis is on developing better knowledge of the aquifer systems of both the basins and the ranges, on acquiring background and baseline information, and on determining the distribution of metals related to mineralization and the fate of these metals in surface and subsurface environments. The products of the project will be used in resolving issues of water quality and quantity, in understanding environmental impacts such as riparian ecosystem maintenace, and in evaluating mineral resources beneath and within the basins. The field trip highlights three topics and areas (figs. 1 and 2): (1) geology and geophysics of the upper San Pedro and upper Santa Cruz basins (M.E. Gettings, M. W. Bultman, and B.B. Houser), (2) geology, geophysics, and mineral resource potential of the San Rafael basin (M.W. Bultman), and (3) hydrology and aqueous geochemistry of the Red Mountain and Sonoita Creek drainage system (Floyd Gray). The trip guide, which begins and ends in Tucson, Arizona, also includes commentary on the cultural and mining history of the area.

Soil environmental quality in greenhouse vegetable production systems in eastern China: Current status and management strategies.

PubMed

Hu, Wenyou; Zhang, Yanxia; Huang, Biao; Teng, Ying

2017-03-01

Greenhouse vegetable production (GVP) has become an important source of public vegetable consumption and farmers' income in China. However, various pollutants can be accumulated in GVP soils due to the high cropping index, large agricultural input, and closed environment. Ecological toxicity caused by excessive pollutants' accumulation can then lead to serious health risks. This paper was aimed to systematically review the current status of soil environmental quality, analyze their impact factors, and consequently to propose integrated management strategies for GVP systems. Results indicated a decrease in soil pH, soil salinization, and nutrients imbalance in GVP soils. Fungicides, remaining nutrients, antibiotics, heavy metals, and phthalate esters were main pollutants accumulating in GVP soils comparing to surrounding open field soils. Degradation of soil ecological function, accumulation of major pollutants in vegetables, deterioration of neighboring water bodies, and potential human health risks has occurred due to the changes of soil properties and accumulation of pollutants such as heavy metals and fungicides in soils. Four dominant factors were identified leading to the above-mentioned issues including heavy application of agricultural inputs, outmoded planting styles with poor environmental protection awareness, old-fashion regulations, unreasonable standards, and ineffective supervisory management. To guarantee a sustainable GVP development, several strategies were suggested to protect and improve soil environmental quality. Implementation of various strategies not only requires the concerted efforts among different stakeholders, but also the whole lifecycle assessment throughout the GVP processes as well as effective enforcement of policies, laws, and regulations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hydro-environmental management of groundwater resources: A fuzzy-based multi-objective compromise approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alizadeh, Mohammad Reza; Nikoo, Mohammad Reza; Rakhshandehroo, Gholam Reza

2017-08-01

Sustainable management of water resources necessitates close attention to social, economic and environmental aspects such as water quality and quantity concerns and potential conflicts. This study presents a new fuzzy-based multi-objective compromise methodology to determine the socio-optimal and sustainable policies for hydro-environmental management of groundwater resources, which simultaneously considers the conflicts and negotiation of involved stakeholders, uncertainties in decision makers' preferences, existing uncertainties in the groundwater parameters and groundwater quality and quantity issues. The fuzzy multi-objective simulation-optimization model is developed based on qualitative and quantitative groundwater simulation model (MODFLOW and MT3D), multi-objective optimization model (NSGA-II), Monte Carlo analysis and Fuzzy Transformation Method (FTM). Best compromise solutions (best management policies) on trade-off curves are determined using four different Fuzzy Social Choice (FSC) methods. Finally, a unanimity fallback bargaining method is utilized to suggest the most preferred FSC method. Kavar-Maharloo aquifer system in Fars, Iran, as a typical multi-stakeholder multi-objective real-world problem is considered to verify the proposed methodology. Results showed an effective performance of the framework for determining the most sustainable allocation policy in groundwater resource management.

Cotinine analytical workshop report: consideration of analytical methods for determining cotinine in human body fluids as a measure of passive exposure to tobacco smoke.

PubMed Central

Watts, R R; Langone, J J; Knight, G J; Lewtas, J

1990-01-01

A two-day technical workshop was convened November 10-11, 1986, to discuss analytical approaches for determining trace amounts of cotinine in human body fluids resulting from passive exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). The workshop, jointly sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Centers for Disease Control, was attended by scientists with expertise in cotinine analytical methodology and/or conduct of human monitoring studies related to ETS. The workshop format included technical presentations, separate panel discussions on chromatography and immunoassay analytical approaches, and group discussions related to the quality assurance/quality control aspects of future monitoring programs. This report presents a consensus of opinion on general issues before the workshop panel participants and also a detailed comparison of several analytical approaches being used by the various represented laboratories. The salient features of the chromatography and immunoassay analytical methods are discussed separately. PMID:2190812

Nematodes Relevance in Soil Quality Management and their Significance as Biomarkers in Aquatic Substrates: Review.

