WorldWideScience

Sample records for local environmental agencies

  1. French local agencies of energy control; Agences locales francaise de maitrise de l'energie

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-07-01

    In the framework of the SAVE program, the European Commission brings financial assistance to the creation of local or regional agencies of energy control in municipalities and regions. The main criteria are the impacts on the energy demand, the reinforcement of the economic and social cohesion, the environmental quality and the contribution to the economic development and the employment creation. In this document, realized by Energie-Cites, the Ademe objective is to present a state of the art of french local agencies. Ten agencies are presented as case study. Each case deals with the following topics: the main context of the action which details the energy and the environmental policy of the municipality, the creation and the description of the agency, the implemented actions and the perspectives. (A.L.B.)

  2. French local agencies of energy control; Agences locales francaise de maitrise de l'energie

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-07-01

    In the framework of the SAVE program, the European Commission brings financial assistance to the creation of local or regional agencies of energy control in municipalities and regions. The main criteria are the impacts on the energy demand, the reinforcement of the economic and social cohesion, the environmental quality and the contribution to the economic development and the employment creation. In this document, realized by Energie-Cites, the Ademe objective is to present a state of the art of french local agencies. Ten agencies are presented as case study. Each case deals with the following topics: the main context of the action which details the energy and the environmental policy of the municipality, the creation and the description of the agency, the implemented actions and the perspectives. (A.L.B.)

  3. Collaborative Environmental Governance, Inter-Agency Cooperation and Local Water Sustainability in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen Huang

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Administrative fragmentation among government agencies has posed a significant challenge to environmental governance. However, few studies have theoretically examined and empirically measured how local governments in China address this with collaborative approaches. Informed by the ecology of games framework (EGF, this paper examined the status of inter-agency water governance in Dongguan City: the pilot city of aquatic ecologically friendly city of China. The research question we seek to address is: What are the main characteristics of the water governance network in local China? With empirical data collected via survey questionnaires and semi-structured in-depth interviews following the EGF, we find that local agencies have realized the need for cooperation in water resource management. However, they were not substantially familiar with each other in the local policy network, failing to reach their full potential in collaboration. Social network analysis was used to analyze the collaborative network. We found that the network has a weak to moderate density, allowing for collective action problems and leading to insufficient cooperative governance. The network has presented central actors with strong bridging capital to control information and resource flows. We also find strong bonding capital among some policy actors as shown in high reciprocity, clustering coefficient and transitivity. To strengthen the effectiveness of local water governance, efforts should be made to establish a functional department and extend the boundary of collaborative network.

  4. GEOGRAPHY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

    Science.gov (United States)

    The US Environmental Protection Agency helps state and local governments protect the environment by encouraging good environmental management and by regulating human activities to ensure clean air and water. At the Corvallis research laboratory for the EPA, we improve the ways t...

  5. 40 CFR 763.84 - General local education agency responsibilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... exterminators) who may come in contact with asbestos in a school are provided information regarding the... 40 Protection of Environment 30 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false General local education agency responsibilities. 763.84 Section 763.84 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) TOXIC...

  6. Environmentally-adapted local energy systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Moe, N; Oefverholm, E [NUTEK, Stockholm (Sweden); Andersson, Owe [EKAN Gruppen (Sweden); Froste, H [Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Stockholm (Sweden)

    1997-10-01

    Energy companies, municipalities, property companies, firms of consultants, environmental groups and individuals are examples of players working locally to shape environmentally adapted energy systems. These players have needed information making them better able to make decisions on cost-efficient, environmentally-adapted energy systems. This book answers many of the questions they have put. The volume is mainly based on Swedish handbooks produced by the Swedish National Board for Industrial and Technical Development, NUTEK, together with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. These handbooks have been used in conjunction with municipal energy planning, local Agenda 21 work, to provide a basis for deciding on concrete local energy systems. The contents in brief: -The book throws new light on the concept of energy efficiency; -A section on the environment compares how air-polluting emissions vary with different methods of energy production; -A section contains more than 40 ideas for measures which can be profitable, reduce energy consumption and the impact on the environment all at the same time; -The book gives concrete examples of new, alternative and environmentally-adapted local energy systems. More efficient use of energy is included as a possible change of energy system; -The greatest emphasis is laid upon alternative energy systems for heating. It may be heating in a house, block of flats, office building or school; -Finally, there are examples of environmentally-adapted local energy planning.

  7. 'Global' norms and 'local' agency

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Björkdahl, Annika; Gusic, Ivan

    2015-01-01

    This article explores how the 'liberal democratic peace package' is received in post-conflict spaces. As such, it is part of a critical peace research agenda that raises critical questions concerning the quality of peace in many post-conflict societies. A close reading of the peace-building process...... in post-conflict Kosovo provides the backdrop for the theoretical discussion that identifies friction in norm diffusion processes and the different agencies that are generated through encounters between global norms and local practices. We unpack the interplay between the 'global' and the 'local......' in peacebuilding and, through the lens of friction, we reveal the diverse and unequal encounters that produce new power relations. By foregrounding agency, we theorise different agentive subjects in the post-conflict setting, and map local agency from various segments of society that may localise, co-opt or reject...

  8. Exchanging environmental information and decision making: developing the local Pilot Environmental Virtual Observatory with stakeholder communities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mackay, E.; Beven, K.; Brewer, P.; M, Haygarth, P.; Macklin, M.; Marshall, K.; Quinn, P.; Stutter, M.; Thomas, N.; Wilkinson, M.

    2012-04-01

    Public participation in the development of flood risk management and river basin management plans are explicit components of both the Water Framework and Floods Directives. At the local level, involving communities in land and water management has been found to (i) aid better environmental decision making, (ii) enhance social, economic and environmental benefits, and (iii) increase a sense of ownership. Facilitating the access and exchange of information on the local environment is an important part of this new approach to the land and water management process, which also includes local community stakeholders in decisions about the design and content of the information provided. As part of the Natural Environment Research Council's pilot Environment Virtual Observatory (EVO), the Local Level group are engaging with local community stakeholders in three different catchments in the UK (the rivers Eden, Tarland and Dyfi) to start the process of developing prototype visualisation tools to address the specific land and water management issues identified in each area. Through this local collaboration, we will provide novel visualisation tools through which to communicate complex catchment science outcomes and bring together different sources of environmental data in ways that better meet end-user needs as well as facilitate a far broader participatory approach in environmental decision making. The Local Landscape Visualisation Tools are being evolved iteratively during the project to reflect the needs, interests and capabilities of a wide range of stakeholders. The tools will use the latest concepts and technologies to communicate with and provide opportunities for the provision and exchange of information between the public, government agencies and scientists. This local toolkit will reside within a wider EVO platform that will include national datasets, models and state of the art cloud computer systems. As such, local stakeholder groups are assisting the EVO

  9. Environmental agency in read-alouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, Alandeom W.; Rogers, Patterson; Quigley, Cassie F.; Samburskiy, Denis; Barss, Kimberly; Rivera, Seema

    2015-06-01

    Despite growing interest in helping students become agents of environmental change who can, through informed decision-making and action-taking, transform environmentally detrimental forms of human activity, science educators have reduced agency to rationality by overlooking sociocultural influences such as norms and values. We tackle this issue by examining how elementary teachers and students negotiate and attribute responsibility, credit, or blame for environmental events during three environmental read-alouds. Our verbal analysis and visual representation of meta-agentive discourse revealed varied patterns of agential attribution. First, humans were simultaneously attributed negative agentive roles (agents of endangerment and imbalance) and positive agentive roles (agents of prevention, mitigation, and balance). Second, while wolves at Yellowstone were constructed as intentional (human-like) agents when they crossed over into the human world to kill livestock in nearby farms, polar bears in the Arctic were denied any form of agential responsibility when they approached people's homes. Third, anthropogenic causation of global warming was constructed as distal and indirect chains of cause and effect (i.e., sophisticated sequences of ripple effects), whereas its mitigation and prevention assumed the form of simple and unidirectional causative links (direct and proximal causality). Fourth, the notion of balance of nature was repeatedly used as a justification for environmental conservation but its cause and dynamic nature remained unclear. And, fifth, while one teacher promoted environmental agency by encouraging students to experience positive emotions such as love of nature, freedom, and oneness with nature, the other teachers encouraged students to experience negative emotions such as self-blame and guilt. This study's main significance is that it highlights the need for environmental educators who set out to promote environmental agency to expand the focus of

  10. WSDOT pavement preservation guide for local agencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-11-01

    This report was intended to address two key objectives: (1) identify usage and implementation gaps : found in local agency asset management practices due to decreased resources and develop guidance for : local agencies on recommended practices and to...

  11. Profiling the environmental risk management of Chinese local environmental agencies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    He, G.; Zhang, L.; Mol, A.P.J.; Lu, Y.

    2013-01-01

    The increasing frequency and impact of environmental accidents have pushed the issue of environmental risk management (ERM) to the top of the Chinese governments’ agendas and popularized the term ‘emergency response.’ Although the boundary between environmental accidents and other types of accidents

  12. Science to Support Informed Decision-Making: Examples from the US Environmental Protection Agency

    Science.gov (United States)

    The mission of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) is to protect human health and the environment. We work to achieve our mission through a combination of applied research and technical guidance for localities, states, tribes, and regions to best manage the...

  13. Environmental Agency in Read-Alouds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oliveira, Alandeom W.; Rogers, Patterson; Quigley, Cassie F.; Samburskiy, Denis; Barss, Kimberly; Rivera, Seema

    2015-01-01

    Despite growing interest in helping students become agents of environmental change who can, through informed decision-making and action-taking, transform environmentally detrimental forms of human activity, science educators have reduced agency to rationality by overlooking sociocultural influences such as norms and values. We tackle this issue by…

  14. Collaboration between local health and local government agencies for health improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayes, Sara L; Mann, Mala K; Morgan, Fiona M; Kelly, Mark J; Weightman, Alison L

    2012-10-17

    population, and one showed more unhealthy lifestyle behaviours persisting in the intervention population. Three studies considered chronic disease management and all failed to demonstrate health gains. Three studies considered environmental improvements and adjustments, of which two showed some health improvements and one did not.Meta-analysis of three studies exploring the effect of collaboration on mortality showed no effect (pooled relative risk of 1.04 in favour of control, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.17). Analysis of five studies (with high heterogeneity) looking at the effect of collaboration on mental health resulted in a standardised mean difference of -0.28, a small effect favouring the intervention (95% CI -0.51 to -0.06). From two studies, there was a statistically significant but clinically modest improvement in the global assessment of function symptoms score scale, with a pooled mean difference (on a scale of 1 to 100) of -2.63 favouring the intervention (95% CI -5.16 to -0.10).For physical health (6 studies) and quality of life (4 studies) the results were not statistically significant, the standardised mean differences were -0.01 (95% CI -0.10 to 0.07) and -0.08 (95% CI -0.44 to 0.27), respectively. Collaboration between local health and local government is commonly considered best practice. However, the review did not identify any reliable evidence that interagency collaboration, compared to standard services, necessarily leads to health improvement. A few studies identified component benefits but these were not reflected in overall outcome scores and could have resulted from the use of significant additional resources. Although agencies appear enthusiastic about collaboration, difficulties in the primary studies and incomplete implementation of initiatives have prevented the development of a strong evidence base. If these weaknesses are addressed in future studies (for example by providing greater detail on the implementation of programmes; using more robust designs

  15. Elements of Terrorism Preparedness in Local Police Agencies, 2003-2007: Impact of Vulnerability, Organizational Characteristics, and Contagion in the Post-9/11 Era

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roberts, Aki; Roberts, John M., Jr.; Liedka, Raymond V.

    2012-01-01

    Different elements of local police agencies' terrorism preparedness may be associated with different organizational/environmental variables. We use 2003-2007 data (showing considerable adoption and desistance of practices) on medium-to-large-sized local agencies to examine relationships between contingency (vulnerability, organizational…

  16. Managing Uncertainty in Runoff Estimation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Stormwater Calculator.

    Science.gov (United States)

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Stormwater Calculator (NSWC) simplifies the task of estimating runoff through a straightforward simulation process based on the EPA Stormwater Management Model. The NSWC accesses localized climate and soil hydrology data, and opti...

  17. Environmental futures research at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robert L. Olson

    2012-01-01

    Relatively little research on environmental futures has been carried out in the United States. An exception is the long-running futures research that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been conducting since the 1970s. This paper reviews past and current efforts toward developing a capacity for environmental foresight within the EPA, and discusses some...

  18. Federal Environmental Agency. Annual report 1994

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brackemann, H.; Rehring, R.

    1995-01-01

    The switches for the future course of the Umweltbundesamt were shifted by the reorganization that took place in September 1994. It has made the agency one of the most modern ones in Europe, also with organizational regards. The new organizational structure has model character for the federal and land authorities in the area of environmental protection. In the old form of organization according to media, which is still mainly to be found in environmental laws, water, air, waste, etc. were dealt with separately; the new department ''Methods and Products'' is organized according to industrial sectors. It permits in the future to make better use of integral environmental protection strategies by combining the environmental problems caused by an industrial sector, from emissions into air and water to waste, in one administrative unit. Purposely in opposition to this technical department is a watchdog department whose function it is to formulate quality targets and quality demands. The executive tasks of the agency are combined in a further department. (DG) [de

  19. Asbestos-Containing Materials in Schools; Final Rule and Notice. Part III: Environmental Protection Agency. 40 CFR Part 763.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Federal Register, 1987

    1987-01-01

    The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a final rule under the Toxic Substance Control Act (TSCA) to require all local education agencies (LEAs) to identify asbestos-containing materials in their school buildings and take appropriate action to control release of asbestos fibers. The LEAs are required to describe their activities in…

  20. Independence and the Irish Environmental Protection Agency: A Comparative Assessment

    OpenAIRE

    Shipan, Charles

    2006-01-01

    The Environmental Protection Agency is one of the most prominent regulatory agencies in Ireland. Created in 1992, one of the hallmarks of this agency is its independence from other parts of government. Yet little is known about the actual extent of its independence. Independence and the Irish Environmental Protection Agency: A Comparative Assessment addresses several key questions about the agency's independence. Why was independence such a primary justification for the creation of this a...

  1. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Enterprise Data Inventory

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Complete Enterprise Dataset Inventory (EDI) listing all agency data assets for compliance with federal Project Open Data mandate (https://project-open-data.cio.gov/).

  2. 21 CFR 25.60 - Environmental effects abroad of major agency actions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Environmental effects abroad of major agency... SERVICES GENERAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT CONSIDERATIONS Other Requirements § 25.60 Environmental effects abroad of major agency actions. (a) In accordance with Executive Order 12114, “Environmental Effects...

  3. 10 CFR 501.14 - Notice to Environmental Protection Agency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Notice to Environmental Protection Agency. 501.14 Section 501.14 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ALTERNATE FUELS ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND SANCTIONS General Provisions § 501.14 Notice to Environmental Protection Agency. A copy of any proposed rule or order that imposes a prohibition, order that...

  4. 7 CFR 245.10 - Action by local educational agencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... submit for approval to the State agency a free and reduced price policy statement. Once approved, the... shall amend its permanent free and reduced price policy statement to reflect substantive changes. Any... local educational agency's free and reduced price policy statement has been approved by the State agency...

  5. Environmental Protection Agency - EPA Pub Central

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — PubMed Central (PMC) is a full-text, online archive of journal literature operated by the National Library of Medicine. The EPA is using PMC to permanently preserve...

  6. 29 CFR 1403.5 - Relations with State and local mediation agencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Relations with State and local mediation agencies. 1403.5 Section 1403.5 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) FEDERAL MEDIATION AND CONCILIATION SERVICE FUNCTIONS AND DUTIES § 1403.5 Relations with State and local mediation agencies. (a) If under State or local...

  7. A guide for local agency pavement managers

    Science.gov (United States)

    1994-12-01

    The purpose of this guide is to provide Washington's local agencies with a practical document that will assist pavement managers in understanding the pavement management process and the steps necessary to implement their own pavement management syste...

  8. Environmental performance data in 'Japan Atomic Energy Agency Report 2016'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Yurina; Kanai, Katsuta; Sato, Sadayuki; Tatebe, Kazuaki

    2017-03-01

    In September, 2016 Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) published results of environmental activity as a part of 'Japan Atomic Energy Agency Report 2016' concerning the activities of FY 2015 under 'Law Concerning the Promotion of Business Activities with Environmental Consideration by Specified Corporations, etc., by Facilitating Access to Environmental Information, and Other Measures'. This report has been edited to show detailed environmental performance data in FY 2015 as the base of the 'Japan Atomic Energy Agency Report 2016'. This report would not only ensure traceability of the data in order to enhance the reliability of the environmental report, but also make useful measures for promoting activities of environmental considerations in JAEA. (author)

  9. Environmental Protection Agency Semiannual Regulatory Agenda

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-20

    ... of the economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public health or safety, or State... Steve Fruh, Environmental Protection Agency, Air and Radiation, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Washington, DC 20460 Phone: 919 541-2837 Fax: 919 541-4991 Email: fruh.steve@epamail.epa.gov RIN: 2060-AP69...

  10. Local Environmental Grassroots Activism: Contributions from Environmental Psychology, Sociology and Politics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mihaylov, Nikolay L.; Perkins, Douglas D.

    2015-01-01

    Local environmental grassroots activism is robust and globally ubiquitous despite the ebbs and flows of the general environmental movement. In this review we synthesize social movement, environmental politics, and environmental psychology literatures to answer the following questions: How does the environment emerge as a topic for community action and how a particular environmental discourse (preservation, conservation, public health, Deep Ecology, justice, localism and other responses to modernization and development) becomes dominant? How does a community coalesce around the environmental issue and its particular framing? What is the relationship between local and supralocal (regional, national, global) activism? We contrast “Not in My Back Yard” (NIMBY) activism and environmental liberation and discuss the significance of local knowledge and scale, nature as an issue for activism, place attachment and its disruption, and place-based power inequalities. Environmental psychology contributions to established scholarship on environmental activism are proposed: the components of place attachment are conceptualized in novel ways and a continuous dweller and activist place attachment is elaborated. PMID:25806672

  11. Local environmental grassroots activism: contributions from environmental psychology, sociology and politics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mihaylov, Nikolay L; Perkins, Douglas D

    2015-03-23

    Local environmental grassroots activism is robust and globally ubiquitous despite the ebbs and flows of the general environmental movement. In this review we synthesize social movement, environmental politics, and environmental psychology literatures to answer the following questions: How does the environment emerge as a topic for community action and how a particular environmental discourse (preservation, conservation, public health, Deep Ecology, justice, localism and other responses to modernization and development) becomes dominant? How does a community coalesce around the environmental issue and its particular framing? What is the relationship between local and supralocal (regional, national, global) activism? We contrast "Not in My Back Yard" (NIMBY) activism and environmental liberation and discuss the significance of local knowledge and scale, nature as an issue for activism, place attachment and its disruption, and place-based power inequalities. Environmental psychology contributions to established scholarship on environmental activism are proposed: the components of place attachment are conceptualized in novel ways and a continuous dweller and activist place attachment is elaborated.

  12. 29 CFR 1601.13 - Filing; deferrals to State and local agencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ...; deferrals to State and local agencies. (a) Initial presentation of a charge to the Commission. (1) Charges... give full weight to the policy of section 706(c) of title VII, which affords State and local fair... date of the alleged violation. (b) Initial presentation of a charge to a FEP agency. (1) When a charge...

  13. State and local law enforcement agency efforts to prevent sales to obviously intoxicated patrons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lenk, Kathleen M; Toomey, Traci L; Nelson, Toben F; Jones-Webb, Rhonda; Erickson, Darin J

    2014-04-01

    Alcohol sales to intoxicated patrons are illegal and may lead to public health issues such as traffic crashes and violence. Over the past several decades, considerable effort has been made to reduce alcohol sales to underage persons but less attention has been given to the issue of sales to obviously intoxicated patrons. Studies have found a high likelihood of sales to obviously intoxicated patrons (i.e., overservice), but little is known about efforts by enforcement agencies to reduce these sales. We conducted a survey of statewide alcohol enforcement agencies and local law enforcement agencies across the US to assess their strategies for enforcing laws prohibiting alcohol sales to intoxicated patrons at licensed alcohol establishments. We randomly sampled 1,631 local agencies (1,082 participated), and surveyed all 49 statewide agencies that conduct alcohol enforcement. Sales to obviously intoxicated patrons were reported to be somewhat or very common in their jurisdiction by 55 % of local agencies and 90 % of state agencies. Twenty percent of local and 60 % of state agencies reported conducting enforcement efforts to reduce sales to obviously intoxicated patrons in the past year. Among these agencies, fewer than half used specific enforcement strategies on at least a monthly basis to prevent overservice of alcohol. Among local agencies, enforcement efforts were more common among agencies that had a full-time officer specifically assigned to carry out alcohol enforcement efforts. Enforcement of laws prohibiting alcohol sales to obviously intoxicated patrons is an underutilized strategy to reduce alcohol-related problems, especially among local law enforcement agencies.

  14. U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION (ETV) PROGRAM: ARSENIC MONITORING TECHNOLOGIES

    Science.gov (United States)

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) program evaluates the performance of innovative air, water, pollution prevention and monitoring technologies that have the potential to improve human health and the environment. This technology ...

  15. U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION (ETV) PROGRAM: ARSENIC TREATMENT TECHNOLOGIES

    Science.gov (United States)

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Technology Verification (ETV) program evaluates the performance of innovative air, water, pollution prevention and monitoring technologies that have the potential to improve human health and the environment. This techn...

  16. Court-agency interaction in environmental policymaking: the cases of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomas, L.W.

    1981-01-01

    This study examines the increasingly active participation of courts in the administrative process as well as agency responses to court-imposed policy shifts. More specifically, it is an investigation of the interaction between the federal courts, primarily the Supreme Court and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals, and two federal regulatory agencies, the Nuclar Regulatory Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency. There are five objectives to the study. The first is to examine the natura of court-agency interaction and to determine the extent to which patterns of judicial review of administrative actions can be discerned. The second is to examine the effect of court orders on agency programs and policies. The third is to assess the anticipatory dimension of court-agency relations. The fourth is to inquire into the recurring dimension of court-agency interaction and to determine its effect on subsequent court decisions. The last is to assess the institutional capacity of courts to deal with scientific and technological issues. This study indicates that judicial review has a substantial effect on the NRC's and the EPA's decision-making activities. Few, if any, recent major policy decisions of the two agencies have not been scrutinized closely by federal appellate courts. During the past decade, the courts have blocked policy initiative on numerous occasions and have been the primary source of change in others. In addition, the mere anticipation of judicial review was found to be a factor motivating the two agencies to make reasoned decisions

  17. Role of Slovak Environmental Agency in EIA process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kristofova, I.; Suchova, K.; Hrncarova, M.

    2003-01-01

    The Slovak Environmental Agency (SEA) is a scientific organisation of the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic, operating on the whole territory of Slovakia. Its activities are focused on the improvement and protection of the environment on the principles of sustainable development. SEA performs the environmental impact assessment on the basis of the Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic request. SEA superintends EIA Documentary Center in Banska Bystrica. Environmental Impact Assessment (SEA) creates and operates the EIA information system SEA provides consulting in EIA process and gives seminar meetings and training in EIA field. SEA elaborates the preliminary environmental study and the environmental impact statement on the basis of investor request. (authors)

  18. Epistemic agency in an environmental sciences watershed investigation fostered by digital photography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zimmerman, Heather Toomey; Weible, Jennifer L.