PubMed

Akpheokhai, Leonard I; Oribhabor, Blessing J

2016-01-01

The interaction of man with the ecosystem is a major factor causing environmental pollution and its attendant consequences such as climate change in our world today. Patents relating to nematodes' relevance in soil quality management and their significance as biomarkers in aquatic substrates were reviewed. Nematodes are useful in rapid, easy and inexpensive method for testing the toxicity of substance (e.g. aquatic substrates). This review paper sets out to examine and discuss the issue of soil pollution, functions of nematodes in soil and aquatic substrates as well as bio-indicators in soil health management in terrestrial ecology. The information used were on the basis of secondary sources from previous research. It is abundantly clear that the population dynamics of plant parasitic or free-living nematodes have useful potentials as biomonitor for soil health and other forms of environmental contamination through agricultural activities, industrial pollution and oil spillage, and the analysis of nematode community structure could be used as complementary information obtained from conventional soil testing approaches.

Temporal evolution of the environmental quality of the Vallona Lagoon (Northern Mediterranean, Adriatic Sea).

PubMed

Maggi, Chiara; Berducci, Maria Teresa; Di Lorenzo, Bianca; Dattolo, Manuela; Cozzolino, Antonella; Mariotti, Silvia; Fabrizi, Valerio; Spaziani, Roberta; Virno Lamberti, Claudia

2017-12-15

Guidance Document 25/2010, suggests sediment and biota are the most suitable matrices for the trend monitoring purpose, because they integrate the pollution over time and space. So, from 2005 to 2014, the sediment and biota concentrations of heavy metals (As, Cd, Cr, Hg, Ni, Pb) were analysed in the Vallona Lagoon (northern Adriatic Sea, Italy), widely used for intensive and extensive bivalve farming. The contamination levels in sediment and biota were compared with Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) and threshold levels (TL) for human health. The results identified critical issues related to Cd in sediment samples as well as to Hg and Pb in biota which were not only ascribable to the physiological and seasonal variability of organisms. The Cr and Ni levels in sediment were higher than the EQS. However, the concentration increases at biota stations close to sites where EQS excesses were observed in sediment were not verified. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Green areas and public health: improving wellbeing and physical activity in the urban context.

PubMed

D'Alessandro, Daniela; Buffoli, Maddalena; Capasso, Lorenzo; Fara, Gaetano Maria; Rebecchi, Andrea; Capolongo, Stefano

2015-01-01

The green areas play an important role in improving the environmental quality and climate of the city. However, despite the undoubted importance of these areas, the benefits to public health are still under investigation. The Authors perform a review of studies on the relationship between health and green areas and describe the main areas for which evidence on this relationship is currently available. They include: effects on air quality, on social cohesion, on mental health, with particular reference to the stress, and on physical activity. Most of the evidence comes from cross-sectional and descriptive studies and the approaches used to measure the association show themselves to be often unsatisfactory. The Authors conclude the review stressing the need for greater integration between the different professionals involved in urban planning and in health care analysis in order to identify research approaches more appropriate to understand such complex issues, striving toward a planning design of green areas that will satisfy both environmental sustainability and health requirements.

Environmental condition assessment of US military installations using GIS based spatial multi-criteria decision analysis.

PubMed

Singer, Steve; Wang, Guangxing; Howard, Heidi; Anderson, Alan

2012-08-01

Environment functions in various aspects including soil and water conservation, biodiversity and habitats, and landscape aesthetics. Comprehensive assessment of environmental condition is thus a great challenge. The issues include how to assess individual environmental components such as landscape aesthetics and integrate them into an indicator that can comprehensively quantify environmental condition. In this study, a geographic information systems based spatial multi-criteria decision analysis was used to integrate environmental variables and create the indicator. This approach was applied to Fort Riley Military installation in which land condition and its dynamics due to military training activities were assessed. The indicator was derived by integrating soil erosion, water quality, landscape fragmentation, landscape aesthetics, and noise based on the weights from the experts by assessing and ranking the environmental variables in terms of their importance. The results showed that landscape level indicator well quantified the overall environmental condition and its dynamics, while the indicator at level of patch that is defined as a homogeneous area that is different from its surroundings detailed the spatiotemporal variability of environmental condition. The environmental condition was mostly determined by soil erosion, then landscape fragmentation, water quality, landscape aesthetics, and noise. Overall, environmental condition at both landscape and patch levels greatly varied depending on the degree of ground and canopy disturbance and their spatial patterns due to military training activities and being related to slope. It was also determined the environment itself could be recovered quickly once military training was halt or reduced. Thus, this study provided an effective tool for the army land managers to monitor environmental dynamics and plan military training activities. Its limitation lies at that the obtained values of the indicator vary and are subjective to the experts' knowledge and experience. Thus, further advancing this approach is needed by developing a scientific method to derive the weights of environmental variables.

Environmental health monograph

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1974-05-01

Current environmental programs intended to reduce or mediate environmental health hazards in Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester Counties, South Carolina, are described. The following areas are considered: air pollution, noise abatement, pesticide control, accident prevention, food and milk sanitation, occupational health housing, water supply, sewerage, industrial waste, solid waste disposal, and vector control. The lack of adequate technically trained manpower or funds to implement minimum codes currently in force in the Trident Region is noted. The wide range of public and private agencies concerned with environmental health issues creates complexities in dealing with these issues. Conflicting codes and standards exist atmore » various government levels. The Trident Health District Office Air Pollution Control Program provides the following: ambient air quality surveillance; review of plans and specifications for proposed air pollution control facilities and equipment; and air monitoring. A list of safety - related courses offered by the Greater Charleston Safety Council is provided. A lack of readily available statistics concerning the various kinds of accidents and the frequency of their occurrence is noted. Concern is also expressed over the lack of personnel to inspect the growing food service industry. Local activities in the area of occupational health are reported to be less than minimal. The Charleston County Health Department has recently introduced a rural sanitation program. The county also issues permits for septic tank installation. The Regional Planning Council for the area aids municipalities and counties in planning for and implementing supply control and solid waste management in compliance with Federal and State laws. Mosquito abatement, rabies control, and rodent control activities in the area are described. Portions of this document are not fully legible. (GRA)« less

77 FR 13115 - Florida Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-05

... Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues The staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory... analysis in the EA on the important environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public... environmental issues related to this project to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA.\\3...

75 FR 13533 - Paiute Pipeline Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the Proposed...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-22

... Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues March 16, 2010. The staff of the Federal... analysis in the EA on the important environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public... with respect to environmental issues to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA. These...

75 FR 67358 - Pine Prairie Energy Center, LLC; Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-02

... Expansion Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues October 26, 2010. The staff of the... analysis in the EA on the important environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public... jurisdiction and/or special expertise with respect to environmental issues to formally cooperate with us in the...

75 FR 18198 - CenterPoint Energy Gas Transmission Company; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-09

... Line L Abandonment Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues April 2, 2010. The staff of... important environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public comments on the scope of the... with respect to environmental issues to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA. These...

77 FR 28870 - Floridian Natural Gas Storage Company, LLC; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-16

... Floridian Natural Gas Amendment Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues The staff of the... scoping process is to focus the analysis in the EA on the important environmental issues. By this notice.../or special expertise with respect to the environmental issues related to this project to formally...

75 FR 4059 - Wyoming Interstate Company, Ltd.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-26

... System Enhancement Project and Request for Comments on Environmental Issues January 15, 2010. The staff... the EA on the important environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission requests public comments... expertise with respect to environmental issues to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA...

76 FR 54762 - Golden Triangle Storage, Inc.; Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Assessment for the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-02

... Triangle Storage Expansion Project and Request for Comments On Environmental Issues The staff of the... focus the analysis in the EA on the important environmental issues. By this notice, the Commission... environmental issues to formally cooperate with us in the preparation of the EA. These agencies may choose to...

Educational, vocational, psychosocial, and quality-of-life outcomes for adult survivors of childhood traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Anderson, Vicki; Brown, Sandra; Newitt, Heidi; Hoile, Hannah

2009-01-01

To examine long-term outcomes from child traumatic brain injury (TBI) and relevance of injury severity. A retrospective cross-sectional design. One hundred and twenty-four young adult survivors of childhood TBI (81 men), aged 18 to 30 years at evaluation (mean = 23.5, SD = 2.9), with injury on average 13.7 years prior to evaluation divided according to injury severity: mild (n = 60), moderate (n = 27), and severe (n = 37). Questionnaires assessed educational and employment status, psychosocial function, and quality-of-life issues. Functional difficulties persisted into adulthood. Injury severity was a particularly strong predictor of long-term outcomes, with environmental factors playing a less consistent role. Survivors of severe TBI were particularly vulnerable, demonstrating global impairment: poorer school performance, employment difficulties, poor quality of life, and increased risk of mental health problems. Mild and moderate TBI were more benign, although lower educational attainment and employment status were identified, and moderate TBI was associated with late developing mental health issues. Traumatic brain injury is a lifelong problem, compromising the individual's capacity to meet developmental expectations across a wide range of functional domains.

The multidimensional causal factors of 'wet litter' in chicken-meat production.

PubMed

Dunlop, Mark W; Moss, Amy F; Groves, Peter J; Wilkinson, Stuart J; Stuetz, Richard M; Selle, Peter H

2016-08-15

The problem of 'wet litter', which occurs primarily in grow-out sheds for meat chickens (broilers), has been recognised for nearly a century. Nevertheless, it is an increasingly important problem in contemporary chicken-meat production as wet litter and associated conditions, especially footpad dermatitis, have developed into tangible welfare issues. This is only compounded by the market demand for chicken paws and compromised bird performance. This review considers the multidimensional causal factors of wet litter. While many causal factors can be listed it is evident that the critical ones could be described as micro-environmental factors and chief amongst them is proper management of drinking systems and adequate shed ventilation. Thus, this review focuses on these environmental factors and pays less attention to issues stemming from health and nutrition. Clearly, there are times when related avian health issues of coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis cannot be overlooked and the development of efficacious vaccines for the latter disease would be advantageous. Presently, the inclusion of phytate-degrading enzymes in meat chicken diets is routine and, therefore, the implication that exogenous phytases may contribute to wet litter is given consideration. Opinion is somewhat divided as how best to counter the problem of wet litter as some see education and extension as being more beneficial than furthering research efforts. However, it may prove instructive to assess the practice of whole grain feeding in relation to litter quality and the incidence of footpad dermatitis. Additional research could investigate the relationships between dietary concentrations of key minerals and the application of exogenous enzymes with litter quality. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Environmental setting and water-quality issues of the Mobile River Basin, Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, Gregory C.; Kidd, Robert E.; Journey, Celeste A.; Zappia, Humbert; Atkins, J. Brian