    2018-05-01

    This collective case study investigates the role of digital photography to support high school students' engagement in science inquiry practices during a three-week environmental sciences unit. The study's theoretical framework brings together research from digital photography, participation in environmental science practices, and epistemic agency. Data analysed include field notes and video transcripts from two groups of learners (n = 19) that focus on how high school students used digital photography during their participation in two distinct environmental monitoring practices: stream mapping and macroinvertebrate identification. Our study resulted in two findings related to the role of digital photography where students developed knowledge as they engaged in environmental monitoring inquiry practices. First, we found that digital photography was integral to the youths' epistemic agency (defined as their confidence that they could build knowledge related to science in their community) as they engaged in data collection, documenting environmental monitoring procedures, and sharing data in the classroom. Based this finding, an implication of our work is a refined view of the role of digital photography in environmental sciences education where the use of photography enhances epistemic agency in inquiry-based activities. Second, we found that the youths innovated a use of digital photography to foster a recognition that they were capable and competent in scientific procedures during a streamside study. Based on this finding, we offer a theoretical implication that expands the construct of epistemic agency; we posit that epistemic agency includes a subcomponent where the students purposefully formulate an external recognition as producers of scientific knowledge.

  19. Mobile laboratory-based environmental radioactivity analysis capability of the US Environmental Protection Agency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dempsey, G.; Poppell, S.

    1999-01-01

    This poster presentation will highlight the capability of the US Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Radiation and Indoor Air to process and analyze environmental and emergency response samples in mobile radiological laboratories. Philosophy of use, construction, analytical equipment, and procedures will be discussed in the poster presentation. Accompanying the poster presentation, EPA will also have a static display of its mobile laboratories at the meeting site. (author)

  20. 7 CFR 246.6 - Agreements with local agencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Agreements with local agencies. 246.6 Section 246.6 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS SPECIAL SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR WOMEN, INFANTS AND CHILDREN...

  1. Aiding the environment: the Australian Development Agency's experience of implementing an environmental management system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keen, Meg; Sullivan, Marjorie

    2005-01-01

    Aid agencies, like commercial businesses, are increasingly concerned with incorporating sound environmental management into their operations. Different approaches are being used to integrate sustainability into development assistance to ensure that environmental impacts are assessed and managed. One approach being used by AusAID, the Australian aid agency, is to implement an environmental management system (EMS) across program and project areas. This paper examines how AusAID has adapted the EMS approach to suit aid agency operations, and some of the lessons from the Australian experience

  2. 76 FR 72391 - Defense Logistics Agency Revised Regulation 1000.22, Environmental Considerations in Defense...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-23

    ... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary [Docket ID DOD-2011-OS-0055] Defense Logistics Agency Revised Regulation 1000.22, Environmental Considerations in Defense Logistics Agency Actions AGENCY: Defense Logistics Agency, Department of Defense. ACTION: Revised Defense Logistics Agency...

  3. 7 CFR 246.5 - Selection of local agencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... consider how much of the current need is being met at each priority level. The selection criteria cited in... 7 Agriculture 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Selection of local agencies. 246.5 Section 246.5 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FOOD AND NUTRITION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF...

  4. Integrating Local Public Health Agencies into the Homeland Security Community

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Reed, Patricia D

    2007-01-01

    After more than seven years of funding through The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, local public health agencies have made inconsistent progress in fulfilling their Homeland Security objectives...

  5. 7 CFR 247.5 - State and local agency responsibilities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ....); (6) Establishing nutritional risk criteria and a residency requirement for participants, if such... received for program administration; (8) Developing a plan for the detection and prevention of dual... compliance with Federal audit requirements; (14) Providing guidance to local agencies, as needed; and (15...

  6. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6 National Priorities List (NPL) Sites - 05/12/2014

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Point locations for sites in U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 6 which are documented as being part of the National Priorities List as of May 12, 2014....

  7. 76 FR 28757 - Defense Logistics Agency Revised Regulation 1000.22, Environmental Considerations in Defense...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-05-18

    ... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary [DOCKET ID DOD-2011-OS-0055] Defense Logistics Agency Revised Regulation 1000.22, Environmental Considerations in Defense Logistics Agency Actions AGENCY: Defense Logistics Agency, Department of Defense. ACTION: Notice of Availability (NOA) of Revised...

  8. 76 FR 53119 - Defense Logistics Agency Revised Regulation 1000.22, Environmental Considerations in Defense...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-08-25

    ... DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Office of the Secretary [Docket ID: DOD-2011-OS-0055] Defense Logistics Agency Revised Regulation 1000.22, Environmental Considerations in Defense Logistics Agency Actions AGENCY: Defense Logistics Agency, Department of Defense. ACTION: Comment Addressed on Notice of...

  9. 45 CFR 400.63 - Preparation of local resettlement agencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Preparation of local resettlement agencies. 400.63 Section 400.63 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare OFFICE OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT, ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM...

  10. 45 CFR 400.68 - Notification to local resettlement agency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 45 Public Welfare 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Notification to local resettlement agency. 400.68 Section 400.68 Public Welfare Regulations Relating to Public Welfare OFFICE OF REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT, ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM...

  11. Map server of Slovak Environmental Agency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koska, M.

    2005-01-01

    The Slovak Environmental Agency (SAZP) is professional organization of the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic. In the area of informatics SAZP is responsible for operation of information system about environment in the Slovak Republic (ISE). The main goal of the ISE is collection, evaluating and accessing of relevant information about environment between organizations of state or administration, public administration, public, scientific institutes etc. SAZP uses technology of publishing of geo-space data so-called WEB maps (dynamic mapping) - maps are formed online. As a technologic part of information system is internet map server

  12. Exploring National Environmental Policy Act processes across federal land management agencies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marc J. Stern; Michael J. Mortimer

    2009-01-01

    Broad discretion is granted at all levels throughout federal land management agencies regarding compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). We explored the diversity of procedures employed in NEPA processes across four agencies, the USDA Forest Service, The USDI National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers...

  13. Local IRBs vs. federal agencies: shifting dynamics, systems, and relationships.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klitzman, Robert L

    2012-07-01

    How IRBs relate to federal agencies, and the implications of these relationships, have received little, if any, systematic study. I interviewed 46 IRB chairs, directors, administrators, and members, contacting the leadership of 60 U.S. IRBs (every fourth one in the list of the top 240 institutions by NIH funding), interviewing IRB leaders from 34 (response rate=55%). IRBs describe complex direct and indirect relationships with federal agencies that affect IRBs through audits, guidance documents, and other communications, and can generate problems and challenges. Researchers often blame IRBs for frustrations, but IRBs often serve as the "local face" of federal regulations and agencies and are "stuck in the middle." These data have critical implications for policy, practice, and research.

  14. Evaluating California local land use plan's environmental impact reports

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tang Zhenghong; Bright, Elise; Brody, Samuel

    2009-01-01

    Local land use planning has profound impacts on environmental quality; however, few empirical studies have been conducted to systematically measure local land use plans' environmental assessment quality and to identify the factors influencing it. This paper analyzes the quality of 40 Environmental Impact Reports (EIRs) of local jurisdictions' land use plans in California. A plan evaluation protocol defined by five core components and sixty-three indicators is developed to measure the quality of local land use plans' EIRs. The descriptive results indicate that the local jurisdictions produce relatively good quality on its EIRs, but there is still much room for improvement. There are large variations in the quality of EIRs across local jurisdictions. The regression results further highlight three major factors that can significantly influence local land use plan's EIR quality: number of planners, plan updating ability, and development pressure

  15. Student Involvement in Wellness Policies: A Study of Pennsylvania Local Education Agencies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jomaa, Lamis H.; McDonnell, Elaine; Weirich, Elaine; Hartman, Terryl; Jensen, Leif; Probart, Claudia

    2010-01-01

    Objective: Explore student-involvement goals in local wellness policies (LWPs) of local education agencies (LEAs) in Pennsylvania (PA) and investigate associations with LEA characteristics. Design: An observational study that helped examine student-involvement goals. Setting: Public PA LEAs. Participants: LWPs submitted by 539 PA public LEAs. Main…

  16. 34 CFR 222.40 - How does a local educational agency select a local contribution rate based on generally...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ..., DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IMPACT AID PROGRAMS Payments for Federally Connected Children Under Section 8003(b..., size, location, or a combination of these factors, (that is, in the case of the significantly impacted... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false How does a local educational agency select a local...

  17. 7 CFR 247.23 - State provision of administrative funds to local agencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... funds will be used to achieve program objectives. (Approved by the Office of Management and Budget under... 7 Agriculture 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false State provision of administrative funds to local... PROGRAM § 247.23 State provision of administrative funds to local agencies. (a) How much of the...

  18. 75 FR 80287 - Environmental Protection Agency Implementation of OMB Guidance on Drug-Free Workplace Requirements

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-12-22

    ... of omnibus drug legislation on November 18, 1988. Federal agencies issued an interim final common...; FRL- 9242-2] Environmental Protection Agency Implementation of OMB Guidance on Drug-Free Workplace... Protection Agency is removing its regulation implementing the Governmentwide common rule on drug-free...

  19. U.S. Geological Survey; North Carolina's water resources; a partnership with State, Federal and local agencies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Winner, M.D.

    1993-01-01

    For more than 80 years, the Federal-State Cooperative Program in North Carolina has been an effective partnership that provides timely water information for all levels of government. The cooperative program has raised awareness of State and local water problems and issues and has enhanced transfer and exchange of scientific information. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) conducts statewide water-resources investigations in North Carolina that include hydrologic data collection, applied research studies, and other interpretive studies. These programs are funded through cooperative agreements with the North Carolina Departments of Environment, Health, and Natural Resources; Human Resources; and Transportation, as well as more than a dozen city and county governmental agencies. The USGS also conducts special studies and data-collection programs for Federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, the U.S. Soil Conservation Service, the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that contribute to North Carolina's water information data base. Highlights of selected programs are presented to show the scope of USGS activities in North Carolina and their usefulness in addressing water-resource problems. The reviewed programs include the statewide data-collection program, estuarine studies, the National Water-Quality Assessment program, military installation restoration program, and groundwater flow model-development program in the Coastal Plain and Piedmont provinces.

  20. 50 CFR 530.2 - Ensuring that environmental documents are actually considered in agency decision-making.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... actually considered in agency decision-making. 530.2 Section 530.2 Wildlife and Fisheries MARINE MAMMAL... documents are actually considered in agency decision-making. Section 1505.1 of the NEPA regulations contains requirements to ensure adequate consideration of environmental documents in agency decision-making. To...

  1. Neighborhood Environmental Watch Network

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanders, L.D.

    1993-01-01

    The Neighborhood Environmental Watch Network (NEWNET) is a regional network of environmental monitoring stations and a data archival center that supports collaboration between communities, industry, and government agencies to solve environmental problems. The stations provide local displays of measurements for the public and transmit measurements via satellite to a central site for archival and analysis. Station managers are selected from the local community and trained to support the stations. Archived data and analysis tools are available to researchers, educational institutions, industrial collaborators, and the public across the nation through a communications network. Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Environmental Protection Agency have developed a NEWNET pilot program for the Department of Energy. The pilot program supports monitoring stations in Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, and California. Additional stations are being placed in Colorado and New Mexico. Pilot stations take radiological and meteorological measurements. Other measurements are possible by exchanging sensors

  2. Development of regional environmental protection agencies in Italy; Lo stato di evoluzione delle agenzie regioanli per l'ambiente in Italia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Croci, E. [Agenzia Regionale per l' Ambiente, Milan (Italy); Milan Univ. Bocconi, Milan (Italy). Ist. di Economia delle Fonti di Energia e dell' Ambiente; Verga, V. [Milan Univ. Bocconi, Milan (Italy). Ist. di Economia delle Fonti di Energia e dell' Ambiente

    2000-04-01

    The Italian agencies' system of environmental protection is almost completed: in fact, beside the national agency, 19 regional and provincial agencies have been instituted, 16 of which are already operative. Nevertheless, the system is quite heterogeneous in terms of degree of experience and operational capacity of the different agencies. A new phase of development of the agency system is beginning where the main task is the necessity to guarantee a minimum level of environmental quality over the whole national territory, respecting local peculiarities. Agencies need to have guaranteed technical-scientific autonomy as well as adequate financial allowance. However, all this must be related to the definition of adequate, homogeneous and wide working methodologies and performance assessment criteria. [Italian] Il sistema delle agenzie per la protezione dell'ambientein Italia e' oggi quasi completo e vede 19 agenzie regionali e delle province autonome istituite, di cui 16 operative, oltre all'agenzia nazionale. Il sistema e' tuttavia caratterizzato da rilevanti disomogeneita' in termini di esperienza e capacita' operativa. Si entra in nuova fase di sviluppo del sistema agenziale la cui principale criticita' e' costituita dalla necessita' di garantire un livello minimo di qualita' ambientale su tutto il territorio nazionale, nel rispetto delle specificita' locali. A tal fine deve essere garantita l'autonomai tecnico-scientifica delle agenzie e attribuita loro un'adeguata dotazione finanziaria, a fronte, pero', della definizione di adeguati metodi di lavoro e criteri di valutazione delle performance sufficientemente omogeni e condivisi.

  3. Environmental impact statements: new legal technique for environmental protection

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baldwin, M F

    1975-02-01

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) has required Federal agencies to re-examine all their programs affecting the environment, to consider alternative policies, to coordinate their actions with other agencies, and to disclose their environmental analyses to the public. In short, it has attempted to change decision processes markedly, in order to respond to wide-spread public concern about a deteriorating natural and human environment. The mandates of the policy are listed, but knowing that these were not sufficient to change existing agency practices, Congress established what has been called an ''action-forcing mechanism.'' Each federal agency must ''include in every recommendation or report on proposals for legislation and other major federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, a detailed statement by the responsible official.'' This statement must cover the following five points as specified in Section 102(2)(c): the environmental impact of the proposed action; any adverse environmental effects which cannot be avoided should the proposal be implemented; alternatives to the proposed action; the relationship between local and short-term uses of man's environment and the maintenance and enhancement of long-term productivity, and any irreversible and irretrievable commitments of resources which would be involved in the proposed action should it be implemented. Section 102 has been considered the heart of the National Environmental Policy Act. The specific five-point environmental report--known as an environmental impact statement--is the visible evidence of an agency's compliance with the environmental policy articulated by Congress. (MCW)

  4. Comparing types of local public health agencies in North Carolina.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markiewicz, Milissa; Moore, Jill; Foster, Johanna H; Berner, Maureen; Matthews, Gene; Wall, Aimee

    2013-01-01

    Some states are considering restructuring local public health agencies (LPHAs) in hopes of achieving long-term efficiencies. North Carolina's experience operating different types of LPHAs, such as county health departments, district health departments, public health authorities, and consolidated human services agencies, can provide valuable information to policy makers in other states who are examining how best to organize their local public health system. To identify stakeholders' perceptions of the benefits and challenges associated with different types of LPHAs in North Carolina and to compare LPHA types on selected financial, workforce, and service delivery measures. Focus groups and key informant interviews were conducted to identify stakeholders' perceptions of different LPHA types. To compare LPHA types on finance, workforce, and service delivery measures, descriptive statistical analyses were performed on publicly available quantitative data. North Carolina. Current and former state and local public health practitioners, county commissioners, county managers, assistant managers, state legislators, and others. In addition to identifying stakeholders' perceptions of LPHA types, proportion of total expenditures by funding source, expenditures per capita by funding source, full-time equivalents per 1000 population, and percentage of 127 tracked services offered were calculated. Stakeholders reported benefits and challenges of all LPHA types. LPHA types differ with regard to source of funding, with county health departments and consolidated human services agencies receiving a greater percentage of their funding from county appropriations than districts and authorities, which receive a comparatively larger percentage from other revenues. Types of LPHAs are not entirely distinct from one another, and LPHAs of the same type can vary greatly from one another. However, stakeholders noted differences between LPHA types-particularly with regard to district health

  5. Evaluation of co-sourcing communications amongst international company and local public relations agencies (case company: company x)

    OpenAIRE

    Yin, Ying

    2009-01-01

    The subject of the thesis is the evaluation of co-sourcing communications amongst international company and local public relations agencies, taking the company x as a case. It analyses the environment the co-sourcing PR agencies communicate with international clients, compares with the current communications the case company has, and comes up with practical suggestions for the company to have better cooperation with local agencies to achieve mutual benefits. The theoretical part consi...

  6. 7 CFR 1940.324 - Adoption of EIS or environmental assessment prepared by another Federal Agency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ...)(4) of this subpart), the assessment can be adopted without FmHA or its successor agency under Public... from the date FmHA or its successor agency under Public Law 103-354 adopted the assessment. ... environmental impact (exhibit I of this subpart) is reached by the proper FmHA or its successor agency under...

  7. 40 CFR 35.2113 - Environmental review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Environmental review. 35.2113 Section 35.2113 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE STATE AND LOCAL ASSISTANCE Grants for Construction of Treatment Works § 35.2113 Environmental review. (a...

  8. Environmental Management Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    This site on Environmental Management Systems (EMS) provides information and resources related to EMS for small businesses and private industry, as well as local, state and federal agencies, including all the EPA offices and laboratories.

  9. Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) Data

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The LEPC data set contains over 3000 listings, as of 2008, for name and location data identifying Local Emergency Planning Committees (LEPCs). LEPCs are people...

  10. U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY'S COMPUTATIONAL TOXCIOLOGY PROGRAM - METABOLISM AND METABONOMICS

    Science.gov (United States)

    The mission of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is to safeguard public health and the environment from adverse effects that may be caused by exposure to pollutants in the air, water, soil and food. Protecting human health and the environment carries with it the ch...

  11. 41 CFR 51-7.3 - Ensuring environmental documents are actually considered in agency determinations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... contains requirements to ensure adequate consideration of environmental documents in agency decision-making... environmental documents as a part of their decision-making: (1) Action: Request. (2) Start of NEPA process: Upon... Property Management Other Provisions Relating to Public Contracts COMMITTEE FOR PURCHASE FROM PEOPLE WHO...

  12. The role of NEPA in agency decision-making: Department of Energy reconfiguration programmatic environmental impact statement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Webb, M.D.

    1992-01-01

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) was drafted as a decision-making tool to ensure that Federal agencies make open, informed decisions. Equally effective as planning tool, NEPA can be applied to support an agency's planning process while providing requisite environmental analysis of specific proposals. The Department of Energy (DOE) Weapons Complex Reconfiguration Office is preparing a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) as a means to assist in its long-range planning for the future of the Nation's nuclear weapons complex. The Secretary of Energy has proposed to reconfigure the weapons complex to be smaller, less diverse and more efficient to operate. The Reconfiguration PEIS will analyze the potential environmental impacts of alternative configurations, involving 13 sites in 12 states, and compare these to the current configuration. The Council on Environmental Quality regulations implementing NEPA [40 CFR 1500] provide for Federal agencies to prepare PEISs for broad agency actions, including generically connected actions. Planning for the future weapons complex falls into such a category, involving complex-wide decisions to be made at a national level. DOE's long-range decisions regarding the future of the weapons complex will be based upon environmental considerations as well as other factors such as cost and technical feasibility. The NEPA process will serve to document the identification and analysis of the environmental impacts. In addition, the PEIS will be a key component in developing the Department's Reconfiguration Plan, which will guide the Department in preparing for the future complex. The Reconfiguration Plan will identify follow-on projects needed to implement the programmatic decisions and provide specific guidance for subsequence 'tiered' NEPA analyses

  13. Streamlining Local Behaviour Through Communication, Incentives and Control: A Case Study of Local Environmental Policies in China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thomas Heberer

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available This article describes how China uses evaluation ratings and monitoring as incentives in order to foster the implementation of environmental policies at the local level. It is argued that decentralisation in China leaves room for actors at the local levels to manoeuver and bargain with those on higher levels for flexible adjustment of implementation policies according to local conditions. However, decentralisation is accompanied by significant institutional changes in the structure of intergovernmental communication, incentives and control. Accordingly, decentralisation in China exhibits a specific design which leaves space for divergent local environmental policies while also engendering “grass-roots mechanisms”. On the whole, this new institutional setting benefits the implementation of environmental policies.

  14. Tests to evaluate public health disease reporting systems in local public health agencies

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Dausey, David J

    2005-01-01

    ... to evaluate the ability to receive and respond to case reports 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We refined these tests by beta-testing them at 20 metropolitan area local public health agencies across the country over the course of 10 months. The contents of this manual will be of interest to public health professionals at the state and local l...

  15. 75 FR 2517 - Notice of Intent To Prepare a Joint Environmental Impact Statement and Environmental Impact...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-15

    ...The action being taken is the preparation of a joint environmental impact statement/environmental impact report (EIS/EIR) for the Lower San Joaquin River Feasibility Study (LSJRFS). The EIS/EIR will be prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) will serve as lead agency for compliance with NEPA, and the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency (SJAFCA) will serve as lead agency for compliance with CEQA. The LSJRFS will evaluate alternatives, including a locally preferred plan, for providing flood damage reduction and ecosystem restoration along the lower (northern) portion of the San Joaquin River system in the Central Valley of California. The approximate area of the proposed action and analysis is identified in Figure 1.

  16. 75 FR 30013 - South Feather Water and Power Agency; Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-05-28

    ... Water and Power Agency; Notice of Availability of Environmental Assessment May 20, 2010. In accordance... assessment (EA) regarding South Feather Water and Power Agency's (SFWPA) request to raise the dam crest and... Project (FERC No. 2088). Sly Creek is located on Sly Creek [[Page 30014

  17. Environmental permits in Arab Gulf countries - local government perspective

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kuczynski, L.

    2002-01-01

    The legacy of past environmentally careless oil and gas exploration practices is becoming more apparent as time goes by and our understanding of causes and results increase. In many petroleum producing countries and in Arab Gulf countries in particular, this understanding has resulted in greater social demand for environmental protection and responsible exploitation of limited resources. In response to this demand, governments of the Gulf Region are paying increasingly more attention to the responsible management of environmental impacts of new developments. As a result, most of them require developers to obtain environmental permits supported by a variety of environmental baseline studies, Environmental Impact Assessments and comprehensive Environmental Management Plans. These local environmental requirements are similar to those in North America and Europe, although there are some important differences on account of local environmental, historical and socioeconomic conditions. Developers, who choose to ignore them, often find their projects caught in a web of unfamiliar environmental regulations or administrative procedures that may cause costly and unnecessary delays. Based on the author's Canadian and Arab Gulf regulatory experience, this paper describes some common causes that may delay obtaining environmental permits or cause cancellation of a project, and provides ideas to assist companies in securing necessary permits and licenses. (author)

  18. Local environmental quality positively predicts breastfeeding in the UK's Millennium Cohort Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brown, Laura J; Sear, Rebecca

    2017-01-01

    Background and Objectives: Breastfeeding is an important form of parental investment with clear health benefits. Despite this, rates remain low in the UK; understanding variation can therefore help improve interventions. Life history theory suggests that environmental quality may pattern maternal investment, including breastfeeding. We analyse a nationally representative dataset to test two predictions: (i) higher local environmental quality predicts higher likelihood of breastfeeding initiation and longer duration; (ii) higher socioeconomic status (SES) provides a buffer against the adverse influences of low local environmental quality. Methodology: We ran factor analysis on a wide range of local-level environmental variables. Two summary measures of local environmental quality were generated by this analysis-one 'objective' (based on an independent assessor's neighbourhood scores) and one 'subjective' (based on respondent's scores). We used mixed-effects regression techniques to test our hypotheses. Results: Higher objective, but not subjective, local environmental quality predicts higher likelihood of starting and maintaining breastfeeding over and above individual SES and area-level measures of environmental quality. Higher individual SES is protective, with women from high-income households having relatively high breastfeeding initiation rates and those with high status jobs being more likely to maintain breastfeeding, even in poor environmental conditions. Conclusions and Implications: Environmental quality is often vaguely measured; here we present a thorough investigation of environmental quality at the local level, controlling for individual- and area-level measures. Our findings support a shift in focus away from individual factors and towards altering the landscape of women's decision making contexts when considering behaviours relevant to public health.