2002-01-01

The Mobile River Basin is one of over 50 river basins and aquifer systems being investigated as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. This basin is the sixth largest river basin in the United States, and fourth largest in terms of streamflow, encompassing parts of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Almost two-thirds of the 44,000-square-mile basin is located in Alabama. Extensive water resources of the Mobile River Basin are influenced by an array of natural and cultural factors. These factors impart unique and variable qualities to the streams, rivers, and aquifers providing abundant habitat to sustain the diverse aquatic life in the basin. Data from Federal, State, and local agencies provide a description of the environmental setting of the Mobile River Basin. Environmental data include natural factors such as physiography, geology, soils, climate, hydrology, ecoregions, and aquatic ecology, and human factors such as reservoirs, land use and population change, water use, and water-quality issues. Characterization of the environmental setting is useful for understanding the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of surface and ground water in the Mobile River Basin and the possible implications of that environmental setting for water quality. The Mobile River Basin encompasses parts of five physiographic provinces. Fifty-six percent of the basin lies within the East Gulf section of the Coastal Plain Physiographic Province. The remaining northeastern part of the basin lies, from west to east, within the Cumberland Plateau section of the Appalachian Plateaus Physiographic Province, the Valley and Ridge Physiographic Province, the Piedmont Physiographic Province, and the Blue Ridge Physiographic Province. Based on the 1991 land-use data, about 70 percent of the basin is forested, while agriculture, including livestock (poultry, cattle, and swine), row crops (cotton, corn, soybeans, sorghum, and wheat), and pasture land accounts for about 26 percent of the study unit. Agricultural land use is concentrated along the Black Prairie Belt district of the Coastal Plain. Urban areas account for only 3 percent of the total land use; however, the areal extent of the metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) may indicate more urban influences. The MSAs include urban areas outside of the city boundaries and can include adjacent counties. Seven MSAs are delineated in the Mobile River Basin, including Montgomery, Mobile, Tuscaloosa, Birmingham, Gadsden, Anniston, and Atlanta. The total population for the Mobile River Basin was about 3,673,100 in 1990. State water-quality agencies have identified numerous causes and sources of water-body impairment in the Mobile River Basin. In 1996, organic enrichment, dissolved oxygen depletion, elevated nutrient concentrations, and siltation were the most frequently cited causes of impairment, affecting the greatest number of river miles. Bacteria, acidic pH, and elevated metal concentrations also were identified as causes of impairment. The sources for impairment varied among river basins, were largely a function of land use, and were attributed primarily to municipal and industrial sources, mining, and agricultural activities.

Performance Evaluation of the Operational Air Quality Monitor for Water Testing Aboard the International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallace, William T.; Limero, Thomas F.; Gazda, Daniel B.; Minton, John M.; Macatangay, Ariel V.; Dwivedi, Prabha; Fernandez, Facundo M.

2014-01-01

Real-time environmental monitoring on ISS is necessary to provide data in a timely fashion and to help ensure astronaut health. Current real-time water TOC monitoring provides high-quality trending information, but compound-specific data is needed. The combination of ETV with the AQM showed that compounds of interest could be liberated from water and analyzed in the same manner as air sampling. Calibration of the AQM using water samples allowed for the quantitative analysis of ISS archival samples. Some calibration issues remain, but the excellent accuracy of DMSD indicates that ETV holds promise for as a sample introduction method for water analysis in spaceflight.

Enhancing Earth Science And IT Literacy Through Environmental Science Information Technology Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cuff, K. E.; Molinaro, M.

2004-12-01

The Environmental Science Information Technology Activities (ESITA) program provides grades 9 and 10 students with under-represented minority backgrounds in the East San Francisco Bay Area with real-world opportunities to learn about and apply information technologies through a series of project-based activities related to environmental science. Supported by the NSF Information Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers (ITEST) program, ESITA activities engage students in the use of newly acquired information technology (IT) skills and understandings while performing air and water quality research investigations. One project that ESITA students have become involved in relates to the currently relevant issue of elevated levels of lead found in drinking waters in Washington, D.C. Students based in the Bay Area have initiated and maintained E-mail correspondence with children who attend elementary schools in the D.C. area. After receiving a thorough explanation of required sampling procedures devised by the Bay Area students, the elementary school children have sent 500 ml water samples from their homes and schools to Berkeley along with information about the locations from which the water samples were collected. These samples were then prepared for lead analysis at Lawrence Hall of Science by ESITA students, who used resulting data to perform a preliminary assessment of the geospatial distribution of lead trouble spots throughout Washington, DC. Later, ESITA student scientists will work with students from the UC Berkeley School of Public Health to develop surveys and questionnaires that generate high quality information useful with regard to assessing the impact of the current lead crisis on younger children in the Washington, D.C. area. Through the application of new understandings to current, real-world environmental problems and issues such as that related to lead, positive changes in students' attitudes towards IT and science have occurred, which accompany increases in their content learning and skills acquisition abilities.

The Seattle-King County healthy homes project: implementation of a comprehensive approach to improving indoor environmental quality for low-income children with asthma.