  19. 12 CFR 408.5 - Ensuring environmental documents are actually considered in Agency decision-making.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Ensuring environmental documents are actually considered in Agency decision-making. 408.5 Section 408.5 Banks and Banking EXPORT-IMPORT BANK OF THE UNITED STATES PROCEDURES FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT Eximbank Implementing...

  20. Professionals without a profession? Redesigning case management in Dutch local welfare agencies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Berkel, H.H.A.; van der Aa, P.; van Gestel, N.

    2010-01-01

    This article explores the new roles of frontline workers in Dutch local welfare agencies against the background of recent active welfare state reforms, with a specific focus on frontline workers involved in activating social assistance recipients. The results presented in the article come from case

  1. The Environmental Virtual Observatory (EVO) local exemplar: A cloud based local landscape learning visualisation tool for communicating flood risk to catchment stakeholders

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilkinson, Mark; Beven, Keith; Brewer, Paul; El-khatib, Yehia; Gemmell, Alastair; Haygarth, Phil; Mackay, Ellie; Macklin, Mark; Marshall, Keith; Quinn, Paul; Stutter, Marc; Thomas, Nicola; Vitolo, Claudia

    2013-04-01

    Today's world is dominated by a wide range of informatics tools that are readily available to a wide range of stakeholders. There is growing recognition that the appropriate involvement of local communities in land and water management decisions can result in multiple environmental, economic and social benefits. Therefore, local stakeholder groups are increasingly being asked to participate in decision making alongside policy makers, government agencies and scientists. As such, addressing flooding issues requires new ways of engaging with the catchment and its inhabitants at a local level. To support this, new tools and approaches are required. The growth of cloud based technologies offers new novel ways to facilitate this process of exchange of information in earth sciences. The Environmental Virtual Observatory Pilot project (EVOp) is a new initiative from the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) designed to deliver proof of concept for new tools and approaches to support the challenges as outlined above (http://www.evo-uk.org/). The long term vision of the Environmental Virtual Observatory is to: • Make environmental data more visible and accessible to a wide range of potential users including public good applications; • Provide tools to facilitate the integrated analysis of data, greater access to added knowledge and expert analysis and visualisation of the results; • Develop new, added-value knowledge from public and private sector data assets to help tackle environmental challenges. As part of the EVO pilot, an interactive cloud based tool has been developed with local stakeholders. The Local Landscape Visualisation Tool attempts to communicate flood risk in local impacted communities. The tool has been developed iteratively to reflect the needs, interests and capabilities of a wide range of stakeholders. This tool (assessable via a web portal) combines numerous cloud based tools and services, local catchment datasets, hydrological models and

  2. Effects of Exposure to Environmental Groups on Student Awareness of Environmental Issues and Their Desire to Be Locally Involved

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burke, Ann M.

    2017-01-01

    This study investigated changes in high school students' awareness of environmental issues and their intent to be involved with local environmental groups after attendance at an environmental fair that exposed them to local environmental groups. A comparison of prefair and postfair surveys given to students indicated a highly significant increase…

  3. SO2 NAAQS Implementation Training and Assistance for State and Local Air Agencies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Presentations and training help air agencies understand the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for sulfur dioxide, how to engage the public in local emissions reduction programs, successful state implementation plan (SIP) development, and more.

  4. US Environmental Protection Agency's assessment of environmental impacts of TENORM radiation sources: The example of uranium mining TENORM wastes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Setlow, L.W.

    2002-01-01

    Over the last 30 years the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has conducted field, laboratory, and scientific literature studies on a variety of technologically enhanced naturally occurring radioactive materials. In doing so, EPA has recognized that the physical and chemical characteristics of these wastes and products can vary significantly, and the Agency is conducting detailed evaluations of these radioactive materials on an industry-by-industry basis. An example of the Agency's current efforts to characterize and assess the risks of these materials from the uranium mining industry in a technical report is presented along with information on EPA's current field and laboratory studies. (author)

  5. 49 CFR Attachment 4 - State and Local Agency Review of Impact Statements

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 4 Attachment 4 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) NATIONAL..., Attach. 4 Attachment 4—State and Local Agency Review of Impact Statements 1. OBM Revised Circular No. A... proposed project in the case of federally assisted projects (Part I of A-95) generally takes place prior to...

  6. Local Perspectives on Environmental Insecurity and Its Influence on Illegal Biodiversity Exploitation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Meredith L Gore

    Full Text Available Environmental insecurity is a source and outcome of biodiversity declines and social conflict. One challenge to scaling insecurity reduction policies is that empirical evidence about local attitudes is overwhelmingly missing. We set three objectives: determine how local people rank risk associated with different sources of environmental insecurity; assess perceptions of environmental insecurity, biodiversity exploitation, myths of nature and risk management preferences; and explore relationships between perceptions and biodiversity exploitation. We conducted interviews (N = 88 with residents of Madagascar's Torotorofotsy Protected Area, 2014. Risk perceptions had a moderate effect on perceptions of environmental insecurity. We found no effects of environmental insecurity on biodiversity exploitation. Results offer one if not the first exploration of local perceptions of illegal biodiversity exploitation and environmental security. Local people's perception of risk seriousness associated with illegal biodiversity exploitation such as lemur hunting (low overall may not reflect perceptions of policy-makers (considered to be high. Discord is a key entry point for attention.

  7. Suitability of Local Resource Management Practices Based on Supernatural Enforcement Mechanisms in the Local Social-cultural Context

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Masatoshi Sasaoka

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Environmental anthropological studies on natural resource management have widely demonstrated and thematized local resource management practices based on the interactions between local people and supernatural agencies and their role in maintaining natural resources. In Indonesia, even though the legal status of local people's right to the forest and forest resources is still weak, the recent transition toward decentralization presents a growing opportunity for local people to collaborate with outsiders such as governmental agencies and environmental nongovernmental organizations in natural resource management. In such situations, in-depth understanding of the value of local resource management practices is needed to promote self-directed and effective resource management. Here, we focus on local forest resource management and its suitability in the local social-cultural context in central Seram, east Indonesia. Local resource management appears to be embedded in the wider social-cultural context of the local communities. However, few intensive case studies in Indonesia have addressed the relationship between the Indigenous resource management practices closely related to a people's belief in supernatural agents and the social-cultural context. We illustrate how the well-structured use of forest resources is established and maintained through these interactions. We then investigate how local resource management practices relate to the social-cultural and natural resources context of an upland community in central Seram and discuss the possible future applications for achieving conservation.

  8. Targeting adults who provide alcohol to underage youth: results from a national survey of local law enforcement agencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones-Webb, Rhonda; Toomey, Traci L; Lenk, Kathleen M; Nelson, Toben F; Erickson, Darin J

    2015-06-01

    We investigated what local enforcement agencies are doing to target adults who provide alcohol to underage youth; what types of enforcement activities are being conducted to target adult providers; and factors that encourage enforcement activities that target adult providers. We surveyed 1,056 local law enforcement agencies in the US and measured whether or not the agency conducted enforcement activities that target adults who provide alcohol to underage youth. We also measured whether certain agency and jurisdiction characteristics were associated with enforcement activities that target adults who provide alcohol to underage youth. Less than half (42%) of local enforcement agencies conducted enforcement efforts targeting adults who provide alcohol to underage youth. Agencies that conducted the enforcement activities targeting adult providers were significantly more likely to have a full time officer specific to alcohol enforcement, a division specific to alcohol enforcement, a social host law, and to perceive underage drinking was very common. Results suggest that targeting social providers (i.e., adults over 21 years of age) will require greater law enforcement resources, implementation of underage drinking laws (e.g., social host policies), and changing perceptions among law enforcement regarding underage drinking. Future studies are needed to identify the most effective enforcement efforts and to examine how enforcement efforts are prospectively linked to alcohol consumption.

  9. Rapid ecosystem change challenges the adaptive capacity of Local Environmental Knowledge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernández-Llamazares, Álvaro; Díaz-Reviriego, Isabel; Luz, Ana C; Cabeza, Mar; Pyhälä, Aili; Reyes-García, Victoria

    2015-03-01

    The use of Local Environmental Knowledge has been considered as an important strategy for adaptive management in the face of Global Environmental Change. However, the unprecedented rates at which global change occurs may pose a challenge to the adaptive capacity of local knowledge systems. In this paper, we use the concept of the shifting baseline syndrome to examine the limits in the adaptive capacity of the local knowledge of an indigenous society facing rapid ecosystem change. We conducted semi-structured interviews regarding perceptions of change in wildlife populations and in intergenerational transmission of knowledge amongst the Tsimane', a group of hunter-gatherers of Bolivian Amazonia ( n = 300 adults in 13 villages). We found that the natural baseline against which the Tsimane' measure ecosystem changes might be shifting with every generation as a result of (a) age-related differences in the perception of change and (b) a decrease in the intergenerational sharing of environmental knowledge. Such findings suggest that local knowledge systems might not change at a rate quick enough to adapt to conditions of rapid ecosystem change, hence potentially compromising the adaptive success of the entire social-ecological system. With the current pace of Global Environmental Change, widening the gap between the temporal rates of on-going ecosystem change and the timescale needed for local knowledge systems to adjust to change, efforts to tackle the shifting baseline syndrome are urgent and critical for those who aim to use Local Environmental Knowledge as a tool for adaptive management.

  10. 75 FR 6018 - Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-05

    ... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board, Hanford AGENCY... Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board (EM SSAB), Hanford (known locally as the Hanford Advisory... and site management in the areas of environmental restoration, waste management, and related...

  11. Local Government Implementation of Long-Term Stewardship at Two DOE Facilities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    John Pendergrass; Roman Czebiniak; Kelly Mott; Seth Kirshenberg; Audrey Eidelman; Zachary Lamb; Erica Pencak; Wendy Sandoz

    2003-08-13

    The Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for cleaning up the radioactive and chemical contamination that resulted from the production of nuclear weapons. At more than one hundred sites throughout the country DOE will leave some contamination in place after the cleanup is complete. In order to protect human health and the environment from the remaining contamination DOE, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state environmental regulatory agencies, local governments, citizens and other entities will need to undertake long-term stewardship of such sites. Long-term stewardship includes a wide range of actions needed to protect human health in the environment for as long as the risk from the contamination remains above acceptable levels, such as barriers, caps, and other engineering controls and land use controls, signs, notices, records, and other institutional controls. In this report the Environmental Law Institute (ELI) and the Energy Communities Alliance (ECA) examine how local governments, state environmental agencies, and real property professionals implement long-term stewardship at two DOE facilities, Losa Alamos National Laboratory and Oak Ridge Reservation.

  12. Learning about knowledge management for improving environmental impact assessment in a government agency: the Western Australian experience.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sánchez, Luis Enrique; Morrison-Saunders, Angus

    2011-09-01

    How does knowledge management (KM) by a government agency responsible for environmental impact assessment (EIA) potentially contribute to better environmental assessment and management practice? Staff members at government agencies in charge of the EIA process are knowledge workers who perform judgement-oriented tasks highly reliant on individual expertise, but also grounded on the agency's knowledge accumulated over the years. Part of an agency's knowledge can be codified and stored in an organizational memory, but is subject to decay or loss if not properly managed. The EIA agency operating in Western Australia was used as a case study. Its KM initiatives were reviewed, knowledge repositories were identified and staff surveyed to gauge the utilisation and effectiveness of such repositories in enabling them to perform EIA tasks. Key elements of KM are the preparation of substantive guidance and spatial information management. It was found that treatment of cumulative impacts on the environment is very limited and information derived from project follow-up is not properly captured and stored, thus not used to create new knowledge and to improve practice and effectiveness. Other opportunities for improving organizational learning include the use of after-action reviews. The learning about knowledge management in EIA practice gained from Western Australian experience should be of value to agencies worldwide seeking to understand where best to direct their resources for their own knowledge repositories and environmental management practice. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance New Mapping Tool for Enforcement Cases

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The new mapping tool shows facilities in the United States where the EPA concluded formal environmental enforcement actions between October 1, 2008 and September 30,...

  14. Interpretation and evaluation of the US Environmental Protection Agency ecological risk assessment guidelines

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Murray, K

    1999-10-01

    Full Text Available In order to facilitate a common understanding, on-going debate and increasing application of ecological risk assessment (ERA) in South Africa, the ERA process of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been summarised and evaluated...

  15. Environmental Communication Based on Local Wisdom In Anticipation of Citarum Flood

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iriana Bakti

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Management of watersheds becomes part of a government program. This was conducted to anticipate the floods that hit the settlement. But the program is hard to do without the active role of the community, therefore the communication activities were undertaken based on local wisdom. The purpose of this paper is to find out about the environmental communication based on local wisdom in the Citarum Watershed. The method used is in the form of interviews and participant observation. As for the results obtained are: local wisdom is utilized by the environment actuator in the Citarum watershed management in the form of the proverb, rituals, and the environment preservation. Local wisdom by the environment actuator is meant as a way in, and domain in conducting environmental communication. In addition, local wisdom considered by the environment actuator as the ethic to be met in interacts with the target communities. Implementation of environmental communication activities with local wisdom based on the Citarum is done through a personal approach to some of the social and religious figures by using the communication channels of the group in the forum -the farmers group, majelis ta’lim, and community empowerment, which proceeds in a dialogical way to reach mutual agreement based on mutual trust among the participants of the environmental communication

  16. A procurement-based pathway for promoting public health: innovative purchasing approaches for state and local government agencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noonan, Kathleen; Miller, Dorothy; Sell, Katherine; Rubin, David

    2013-11-01

    Through their purchasing powers, government agencies can play a critical role in leveraging markets to create healthier foods. In the United States, state and local governments are implementing creative approaches to procuring healthier foods, moving beyond the traditional regulatory relationship between government and vendors. They are forging new partnerships between government, non-profits, and researchers to increase healthier purchasing. On the basis of case examples, this article proposes a pathway in which state and local government agencies can use the procurement cycle to improve healthy eating.

  17. Consuming democracy : local agencies and liberal peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Goede, J de M.

    2015-01-01

    This thesis focuses on liberal peace building in the DRC. The thesis takes a critical approach which emphasises local agencies and their engagements with liberal peace building. However, it seeks to bring this critique back to the institutions with which liberal peace building is preoccupied, by

  18. 75 FR 8047 - Notice of Intent To Prepare a Joint Environmental Impact Statement and Environmental Impact...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-23

    ...Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District (USACE) intends to prepare a joint environmental impact statement/environmental impact report (EIS/EIR) for the Lower Walnut Creek General Reevaluation Report (LWCGRR). USACE will serve as lead agency for compliance with NEPA, and the Contra Costa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District (CCCFCWCD) will serve as lead agency for compliance with CEQA. The LWCGRR will evaluate alternatives, including a locally preferred plan, for providing flood risk management and ecosystem restoration along the northern portion of the Walnut Creek watershed in the Central Coast of California. The approximate drainage area of the proposed action and analysis is 180 square miles.

  19. Simulated Pathogen Concentrations in Locally-Collected Greywater and Wastewater

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This dataset contains simulated pathogen concentrations in locally-collected greywater and wastewater. Each .zip file includes 21 .csv files, each containing 10,000...

  20. Reducing the local environmental impacts of passenger transport

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maentynen, J.; Kalenoja, H.; Maekelae, S. [Tampere Univ. of Technology (Finland). Inst. of Transportation Engineering

    1995-12-31

    The local injurious effects of traffic appear mostly in densely populated areas, where the demand for transport is high. The local environmental effects of transportation can be reduced by measures of urban planning, traffic planning, vehicle technology and economical restrictions. Land use planning, concentration of urban structure and promoting distance working are examples of expedients of urban planning. The methods of urban planning usually affect very slowly on transport structure, but they also have a significant and continuous influence on travel demand. The methods of traffic planning generally tend to increase the fluency of traffic flow or reduce private car traffic with diverse restrictions by supporting environmentally more favourable vehicles or modes of travel. The improvements in vehicle technology can be significant in the short run. By economical regulations it is possible to guide the demand for traffic to a desirable direction. The local injurious effects of traffic vary by the size of urban areas. Local conditions, such as urban structure, population density, structure of employment, and composition of transport structure, influence on travel pattern and modal split. In Tampere University of Technology several measures to reduce environmental effects and energy consumption of transportation has been evaluated. This article presents three types of categories. As technological measures the introduction of electric vehicles and the alternative bus fuels have been studied. In addition, the effects of introducing midibuses, the car pool system and the increasing of vehicle occupancy have been evaluated as measures, which generally increase transportation system efficiency. (author)

  1. Reducing the local environmental impacts of passenger transport

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maentynen, J; Kalenoja, H; Maekelae, S [Tampere Univ. of Technology (Finland). Inst. of Transportation Engineering

    1996-12-31

    The local injurious effects of traffic appear mostly in densely populated areas, where the demand for transport is high. The local environmental effects of transportation can be reduced by measures of urban planning, traffic planning, vehicle technology and economical restrictions. Land use planning, concentration of urban structure and promoting distance working are examples of expedients of urban planning. The methods of urban planning usually affect very slowly on transport structure, but they also have a significant and continuous influence on travel demand. The methods of traffic planning generally tend to increase the fluency of traffic flow or reduce private car traffic with diverse restrictions by supporting environmentally more favourable vehicles or modes of travel. The improvements in vehicle technology can be significant in the short run. By economical regulations it is possible to guide the demand for traffic to a desirable direction. The local injurious effects of traffic vary by the size of urban areas. Local conditions, such as urban structure, population density, structure of employment, and composition of transport structure, influence on travel pattern and modal split. In Tampere University of Technology several measures to reduce environmental effects and energy consumption of transportation has been evaluated. This article presents three types of categories. As technological measures the introduction of electric vehicles and the alternative bus fuels have been studied. In addition, the effects of introducing midibuses, the car pool system and the increasing of vehicle occupancy have been evaluated as measures, which generally increase transportation system efficiency. (author)

  2. The Environmental Protection Agency in the Early Trump Administration: Prelude to Regulatory Capture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dillon, Lindsey; Sellers, Christopher; Underhill, Vivian; Shapiro, Nicholas; Ohayon, Jennifer Liss; Sullivan, Marianne; Brown, Phil; Harrison, Jill; Wylie, Sara

    2018-04-01

    We explore and contextualize changes at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over the first 6 months of the Trump administration, arguing that its pro-business direction is enabling a form of regulatory capture. We draw on news articles, public documents, and a rapid response, multisited interview study of current and retired EPA employees to (1) document changes associated with the new administration, (2) contextualize and compare the current pro-business makeover with previous ones, and (3) publicly convey findings in a timely manner. The lengthy, combined experience of interviewees with previous Republican and Democratic administrations made them valuable analysts for assessing recent shifts at the Scott Pruitt-led EPA and the extent to which these shifts steer the EPA away from its stated mission to "protect human and environmental health." Considering the extent of its pro-business leanings in the absence of mitigating power from the legislative branch, we conclude that its regulatory capture has become likely-more so than at similar moments in the agency's 47-year history. The public and environmental health consequences of regulatory capture of the EPA will probably be severe and far-reaching.

  3. Environmental Performance Information Use by Conservation Agency Staff

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wardropper, Chloe Bradley

    2018-04-01

    Performance-based conservation has long been recognized as crucial to improving program effectiveness, particularly when environmental conditions are dynamic. Yet few studies have investigated the use of environmental performance information by staff of conservation organizations. This article identifies attitudinal, policy and organizational factors influencing the use of a type of performance information—water quality information—by Soil and Water Conservation District staff in the Upper Mississippi River Basin region. An online survey ( n = 277) revealed a number of important variables associated with greater information use. Variables included employees' prosocial motivation, or the belief that they helped people and natural resources through their job, the perceived trustworthiness of data, the presence of a U.S. Clean Water Act Total Maximum Daily Load standard designation, and staff discretion to prioritize programs locally. Conservation programs that retain motivated staff and provide them the resources and flexibility to plan and evaluate their work with environmental data may increase conservation effectiveness under changing conditions.

  4. Can local environmental regulation of companies deal with a broader environmental view?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dirckinck-Holmfeld, Kasper; Smink, Carla

    Environmental concern of companies has gradually expanded from a focus on local environmental problems to a broader inclusion of inputs as well as lifecycle perspectives. At the same time, the regulatory approach has changed from a “pure” command-and-control regime, towards a governance regime......, where strict regulations increasingly are supplemented with other regulatory instruments such as economic incentives, information and facilitation. In Denmark, municipalities are the competent authority for companies. Throughout the last decade, several attempts to expand competences of municipalities...

  5. Storm water best management practices for local roadways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-09-01

    Local communities and the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) are required by the Ohio : Environmental Protection Agencys (Ohio EPA) statewide Construction General Permit for Storm : Water Discharges OHC000004 (CGP) to select, design, constru...

  6. Notification: Assessment of the Qualifications of Environmental Protection Agency Personnel With Significant Security Responsibilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Project #OMS-FY12-0006, February 15, 2012. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Inspector General plans to begin preliminary research for the subject project, which will be performed by a contractor.

  7. Tests to evaluate public health disease reporting systems in local public health agencies (electronic resource)

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Ricci, Karen; Lurie, Nicole; Stoto, Michael A; Wasserman, Jeffrey; Dausey, David J; Meade, Barbara; Diamond, Alexis; Molander, Roger C

    2005-01-01

    ... to evaluate the ability to receive and respond to case reports 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We refined these tests by beta-testing them at 20 metropolitan area local public health agencies across the country over the course of 10 months. The contents of this manual will be of interest to public health professionals at the state and local l...

  8. Digital Environmental Governance in China: Information Disclosure, Pollution Control, and Environmental Activism in the Yellow River Delta

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiaxin Tan

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available The Chinese water bureaucracy increasingly utilises information and communications technology (ICT in order to strengthen interaction with the population, which is severely affected by industrial pollution. Government webpages, mailboxes, and online interviews with officers have become prevalent tools for environmental governance, including information disclosure, and a virtual communication forum between the state and its citizens. The present study employs a mixed methods approach with a qualitative emphasis to explore the process of communication and interaction between government agencies and local residents in Dongying, Shandong Province. The results show that information disclosure of pollution data remains far from being transparent, despite the fact that the local government has implemented digital environmental governance, as encouraged by the central Chinese state. Internet technologies empower resource-poor environmental activists in Dongying to strengthen their social network and build communication with the authorities. The application of bureaucratic techniques, however, is key for them to enter the communication interface with government agencies in order to influence political decisions. Results suggest that local cadres tend to send mixed signals to activists and display wariness towards them. They also tend to take preventive measures to keep the situation under control when environmental disputes arise. The proposed communication interface approach sheds a clearer light on the complexity among the emergent ICTs, environmental activism, and digital governance.

  9. When global environmentalism meets local livelihoods: policy and management lessons

    Science.gov (United States)

    John Schelhas; Max J. Pfeffer

    2009-01-01

    Creation of national parks often imposes immediate livelihood costs on local people, and tensions between park managers and local people are common. Park managers have tried different approaches to managing relationships with local people, but nearly all include efforts to promote environmental values and behaviors. These efforts have had uneven results, and there is a...

  10. Catalyzing Collaboration: Wisconsin's Agency-Initiated Basin Partnerships

    Science.gov (United States)

    Genskow, Kenneth D.

    2009-03-01

    Experience with collaborative approaches to natural resource and environmental management has grown substantially over the past 20 years, and multi-interest, shared-resources initiatives have become prevalent in the United States and internationally. Although often viewed as “grass-roots” and locally initiated, governmental participants are crucial to the success of collaborative efforts, and important questions remain regarding their appropriate roles, including roles in partnership initiation. In the midst of growing governmental support for collaborative approaches in the mid-1990s, the primary natural resource and environmental management agency in Wisconsin (USA) attempted to generate a statewide system of self-sustaining, collaborative partnerships, organized around the state’s river basin boundaries. The agency expected the partnerships to enhance participation by stakeholders, leverage additional resources, and help move the agency toward more integrated and ecosystem-based resource management initiatives. Most of the basin partnerships did form and function, but ten years after this initiative, the agency has moved away from these partnerships and half have disbanded. Those that remain active have changed, but continue to work closely with agency staff. Those no longer functioning lacked clear focus, were dependent upon agency leadership, or could not overcome issues of scale. This article outlines the context for state support of collaborative initiatives and explores Wisconsin’s experience with basin partnerships by discussing their formation and reviewing governmental roles in partnerships’ emergence and change. Wisconsin’s experience suggests benefits from agency support and agency responsiveness to partnership opportunities, but cautions about expectations for initiating general-purpose partnerships.

  11. Do environmental projects promote gender equity?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joekes, S

    1995-02-01

    In the 1980s, governments and development agencies began to recognize the need to consider gender issues in their environmental and natural resource management programs. First came the understanding that women play a vital role in the management of natural resources and often have a strong traditional and contemporary knowledge of their environment. To exclude them would damage the efficacy of any project. Next, donor agencies came to view women, in their roles as environmental managers, as vulnerable victims of and contributors to environmental degradation. When awareness grew of examples of women successfully fighting to conserve local resources, women were considered important local assets to be used in efforts toward better environmental management. New environmental projects began by asking whether the protected resource was used by men or women in order to target the crucial people. For example, when planning to preserve forests, it is useful to recognize that men typically use wood for construction and fencing, while women use it for cooking fires. It has become increasingly common for women to participate in water and sanitation committees. But good intentions have often been subverted. Community level management of environmental projects does not guarantee female participation. Sometimes involving women means that women do all the physical labor without receiving their fair share of the benefits. In areas where women's property rights are restricted, women will have little authority in resource management. Legal reforms are needed, but they must be complemented at the local level by collective action.

  12. Challenges for a Local Service Agency to Address Domestic Violence –A Case Study From Rural Indonesia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayati, Elli Nur; Emmelin, Maria; Eriksson, Malin

    2014-01-01

    Since the launch of a Zero Tolerance Policy in Indonesia, several policies to address domestic violence have been enacted. The obligation of local governments to establish service units for women survivors of domestic violence is one of them. Since domestic violence is a sensitive and complex issue in Indonesia it is important to understand how governmentally regulated services function in practice. This case study aimed to explore challenges faced by a local service agency in managing service provision for women survivors of domestic violence in rural Indonesia. Data from one focus group discussion (12 participants), four individual interviews, six short narratives, two days of participant observation, as well as archive reviews were collected. All data were analyzed using Grounded Theory Situational Analysis. The major challenge faced by the local agency was the low priority that was given them by the local authorities, mirrored also in low involvement by the assigned volunteers in the daily service. The study also identified a gap between the socio-cultural arena and the law & policy arena that needs to be bridged to avoid that the two arenas address domestic violence in a contradictory way. Budget allocation to support the sustainability of the daily routines of service agencies has to be given priority. There is also a need for careful considerations regarding the composition of personnel involved within daily management of service agencies addressing domestic violence. To bridge the gap between the legal systems and traditional cultural values, culturally adjusted alternative justice systems could be developed to increase women’s access to legal support. PMID:25363105

  13. Integration of environmental stewardship and local economic development to enhance community health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Levine, Jay F

    2011-01-01

    Environmental groups working to preserve natural ecosystems and groups working to enhance local economic development often find themselves on philosophically opposite sides of the negotiation table. Case histories of cooperative engagement are provided that serve as examples of how environmental stewardship is compatible with local economic development and community health.

  14. Kansas City Transportation and Local-Scale Air Quality Study (KC-TRAQS) Fact Sheet

    Science.gov (United States)

    In fall 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched the Kansas City Transportation Local-Scale Air Quality Study (KC-TRAQS) to learn more about local community air quality in three neighborhoods in Kansas City, KS.

  15. You Can't Eat Biodiversity: Agency and Irrational Norms in European Aquatic Environmental Law

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tim G. O'Higgins

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Policies of the European Union cover a range of social, environmental and economic aspirations and the current environmental directives and laws have evolved from a suite of norms which have changed over time. These may be characterised loosely according to 'Three Ps': Practical, those taking an anthropocentric approach; Pure, those taking an ecocentric approach and Popular, those appealing to the general public. In this paper I use these three perspectives as a tool to analyse the complexity and identify contradictions in European aquatic environmental legislation. Some trade-offs between development and conservation are identified and used to characterise the potential qualities of more successful agency to achieve environmental goals in the governance of European aquatic environments.

  16. Radiological emergency response planning: Handbook for Federal Assistance to State and Local Governments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1978-12-01

    The handbook is directed toward those federal agencies involved in providing direct field assistance to state and local governments in radiological emergency response planning. Its principal purpose is to optimize the effectiveness of this effort by specifying the functions of the following federal agencies: Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Energy, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, Department of Transportation, Defense Civil Preparedness Agency, Federal Disaster Assistance Administration, and Federal Preparedness Agency

  17. Tree agency and urban forest governance

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Konijnendijk, Cecil Cornelis

    2016-01-01

    governance also involving businesses and civic society. However, governance theory usually does not consider the role of non-human agency, which can be considered problematic due to, for example, the important role of urban trees in place making. The purpose of this paper is to provide further insight...... into the importance of considering tree agency in governance. Design/methodology/approach – Taking an environmental governance and actor network theory perspective, the paper presents a critical view of current urban forest governance, extending the perspective to include not only a wide range of human actors......, but also trees as important non-human actors. Findings – Urban forest governance has become more complex and involves a greater range of actors and actor networks. However, the agency of trees in urban forest governance is seldom well developed. Trees, in close association with local residents, create...

  18. Factors associated with local public health agency participation in obesity prevention in southern States.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatala, Jeffrey J; Fields, Tina T

    2015-05-01

    Obesity rates in the southern US states are higher than in other states. Historically, large-scale community-based interventions in the United States have not proven successful. With local public health agencies (LPHAs) tasked with prevention, their role in obesity prevention is important, yet little research exists regarding what predicts the participation of LPHAs. Cross-sectional data from the 2008 National Association of City and County Health Officials profile study and two public health conceptual frameworks were used to assess structural and environmental predictors of LPHA participation in obesity prevention. The predictors were compared between southern and nonsouthern states. Univariate and weighted logistic regressions were performed. Analysis revealed that more LPHAs in southern states were engaged in nearly all of the 10 essential public health functions related to obesity prevention compared with nonsouthern states. Presence of community-based organizations and staffing levels were the only significant variables in two of the six logistic regression models. This study provides insights into the success rates of the obesity prevention efforts of LPHAs in southern and nonsouthern states. Future research is needed to understand why and how certain structural elements and any additional factors influence LPHA participation in obesity prevention.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  20. Is the environment making us sick? Seminar report of the Bavarian Central Information Agency on Environmental Counceling. Vol. 8

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kohmanns, B.; Koller, U.; Klemmer, A.; Haury, H.J.

    1996-09-01

    On 14 and 15 May 1996 the Bavarian central information agency on environmental counseling held its 8th seminar entitled ''Is the environment making us sick?''. It was attended by about 80 representatives of environmental counseling agencies and other authorities involved in environmental counseling. Leading scientists from research institutions and authorities discussed different aspects in the environmental medicine sector such as health-endangering potentials of air pollutants, noise, chemicals affecting hormone production, as well as soil pollution or pollution of rivers and lakes where people bathe. The meeting was concerned with the most recent findings on links between environmental factors and the origin of allergies just as well as with complex environment-related disorders without a recognizable cause. In somewhat broader terms, the notion of ''risk'' was considered from various angles. The volume contains the lectures given. (orig./VHE) [de

  1. Notification: Review of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Purchase Card and Convenience Check Program

    Science.gov (United States)

    Project #OA-FY13-0116, December 20, 2012. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Inspector General, plans to begin preliminary research for an audit of the agency’s purchase card and convenience check programs.

  2. DOE's Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board: The Roles, Work, and Assessment of the Constituent Local Boards - 13587

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alexander, Catherine; Freeman, Jenny; Cantrell, Yvette

    2013-01-01

    The charter for the Department of Energy's Environmental Management (EM) Site-Specific Advisory Board (SSAB) was approved under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) in 1994. With a unique mandate to provide public input on issues associated with the cleanup of nuclear legacy sites in the U.S., the EM SSAB comprises eight local boards, which are based at major EM sites. While each board is unique to the community in which it is located and reflects the diversity of the local population, the boards are governed by FACA, related regulations, and DOE policies that are intended to standardize agency advisory board operations. The EM SSAB local boards are made up of a diverse group of citizens who want to understand the mission and goals of the EM program and to help EM achieve those goals for the benefit of their communities. Some are quite passionate about their mission; others need to be coaxed into active participation. Maintaining productive relationships and a supportive environment for effective board operations is the challenge of board management for DOE EM and the board members themselves. DOE draws on research findings and best practices literature from academics and practitioners in the field of public involvement in its board management practices. The EM SSAB is also evaluated annually under the law to ensure that the investment of taxpayer dollars in the board is warranted in light of the contributions of the board. Further evaluation takes place at the agency and site levels in order to identify what aspects of board functioning the agency and board members find important to its success and to address areas where improvement is needed. Board contributions, compliance factors, and measurable outcomes related to board products and process areas are key to agency commitment to ongoing support of the boards and to participant satisfaction and thus continued member involvement. In addition to evaluation of these factors in improving board effectiveness

  3. The environmental agency of North-Rhine-Westphalia. Annual report 1995; Landesumweltamt Nordrhein-Westfalen. Jahresbericht `95

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-06-01

    The annual reports of the environmental agency of North-Rhine-Westphalia periodically inform on topics, developments and events. In its choice of technical topics, the agency was guided by the following aspects: topicality, significance for workers in this technical field and, especially, general technical interest. Consequently, this volume is not a report of activities but provides insight into the work of the agency, stimulates cooperation and helps to establish and intensify connections. The short papers fall into the subject categories water, soil, atmosphere, technical systems and information systems, permitting rapid survey. The subjects of the longer contributions were chosen right across the entire range of activities of the environmental agency. Aspects relating to several media of course had an influence on this choice. (orig./SR) [Deutsch] Die Jahresberichte des Landesumweltamtes NRW geben periodisch eine Uebersicht ueber Themen, Entwicklungen und Ereignisse. Bei der Auswahl der Fachthemen laesst sich das Landesumweltamt von der Aktualitaet, der Bedeutung fuer die Fachwelt und auch von dem allgemeinen Fachinteresse leiten. Dieser Jahresbericht `95 ist somit kein Rechenschaftsbericht, sondern gibt Einblick in die Arbeit, soll zur Zusammenarbeit anregen, vielfaeltige fachliche Verbindungen knuepfen und festigen. Zur besseren Uebersichtlichkeit sind die Kurzbeitraege gegliedert in: Wasser, Boden, Luft, Technik und Informationssysteme. Die Hauptbeitraege setzen Schwerpunkte `quer durch das Landesumweltamt`, bei denen natuerlich medienuebergreifende Gesichtspunkte eine Rolle gespielt haben. (orig./SR)

  4. Local environmental conditions and the stability of protective layers on steel surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jensen, J P [Technical Univ. of Denmark, Lyngby (Denmark); Bursik, A

    1996-12-01

    Local environmental conditions determine whether the protective layers on steel surfaces are stable. With unfavorable local environmental conditions, the protective layers may be subject to damage. Taking the cation conductivity of all plant cycle streams <0.2 {mu}S/cm for granted, an adequate feed-water and - if applicable - boiler water conditioning is required to prevent such damage. Even if the mentioned conditions are met in a bulk, the local environmental conditions may be inadequate. The reasons for this may be the disregarding of interactions among material, design, and chemistry. The paper presents many possible mechanisms of protective layer damage that are directly influenced or exacerbated by plant cycle chemistry. Two items are discussed in more detail: First, the application of all volatile treatment for boiler water conditioning of drum boiler systems operating at low pressures and, second, the chemistry in the transition zone water/steam in the low pressure turbine. The latter is of major interest for the understanding and prevention of corrosion due to high concentration of impurities in the aqueous liquid phases. This is a typical example showing that local environmental conditions may fundamentally differ from the overall bulk chemistry. (au) 19 refs.

  5. ECONOMICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF LOCAL FOOD SYSTEMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ola BAREJA-WAWRYSZUK

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available It is observed that quality of mass produced and highly processed food forces consumers to change their consumption habits and become more interested in locally available food products. Consumers are becoming aware of negative consequences of global food systems. As an alternative, Local Food Systems are gaining on popularity because short food supply chains offer fresh, healthy and not modified products. The popularity of Local Food Systems is reflected in the need for analysing impact and significance of those systems. Thus, this paper presents main benefits of acting locally. Local Food Systems has been reviewed in case of positive economic, environmental and social influence on the region. What is more, the paper presents consumers’ attitude to Local Food Systems. As a conclusion authors justify significance of development and investment in Local Food Systems as an alternative to agriculture networks.

  6. Volunteer Environmental Stewardship and Affective Labour in Philadelphia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alec Foster

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Recent research has critically evaluated the rapid growth of volunteer urban environmental stewardship. Framings of this phenomenon have largely focused upon environmentality and/or neoliberal environments, unfortunately often presenting a totalising picture of the state and/or market utilising power from above to create environmental subjects with limited agency available to local citizens. Based upon qualitative research with volunteer urban environmental stewards in Philadelphia, affective labour is proposed as an alternative explanation for participation. Stewards volunteered their time and labour due to the intense emotional attachments they formed with their neighbourhoods, neighbours, and nonhuman others in relationships of affective labour. Volunteer urban environmental stewardship as affective labour provides room for agency on the part of individuals and groups involved in volunteer urban environmental reproduction and opens up new ways of relating to and being with human and nonhuman others.

  7. US Environmental Protection Agency National Coastal Assessment for Hawaii 2002: Water Quality, Fish Taxon, Sediment Chemistry Data (NODC Accession 0061250)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — In 2002, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) National Coastal Assessment (NCA), in conjunction with...

  8. Public Hearing or `Hearing Public'? An Evaluation of the Participation of Local Stakeholders in Environmental Impact Assessment of Ghana's Jubilee Oil Fields

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bawole, Justice Nyigmah

    2013-08-01

    This article investigates the involvement of local stakeholders in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) processes of Ghana's first off-shore oil fields (the Jubilee fields). Adopting key informants interviews and documentary reviews, the article argues that the public hearings and the other stakeholder engagement processes were cosmetic and rhetoric with the view to meeting legal requirements rather than a purposeful interest in eliciting inputs from local stakeholders. It further argues that the operators appear to lack the social legitimacy and social license that will make them acceptable in the project communities. A rigorous community engagement along with a commitment to actively involving local stakeholders in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes of the partners may enhance the image of the partners and improve their social legitimacy. Local government agencies should be capacitated to actively engage project organisers; and government must mitigate the impact of the oil projects through well-structured social support programmes.

  9. Public hearing or 'hearing public'? an evaluation of the participation of local stakeholders in environmental impact assessment of Ghana's Jubilee oil fields.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bawole, Justice Nyigmah

    2013-08-01

    This article investigates the involvement of local stakeholders in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) processes of Ghana's first off-shore oil fields (the Jubilee fields). Adopting key informants interviews and documentary reviews, the article argues that the public hearings and the other stakeholder engagement processes were cosmetic and rhetoric with the view to meeting legal requirements rather than a purposeful interest in eliciting inputs from local stakeholders. It further argues that the operators appear to lack the social legitimacy and social license that will make them acceptable in the project communities. A rigorous community engagement along with a commitment to actively involving local stakeholders in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes of the partners may enhance the image of the partners and improve their social legitimacy. Local government agencies should be capacitated to actively engage project organisers; and government must mitigate the impact of the oil projects through well-structured social support programmes.

  10. Amendments to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's public health and environmental radiation protection standards for Yucca Mountain, Nevada (40 CFR PART 197) - 16156

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clark, Raymond L.; Czyscinski, Kenneth; Rosnick, Reid J.; Schultheisz, Daniel

    2009-01-01

    In 2001, as directed by the Energy Policy Act of 1992, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued public health and environmental radiation protection standards for the proposed repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Several parties sued the Agency on numerous aspects of the rule. A Federal Court upheld EPA on all counts except for the compliance period associated with the individual-protection standard, which the Agency had limited to 10,000 years for a number of technical and policy reasons. However, the National Academy of Sciences WAS) had recommended that the standard be set for the time of peak risk, within the limits imposed by the long-term stability of the geologic environment, which NAS estimated at 1 million years. EPA's standards required that the Department of Energy (DOE) project doses to the time of peak dose but did not apply a compliance standard to these longer term projections. The Court ruled that EPA's 10,000-year compliance period was inconsistent with the NAS recommendation. This aspect of the rule was vacated and remanded to the Agency for revision. In 2005, EPA proposed amendments to the standards. Following public hearings and a public review period, the final amendments were issued in September 2008. This paper discusses the new requirements. (authors)

  11. The structure and organization of local and state public health agencies in the U.S.: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hyde, Justeen K; Shortell, Stephen M

    2012-05-01

    This systematic review provides a synthesis of the growing field of public health systems research related to the structure and organization of state and local governmental public health agencies. It includes an overview of research examining the influence of organizational characteristics on public health performance and health status and a summary of the strengths and gaps of the literature to date. Data were retrieved through an iterative process, beginning with key word searches in three publication databases (PubMed, JSTOR, Web of Science). Gray literature was searched through the use of Google Scholar™. Targeted searches on websites and key authors were also performed. Documents underwent an initial and secondary screening; they were retained if they contained information about local or state public health structure, organization, governance, and financing. 77 articles met the study criteria. Public health services are delivered by a mix of local, state, and tribal governmental and nongovernmental agencies and delivered through centralized (28%); decentralized (37%); or combined authority (35%). The majority of studies focused on organizational characteristics that are associated with public health performance based on the 10 Essential Public Health Services framework. Population size of jurisdiction served (>50,000); structure of authority (decentralized and mixed); per capita spending at the local level; some partnerships (academic, health services); and leadership of agency directors have been found to be related to public health performance. Fewer studies examined the relationship between organizational characteristics and health outcomes. Improvements in health outcomes are associated with an increase in local health department expenditures, FTEs per capita, and location of health department within local networks. Public health systems in the U.S. face a number of critical challenges, including limited organizational capacity and financial resources

  12. Nanotechnology applications and implications research supported by the US Environmental Protection Agency STAR grants program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Savage, Nora; Thomas, Treye A; Duncan, Jeremiah S

    2007-10-01

    Since 2002, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been funding research on the environmental aspects of nanotechnology through its Science to Achieve Results (STAR) grants program. In total, more than $25 million has been awarded for 86 research projects on the environmental applications and implications of nanotechnology. In the applications area, grantees have produced promising results in green manufacturing, remediation, sensors, and treatment using nanotechnology and nanomaterials. Although there are many potential benefits of nanotechnology, there has also been increasing concern about the environmental and health effects of nanomaterials, and there are significant gaps in the data needed to address these concerns. Research performed by STAR grantees is beginning to address these needs.

  13. Money, management, and manipulation: Environmental mobilization in the Great Lakes basin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gould, K.A.

    1991-01-01

    This document examines variations in the responses of communities to local pollution problems affecting Great Lakes water quality. The study is based on research conducted at six such communities, at sites that have been designated as 'Areas of Concern' by the International Joint Commission. The roles of economic dependency or diversity, access to scientific and political resources, community size, social visibility of pollution, and consciousness- and unconsciousness-making activities are examined as they relate to grass roots political mobilization in response to local, lake-related environmental issues. Of particular interest is the participation of national and regional environmental social movement organizations, Federal, State/Provincial and local governments, and local industry. National and regional environmental social movement organizations appear to have a greater mobilizing impact on communities that are closest to the urban centers in which these organizations are based. State and Provincial environmental agencies play a centrist role in promoting minimal remediation. Local governments typically oppose the definition of local environmental disorganization as a problem

  14. Environmental Impact and Relative Invasiveness of Free-Roaming Domestic Carnivores—a North American Survey of Governmental Agencies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Lepe

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available A survey of the United States and Canadian governmental agencies investigated the environmental impact and relative invasiveness of free-roaming domestic non-native carnivores—dogs, cats, and ferrets. Agencies represented wildlife, fish, game, natural or environmental resources, parks and recreation, veterinary and human health, animal control, and agriculture. Respondents were asked to document the number and frequency of sightings of unconfined animals, evidence for environmental harm, and the resulting “degree of concern” in their respective jurisdictions. Results confirmed the existence of feral (breeding cats and dogs, documenting high levels of concern regarding the impact of these animals on both continental and surrounding insular habitats. Except for occasional strays, no free-roaming or feral ferrets were reported; nor were there reports of ferrets impacting native wildlife, including ground-nesting birds, or sensitive species. This is the first study to report the relative impact of free-roaming domestic carnivores. Dogs and cats meet the current definition of “invasive” species, whereas ferrets do not. Differences in how each species impacts the North American environment highlights the complex interaction between non-native species and their environment. Public attitudes and perceptions regarding these species may be a factor in their control and agency management priorities.

  15. 49 CFR 520.34 - Comments on environmental statements prepared by other agencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... systems, traffic congestion, threats to health, or other consequences adverse to the environmental goals... changes in vehicular or pedestrian access. b. Statement of the “national, State or local significance” of...

  16. Hazardous-waste landfill research, US EPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) program

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schomaker, N.B.