PubMed Central

Krieger, James K; Takaro, Tim K; Allen, Carol; Song, Lin; Weaver, Marcia; Chai, Sanders; Dickey, Phillip

2002-01-01

Pediatric asthma is a growing public health issue, disproportionately affecting low-income people and people of color. Exposure to indoor asthma triggers plays an important role in the development and exacerbation of asthma. We describe the implementation of the Seattle-King County Healthy Homes Project, a randomized, controlled trial of an outreach/education intervention to improve asthma-related health status by reducing exposure to allergens and irritants in the home. We randomly assigned 274 low-income children with asthma ages 4-12 to either a high- or a low-intensity group. In the high-intensity group, community health workers called Community Home Environmental Specialists (CHES) conducted initial home environmental assessments, provided individualized action plans, and made additional visits over a 12-month period to provide education and social support, encouragement of participant actions, provision of materials to reduce exposures (including bedding encasements), assistance with roach and rodent eradication, and advocacy for improved housing conditions. Members of the low-intensity group received the initial assessment, home action plan, limited education during the assessment visit, and bedding encasements. We describe the recruitment and training of CHES and challenges they faced and explain the assessment and exposure reduction protocols addressing dust mites, mold, tobacco smoke, pets, cockroaches, rodents, dust, moisture, and toxic or hazardous chemicals. We also discuss the gap between the practices recommended in the literature and what is feasible in the home. We accomplished home interventions and participants found the project very useful. The project was limited in resolving structural housing quality issues that contributed to exposure to indoor triggers. PMID:11929743

Exploring Water Resources as a Study Abroad Experience in Northern India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vulava, V. M.; Callahan, T. J.

2013-12-01

Water and environmental resources are of high interest for students at the College of Charleston. These issues are covered in varying levels of detail in the Geology Department in introductory to advanced courses, some of which include field and laboratory components. While courses stress the importance of understanding global water resource issues, students are rarely given hands-on exposure beyond local problems. To address this, we designed a course that explored water resource issues along the entire length of the Ganges River from headwaters to the mouth, a region in which water is seen as a critical economic, environmental, and cultural resource. The 2500-km long Ganges River in northern India is stressed due to large demand and cyclical, yet unpredictable, supply. This region has a population of over 700 million who speak different languages, have diverse cultures, and varied states of development, economic access, and planning, and diverse geologic and ecological settings. Poor river management, inconsistent precipitation during monsoons likely affected by climate change and pollution from insufficient waste management practices and a burgeoning population has resulted in additional stress on the river and its ecosystems. A three-week travel-intensive study abroad course covered three important reaches of the river in the headwaters (Himalayan glaciers, steep mountain landscapes, and large hydroelectric dams in Uttarakhand state), the plains (industrial heartland and large population centers in Uttar Pradesh state), and the mouth (coastal development, Sunderbans mangrove forest, and coastal hazards near Bay of Bengal in West Bengal state). The course was timed to coincide with the pre-monsoon summer season to show students the importance of the monsoon season to this region. The course had two modules: (1) water resource and hydrology principles that delve into specific issues, including impacts of river management for economic development and associated land use change effects on water resource availability and (2) water quality principles that focused on natural and anthropogenic changes to the chemical character of the river water, and linkages between human and environmental health. The target audience was students who have completed a sequence of introductory geology courses, but expectations and learning goals were calibrated to match students' interests and background. Readings were organized for students allowing for lectures and discussions at several locations. Hands-on activities included basic stream hydrology (estimating discharge and runoff), water quality monitoring, and informal social science surveys of residents. Water quality parameters measured included bulk parameters (pH, conductivity, turbidity, temperature, etc.) and chemical analytes (dissolved oxygen, NO3, PO4, SO4, Cu and Cr). Surveys were informally designed to gain local perspective on water issues such as sources of their drinking water, wastewater disposal practices, and perceived needs and vulnerabilities. Students collected the data, allowing them to reflect on the changing physical, chemical, and human character of the river from headwaters to the mouth. Students also gained more nuanced perspectives on the role of water on society, culture, and religion in this region.

Upstream/downstream: Issues in environmental ethics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Scherer, D.

1991-01-01

Upstream/Downstream reminds us that there are four issues that are more or less distinctive to environmental ethics. First, and most distinctively, environmental issues involve the standing of nonhuman living things and systems. Thus, environmental politics is only partly a clash among the interest of the parties involved; it often involves actions on behalf of the existence rights of nonhuman life forms. Second, environmental ethics concern the intergenerational distribution of benefits more explicitly than do most other ethical issues, which brings out serious weaknesses in legal frameworks that rely on claims for damages. Third, the complexity and indirectness of many environmentalmore » impacts introduces a high degree of uncertainty and thus technical as well as ethical issues of prudent behavior. Specifically, where science may not fully reveal environmental risks, should development proceed; should analysis proceed if it is known to have a Pollyanna bias Fourth, insofar as environmental damage is typically done to common property, and thus its regulation is generally a matter for governmental regulation, the obligations of private actors to make sacrifices beyond what government requires is at issue - an issue that one would expect to be taken up at length in the other volumes.« less

Towards Integrating Soil Quality Monitoring Targets as Measures of Soil Natural Capital Stocks with the Provision of Ecosystem Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taylor, M. D.; Mackay, A. D.; Dominati, E.; Hill, R. B.

2012-04-01

This paper presents the process used to review soil quality monitoring in New Zealand to better align indicators and indicator target ranges with critical values of change in soil function. Since its inception in New Zealand 15 year ago, soil quality monitoring has become an important state of the environment reporting tool for Regional Councils. This tool assists councils to track the condition of soils resources, assess the impact of different land management practices, and provide timely warning of emerging issues to allow early intervention and avoid irreversible loss of natural capital stocks. Critical to the effectiveness of soil quality monitoring is setting relevant, validated thresholds or target ranges. Provisional Target Ranges were set in 2003 using expert knowledge available and data on production responses. Little information was available at that time for setting targets for soil natural capital stocks other than those for food production. The intention was to revise these provisional ranges as further information became available and extend target ranges to cover the regulating and cultural services provided by soils. A recently developed ecosystems service framework was used to explore the feasibility of linking soil natural capital stocks measured by the current suite of soil quality indicators to the provision of ecosystem services by soils. Importantly the new approach builds on and utilises the time series data sets collected by current suite of soil quality indicators, adding value to the current effort, and has the potential to set targets ranges based on the economic and environmental outcomes required for a given farm, catchment or region. It is now timely to develop a further group of environmental indicators for measuring specific soil issues. As with the soil quality indicators, these environmental indicators would be aligned with the provision of ecosystem services. The toolbox envisaged is a set of indicators for specific soil issues with appropriate targets tied to ecosystem services and changes in critical soil function. Such indicators would be used for specific purposes for limited periods, rather than long-term, continuous monitoring. Some examples will be presented. An important step needed to successfully initiate and complete the review was assigning national oversight. Reigniting scientific interest (which had declined with the cessation of funding in 2003) and documentation of the process were other important steps. We had to extend the recently developed ecosystem service approach to accommodate the catchment scale. This required additional attributes in the framework and recognition that some of the proxies will change with scale as will the techniques to value the services. The framework was originally developed for use at the farm scale. Macroporosity, one of the two indicators used to monitor the physical condition of the soil, was used to illustrate how the ecosystem service framework could be used to link a change in the physical condition of the soil with the provision of services. The sum of the dollar values of selected soil ecosystem services were used to inform the state of soil natural capital stocks. This estimate provides a new insight into the value of the soil quality indicators and existing target ranges. Doing so will enable targets to be more closely aligned and integrated with the provision of a range of ecosystem services, going far beyond food production.

40 CFR 1515.2 - About the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Quality (CEQ). 1515.2 Section 1515.2 Protection of Environment COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT PROCEDURES Organization of Ceq § 1515.2 About the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The Council on Environmental Quality (“CEQ” or “the Council”) was created by the National Environmental Policy...

40 CFR 1515.2 - About the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Quality (CEQ). 1515.2 Section 1515.2 Protection of Environment COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT PROCEDURES Organization of Ceq § 1515.2 About the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The Council on Environmental Quality (“CEQ” or “the Council”) was created by the National Environmental Policy...

40 CFR 1515.2 - About the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... Quality (CEQ). 1515.2 Section 1515.2 Protection of Environment COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT PROCEDURES Organization of Ceq § 1515.2 About the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The Council on Environmental Quality (“CEQ” or “the Council”) was created by the National Environmental Policy...

40 CFR 1515.2 - About the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Quality (CEQ). 1515.2 Section 1515.2 Protection of Environment COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT PROCEDURES Organization of Ceq § 1515.2 About the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). The Council on Environmental Quality (“CEQ” or “the Council”) was created by the National Environmental Policy...

222-S Laboratory Quality Assurance Plan. Revision 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Meznarich, H.K.

1995-07-31

This Quality Assurance Plan provides,quality assurance (QA) guidance, regulatory QA requirements (e.g., 10 CFR 830.120), and quality control (QC) specifications for analytical service. This document follows the U.S Department of Energy (DOE) issued Hanford Analytical Services Quality Assurance Plan (HASQAP). In addition, this document meets the objectives of the Quality Assurance Program provided in the WHC-CM-4-2, Section 2.1. Quality assurance elements required in the Guidelines and Specifications for Preparing Quality Assurance Program Plans (QAMS-004) and Interim Guidelines and Specifications for Preparing Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAMS-005) from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are covered throughout this document. A qualitymore » assurance index is provided in the Appendix A. This document also provides and/or identifies the procedural information that governs laboratory operations. The personnel of the 222-S Laboratory and the Standards Laboratory including managers, analysts, QA/QC staff, auditors, and support staff shall use this document as guidance and instructions for their operational and quality assurance activities. Other organizations that conduct activities described in this document for the 222-S Laboratory shall follow this QA/QC document.« less

Live Fire Range Environmental Assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

None

1993-08-01

The Central Training Academy (CTA) is a DOE Headquarters Organization located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with the mission to effectively and efficiently educate and train personnel involved in the protection of vital national security interests of DOE. The CTA Live Fire Range (LFR), where most of the firearms and tactical training occurs, is a complex separate from the main campus. The purpose of the proposed action is to expand the LFR to allow more options of implementing required training. The Department of Energy has prepared this Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed construction and operation of an expanded Live Firemore » Range Facility at the Central Training Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Based on the analysis in the EA, DOE has determined that the proposed action is not a major Federal action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, within the meaning of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969. Therefore, the preparation of an environmental impact statement is not required and DOE is issuing this Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI).« less

4 years of PM10 pollution in Poland - observations and modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durka, Pawel; Struzewska, Joanna; Kaminski, Jacek W.