    1988-08-01

    The Land Pollution Control Division (LPCD), Hazardous Waste Engineering Research Lab. (HWERL), U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in Cincinnati, Ohio, has responsibility for research in solid- and hazardous-waste management with respect to land disposal of wastes. To fulfill the responsibility, the LPCD is developing concepts and is documenting the environmental effects of various waste-disposal practices; and is collecting data necessary to support implementation of disposal guidelines mandated by the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 (HSWA). This paper presents an overview of the land-disposal research associated with the LPCD hazardous waste program plan and will report the current status of work in the following categorical areas: Hazardous-waste facilities - landfills and surface impoundments; Non-Hazardous waste facilities; and Technology transfer.

  17. Critical comments on the US Environmental Protection Agency Standards 40 CFR 191

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pflum, C.G.; Van Konynenburg, R.A.; Krishna, P.

    1993-01-01

    This paper is about the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ''Environmental Standards for the Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Wastes,'' 40 CFR 191. These standards regulate the disposal of radioactive wastes in geologic repositories. Currently, two repository sites are under investigation: The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) site, located near Carlsbad, New Mexico, may become the repository for defense-generated transuranic waste (TRU); and the Yucca Mountain site, located near Las Vegas, Nevada, may become the repository for spent reactor fuel and a small amount of reprocessing waste (hereinafter called high-level radioactive waste or HLW). The paper was written for readers who have an interest in 40 CFR 191 but do not have the time or inclination to ponder the technical details

  18. The Environmental Advisory Service (EASe): a decision support system for comprehensive screening of local land-use development proposals and comparative evaluation of proposed land-use plans

    OpenAIRE

    K P White; A P Sage; F A Rodammer; C T Peters

    1985-01-01

    The Environmental Advisory Service (EASe) is a decision support system which can provide assistance to local planning agencies in selecting land-development alternatives or in formulating land-use plans. EASe offers a comprehensive and consistent procedure for rating either a development proposal or a proposed plan. This procedure is based upon qualitative assessments of the impact of developments or plans on the natural environment, zoning and land use. public and private services, transport...

  19. How Have Political Incentives for Local Officials Reduced Environmental Pollution in Resource-Depleted Cities?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huiming Zhang

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Chinese resource-exhausted cities face more severe environmental pollution problems than other cities. In addressing these problems, the way local officials (usually senior party and government leaders operate is very important, as their focus on political achievements may complicate how they manage environmental pollution in these cities. On the one hand, the traditional Gross Domestic Product-based quest for political achievement may lead top leaders to de-emphasize environmental pollution. On the other hand, changes made in 2003 to the way the performance of Chinese officials is evaluated have encouraged some local senior party and government leaders to pay more attention to environmental problems. Based on this, we analyze the relationship between political incentives and environmental pollution by applying the 2004–2014 panel data from 37 resource-exhausted cities. The findings reveal that firstly, among the factors which impact the environmental pollution of resource-exhausted cities, investment in fixed assets, foreign direct investment, industrial structure, per-capita education expenditure, and population density do not have a significant impact, thus indicating that local openness levels, the degree of industrial upgrading, and local investment in fixed assets are not the key variables in environmental pollution control. Secondly, the extent to which officials vie for political achievement affects environmental pollution in resource-exhausted cities. This depends upon whether the officials are municipal party secretaries or mayors; the former play a greater dynamic role in environmental pollution and have stronger robustness than the latter. The conclusion verifies both the existing authority structure of China and its effectiveness in the control of environmental pollution of resource-exhausted cities. That is to say, in contrast to the principles of the party committees, the mayors are in a subordinate position and often fail to

  20. Final environmental statement, Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor Program. Volume 3

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1975-12-01

    Included are copies of thirty-four comment letters on the Proposed Final Environmental Statement together with the ERDA replies to these letters. The letters were received from Federal, State, and local agencies, environmental and public interest groups, members of the academic and industrial communities, and individual citizens

  1. Final environmental statement, Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor Program. Volume 2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1975-12-01

    Included are copies of fifty-six comment letters on the Proposed Final Environmental Statement together with the ERDA replies to these letters. The letters were received from Federal, State, and local agencies, environmental and public interest groups, members of the academic and industrial communities, and individual citizens

  2. Use of electronic bulletin boards for environmental management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kumar, A.; Rao, H.G.

    1991-01-01

    As a result of changes to existing environmental protection legislation, and the numerous changes to existing regulations that continually take place, environmental managers need updated information on federal mandated programs and regulation, approved and other mathematical models, control technologies, acceptable measurement techniques and continuing education courses. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is providing help to state and local air pollution control agencies, the regulated community, consultants and the general public through electronic bulletin boards. Each bulletin board (BB) uses data base management system and communication technology to provide access to information on several specific topics of interest to the environmental manager. This review discusses nine bulletin board systems available to the public from the EPA. Several alternative bulletin board systems are also available and will be discussed in future columns

  3. Implementation of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Health Authority by the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siegel, M.R.

    1990-01-01

    The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA) of 1986 greatly expanded the health authority of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act. One of the federal agencies most affected by SARA is the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) of the U.S. Public Health Service. Among other responsibilities, ATSDR was mandated to conduct health assessments within strict time frames for each site on or proposed for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Priorities List. The author will review ATSDR's efforts to address this new statutory mandate, especially for federal facilities, and will focus on different conceptual frameworks for implementing the health assessment program

  4. 78 FR 33839 - Access by United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Contractors to Information Claimed...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-05

    ... health and the environment by regulating air pollution from motor vehicles, engines, and the fuels used... Standards for Moving Sources, and Act To Prevent Pollution From Ships (APPS) AGENCY: Environmental... Pollution from Ships (APPS) that may be claimed as, or may be determined to be, confidential business...

  5. Environmental Public Health Research at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Addressing Community Exposures and Outcomes from One Researcher’s Perspective

    Science.gov (United States)

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (U.S. EPA) mission is to protect human health and the environment. Those not familiar with U.S. EPA’s mission often do not realize that U.S. EPA is a public health agency. In this presentation, Dr. Danelle Lobdell will provid...

  6. Mapping knowledge investments in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: a new approach for assessing regulatory agency responses to environmental disaster

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Frickel, Scott; Campanella, Richard; Vincent, M. Bess

    2009-01-01

    In the aftermath of large-scale disasters, the public's dependency on federal and state agencies for information about public safety and environmental risk is acute. While formal rules and procedures are in place to guide policy decisions in environmental risk assessment of spatially concentrated hazards such as regulated waste sites or vacant city lots, standard procedures for risk assessment seem potentially less well-suited for urban-scale disaster zones where environmental hazards may be widely dispersed and widely varying. In this paper we offer a new approach for the social assessment of regulatory science in response to large-scale disaster, illustrating our methodology through a socio-spatial analysis of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) hazard assessment in New Orleans, Louisiana, following Hurricane Katrina in 2005. We find that the agency's commitment of epistemic resources or 'knowledge investments' varied considerably across the flood-impacted portion of the city, concentrating in poorer and disproportionately African American neighborhoods previously known to be heavily contaminated. We address some of the study's social and policy implications, noting the multidimensionality and interactive nature of knowledge investments and the prospects for deepening and extending this approach through comparative research

  7. US Environmental Protection Agency National Coastal Assessment for American Samoa 2004: water quality, sediment grain, and chemistry data (NODC Accession 0000455)

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — In 2004, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) National Coastal Assessment (NCA), coordinated through the...

  8. Expertise and Power: Agencies Operating in Complex Environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anthony R. Zito

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available This contribution investigates the strategies that environmental agencies develop to enhance their policy autonomy, in order to fulfil their organisational missions for protecting the environment. This article asks whether there are particular strategic moves that an agency can make to augment this policy autonomy in the face of the principals. Critiquing principal agent theory, it investigates the evolution of three environmental agencies (the European Environment Agency, the England and Wales Environment Agency and the United States Environmental Protection Agency, focusing on the case study of climate change. The contribution examines how the agencies influence environmental policy on domestic, regional and global levels, with a special focus on the principals that constrain agency autonomy. A greater focus on different multi-level contexts, which the three agencies face, may create other possible dynamics and opportunities for agency strategies. Agencies can use particular knowledge, network and alliance building to strengthen their policy/political positions.

  9. Public Sector Financial Management Reform: A Case Study of Local Government Agencies in Indonesia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Monir Mir

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Indonesia has taken initiatives to reform its public sector financial management. One of the reform agendas was to introduce ‘cash to accrual’ accounting for improved financial reporting. It is expected that improved financial reporting will enhance financial accountabilities of the governmental agencies and will assist both internal and external decision makers whose decisions will be based on the financial reports. However, it has been observed that there is a significant increase in the number of qualified audit reports when these financial reports were audited. This also means that these financial reports are lacking in providing true and fair views on the financial activities of the governmental agencies, thereby not assisting in discharging their accountabilities. This study seeks to answer the question as to why the numbers of qualified audit reports have increased despite the existence of various governmental accounting reform agendas. Based on the in-depth case studies of three Indonesian local governments, it is found that the demand, the supply and the quality assurance of the accounting information outputs in these local governments are not in parity, and this lacking in parties actually has impacted in producing unqualified and usable accounting reports.

  10. Environmental impact statements: an analysis of six years' experience by seventy federal agencies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1976-03-01

    This report assesses federal implementation of the environmental impact statement requirement of the National Environmental Policy Act. The report asks how well the requirement fulfills its purpose of helping government officials reach informed decisions. It considers whether the content and quality of impact statements are adequate; whether complaints about delay from EIS procedures are justified; what purposes may be served by preparing impact statements on broad government programs or groups of projects; whether EIS review by state as well as federal agencies is working well or is in need of improvement; and whether public involvement in the whole process is satisfactory. It also examines some other special questions arising from the EIS requirement

  11. 77 FR 8860 - Pesticide Emergency Exemptions; Agency Decisions and State and Federal Agency Crisis Declarations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-02-15

    ...; Agency Decisions and State and Federal Agency Crisis Declarations AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... agencies. The emergency exemptions may take the following form: Crisis, public health, quarantine, or.... These are rarely requested. 3. A ``crisis exemption'' is initiated by a State or Federal agency (and is...

  12. Pawtucket R.I. Group Selected for EPA Environmental Workforce Development and Job Training Program Grant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Groundwork Rhode Island, a Pawtucket-based organization, was one of 17 groups selected today by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to share $3.3 million to operate environmental job training programs for local citizens.

  13. Law no. 2001-398 of the 9 may 2001 creating a french Agency of sanitary and environmental safety (1)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2001-05-01

    This law text indicates the goal and the missions of the french sanitary and environmental safety Agency, defined by the law no.2001-398: to assure the public health the Agency has to contribute to the the sanitary safety in the environment domain and to evaluate the risk bonded to the environment. (A.L.B)

  14. DOE's Environmental Management Site-Specific Advisory Board: The Roles, Work, and Assessment of the Constituent Local Boards - 13587

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Alexander, Catherine [U.S. Dept. of Energy, Office of Environmental Management, Office of Intergovernmental and Community Activities, 1000 Independence Avenue, S.W.,Washington, D.C. 20585 (United States); Freeman, Jenny [Strata-G, LLC, 2027 Castaic Lane, Knoxville, TN 37932 (United States); Cantrell, Yvette [Restoration Services, Inc., 136 Mitchell Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 (United States)

    2013-07-01

    The charter for the Department of Energy's Environmental Management (EM) Site-Specific Advisory Board (SSAB) was approved under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA) in 1994. With a unique mandate to provide public input on issues associated with the cleanup of nuclear legacy sites in the U.S., the EM SSAB comprises eight local boards, which are based at major EM sites. While each board is unique to the community in which it is located and reflects the diversity of the local population, the boards are governed by FACA, related regulations, and DOE policies that are intended to standardize agency advisory board operations. The EM SSAB local boards are made up of a diverse group of citizens who want to understand the mission and goals of the EM program and to help EM achieve those goals for the benefit of their communities. Some are quite passionate about their mission; others need to be coaxed into active participation. Maintaining productive relationships and a supportive environment for effective board operations is the challenge of board management for DOE EM and the board members themselves. DOE draws on research findings and best practices literature from academics and practitioners in the field of public involvement in its board management practices. The EM SSAB is also evaluated annually under the law to ensure that the investment of taxpayer dollars in the board is warranted in light of the contributions of the board. Further evaluation takes place at the agency and site levels in order to identify what aspects of board functioning the agency and board members find important to its success and to address areas where improvement is needed. Board contributions, compliance factors, and measurable outcomes related to board products and process areas are key to agency commitment to ongoing support of the boards and to participant satisfaction and thus continued member involvement. In addition to evaluation of these factors in improving board

  15. Environmental Protection Agency

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Topics Acid rain Brownfields Drinking water Lead Mold PFAS Radon Superfund A-Z index | Browse environmental topics ... Beach Grants for Pacific Islands Territories New England PFAS Community Session, June 25 Idaho Delegated Pollutant Discharge ...

  16. Nesting, Subsidiarity, and Community-based environmental Governance beyond the Local Scale

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Graham Marshall

    2007-11-01

    Full Text Available Community-based approaches to environmental management have become widely adopted over the last two decades. From their origins in grassroots frustrations with governmental inabilities to solve local environmental problems, these approaches are now sponsored frequently by governments as a way of dealing with such problems at much higher spatial levels. However, this 'up-scaling' of community-based approaches has run well ahead of knowledge about how they might work. This article explores how Elinor Ostrom's 'nesting principle' for robust common property governance of large-scale common-pool resources might inform future up-scaling efforts. In particular, I consider how the design of nested governance systems for large-scale environmental problems might be guided by the principle of subsidiarity. The challenges of applying this principle are illustrated by Australia's experience in up-scaling community-based natural resource management from local groups comprising 20-30 members to regional bodies representing hundreds of thousands of people. Seven lessons are distilled for fostering community-based environmental governance as a multi-level system of nested enterprises.

  17. Can Perceptions of Environmental and Climate Change in Island Communities Assist in Adaptation Planning Locally?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aswani, Shankar; Vaccaro, Ismael; Abernethy, Kirsten; Albert, Simon; de Pablo, Javier Fernández-López

    2015-12-01

    Local perceptions of environmental and climate change, as well as associated adaptations made by local populations, are fundamental for designing comprehensive and inclusive mitigation and adaptation plans both locally and nationally. In this paper, we analyze people's perceptions of environmental and climate-related transformations in communities across the Western Solomon Islands through ethnographic and geospatial methods. Specifically, we documented people's observed changes over the past decades across various environmental domains, and for each change, we asked respondents to identify the causes, timing, and people's adaptive responses. We also incorporated this information into a geographical information system database to produce broad-scale base maps of local perceptions of environmental change. Results suggest that people detected changes that tended to be acute (e.g., water clarity, logging intensity, and agricultural diseases). We inferred from these results that most local observations of and adaptations to change were related to parts of environment/ecosystem that are most directly or indirectly related to harvesting strategies. On the other hand, people were less aware of slower insidious/chronic changes identified by scientific studies. For the Solomon Islands and similar contexts in the insular tropics, a broader anticipatory adaptation planning strategy to climate change should include a mix of local scientific studies and local observations of ongoing ecological changes.

  18. The Capacity to Integrate and Deal with Environmental Issues in Local Transport Policy and Planning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Carsten Jahn

    2002-01-01

    The article identifies and discuss the capacity to integrate and deal with environmental issues in local transport policy-making and planning processes.......The article identifies and discuss the capacity to integrate and deal with environmental issues in local transport policy-making and planning processes....

  19. 40 CFR 7.125 - Coordination with other agencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Coordination with other agencies. 7.125 Section 7.125 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GENERAL NONDISCRIMINATION IN PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY Agency...

  20. EPA Workshop in Biddeford, Maine June 6-7 will Help Support Community Revitalization through Local Food Enterprises

    Science.gov (United States)

    Technical experts from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will hold a workshop in Biddeford, Maine on June 6-7, intended to revitalize downtowns, boost the local economy, improve public health, and protect the environment through local food ent

  1. Local resource based approach to maintaining and preserving rural local access roads assets: Siyatentela institutional framework and governance case study discourses

    CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

    Chakwizira, J

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available and other development agencies focusing on the use of appropriate technologies for civil construction be it in the road, transport, water, agriculture or environmental sectors (World Bank 2001; ILO, 2002; Clegg, 2003). The seminal study conducted... and contribution of local resource based approach to rural and community access roads requires a review of the labour based initiatives in the road, transport and infrastructure sub-sector. An apt statement that captures the essence of building local community...

  2. The Environmental Protection Agency's Watershed-based Approach: where social and natural sciences meet to address today's water resource challenges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biddle, J. C.

    2010-12-01

    A growing number of governmental organizations at the local, state, and federal level collaborate with nongovernmental organizations and individuals to solve watershed scale problems (Imperial and Koontz, 2007). Such a shift in policy approach from hierarchical regulation to bottom-up collaboration is largely a result of regulator’s recognition of the interdependence of natural and socio-economic systems on a watershed scale (Steelman and Carmin, 2002. Agencies throughout the federal government increasingly favored new governing institutions that encourage cooperation between local actors with conflicting interests, divergent geographic bases, and overlapping administrative jurisdictions to resolve continuing disputes over resource management (Bardach 1998). This favoritism of collaborative over command-and-control approaches for managing nonpoint source pollution led to the development of watershed partnerships and the watershed-based approach (Lubell et al., 2002). This study aims to further collaborative governance scholarship and aid decision-makers in identifying the critical elements of collaborative governance resulting in environmental improvements. To date, this relationship has not been empirically determined, in spite of the fact that collaborative governance is used routinely by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in resolving issues related to watershed management and other applications. This gap in the research is largely due to the lack of longitudinal data. In order to determine whether changes have occurred, environmental data must be collected over relatively long time periods (Koontz and Thomas, 2006; Sabatier, et al., 2005). However, collecting these data is often cost prohibitive. Monitoring water quality is expensive and requires technical expertise, and is often the first line item cut in environmental management budgets. This research is interdisciplinary, looking at the physical, chemical, and biological parameters for 44 waterbodies

  3. Sustainable mining, local communities and environmental regulation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kokko Kai

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Sustainable mining is an objective as well as a tool for balancing economic, social, and environmental considerations. Each of these three dimensions of mining – and sustainable development – has many components, some of which were chosen for closer study in the SUMILCERE project. While there is no single component that in itself provides a definitive argument for or against sustainable mining, the research reveals some that have proven valuable in the process of balancing the different dimensions of sustainability. In the SUMILCERE project, comparative studies enabled us to identify factors such as the following, which are essential when discussing the balancing in practice of the three dimensions of sustainable mining cited above: the framework and functionality of environmental regulation to protect the environment (environmental sustainability; competitiveness of the mining industry in light of environmental regulation and its enforcement (economic sustainability; public participation and the opportunities local communities have to influence their surroundings, as well as communities’ acceptance of projects (social sustainability before and during operations; and the protection of Sámi cultural rights in mining projects (social and cultural sustainability. Although each of the three dimensions of sustainability leaves room for discretion in the weight assigned to it, ecological sustainability, protected by smart environmental regulation and minimum standards, sets essential boundaries that leave no room for compromises. Economic and social sustainability are possible only within these limits. Details of the analyses in the Kolarctic area and accounts of the methods used can befound in the cited SUMILCERE articles.

  4. Environmental pollution has sex-dependent effects on local survival

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eeva, Tapio; Hakkarainen, Harri; Laaksonen, Toni; Lehikoinen, Esa

    2006-01-01

    Environmental pollutants cause a potential hazard for survival in free-living animal populations. We modelled local survival (including emigration) by using individual mark–recapture histories of males and females in a population of a small insectivorous passerine bird, the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) living around a point source of heavy metals (copper smelter). Local survival of F. hypoleuca females did not differ between polluted and unpolluted environments. Males, however, showed a one-third higher local-survival probability in the polluted area. Low fledgling production was generally associated with decreased local survival, but males in the polluted area showed relatively high local survival, irrespective of their fledgling number. A possible explanation of higher local survival of males in the polluted area could be a pollution-induced change in hormone (e.g. corticosterone or testosterone) levels of males. It could make them to invest more on their own survival or affect the hormonal control of breeding dispersal. The local survival of males decreased in the polluted area over the study period along with the simultaneous decrease in heavy metal emissions. This temporal trend is in agreement with the stress hormone hypothesis. PMID:17148387

  5. Elevation modulates how Arctic arthropod communities are structured along local environmental gradients

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Høye, Toke Thomas; Bowden, Joseph James; Hansen, Oskar Liset Pryds

    2017-01-01

    The organisation of ecological communities along local environmental gradients provides important information about how such communities may respond to environmental change. In the Arctic, the importance of gradients in shrub cover and soil moisture for non-marine arthropod communities has been...... clearly demonstrated. By replicating studies along shrub and moisture gradients at multiple elevations and using space-for-time substitution, it is possible to examine how arthropod communities may respond to future environmental change. We collected and identified 4640 adult specimens of spiders...... and beetles near Narsarsuaq, South Greenland between 8 July and 25 August, 2014 from 112 pitfall traps. The traps were arranged in eight plots covering local gradients in either soil moisture or tall shrub dominance at both low and high elevation. Multivariate generalized linear models revealed that community...

  6. Traditional Knowledge of Local Wisdom of Ammatoa Kajang Tribe (South Sulawesi) about Environmental Conservation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Surtikanti, H. K.; Syulasmi, A.; Ramdhani, N.

    2017-09-01

    Education may improve the knowledge how to build the people attitude especially environmental aware surrounding it. The aim was to study about environmental education of the local wisdom people in conserving their environment. The method was qualitative descriptive using second document, questioner/interview instrument and field observation. This research is done in local wisdom of Ammatoa Kajang village (South Sulawesi). The respondens were eldery people (tetua adat), local governmentand people(15 adult couplesand 15children). The majority of local people was educated at elementary school. Environmental education is studied in school, however informal education is heritated from eldery people. The field study showed that the people keep the environment wisely. It can be proved with the presence of sacred forest, waste recycle, moor (tegalan) maintainance, mutual cooperation, no natural resource exploitation, keep clean, etc. The people submissive customs rules and believe that people will get punishment form environment itself. In conclusion, traditional knowledge from community is implemented in caring the environment

  7. 76 FR 69729 - Pesticide Emergency Exemptions; Agency Decisions and State and Federal Agency Crisis Declarations

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-09

    ...; Agency Decisions and State and Federal Agency Crisis Declarations AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency... following form: Crisis, public health, quarantine, or specific. EPA has also listed denied emergency... or public health purposes. These are rarely requested. 3. A ``crisis exemption'' is initiated by a...

  8. What the new EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) rules mean

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mishkin, A.E.; Friedland, D.M.

    1990-02-01

    The Environmental Protection Agency has issued its first proposed New Source Performance Standards for municipal incinerators in 18 years. EPA's 1971 NSPS set only particulate limits. The new NSPS also sets combustion standards, acid gas and dioxin emission limits, and a materials separation requirement. The latest NSPS, plus proposed emission guidelines for existing facilities, both regulate municipal waste combustors (MWCs) under the Clean Air Act. They both contain new emission limitations for the various pollutants emitted by MWCs, and materials separation requirements. The emission limitations, and the control technologies on which they are based, are different for different size facilities. The proposed regulations also contain operating requirements, testing and record-keeping provisions, and requirements for operator certification and training. The New Source Performance Standards are summarized. The emission guidelines for existing facilities are then described. These include: best demonstrated technology, combustion controls, and materials separation.

  9. Guidelines for integrated risk assessment and management in large industrial areas. Inter-Agency programme on the assessment and management of health and environmental risks from energy and other complex industrial systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1998-01-01

    The IAEA, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) within the framework of the Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at Local Level (APELL), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) decided in 1986 to join forces in order to promote the use of integrated area wide approaches to risk management. An Inter-Agency Programme, which brings together expertise in health the environment, industry and energy, all vital for effective risk management, was established. The Inter-Agency Programme on the assessment and Management of Health and Environmental Risks from Energy and Other Complex Industrial Systems aims at promoting and facilitating the implementation of integrated risk assessment and management for large industrial areas. This initiative includes the compilation of procedures and methods for environmental and public health risk assessment, the transfer of knowledge and experience amongst countries in the application of these procedures and the implementation of an integrated approach to risk management. The purpose of the Inter-Agency Programme is to develop a broad approach to the identification, prioritization and minimization of industrial hazards in a given geographical area. The UN organizations sponsoring this programme have been involved for several years in activities aimed at assessment and management of environmental and health risks, prevention of major accidents and emergency preparedness. These Guidelines have been developed on the basis of experience from these activities to assist in the planning and conduct of regional risk management projects. They provide a reference framework for the undertaking of integrated health and environmental risk assessment for large industrial areas and for the formulation of appropriate risk management strategies

  10. Guidelines for integrated risk assessment and management in large industrial areas. Inter-Agency programme on the assessment and management of health and environmental risks from energy and other complex industrial systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1998-01-01

    The IAEA, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) within the framework of the Awareness and Preparedness for Emergencies at Local Level (APELL), the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) decided in 1986 to join forces in order to promote the use of integrated area wide approaches to risk management. An Inter-Agency Programme, which brings together expertise in health the environment, industry and energy, all vital for effective risk management, was established. The Inter-Agency Programme on the assessment and Management of Health and Environmental Risks from Energy and Other Complex Industrial Systems aims at promoting and facilitating the implementation of integrated risk assessment and management for large industrial areas. This initiative includes the compilation of procedures and methods for environmental and public health risk assessment, the transfer of knowledge and experience amongst countries in the application of these procedures and the implementation of an integrated approach to risk management. The purpose of the Inter-Agency Programme is to develop a broad approach to the identification, prioritization and minimization of industrial hazards in a given geographical area. The UN organizations sponsoring this programme have been involved for several years in activities aimed at assessment and management of environmental and health risks, prevention of major accidents and emergency preparedness. These Guidelines have been developed on the basis of experience from these activities to assist in the planning and conduct of regional risk management projects. They provide a reference framework for the undertaking of integrated health and environmental risk assessment for large industrial areas and for the formulation of appropriate risk management strategies. Refs, figs, tabs.

  11. Amoco/Environmental Protection Agency Pollution Prevention Project, Yorktown refinery. Refinery release inventory. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Klee, H.; Kizier, G.J.; Baloo, S.; Hockman, E.L.; Couzens-Roberts, C.

    1992-07-01

    The report volume summarizes physical data obtained during a 2-year pollution prevention study of Amoco Oil Company's Yorktown Virginia Refinery. The study was jointly sponsored as a cooperative effort of Amoco Corporation and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. A multi-media sampling program was used to identify potential pollution sources within the Refinery. Sampling and analysis included air, surface water, groundwater, and solid waste data. Public perceptions about environmental issues of concern in the vicinity of the Refinery were also surveyed. The inventory showed that nearly 99 percent of the releases were airborne at the facility. Most of the remainder involved land disposal of solid wastes. Specific sources of major pollutants are identified

  12. Local versus Global Environmental Performance of Dairying and Their Link to Economic Performance: A Case Study of Swiss Mountain Farms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nina Repar

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Complying with the carrying capacity of local and global ecosystems is a prerequisite to ensure environmental sustainability. Based on the example of Swiss mountain dairy farms, the goal of our research was firstly to investigate the relationship between farm global and local environmental performance. Secondly, we aimed to analyse the relationship between farm environmental and economic performance. The analysis relied on a sample of 56 Swiss alpine dairy farms. For each farm, the cradle-to-farm-gate life cycle assessment was calculated, and the quantified environmental impacts were decomposed into their on- and off-farm parts. We measured global environmental performance as the digestible energy produced by the farm per unit of global environmental impact generated from cradle-to-farm-gate. We assessed local environmental performance by dividing farm-usable agricultural area by on-farm environmental impact generation. Farm economic performance was measured by work income per family work unit, return on equity and output/input ratio. Spearman’s correlation analysis revealed no significant relationship, trade-offs or synergies between global and local environmental performance indicators. Interestingly, trade-offs were observed far more frequently than synergies. Furthermore, we found synergies between global environmental and economic performance and mostly no significant relationship between local environmental and economic performance. The observed trade-offs between global and local environmental performance mean that, for several environmental issues, any improvement in global environmental performance will result in deterioration of local environmental performance and vice versa. This finding calls for systematic consideration of both dimensions when carrying out farm environmental performance assessments.

  13. Performance assessment of select covers and disposal cell compliance with EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] groundwater standards

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1989-06-01

    This document describes the technical approach to the assessment of the performance of a full component topslope cover, three sideslope covers, and hence the way in which a Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Project disposal cell complies with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) groundwater protection standards. 4 refs

  14. Forum Guide to Supporting Data Access for Researchers: A Local Education Agency Perspective. NFES 2014-801

    Science.gov (United States)

    National Forum on Education Statistics, 2014

    2014-01-01

    This document recommends a set of core practices, operations, and templates that can be adopted and adapted by local education agencies (LEAs) as they consider how to respond to requests for both new and existing data about the education enterprise. These recommendations reflect core best practices for: (1) managing the flow of requests; (2)…

  15. 78 FR 42070 - Announcement of the Board of Directors for the National Environmental Education Foundation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-15

    ... United States Environmental Protection Agency; (B) to conduct such other environmental education... educational system; and to foster an open and effective partnership among Federal, State, and local government... United States. The purposes of the Foundation are-- (A) Subject to the limitation contained in the final...

  16. Being young and urban: changing patterns of youth involvement in local environmental action in Lima, Peru

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hordijk, M.

    2013-01-01

    This article discusses youth engagement in local environmental action in a peripheral settlement in Lima, Peru. Urban local environmental action is analysed in terms of the so-called "brown agenda", covering issues as the provision of drinking water and sanitation, waste collection, the paving of

  17. Causes analysis on the failure of government environmental responsibility—Based on the perspective of law and economics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fa, L. N.

    2017-11-01

    As the important Environmental Interests of Subjects, government behooves to undertake the corresponding responsibility of Pollution Control and Environmental Protection. The current situations in our country, however, appear as government environmental responsibility failure. Based on the analysis of law and economics, this article reaches the conclusion through game analysis, principle-agency relationship and utility theory that the prisoners dilemma of environmental interest game between government and enterprise, and the inherent defect of the principal-agency relationship between central government and local government are the inherent causes of government environmental responsibility failure. Many officials tends to graft and corrupt to maximum their own benefit, thus leading to the government failure among environmental pollution treatment and the environmental responsibility to undertake.

  18. 78 FR 20942 - Niobrara Confluence and Ponca Bluffs Conservation Areas, NE and SD; Draft Environmental Impact...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-04-08

    ... Environmental Impact Statement and Land Protection Plan; Request for Public Comments AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife... a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) and land protection plan (LPP) for the proposed... resources to enhance conservation; enhance recreation; increase tourism; instill new money into local...

  19. ICPP [Idaho Chemical Processing Plant] environmental monitoring report, CY-1988

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Krivanek, K.R.

    1989-08-01

    Summarized in this report are the data collected through Environmental Monitoring programs conducted at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) by the Environmental Engineering (EE) Section of the Nuclear and Industrial Safety (N and IS) Department. The ICPP is responsible for complying with all applicable Federal, State, Local and DOE Rules, Regulations and Orders. Radiological effluent and emissions are regulated by the DOE. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulates all nonradiological waste resulting from the ICPP operations including all airborne, liquid, and solid waste. The EE subsection completed a Quality Assurance (QA) Plan for Environmental Monitoring activities during the third quarter of 1986. QA activities have resulted in the ICPP's implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency rules and guidelines pertaining to the collection, analyses, and reporting of environmentally related samples. Where no approved methods for analyses existed for radionuclides, currently used methods were submitted for the EPA approval. 33 figs., 14 tabs

  20. A Novel Environmental Justice Indicator for Managing Local Air Pollution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Jing; Gladson, Laura; Cromar, Kevin

    2018-06-14

    Environmental justice efforts in the United States seek to provide equal protection from environmental hazards, such as air pollution, to all groups, particularly among traditionally disadvantaged populations. To accomplish this objective, the U.S. EPA has previously required states to use an environmental justice screening tool as part of air quality planning decision-making. The generally utilized approach to assess potential areas of environmental justice concern relies on static comparisons of environmental and demographic information to identify areas where minority and low income populations experience elevated environmental exposures, but does not include any additional information that may inform the trade-offs that sub-populations of varying socio-demographic groups make when choosing where to reside in cities. In order to address this limitation, job accessibility (measured by a mobility index defining the number of jobs available within a set commuting time) was developed as a novel environmental justice indicator of environmental justice priority areas at the local level. This approach is modeled using real-world data in Allegheny County, PA (USA), and identifies areas with relatively high levels of outdoor air pollution and low access to jobs. While traditional tools tend to flag the poorest neighborhoods for environmental justice concerns, this new method offers a more refined analysis, targeting populations suffering from the highest environmental burden without the associated benefits of urban living.

  1. A Novel Environmental Justice Indicator for Managing Local Air Pollution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Zhao

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Environmental justice efforts in the United States seek to provide equal protection from environmental hazards, such as air pollution, to all groups, particularly among traditionally disadvantaged populations. To accomplish this objective, the U.S. EPA has previously required states to use an environmental justice screening tool as part of air quality planning decision-making. The generally utilized approach to assess potential areas of environmental justice concern relies on static comparisons of environmental and demographic information to identify areas where minority and low income populations experience elevated environmental exposures, but does not include any additional information that may inform the trade-offs that sub-populations of varying socio-demographic groups make when choosing where to reside in cities. In order to address this limitation, job accessibility (measured by a mobility index defining the number of jobs available within a set commuting time was developed as a novel environmental justice indicator of environmental justice priority areas at the local level. This approach is modeled using real-world data in Allegheny County, PA (USA, and identifies areas with relatively high levels of outdoor air pollution and low access to jobs. While traditional tools tend to flag the poorest neighborhoods for environmental justice concerns, this new method offers a more refined analysis, targeting populations suffering from the highest environmental burden without the associated benefits of urban living.

  2. Industrial Fuel Gas Demonstration Plant Program: environmental permit compliance plan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bodamer, Jr., James W.; Bocchino, Robert M.

    1979-11-01

    This Environmental Permit Compliance Plan is intended to assist the Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division in acquiring the necessary environmental permits for their proposed Industrial Fuel Gas Demonstration Plant in a time frame consistent with the construction schedule. Permits included are those required for installation and/or operation of gaseous, liquid and solid waste sources and disposal areas. Only those permits presently established by final regulations are described. The compliance plan describes procedures for obtaining each permit from identified federal, state and local agencies. The information needed for the permit application is presented, and the stepwise procedure to follow when filing the permit application is described. Information given in this plan was obtained by reviewing applicable laws and regulations and from telephone conversations with agency personnel on the federal, state and local levels. This Plan also presents a recommended schedule for beginning the work necessary to obtain the required environmental permits in order to begin dredging operations in October, 1980 and construction of the plant in September, 1981. Activity for several key permits should begin as soon as possible.

  3. Environmental screening report : Harrow Wind Farm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2008-04-01

    AIM PowerGen Corporation is proposing to develop a wind energy project located on the northern shores of Lake Erie, Ontario called the Harrow Wind Farm. The wind energy project would consist of 24 wind turbines having a total capacity of 39.6 megawatts and comprise four small projects of six wind turbines each to be submitted to the standard offer program. The purpose of the project is to supply clean energy to the Ontario energy system using state-of-the-art wind energy technology. This report presented an environmental screening of the Harrow Wind Farm, as required by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act. The report provided a detailed description of the Harrow Wind Farm location, optimization process and schedule as well as a detailed characterization of the natural and socio-economic environment. The report also provided a description of the regulatory agencies, as well as public and First Nations consultation activities. The effects on natural and socio-economic components were evaluated and an accidents and malfunction plan was also presented. Last, the report included a discussion of the effects of the environment on the Harrow Wind Farm; a summary of mitigation, impact management, and monitoring commitments of AIM PowerGen; and an overview of environmental advantages and disadvantages. It was concluded that the project design has benefited from several consultations with local authorities, lot owners and local residents, as well as federal and provincial agencies to ensure that environmental and social impacts are minimized while maximizing energy generation. refs., tabs., figs

  4. Environmental process improvement feasibility study and demonstration program

    Science.gov (United States)

    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.

  5. Strategic environmental assessment for local transport plans; Strategische Umweltpruefung in der kommunalen Verkehrsentwicklung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Conrad, Vera

    2008-08-15

    The strategic environmental assessment (SEA) makes new demands for plans and programs also in the transport sector. Particularly on local level transport is one of the biggest causers of negative environmental effects. But there exists no SEA obligation for local transport plans, however many factors suggest to make such an examination in this sector. At the latest in the urban land use planning transport effects are a component for the SEA. Synergies can be exhausted and the individual planning steps are appropriately co-ordinated by the meaningful integration of transport and urban development planning. Additional synergies can gained in connection with further local and/or regional planning like e.g. the clean air planning or noise reduction planning. The aim of the doctoral thesis is to draft recommendations how to integrate the SEA into local transport planning process. For that purpose it is necessary to deduce the requirements demanded by the SEA and to demonstrate the current state of the local transport planning. The doctoral thesis is based on partial results of the research project FE 73.0237 ''Strategische Umweltpruefung in der kommunalen Verkehrsentwicklungsplanung'' in behalf of the German Ministry of Transport (Bundesministerium fuer Verkehr, Bauen und Stadtentwicklung) and mentored by the Federal Office of civil engineering (Bundesamt fuer Bauwesen und Raumordnung). The author of this thesis was instrumental in acquiring those results. The thesis contains a detailed literature research. The SEA's requirements are also described as well as the current state of the local transport planning. The state of the SEA on the different planning levels in the German transport sector is presented. Another part is a survey of 13 municipalities concerning their previous practice of the local transport and environmental planning as well as their experience with the SEA on local level and the analyse of local data. Furthermore three

  6. 42 CFR 137.286 - Do Self-Governance Tribes become Federal agencies when they assume these Federal environmental...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Do Self-Governance Tribes become Federal agencies... HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES TRIBAL SELF-GOVERNANCE Construction Nepa Process § 137.286 Do Self-Governance... Self-Governance Tribes are required to assume Federal environmental responsibilities for projects in...

  7. Using Interactive Case Studies to Support Students Understandings of Local Environmental Problems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Z. Kostova

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available The article presents designed and refined an interactive-enhanced curriculum module for 9th grade secondary school students in Bulgaria, based on environmental case studies. In the module activities students from two schools studied the local environments, performed observations and experiments, collected and analyzed data, prepared and presented posters and role plays, made connections between scientific processes and socio-scientific issues and drew conclusions about the global effects of locally created environmental problems. The students’ critical observations of the quality of their surroundings helped them to make a list of local environmental problems, to apply interactive strategies in studying them and to propose rational scientifically based solutions. In the study the attention was directed to the advantages and disadvantages of poster presentations and role playing and to the specific learning difficulties that students had to overcome. Students’ achievements from the two experimental schools were assessed independently in order to give us insights into the details of learning using different interactive strategies and into the acquired performance skills, dependant on students’ interests and personal abilities. The three versions of the module (traditional, dominated by teacher presentation; poster preparation and presentation in which students imitate scientific team research; and role playing in which students not only study the local environmental problems but assume social roles to cope with them demonstrate three levels of students learning independence. Specific assessment tests and check lists were developed for analyzing, evaluating and comparing students’ achievements in each version of the module and in each school. Ecological knowledge assessment tests were based on Bloom’s taxonomy of educational objectives. Poster and role playing preparations and presentations were assessed by specific criteria, shown in the

  8. Global environmental change: local perceptions, understandings, and explanations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aili Pyhälä

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Global environmental change (GEC is an increasingly discussed phenomenon in the scientific literature as evidence of its presence and impacts continues to grow. Yet, while the documentation of GEC is becoming more readily available, local perceptions of GEC - particularly in small-scale societies - and preferences about how to deal with it, are still largely overlooked. Local knowledge and perceptions of GEC are important in that agents make decisions (including on natural resource management based on individual perceptions. We carried out a systematic literature review that aims to provide an exhaustive state-of-the-art of the degree to and manner in which the study of local perceptions of change are being addressed in GEC research. We reviewed 126 articles found in peer-reviewed journals (between 1998 and 2014 that address local perceptions of GEC. We used three particular lenses of analysis that are known to influence local perceptions, namely (i cognition, (ii culture and knowledge, and (iii possibilities for adaptation.We present our findings on the geographical distribution of the current research, the most common changes reported, perceived drivers and impacts of change, and local explanations and evaluations of change and impacts. Overall, we found the studies to be geographically biased, lacking methodological reporting, mostly theory based with little primary data, and lacking of indepth analysis of the psychological and ontological influences in perception and implications for adaptation. We provide recommendations for future GEC research and propose the development of a "meta-language" around adaptation, perception, and mediation to encourage a greater appreciation and understanding of the diversity around these phenomena across multiple scales, and improved codesign and facilitation of locally relevant adaptation and mitigation strategies.

  9. 40 CFR 1508.16 - Lead agency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 32 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Lead agency. 1508.16 Section 1508.16 Protection of Environment COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY TERMINOLOGY AND INDEX § 1508.16 Lead agency. Lead agency means the agency or agencies preparing or having taken primary responsibility for preparing the...

  10. 77 FR 47522 - Special Local Regulation; Port Huron Offshore Gran Prix, St. Clair River; Port Huron, MI

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-08-09

    ... 13045, Protection of Children from Environmental Health Risks and Safety Risks. This rule is not an economically significant rule and does not create an environmental risk to health or risk to safety that may...-AA08 Special Local Regulation; Port Huron Offshore Gran Prix, St. Clair River; Port Huron, MI AGENCY...

  11. LOCAL WEATHER CLASSIFICATIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katarzyna PIOTROWICZ

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Two approaches of local weather type definitions are presented and illustrated for selected stations of Poland and Hungary. The subjective classification, continuing long traditions, especially in Poland, relies on diurnal values of local weather elements. The main types are defined according to temperature with some sub-types considering relative sunshine duration, diurnal precipitation totals, relative humidity and wind speed. The classification does not make a difference between the seasons of the year, but the occurrence of the classes obviously reflects the annual cycle. Another important feature of this classification is that only a minor part of the theoretically possible combination of the various types and sub-types occurs in all stations of both countries. The objective version of the classification starts from ten possible weather element which are reduced to four according to factor analysis, based on strong correlation between the elements. This analysis yields 3 to 4 factors depending on the specific criteria of selection. The further cluster analysis uses four selected weather elements belonging to different rotated factors. They are the diurnal mean values of temperature, of relative humidity, of cloudiness and of wind speed. From the possible ways of hierarchical cluster analysis (i.e. no a priori assumption on the number of classes, the method of furthest neighbours is selected, indicating the arguments of this decision in the paper. These local weather types are important tools in understanding the role of weather in various environmental indicators, in climatic generalisation of short samples by stratified sampling and in interpretation of the climate change.

  12. SLICEIT and TAHMO Partnerships: Students Local and International Collaboration for Climate and Environmental Monitoring, Technology Development, Education, Adaptation and Mitigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aishlin, P. S.; Selker, J. S.

    2015-12-01

    Climate change understanding and impacts vary by community, yet the global nature of climate change requires international collaboration to address education, monitoring, adaptation and mitigation needs. We propose that effective climate change monitoring and education can be accomplished via student-led local and international community partnerships. By empowering students as community leaders in climate-environmental monitoring and education, as well as exploration of adaptation/mitigation needs, well-informed communities and young leadership are developed to support climate change science moving forward. Piloted 2013-2015, the SLICEIT1 program partnered with TAHMO2 to connect student leaders in North America, Europe and Africa. At the international level, schools in the U.S.A and Netherlands were partnered with schools in Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda for science and cultural exchange. Each school was equipped with a climate or other environmental sensing system, real-time data publication and curricula for both formal and informal science, technology, engineering and math education and skill development. African counterparts in TAHMO's School-2-School program collect critically important data for enhanced on-the-ground monitoring of weather conditions in data-scarce regions of Africa. In Idaho, student designed, constructed and installed weather stations provide real time data for classroom and community use. Student-designed formal educational activities are disseminated to project partners, increasing hands-on technology education and peer-based learning. At the local level, schools are partnered with a local agency, research institute, nonprofit organization, industry and/or community partner that supplies a climate science expert mentor to SLICEIT program leaders and teachers. Mentor engagement is facilitated and secured by program components that directly benefit the mentor's organization and local community via climate/environment monitoring, student workforce

  13. Local expert experiences and perceptions of environmentally induced migration from Bangladesh to India

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stojanov, Robert; Boas, Ingrid; Kelman, Ilan; Duží, Barbora

    2017-01-01

    This study investigates local expert perceptions of the role of environmental factors, especially in terms of contemporary climate change, in population movements from Bangladesh to India. The aim is to delve into locally held understandings of the phenomenon and to gain a better understanding of

  14. Assistance to Oil and Gas State Agencies and Industry through Continuation of Environmental and Production Data Management and a Water Regulatory Initiative

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Grunewald, Ben; Arthur, Dan; Langhus, Bruce; Gillespie, Tom; Binder, Ben; Warner, Don; Roberts, Jim; Cox, D.O.

    2002-05-31

    This grant project was a major step toward completion of the Risk Based Data Management System (RBDMS) project. Additionally the project addresses the needs identified during the projects initial phases. By implementing this project, the following outcomes were sought: (1) State regulatory agencies implemented more formalized environmental risk management practices as they pertain to the production of oil and gas, and injection via Class II wells. (2) Enhancement of oil and gas production by implementing a management system supporting the saving of abandoned or idle wells located in areas with a relatively low environmental risk of endangering underground sources of drinking water (USDWs) in a particular state. (3) Verification that protection of USDWs is adequate and additional restrictions of requirements are not necessary in areas with a relatively low environmental risk. (4) Standardization of data and information maintained by state regulatory agencies and decrease the regulatory cost burden on producers operating in multiple states, and (5) Development of a system for electronic data transfer among operators and state regulatory agencies and reduction of overall operator reporting burdens.