2017-04-01

Poor air quality is a health issue in Poland, especially during winter. In central and northern part of the country, the primary source is low-level domestic emissions. In larger cities and agglomerations traffic emissions are also an issue. Quantification of the contribution of transboundary pollution sources is still an open issue. Analyses of 60 episodes for the period 2013-2016 with high PM10 concentrations were carried out under a contract from the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection in Poland. Analyses of synoptic conditions and calculation of back trajectories were undertaken. A tropospheric chemistry model GEM-AQ was run at 10km resolution to calculate contributions from surface, line and point sources. We will present trajectories for different types of episodes, maps with contributions for specific emission sources and transboundary pollution. Also, mean distribution of PM10 concentrations during episodes will be shown.

Cumulative Environmental Impacts from Multiple Electric Generating Stations

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the New Source Review (NSR) air permitting regulations including the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) requirements. This document is part of the NSR Policy and Guidance Database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Final Environmental Assessment (EA) for Replacement of the Wastewater Lift Station (Building 510)

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

ensure that wastewater from FEW continues to be safely and efficiently moved to the City of Cheyenne sanitary sewer system. The lift station is...from four to six inches. The subsoil is primarily alluvial clay that extends from a depth of approximately 6 to 36 inches. 8.4. Air Quality. Under...Disposal 8.6.1. Sanitary Sewer System A National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the WYDEQ is in place to allow discharge

Environmental Assessment (EA) for Replacement of the Wastewater Lift Station (Building 510)

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-13

ensure that wastewater from FEW continues to be safely and efficiently moved to the City of Cheyenne sanitary sewer system. The lift station is...from four to six inches. The subsoil is primarily alluvial clay that extends from a depth of approximately 6 to 36 inches. 8.4. Air Quality. Under...Disposal 8.6.1. Sanitary Sewer System A National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the WYDEQ is in place to allow discharge

Environmental Appeals Board Order on Tennessee Valley Authority

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the New Source Review (NSR) air permitting regulations including the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) requirements. This document is part of the NSR Policy and Guidance Database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Response to BACT Determinations Inquiry from Alabama Department of Environmental Management

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This document may be of assistance in applying the New Source Review (NSR) air permitting regulations including the Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) requirements. This document is part of the NSR Policy and Guidance Database. Some documents in the database are a scanned or retyped version of a paper photocopy of the original. Although we have taken considerable effort to quality assure the documents, some may contain typographical errors. Contact the office that issued the document if you need a copy of the original.

Managing work-related stress in the district nursing workplace.

PubMed

Burke, Michelle

2013-11-01

This article aims to highlight the issue of work-related stress within the district nursing workplace. It will acknowledge how the management of work-related stress has previously been discussed within nursing literature and will consider the emerging relationship between staff working conditions, staff wellbeing and quality of patient care. It will reintroduce the Health and Safety Executive's (HSE's) Management Standards approach to tackling work-related stress, which provides management support to reduce environmental work stressors and encourage enabling work environments and a positive workplace culture.

Citizen knowledge and perception of black-tailed prairie dog management: Report to respondents

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sexton, Natalie R.; Brinson, Ayeisha; Ponds, Phadrea D.; Cline, Kurt; Lamb, Berton L.

2001-01-01

The results show that although people do not believe prairie dogs are a big environmental issue, they favor a balanced approach when dealing with such problems. When asked about their views on environmental policy, respondents reported being more conservative than liberal: 40% reported slightly conservative or conservative environmental views, 24% reported moderate environmental views, and 19% reported slightly liberal or liberal environmental views. Ninteen percent (19%) said they did not know or had not thought about their environmental values. When asked how important black-tailed prairie dogs are compared to other environmental problems, 69% said they are less important than other issues or not an issue at all. Thirty one percent (31%) said prairie dogs are about the same or more important than other issues.

Multi-perspective observations of NO2 over the Denver area ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The final deployment in the DISCOVER-AQ1 series of air quality field campaigns focused on the Northern Front Range of Colorado including the Denver Metropolitan Area in July-August 2014. The overarching goal of these campaigns was to improve the interpretation of satellite observations to diagnose near-surface air quality conditions. This called for observations to be combined from multiple perspectives that included ground-based as well as airborne in situ and remote sensing measurements. These observations were collected to demonstrate how future geostationary satellites could provide information of direct benefit to agencies responsible for monitoring and regulating air quality. This article focuses specifically on measurements of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), which are critical to understanding the photochemical production of ozone (O3). Published in the August issue of EM: AIR AND WASTE MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATIONS MAGAZINE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGERS

Key Tasks of Science in Improving Effectiveness of Hard Coal Production in Poland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dubiński, Józef; Prusek, Stanisław; Turek, Marian

2017-09-01

The article presents an array of specific issues regarding the employed technology and operational efficiency of mining activities, which could and should become the subject of conducted scientific research. Given the circumstances of strong market competition and increasing requirements concerning environmental conditions, both in terms of conducted mining activities and produced coal quality parameters, it is imperative to develop and implement innovative solutions regarding the employed production technology, the safety of work conducted under the conditions of increasing natural hazards, as well as the mining enterprise management systems that enable its effective functioning. The article content pertains to the last group of issues in the most detailed way, particularly in terms of the possibility for rational conducted operation cost reduction.

Characterizing transient noise in the LIGO detectors.