  15. Local population and regional environmental drivers of cholera in Bangladesh

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Escamilla Veronica

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Regional environmental factors have been shown to be related to cholera. Previous work in Bangladesh found that temporal patterns of cholera are positively related to satellite-derived environmental variables including ocean chlorophyll concentration (OCC. Methods This paper investigates whether local socio-economic status (SES modifies the effect of regional environmental forces. The study area is Matlab, Bangladesh, an area of approximately 200,000 people with an active health and demographic surveillance system. Study data include (1 spatially-referenced demographic and socio-economic characteristics of the population; (2 satellite-derived variables for sea surface temperature (SST, sea surface height (SSH, and OCC; and (3 laboratory confirmed cholera case data for the entire population. Relationships between cholera, the environmental variables, and SES are measured using generalized estimating equations with a logit link function. Additionally two separate seasonal models are built because there are two annual cholera epidemics, one pre-monsoon, and one post-monsoon. Results SES has a significant impact on cholera occurrence: the higher the SES score, the lower the occurrence of cholera. There is a significant negative association between cholera incidence and SSH during the pre-monsoon period but not for the post-monsoon period. OCC is positively associated with cholera during the pre-monsoon period but not for the post-monsoon period. SST is not related to cholera incidence. Conclusions Overall, it appears cholera is influenced by regional environmental variables during the pre-monsoon period and by local-level variables (e.g., water and sanitation during the post-monsoon period. In both pre- and post-monsoon seasons, SES significantly influences these patterns, likely because it is a proxy for poor water quality and sanitation in poorer households.

  16. Environmental assessment: geothermal energy geopressure subprogram. DOE Sweet Lake No. 1, Cameron Parish, Louisiana

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1980-02-01

    The following are described: the proposed action; existing environment; probable impacts, direct and indirect; probable cumulative and long-term environmental impacts; accidents; coordination with federal, state, and local agencies; and alternatives. (MHR)

  17. Environmental compliance audits of electric generating facilities - a practical approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Staker, R.D.

    1992-01-01

    As environmental regulations expand in complexity and number, and as regulatory agencies place more emphasis on enforcing regulations, it is increasingly important that electric utilities perform periodic environmental compliance audits to determine if their facilities are in compliance with federal, state, and local environmental regulations. Explicit commitment by the utility's top management and careful planning and execution of an audit are key elements in the effectiveness of an audit. This paper is directed to electric utility environmental managers and company management. The paper presents a practical approach for planning and performing a multi-media environmental compliance of an electric generating facility

  18. 78 FR 13082 - Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Statement...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-02-26

    ...The Bureau of Reclamation has made available for public review and comment the draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS/EIS) for the Upper Truckee River Restoration and Marsh Restoration Project (Project). The California Tahoe Conservancy and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, the other lead agencies for the Project, made the EIR/EIS/EIS available to the public on February 8, 2013.

  19. Environmental health and hazardous waste issues related to the U.S.-Mexico border.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carter, D E; Peña, C; Varady, R; Suk, W A

    1996-06-01

    Environmental health and environmental quality issues along the U.S.-Mexico border have been of concern for several years. The enactment of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the presence of the maquiladoras (foreign-owned industries using imported raw materials) have intensified those concerns recently. Efforts to assess these issues are complicated by the fact that many of the issues affecting the border region are within federal jurisdiction, but the problems are regional and local in nature. Thus, state and local governments become involved with public concerns about real and potential problems. One major problem is that environmental health data from this region are lacking, particularly from Mexico. Some new agencies such as the Border Environment Cooperation Commission, the United States-Mexico Border Health Commission, and the North American Commission on Environmental Cooperation have joined several existing agencies at the federal and state level to address environmental quality and health. Several studies have been initiated to determine air and water quality, but little is being done in the areas of hazardous waste and health assessment. Several problems are anticipated in the generation of such data, such as its format and accessibility. Data gaps and research needs are discussed.

  20. Environmental external radiation at some Bulgarian localities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Spurny, F.; Turek, K.; Gelev, M.

    2004-01-01

    Studies of the environmental radiation background are important from several points of view. First, they permit to estimate the exposure of humans to natural radiation background as a function of different geographical and geophysical parameters. Second, such studies can give also relevant information concerning the consequences of human activities on the presence of ionizing radiation and its sources in the environment. Our both institutions have started since 2000 year common studies in the field of environmental radiation background and its variation with the locality considered. First we have decided to compare the measuring methods used. They were compared on the territory of the Institute of Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (INRNE BAS), particularly in the surroundings of IRT 2000 research reactor. Further, they were compared also at the monitoring station on the territory of INRNE BAS. Finally, the studies were enlarged to the Moussala Observatory of the Institute at Rila Mountains. Several measuring instruments were used to characterize external environmental radiation exposure: Environmental radiation dose rate meter NB 3201 developed in the Czech Republic with a plastic scintillator with small NaI-TL crystal used to compensate the energy dependence to low energy photons; MDU-Liulin semiconductor spectrometer with Si-diode as the sensitive element able to characterize the radiation with both low and high LET; Thermoluminescent detectors (TLD) CaSO 4 :Dy, powder of this TLD material was filled to an Al dose. Results obtained are presented, analysed and discussed. A good agreement of the results obtained was observed, also when compared to the results of other experimental groups. (authors)

  1. Mobility questionnaire of the Federal Environmental Agency 2009. Updating and modification of the mobility questionnaire taken in 2006; Mobilitaetsumfrage des Umweltbundesamtes 2009. Aktualisierung und Modifizierung der Mobilitaetsumfrage aus dem Jahr 2006

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johaenning, Katja [Technische Hochschule Aachen (Germany). Lehrstuhl und Inst. fuer Stadtbauwesen und Stadtverkehr

    2010-05-15

    The efficient, environmentally compatible and safe handling of the operational procedure and associated traffic is very important for the Federal Environmental Agency (Dessau-Rosslau, Federal Republic of Germany). In order to reduce the environmental effects of the traffic, the Federal Environmental Agency formed a mobility management in the year 2006 as a part of the environmental management. Thus, co-workers are to be informed about different aspects of the mobility management. Additionally, proposals for the reduction of environmental effects due to the traffic are to be compiled. In the spring of 2009, the Federal Environmental Agency planned a renewed execution of the mobility inquiry. By means of a questionnaire, the effectiveness of the past measures should be analyzed. Thus, the adjustment of the operational mobility concept can be adapted to the actual objectives.

  2. Communicating Environmental Risks: Local Newspaper Coverage of Shellfish Bacterial Contamination in Maine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brianne Suldovsky

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Coastal resources play a vital role in Maine’s cultural and economic wellbeing, contributing an estimated 168 billion dollars to the Maine economy. There are numerous risks to the sustainability of Maine’s shellfishing industry and working waterfront, including pathogenic bacterial pollution. In this study, we ask a broad fundamental question central to science and environmental journalism: how do newspapers cover localized environmental risks and what are the implications of those approaches? Utilizing the northeastern US state of Maine’s shellfishing industry as an exemplar environmental issue, this study examines how Maine’s two most read newspapers, the Bangor Daily News and the Portland Press Herald, report on bacterial contamination and shellfish. This study examines the themes that are present in the newspaper articles published about shellfish between 2003 and 2014 and analyses the types of sources journalists used within their coverage of these issues. Overall, we identified seven key themes: economic concerns, environmental impacts, political and regulatory issues, issues of public health and safety, reference to cultural values, technical and infrastructural issues, and aesthetic concerns. The most commonly cited individuals in the articles were government officials and scientists. The least cited groups were clammers and shellfishermen, general citizens, advocacy groups, and worm diggers. Implications for local coverage of environmental risks in Maine, science communication, and sustainability science are discussed.

  3. Evaluation of the environmental costs in the fields power and traffic. Recommendations of the Federal Environmental Agency; Schaetzung der Umweltkosten in den Bereichen Energie und Verkehr. Empfehlungen des Umweltbundesamtes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2012-08-15

    The scientific evidence for the estimation of environmental costs was steadily improved in the recent years. The Federal Environment Agency (Dessau-Rosslau, Federal Republic of Germany) summarizes the scientific progress in this field by means of the methods convention. Environmental costs are macro-economically very important. Emissions of greenhouse gases, air pollutants and noise pollution, land use and the consumption of scarce resources result in high costs for health and environment. Estimates of environmental costs point out the negative impacts of a neglected environmental protection and substantiate the necessity to pursue the ambitious environmental targets. Environmental costs are also suitable for the assessment of measures and instruments of the environmental protection. Municipalities, businesses and households also can use estimates of environmental costs - especially for environment-related investment decisions.

  4. State and local planning procedures dealing with social and economic impacts from nuclear power plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Curry, M.; Goodrieght, J.; Green, M.; Merwin, D.; Smith, R.

    1977-01-01

    The roles of state and local agencies in planning for and managing social and economic impacts of nuclear power plants are studied. In order to be effective in these roles state and local agencies must work with each other as well as the NRC. A comparative case study approach is used which analyzes six sites in three West Coast states. The case studies included plants in operation, plants under construction, and plants still in the planning stages. In contrast to some states, all three of these states have moderately centralized procedures for siting power plants, and all have strong environmental laws

  5. Environmental Protection Agency, Protecting Children's Environmental Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... and Research Centers Contact Us Share Protecting Children's Environmental Health Children are often more vulnerable to pollutants ... during development. Learn more about children's health, the environment, and what you can do. Basic Information Children ...

  6. Engineered nano materials and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Research at the Western Ecology Division in Oregon, USA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engineered nanoparticles represent a unique hazard to human health and the environment because their inherent characteristics differ significantly from commonly used chemicals and bulk forms of materials. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for protecti...

  7. Consolidated asset management for Minnesota local agencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-06-01

    Transportation agencies are increasingly turning their attention to transportation asset management (TAM), a systematic process for tracking the conditions of physical infrastructure to make better decisions about its maintenance. TAM is mandated by ...

  8. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) in development cooperation. A presentation of development challenges and research issues in developing countries and donor agencies

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kristoffersen, Harald

    1997-12-31

    This document discusses some development challenges and research needs related to environmental impact assessment (EIA) in development cooperation. After a general introduction to basic principles of EIA, the document deals with some general conditions for EIA in developing countries and in donor agencies. Through a presentation of experiences with EIA from selected donor agencies (with emphasis on NORAD) the report ends up with focusing on some research issues that may come up with recommendations for improving EIA practices in developing countries and donor agencies. 37 refs., 6 figs., 3 refs.

  9. Design and development of computerized local and overall country's environmental data analysis network system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Chang Gyu; Kang, Jong Gyu; Han, H.; Han, J. S.; Lee, Y. D.; Lee, S. R.; Kang, D. J.; Cho, Y. G.; Yun, S. H.

    2001-03-01

    In this development, we designed a integrated database for efficient data processing of radiation-environment data and developed the CLEAN (Computerized Local and overall country's Environmental data Analysis Network) system. The CLEAN system consists of local radiation-environment network, data analysis system, data open system. We developed the CLEAN system focused on building an integrated database, a data mart, and a CLEAN web site. It is expected that the developed system, which organizes the information related to environmental radiation data systematically, can be utilize for the accurate interpretation, analysis and evaluation

  10. Local Government Capacity to Respond to Environmental Change: Insights from Towns in New York State.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Larson, Lincoln R; Lauber, T Bruce; Kay, David L; Cutts, Bethany B

    2017-07-01

    Local governments attempting to respond to environmental change face an array of challenges. To better understand policy responses and factors influencing local government capacity to respond to environmental change, we studied three environmental issues affecting rural or peri-urban towns in different regions of New York State: climate change in the Adirondacks (n = 63 towns), loss of open space due to residential/commercial development in the Hudson Valley (n = 50), and natural gas development in the Southern Tier (n = 62). Our analysis focused on towns' progression through three key stages of the environmental policy process (issue awareness and salience, common goals and agenda setting, policy development and implementation) and the factors that affect this progression and overall capacity for environmental governance. We found that-when compared to towns addressing open space development and natural gas development-towns confronted with climate change were at a much earlier stage in the policy process and were generally less likely to display the essential resources, social support, and political legitimacy needed for an effective policy response. Social capital cultivated through collaboration and networking was strongly associated with towns' policy response across all regions and could help municipalities overcome omnipresent resource constraints. By comparing and contrasting municipal responses to each issue, this study highlights the processes and factors influencing local government capacity to address a range of environmental changes across diverse management contexts.

  11. Environmental protection belongs to the public: A vision for citizen science at EPA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parker, A.; Dosemagen, S.

    2017-12-01

    As a collaborative and open approach to science, citizen science has the potential make science more actionable, applicable, and usable, especially when designed with scientists, communities and decision-makers as partners. In response to recent interest in citizen science from the US Environmental Protection Agency, the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology provided EPA with advice and recommendations on how to integrate citizen science into the core work of EPA. The Council's 28 members—representatives of academia; business and industry; nongovernmental organizations; and state, local and tribal governments—identifies citizen science as an invaluable opportunity for EPA to strengthen public support for EPA's mission and the best approach for the Agency to connect with the public on environmental protection. The report recommends that EPA embrace citizen science as a core tenet of environmental protection, invest in citizen science for communities, partners, and the Agency, enable the use of citizen science data at the Agency, integrate citizen science into the full range of work of EPA. This presentation will outline principles and strategy for integrating citizen science into science and policy at the national level, increasing the usability of citizen science data for decision-making and policy, and leveraging citizen science for environmental protection.

  12. Environmental Protection Agency Library System Book Catalog. Holdings from August 1973 to December 1974

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1975-01-01

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Library System Book Catalog of holdings from August 1973 to December 1974 has been published in a single volume. The full catalog lists alphabetically by title the complete entry for each book owned by the individual EPA libraries. The indexes to the Book Catalog are in two parts. Part 1, the Author Index, lists each author in alphabetical order. The Subject Index (Part 2) lists, in alphabetical order, the subject headings assigned to the books in the catalog

  13. Environmental monitoring and independent analysis: the experience of the local information commission in Cadarache

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Foucher, M.

    2010-01-01

    The 2006 Act on 'Open Access to Information and Nuclear Safety' provides free access to nuclear installations data and submits nuclear facilities to an independent administrative authority, the ASN (French Nuclear Safety Authority). A local information committee (CLI - Commission locale d'informations) has been set up for each nuclear facility. It includes all the parties involved and may commission expert studies and environmental measurement tests from independent laboratories. Prompted by environmental organizations, the Cadarache CLI commissioned a CRIIRAD (Commission de Recherche et d'Informations Independantes sur la Radioactivite) fact-finding survey in 2008-2009 to evaluate the environmental impact of the CEA/Cadarache installations since they were created. This study points to a moderate present impact, though a lack of data makes it impossible to reconstruct environmental impact prior to 1979. A set of guidelines are put forward to assess the past impact in greater detail and to lessen the current impact even further. Following this study, additional steps to minimize this impact will be taken by CEA/Cadarache inside the facilities, and by the relevant LCI outside the installations. Developing independent expert skills is a major challenge for CLIs to gain better knowledge of nuclear activities and improve their local management. (author)

  14. Reducing Uncontrolled Radioactive Sources through Tracking and Training: US Environmental Protection Agency Initiatives

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kopsick, D.A., E-mail: kopsick.deborah@epa.gov [US Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (United States)

    2011-07-15

    The international metal processing industries are very concerned about the importation of scrap metal contaminated with radioactive materials. When radioactive sources fall out of regulatory control, improper handling can cause serious injury and death. There is no one way to address this problem and various US governmental and industry entities have developed radiation source control programmes that function within their authorities. The US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) mission is to protect public health and the environment. To ensure this protection, EPA's approach to orphan sources in scrap metal has focused on regaining control of lost sources and preventing future losses. EPA has accomplished this through a number of avenues including training development, product stewardship, identification of non-radiation source alternatives, physical tagging of sources, field testing of innovative radiation detection instrumentation and development of international best practices. In order to achieve its goal of enhanced control on contaminated scrap metal and orphaned radioactive sources, EPA has forged alliances with the metals industry, other Federal agencies, state governments and the IAEA. (author)

  15. PLACE-BASED GREEN BUILDING: INTEGRATING LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND PLANNING ANALYSIS INTO GREEN BUILDING GUIDELINES

    Science.gov (United States)

    This project will develop a model for place-based green building guidelines based on an analysis of local environmental, social, and land use conditions. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a methodology and model for placing green buildings within their local cont...

  16. Proficiency Test Program Involvement as a Tool for External Quality Control for Radiochemistry and Environmental Laboratory, Malaysian Nuclear Agency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nurrul Assyikeen Mohd Jaffary; Wo, Y.M.; Zal U'yun Wan Mahmood; Norfaizal Mohamed; Abdul Kadir Ishak; Noor Fadzilah Yusof; Jalal Sharib

    2016-01-01

    As the only Laboratory in Malaysia under the IAEA Analytical Laboratories for the Measurement of Environmental Radioactivity (ALMERA) Network, the Radiochemistry and Environmental Laboratory (RAS), Malaysian Nuclear Agency participates in the proficiency test programmes organised by ALMERA to achieve mutual acceptance of analytical data. The ALMERA has been providing quality support of proficiency tests using sets of different samples matrices and radionuclide levels typically encountered in environmental and food monitoring laboratories. The involvement of RAS laboratory in the IAEA proficiency tests gives opportunity to improve the laboratory capability and personnel skills in the field of radioactivity testing. (author)

  17. Relating life-history traits, environmental constraints and local extinctions in river fish

    OpenAIRE

    Bergerot, B.; Hugueny, Bernard; Belliard, J.

    2015-01-01

    The life histories of freshwater fish are widely studied because they represent fundamental determinants of population performances. However, a gap remains in our understanding of how species traits may predispose species to extinction in a changing environment. In this study, based on a large data set provided by the French National Agency for Water and Aquatic Environment (325 sites), we analysed factors that explain the probability of local extinction in 40 freshwater species across French...

  18. Governing environmental conflicts in China: Under what conditions do local government compromise?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Y. Li (Yanwei); J.F.M. Koppenjan (Joop); S. Verweij (Stefan)

    2016-01-01

    markdownabstractIn recent years, governing environmental conflicts concerning the planning, construction, and operation of urban facilities has increasingly become a challenge for Chinese local governments. Chinese governments seek adequate responses to deal with these conflicts, for instance by

  19. Generating relevant climate adaptation science tools in concert with local natural resource agencies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Micheli, L.; Flint, L. E.; Veloz, S.; Heller, N. E.

    2015-12-01

    To create a framework for adapting to climate change, decision makers operating at the urban-wildland interface need to define climate vulnerabilities in the context of site-specific opportunities and constraints relative to water supply, land use suitability, wildfire risks, ecosystem services and quality of life. Pepperwood's TBC3.org is crafting customized climate vulnerability assessments with selected water and natural resource agencies of California's Sonoma, Marin, Napa and Mendocino counties under the auspices of Climate Ready North Bay, a public-private partnership funded by the California Coastal Conservancy. Working directly with managers from the very start of the process to define resource-specific information needs, we are developing high-resolution, spatially-explicit data products to help local governments and agency staff implement informed and effective climate adaptation strategies. Key preliminary findings for the region using the USGS' Basin Characterization Model (at a 270 m spatial resolution) include a unidirectional trend, independent of greater or lesser precipitation, towards increasing climatic water deficits across model scenarios. Therefore a key message is that managers will be facing an increasingly arid environment. Companion models translate the impacts of shifting climate and hydrology on vegetation composition and fire risks. The combination of drought stress on water supplies and native vegetation with an approximate doubling of fire risks may demand new approaches to watershed planning. Working with agencies we are exploring how to build capacity for protection and enhancement of key watershed functions with a focus on groundwater recharge, facilitating greater drought tolerance in forest and rangeland systems, and considering more aggressive approaches to management of fuel loads. Lessons learned about effective engagement include the need for extended in-depth dialog, translation of key climate adaptation questions into

  20. Governing environmental conflicts in China : Under what conditions do local governments compromise?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Li, Yanwei; Koppenjan, Joop; Verweij, Stefan

    2016-01-01

    In recent years, governing environmental conflicts concerning the planning, construction, and operation of urban facilities has increasingly become a challenge for Chinese local governments. Chinese governments seek adequate responses to deal with these conflicts, for instance by ignoring criticism

  1. Environmental Noise Could Promote Stochastic Local Stability of Behavioral Diversity Evolution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Xiu-Deng; Li, Cong; Lessard, Sabin; Tao, Yi

    2018-05-01

    In this Letter, we investigate stochastic stability in a two-phenotype evolutionary game model for an infinite, well-mixed population undergoing discrete, nonoverlapping generations. We assume that the fitness of a phenotype is an exponential function of its expected payoff following random pairwise interactions whose outcomes randomly fluctuate with time. We show that the stochastic local stability of a constant interior equilibrium can be promoted by the random environmental noise even if the system may display a complicated nonlinear dynamics. This result provides a new perspective for a better understanding of how environmental fluctuations may contribute to the evolution of behavioral diversity.

  2. Social and Environmental Responsibility and Local Sustainable Development: The Case of the Environmental Education Project and Asset – PEAP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eugênia Rosa Cabral

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available The study analyzes the actions of social responsibility expressed by the Environmental and Heritage Education Project (PEAP, which has been  implemented in the Boa Vista and Moura communities, both located in Oriximiná, State of Pará. This project purported to promote the rescue and preservation of environmental and cultural heritage in local communities, developed in a partnership between the Museu Paraense Emilio Goeldi (Emilio Goeldi [a painter] Pará Museum] (MPEG, the private company Mineração Rio do Norte (Rio do Norte Mining (MRN and representatives of local communities. This study examines to what extent the actions of PEAP can be considered drivers of sustainable local development. To answer this question, the research focused on the implementation of the PEAP actions and their effects on the two communities under study. Specifically, we sought to identify potential social, cultural and economic impacts of the actions of PEAP on both communities, and to identify future expectations of social subjects involved. This is a case study that follows a qualitative approach. The data collected in documents and interviews were analyzed according to the concepts of sustainable local development, corporate social responsibility and tri-sector partnership. The study identified that the actions taken by the PEAP result of management practices and participatory social planning, and reflecting the redemption of traditional practices, socialization of information and income generation, which together contribute to sustainable local development.

  3. 34 CFR 300.28 - Local educational agency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... are recognized in a State as an administrative agency for its public elementary schools or secondary... having administrative control and direction of a public elementary school or secondary school, including... legally constituted within a State for either administrative control or direction of, or to perform a...

  4. 26 CFR 1.179B-1T - Deduction for capital costs incurred in complying with Environmental Protection Agency sulfur...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Deduction for capital costs incurred in... capital costs incurred in complying with Environmental Protection Agency sulfur regulations (temporary... the deduction allowable under section 179B(a) for qualified capital costs paid or incurred by a small...

  5. Autonomy of State Agencies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Morten Balle; Niklasson, Birgitta; Roness, Paul

    agencies in four Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden. By using survey data from more than 500 state agencies in the four countries, the article analyses whether there is indeed a Scandinavian style of autonomy and result control and assesses which structural, cultural, and environmental......NPM-doctrines states that ideal-type agencies should have a high level of managerial autonomy, while being controlled through result-based control instruments, like performance contracts. In this article, the authors present a first preliminary attempt to comparatively analyze the autonomy of state...... variables might explain similarities and differences in the autonomy of agencies....