PubMed

Nuttall, L K

2018-05-28

Data from the LIGO detectors typically contain many non-Gaussian noise transients which arise due to instrumental and environmental conditions. These non-Gaussian transients can be an issue for the modelled and unmodelled transient gravitational-wave searches, as they can mask or mimic a true signal. Data quality can change quite rapidly, making it imperative to track and find new sources of transient noise so that data are minimally contaminated. Several examples of transient noise and the tools used to track them are presented. These instances serve to highlight the diverse range of noise sources present at the LIGO detectors during their second observing run.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The promises of gravitational-wave astronomy'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Geographical Variations in the Environmental Determinants of Physical Inactivity among U.S. Adults.

PubMed

An, Ruopeng; Li, Xinye; Jiang, Ning

2017-10-31

Physical inactivity is a major modifiable risk factor for morbidity, disability and premature mortality worldwide. This study assessed the geographical variations in the impact of environmental quality on physical inactivity among U.S. adults. Data on county-level prevalence of leisure-time physical inactivity came from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. County environment was measured by the Environmental Quality Index (EQI), a comprehensive index of environmental conditions that affect human health. The overall EQI consists of five subdomains-air, water, land, social, and built environment. Geographically weighted regressions (GWRs) were performed to estimate and map county-specific impact of overall EQI and its five subdomains on physical inactivity prevalence. The prevalence of leisure-time physical inactivity among U.S. counties was 25% in 2005. On average, one standard deviation decrease in the overall EQI was associated with an increase in county-level prevalence of leisure-time physical inactivity by nearly 1%. However, substantial geographical variations in the estimated environmental determinants of physical inactivity were present. The estimated changes of county-level prevalence of leisure-time physical inactivity resulted from one standard deviation decrease of the overall EQI ranged from an increase of over 3% to a decrease of nearly 2% across U.S. counties. Analogous, the estimated changes of county-level prevalence of leisure-time physical inactivity resulted from one standard deviation decrease of the EQI air, water, land, social, and built environment subdomains ranged from an increase of 2.6%, 1.5%, 2.9%, 3.3%, and 1.7% to a decrease of 2.9%, 1.4%, 2.4%, 2.4%, and 0.8% across U.S. counties, respectively. Given the substantial heterogeneities in the environmental determinants of physical inactivity, locally customized physical activity interventions are warranted to address the most concerning area-specific environmental issue.

Environmental management practices in the Lebanese pharmaceutical industries: implementation strategies and challenges.

PubMed

Massoud, May A; Makarem, N; Ramadan, W; Nakkash, R

2015-03-01

This research attempts to provide an understanding of the Lebanese pharmaceutical industries' environmental management strategies, priorities, and perceptions as well as drivers, barriers, and incentives regarding the implementation of the voluntary ISO 14001 Environmental Management System. Accordingly, a semistructured in-depth interview was conducted with the pharmaceutical industries. The findings revealed a significant lack of knowledge about the standard among the industries. The main perceived drivers for adopting the ISO 14001 are improving the companies' image and overcoming international trade. The main perceived barriers for acquiring the standard are the lack of government support and the fact that ISO 14001 is not being legally required or enforced by the government. Moreover, results revealed that adopting the ISO 14001 standard is not perceived as a priority for the Lebanese pharmaceutical industries. Although the cost of certification was not considered as a barrier for the implementation of ISO 14001, the majority of the pharmaceutical industries are neither interested nor willing to adopt the Standard if they are not exposed to any regulatory pressure or external demand. They are more concerned with quality and safety issues with the most adopted international standard among the industries being the ISO 9001 quality management system. This study highlights the aspect that financial barriers are not always the hurdles for implementing environmental management strategies in developing countries and underscores the need for regulatory frameworks and enforcement.

Critical review on the Environmental Risk Assessment of medicinal products for human use in the centralised procedure.

PubMed

Caneva, Laura; Bonelli, Milton; Papaluca-Amati, Marisa; Vidal, Jean-Marc

2014-04-01

In this article we analyse the Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) of 59 medicinal products for human use authorised in the EU through the centralised procedure between 2011 and 2012, to establish whether company submissions are compliant with the European Medicines Agency (EMA) guideline and complete in terms of data and study reports provided. The most frequent questions raised by EU regulatory authorities are described, together with an evaluation of the presence and quality of ERA-related information in published regulatory assessment documents. The results of this review show recent improvement in ERA-related data presented in regulatory assessment documents available to the public while also highlighting a need to develop further guidance on environmental issues in order to assist applicants improve their ERA dossiers and overcome current shortcomings. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Seemingly unrelated intervention time series models for effectiveness evaluation of large scale environmental remediation.

PubMed

Ip, Ryan H L; Li, W K; Leung, Kenneth M Y

2013-09-15

Large scale environmental remediation projects applied to sea water always involve large amount of capital investments. Rigorous effectiveness evaluations of such projects are, therefore, necessary and essential for policy review and future planning. This study aims at investigating effectiveness of environmental remediation using three different Seemingly Unrelated Regression (SUR) time series models with intervention effects, including Model (1) assuming no correlation within and across variables, Model (2) assuming no correlation across variable but allowing correlations within variable across different sites, and Model (3) allowing all possible correlations among variables (i.e., an unrestricted model). The results suggested that the unrestricted SUR model is the most reliable one, consistently having smallest variations of the estimated model parameters. We discussed our results with reference to marine water quality management in Hong Kong while bringing managerial issues into consideration. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.