  6. Environmental management (Republic of Macedonia)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1997-01-01

    A number of institutions are responsible for environmental monitoring, however, coordination between these agencies is poor. Also, not all parameters typically used to index pollution are measured due to lack of resources, unavailability of chemicals for analysis and obsolete equipment. The cause-effect relationship between health and pollution is not clearly known, except for a new urban areas. In order to create an efficient environmental management system, alterations of the present institutional structure are imperative. It is necessary to strengthen the Ministry of Urban Planning, Construction and Development as a short-term task to consider the need for establishing a separate Ministry of Environment in the long-term. The Ministry of Environment should be supported by an Environmental Institute, a modern inspection service and a department for staff training and international cooperation. The need to reinforce local units responsible for environmental enforcement is especially emphasized. (author)

  7. CDC's National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program in Action: Case Studies From State and Local Health Departments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eatman, Shana; Strosnider, Heather M

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program (Tracking Program) is a multidisciplinary collaboration that involves the ongoing collection, integration, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data from environmental hazard monitoring, human exposure surveillance, and health effects surveillance. With a renewed focus on data-driven decision-making, the CDC's Tracking Program emphasizes dissemination of actionable data to public health practitioners, policy makers, and communities. The CDC's National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (Tracking Network), a Web-based system with components at the national, state, and local levels, houses environmental public health data used to inform public health actions (PHAs) to improve community health. This article serves as a detailed landscape on the Tracking Program and Tracking Network and the Tracking Program's leading performance measure, "public health actions." Tracking PHAs are qualitative statements addressing a local problem or situation, the role of the state or local Tracking Program, how the problem or situation was addressed, and the action taken. More than 400 PHAs have been reported by funded state and local health departments since the Tracking Program began collecting PHAs in 2005. Three case studies are provided to illustrate the use of the Tracking Program resources and data on the Tracking Network, and the diversity of actions taken. Through a collaborative network of experts, data, and tools, the Tracking Program and its Tracking Network are actively informing state and local PHAs. In a time of competing priorities and limited funding, PHAs can serve as a powerful tool to advance environmental public health practice.

  8. [Environmental Hazards Assessment Program annual report, June 1992--June 1993]. Needs assessment for the proposed masters degree program in environmental science at the Medical University of South Carolina: EHAP Volume 1, No. 2

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hoomani, J.

    1993-05-01

    There will be a critical shortage of professionals who are educated to deal with environmental problems by 1997. This was the major finding of a 1992 study conducted by the Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Incorporated and the Pacific Northwest Laboratory (Publication Number PAL-8171, CU-700). The study was done to determine the manpower needs of the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management in the US Department of Energy (DOE). Although the focus of the study was the 19 sites of the DOE complex, including the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, the study documented that such shortages will affect other major agencies and organizations including the US Department of Interior, the US Department of Defense, the Environmental Protection Agency, state and local governmental agencies, private agencies, and manufacturing enterprises throughout the State of South Carolina and the National. The Oak Ridge Study also documented that a variety of professional positions requiring environmental expertise are difficult to fill because traditional educational programs in physical science, engineering, health science, public policy, and administration have not adequately responded to the unique nature of these emerging specialities. This lack of educational preparation has necessitated extensive on-site training of new employees before they can become productive members of the environmental work force. Unique educational initiatives such as the Environmental Studies program proposed here are vital to address the long-term demand for environmental professionals.

  9. 2003 SITE ENVIRONMENTAL REPORT

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    ENVIRONMENT AND WASTE MANAGMENT SERVICES DIVISION; ET AL.

    2004-10-01

    Each year, Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), a multi-program national laboratory, prepares an annual Site Environmental Report (SER) in accordance with Order 231.1A, Environment, Safety and Health Reporting, of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The SER is written to inform outside regulators, the public, and Laboratory employees of BNL's environmental performance during the calendar year in review, and to summarize BNL's on-site environmental data; environmental management performance; compliance with applicable DOE, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), state, and local regulations; and environmental, restoration, and surveillance monitoring programs. BNL has prepared annual SERs since 1971 and has documented nearly all of its environmental history since the Laboratory's inception in 1947. This report is intended to be a technical document. It is available in print and as a downloadable file on the BNL web page at http://www.bnl.ser.htm. A summary of the SER is also prepared each year to provide a general overview, and is distributed with a CD version of the full-length SER. The summary supports BNL's educational and community outreach program.

  10. Sizewell 'B' public inquiry. Proof of evidence on local environmental issues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barritt, E E

    1982-11-01

    The report falls under the headings: introduction (need/economics; safety; waste management; local and site specific issues); the Sizewell site - history and planning policies; planning and environmental implications; land use and landscape implications; ecological implications; mineral requirements; highway implications; employment implications; accommodation implications; infrastructure and social/community services; safeguarding restrictions for Sizewell - Nuclear Installations Inspectorate; decommissioning.

  11. Environmental regulatory compliance plan, Deaf County site, Texas: Draft revision 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1987-01-01

    The DOE is committed to conduct its operation in an environmentally safe and sound manner and comply with the letter and spirit of applicable environmental statues and regulations. These objectives are codified in DOE order N 5400.2, ''Environmental Policy Statement.'' This document, the Deaf Smith County site (Texas) Environmental Regulatory Compliance Plam (ERCP), is one means of implementing that policy. The ERCP describes the environmental regulatory requirements applicable to the Deaf Smith County site (Texas), and presented the framework within which the Salt Repository Project Office (SRPO) will comply with the requirements. The plan also discusses how DOE will address State and local environmental requirements. To achieve this purpose the ERCP will be developed in phases. This version of the ERCP is the first phase in the delopment of the ERCP. It represents the Salt Repository Project Office's understanding of environmental requirements for the site characterization phase of repository development. After consultation with the appropriate federal and state agencies and affected Indian tribes, the ERCP will be updated to reflect the results of consultation with these agencies and affected Indian tribes. 6 refs., 38 figs

  12. Overall view of the preparation of the environmental protection programme or Local Agenda 21

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emil Šterbenk

    2002-12-01

    Full Text Available An Environmental Protection Programme and a Local Agenda 21 are documents intended for promotion of sustainable development in the local co-mmunities. Both documents should be realistic and capable of implementation. The local community, the public and all the main companies and organisations should be involved in the preparation and the realisation of the programmes. In this contribution the contents of the programmes and some experiences and advice tothose taking part are discussed.

  13. Public involvement in environmental activities: Initiatives and lessons learned

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gray, R.H.

    1995-01-01

    Efforts to communicate the results of environmental studies and involve the public in environmental decisions have increased nationwide. Outreach efforts at two US Department of Energy sites (i.e., the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State and the Pantex Plant in the Texas Panhandle) have used a broad spectrum of communications media, including technical articles (open literature and symposium publications, annual and topical reports); information brochures and fact sheets; video productions; interactive exhibits; presentations at scientific, technical, civic, and other public meetings; and proactive interactions with the news media and with local, state, federal, and other agencies. In addition, representatives of local communities now operate offsite environmental monitoring stations and Native Americans are involved in studying cultural resources, fisheries, and other issues at Hanford and a program to obtain environmental samples from neighbor's property is underway at the Pantex Plant. All major environmental programs, such as the multi-year effort to reconstruct past radiological doses to offsite human populations at Hanford, are now conducted with open public participation

  14. Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies: FY2007 Appropriations

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Vincent, Carol H; Bearden, David M; Corn, M. L; Gorte, Ross W; Humphries, Marc; Sheikh, Pervaze A; Whiteman, David L; Boren, Susan; Walke, Roger; Bea, Keith

    2007-01-01

    ... of Health and Human Services. It also includes funding for arts and cultural agencies; the Environmental Protection Agency, which was recently transferred to the appropriations subcommittees that deal with Interior and Related Agencies...

  15. Achieving global environmental benefits through local development of clean energy? The case of small hilly hydel in India

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reddy, V. Ratna; Uitto, Juha I.; Frans, Dirk R.; Matin, Nilufar

    2006-01-01

    Energy and development are closely intertwined. Yet, increasing fossil fuel-based energy consumption contributes significantly to environmental problems both locally and globally. This article explores the interlinkages between local livelihood and environmental benefits from the provision of energy to remote rural households through small hydropower development. The analysis is based on research carried out around a large development project designed to assist the Government of India in the optimum utilization of small hydropower resources in the Himalayan and sub-Himalayan regions. There are about 100,000 villages in India that are not connected to electricity supply, many of them in the hilly regions with ample hydropower potential. The project aimed to demonstrate the utility of and options for providing electricity to such villages through clean mini-hydro. The article addresses the nature of the impacts of the demonstration small hydel schemes on the local communities, to what extent they translate into environmental benefits both locally and globally, and the perceptions and participation of the local communities in these small hydro schemes. The study explores the impacts of the schemes on financial capital, natural capital, social capital, physical capital, human capital, and gender equity in the local communities. It further provides a discussion on the links between local and global environmental benefits. Overall, it is found that the schemes' impacts both on the local communities and the environment are mostly marginally positive or neutral, although achieving clearly demonstrable benefits would require major upscaling of the effort involving broader changes than possible under this project. Furthermore, it is argued that some of the assumptions behind the project design were faulty. Involvement of the local communities and direct livelihood benefits to them are essential for the long-term sustainability of the small hydro schemes. The discussion and

  16. Environmental Public Health Tracking: a cost-effective system for characterizing the sources, distribution and public health impacts of environmental hazards.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saunders, P J; Middleton, J D; Rudge, G

    2017-09-01

    The contemporary environment is a complex of interactions between physical, biological, socio-economic systems with major impacts on public health. However, gaps in our understanding of the causes, extent and distribution of these effects remain. The public health community in Sandwell West Midlands has collaborated to successfully develop, pilot and establish the first Environmental Public Health Tracking (EPHT) programme in Europe to address this 'environmental health gap' through systematically linking data on environmental hazards, exposures and diseases. Existing networks of environmental, health and regulatory agencies developed a suite of innovative methods to routinely share, integrate and analyse data on hazards, exposures and health outcomes to inform interventions. Effective data sharing and horizon scanning systems have been established, novel statistical methods piloted, plausible associations framed and tested, and targeted interventions informed by local concerns applied. These have influenced changes in public health practice. EPHT is a powerful tool for identifying and addressing the key environmental public health impacts at a local level. Sandwell's experience demonstrates that it can be established and operated at virtually no cost. The transfer of National Health Service epidemiological skills to local authorities in 2013 provides an opportunity to expand the programme to fully exploit its potential. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

  17. EPA Region 1 Environmentally Sensitive Areas

    Science.gov (United States)

    This coverage represents polygon equivalents of environmentally sensitive areas (ESA) in EPA Region I. ESAs were developed as part of an EPA headquarters initiative based on reviews of various regulatory and guidance documents, as well as phone interviews with federal/state/local government agencies and private organizations. ESAs include, but are not limited to, wetlands, biological resources, habitats, national parks, archaeological/historic sites, natural heritage areas, tribal lands, drinking water intakes, marinas/boat ramps, wildlife areas, etc.

  18. Hazardous waste management system--Environmental Protection Agency. Notice of regulatory reform actions; request for comments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1982-12-13

    In response to Executive Order 12291 and the President's Task Force on Regulatory Relief, the Environmental Protection Agency is reviewing and reassessing the hazardous waste regulations developed under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). A variety of activities are underway that will simplify procedures and reduce paperwork, modify existing regulations to make them more workable and cost effective, and control new wastes and new processes. The purpose of this notice is to inform the public of these activities and invite comments on the general approaches being taken.

  19. Exploring decision-making for environmental health services: perspectives from four cities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hunt, C; Lewin, S

    2000-01-01

    Increasing resources are being allocated to environmental health monitoring, especially for developing methods and collecting data to construct environmental health indicators (EHIs). Yet, little research has focused on understanding how communities and service providers make decisions with regard to environmental health priorities and the role of indicators in this process. This paper presents insights regarding local decision-making that arose from a project to test the feasibility of using community-based EHIs to facilitate communication between the providers and the recipients of environmental services in four developing-country cities. The results of the study indicate that decision-making for environmental health services is complex and iterative rather than rational and linear. Contextual and process factors play an important role. These factors include the morale of service providers, the extent of collaboration between service agencies, the priorities of different community groups and relations between service providers and communities. Scientific information, in the form of EHIs, did not appear to be a key element of decision-making in the settings studied. As tools, EHIs are unlikely to become part of the decision-making process unless they are integrated with local agendas and backed by strong local representation.

  20. Minnesota Local Agency Pavement Marking : Mining Existing Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-11-01

    Pavement marking is important for safety. Maximizing pavement marking performance in terms of increased retroreflectivity, within limited budget constraints, allows agencies to make better decisions toward providing more effective pavement marking pe...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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...

  2. An investigation into local socio-environmental characteristics in relation to post-closure arrangements with the uranium mine at the Ningyo-Toge Environmental Engineering Center

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsumoto, Satoshi; Horikoshi, Hidehiko; Goto, Daisuke; Sono, Miharu; Kumetani, Hiromitsu

    2004-03-01

    This research aims to gain an understanding of local socio-environmental characteristics surrounding the Ningyo-Toge Environmental Engineering Center, from the viewpoint of bidirectional information sharing. In order to clarify the relevant issues, we analyzed publicly available information over the past 20 years. We also conducted an internet survey to assess risk perceptions etc. and feelings toward local enterprises, of residents in the surrounding localities and the general public. Expectations for economic benefits of the facilities began to fade in mid 1980s while negative aspects drew increasing attention. Local assemblies disputed over reliability, not technical safety. In Okayama prefecture there found a strong sense of avoidance toward radioactive waste disposal, the background of their refusal of carrying-in of waste rock from Togo-cho Shimane prefecture. A majority of local residents see nuclear facilities as highly dangerous. National newspapers, NHK, professional researchers were identified as reliable sources of information regarding atomic energy and radioactively, indicating the effectiveness of information dissemination through them. Though residents in the surrounding localities are aware of economic benefits of nuclear facilities, a majority of them would refuse the siting of a new one. Meanwhile, revitalization of local communities was found to be in need, in which local enterprises were expected to participate. (author)

  3. Beamforming with a circular microphone array for localization of environmental noise sources

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tiana Roig, Elisabet; Jacobsen, Finn; Fernandez Grande, Efren

    2010-01-01

    It is often enough to localize environmental sources of noise from different directions in a plane. This can be accomplished with a circular microphone array, which can be designed to have practically the same resolution over 360. The microphones can be suspended in free space or they can...

  4. Environmental impact statement - an effective tool for successful mine design

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sinha, A.K.

    1996-01-01

    Mining is a hazardous operation which must be designed to succeed under very unpredictable environmental, geological and marketing conditions over a committed life of thirty years or longer. It is well-established by now that mining has tremendous social, economic and environmental impacts on society in general and on local communities in particular. Mining's image has begun to improve with effective hazard controls and property reclamation through improved mine design and restoration plans. Much of the credit for this achievement should go to Environmental Impact Statement and related permitting requirements for mining projects. An Environmental Impact Statement with respect to almost every type of mining project is now frequently required by major banks, and other funding agencies, governmental agencies and/or citizen groups involved in the permitting process. This impact statement ensures that the proposed project has the potential to succeed under all foreseeable environmental, geological and marketing problems throughout its projected life and to guarantee the return of the initial capital with interest. In short, the impact statement offers assurance that the final project will culminate with positive environmental and social impacts. The relevance and contributions of Environmental Impact Statements in mine design, as well as their applications and development procedures are presented. 3 refs., 8 figs

  5. All hazardous waste politics is local: Grass-roots advocacy and public participation in siting and cleanup decisions

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lowry, R.C.

    1998-12-31

    The combined effects of federalism and interest group pluralism pose particularly difficult problems for hazardous waste siting and cleanup decisions. Most national environmental groups have only limited involvement in local hazardous waste politics, while local grass-roots advocates have very different interests and sometimes are pitted against one another. Both the Environmental protection Agency and the Department of energy recently have begun to use site-specific citizen advisory boards at cleanup sites. This approach appears to improve communications at some sites, but does not address the issues of ``not in my back yard`` politics and alleged inequitable exposure to hazardous wastes.

  6. Environmental consequences of energy production: Proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    none,

    1989-01-01

    The Seventeenth Annual Illinois Energy conference entitled Environmental consequences of Energy Production was held in Chicago, Illinois on October 19-20, 1989. The purpose of the meeting was to provide a forum for exchange of information on the technical, economic and institutional issues surrounding energy production and related environmental problems. The conference program was developed by a planning committee which included Illinois energy and environmental specialists from the major sectors including energy industries, environmental organizations, research universities, utility companies, federal, state and local government agencies, and public interest groups. The conference included presentations on four major topic areas. The issue areas were: urban pollution: where are we now and what needs to be done in the future; the acid rain problem: implications of proposed federal legislation on the Midwest; global warming: an update on the scientific debate; and strategies to minimize environmental damage. Separate abstracts have been prepared for the individual presentations. (FL)

  7. Let the IRIS Bloom:Regrowing the integrated risk information system (IRIS) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dourson, Michael L

    2018-05-03

    The Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has an important role in protecting public health. Originally it provided a single database listing official risk values equally valid for all Agency offices, and was an important tool for risk assessment communication across EPA. Started in 1986, IRIS achieved full standing in 1990 when it listed 500 risk values, the effort of two senior EPA groups over 5 years of monthly face-to-face meetings, to assess combined risk data from multiple Agency offices. Those groups were disbanded in 1995, and the lack of continuing face-to-face meetings meant that IRIS became no longer EPA's comprehensive database of risk values or their latest evaluations. As a remedy, a work group of the Agency's senior scientists should be re-established to evaluate new risks and to update older ones. Risk values to be reviewed would come from the same EPA offices now developing such information on their own. Still, this senior group would have the final authority on posting a risk value in IRIS, independently of individual EPA offices. This approach could also lay the groundwork for an all-government IRIS database, especially needed as more government Agencies, industries and non-governmental organizations are addressing evolving risk characterizations. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  8. Design and development of computerized local and overall country's environmental data analysis network system

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Chang Gyu; Kang, Jong Gyu; Han, H.; Han, J. S.; Lee, Y. D.; Lee, S. R.; Kang, D. J.; Cho, Y. G.; Yun, S. H. [Daedeok College, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

    2001-03-15

    In this development, we designed a integrated database for efficient data processing of radiation-environment data and developed the CLEAN (Computerized Local and overall country's Environmental data Analysis Network) system. The CLEAN system consists of local radiation-environment network, data analysis system, data open system. We developed the CLEAN system focused on building an integrated database, a data mart, and a CLEAN web site. It is expected that the developed system, which organizes the information related to environmental radiation data systematically, can be utilize for the accurate interpretation, analysis and evaluation.

  9. Brookhaven National Laboratory site environmental report for calendar year 1995

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Naidu, J.R.; Paquette, D.E.; Schroeder, G.L. [eds.] [and others

    1996-12-01

    This report documents the results of the Environmental Monitoring Program at Brookhaven National Laboratory and summarizes information about environmental compliance for 1995. To evaluate the effect of Brookhaven National Laboratory`s operations on the local environment, measurements of direct radiation, and of a variety of radionuclides and chemical compounds in the ambient air, soil, sewage effluent, surface water, groundwater, fauna, and vegetation were made at the Brookhaven National Laboratory site and at adjacent sites. The report also evaluates the Laboratory`s compliance with all applicable guides, standards, and limits for radiological and nonradiological emissions and effluents to the environment. Areas of known contamination are subject to Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Studies under the Inter Agency Agreement established by the Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency and the New York Department of Environmental Conservation. Except for identified areas of soil and groundwater contamination, the environmental monitoring data has continued to demonstrate that compliance was achieved with the applicable environmental laws and regulations governing emission and discharge of materials to the environment. Also, the data show that the environmental impacts at Brookhaven National Laboratory are minimal and pose no threat to the public nor to the environment. This report meets the requirements of Department of Energy Orders 5484.1, Environmental Protection, Safety, and Health Protection Information reporting requirements and 5400.1, General Environmental Protection Programs.

  10. 41 CFR 102-80.30 - What are Federal agencies' responsibilities concerning lead?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... agencies' responsibilities concerning lead? 102-80.30 Section 102-80.30 Public Contracts and Property... PROPERTY 80-SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT Safety and Environmental Management Lead § 102-80.30 What are Federal agencies' responsibilities concerning lead? Federal agencies have the following...

  11. Amoco-US Environmental Protection Agency, pollution prevention project, Yorktown, Virginia: Solid waste data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kizior, G.J.

    1991-01-01

    In late 1989 Amoco and the US Environmental Protection Agency initiated a joint project to review pollution prevention alternatives at Amoco Oil Company's Yorktown, Virginia, Refinery as a case study site. The report summarizes the solid waste emissions inventory, solids source identification, and the solid waste sampling program that was conducted at the Amoco Yorktown Refinery on September 25-27, 1990, in support of the Pollution Prevention Project. Major findings showed that the majority of solid waste generation occurs as end-of-pipe solids resulting from the treatment of wastewaters from the refinery sewer. Based on a regression analysis of the composition data for samples collected during this project, major upstream contributors to these solids appear to be soils. Solids from process units are also significant contributors

  12. Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Plan for site characterization:

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1988-01-01

    The DOE is committed to conduct its operations in an environmentally safe and sound manner, and will comply with the letter and the spirit of applicable environmental statues and regulations. This document - the NNWSI Project's Environmental Regulatory Compliance Plan (ERCP) - is one means of implementing the policy. The ERCP describes the plan by which the NNWSI Project Office will comply with applicable environmental statutes and regulations. The ERCP also discusses how DOE will address State and local environmental statues and regulations. To achieve the goals of DOE, the ERCP will be developed in phases. This version of the ERCP is the first phase in this development. It represents the NNWSI Project's understanding of environmental regulatory requirements for site characterization of Yucca Mountain. After consultation with appropriate Federal and State agencies, the ERCP will be updated to reflect the results of these consultations. 29 figs., 1 tab

  13. Local Knowledge and Adult Learning in Environmental Adult Education: Community-Based Ecotourism in Southern Thailand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walter, Pierre

    2009-01-01

    This paper examines how local knowledge is employed in environmental adult education in a community-based ecotourism project in an island community in southern Thailand. The study is based on field research and analysis of project websites, media reports and documents. Situated at the intersection of global tourism and a local Thai-Malay Muslim…

  14. Identifying the Relevant Local Population for Environmental Impact Assessments of Mobile Marine Fauna

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Delphine B. H. Chabanne

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Environmental impact assessments must be addressed at a scale that reflects the biological organization for the species affected. It can be challenging to identify the relevant local wildlife population for impact assessment for those species that are continuously distributed and highly mobile. Here, we document the existence of local communities of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus inhabiting coastal and estuarine waters of Perth, Western Australia, where major coastal developments have been undertaken or are proposed. Using sighting histories from a 4-year photo-identification study, we investigated fine-scale, social community structure of dolphins based on measures of social affinity, and network (Half-Weight Index—HWI, preferred dyadic association tests, and Lagged Association Rates—LAR, home ranges, residency patterns (Lagged Identification Rates—LIR, and genetic relatedness. Analyses revealed four socially and spatially distinct, mixed-sex communities. The four communities had distinctive social patterns varying in strength, site fidelity, and residency patterns. Overlap in home ranges and relatedness explained little to none of the association patterns between individuals, suggesting complex local social structures. The study demonstrated that environmental impact assessments for mobile, continuously distributed species must evaluate impacts in light of local population structure, especially where proposed developments may affect core habitats of resident communities or sub-populations. Here, the risk of local extinction is particularly significant for an estuarine community because of its small size, limited connectivity with adjacent communities, and use of areas subject to intensive human use. In the absence of information about fine-scale population structure, impact assessments may fail to consider the appropriate biological context.

  15. 77 FR 39322 - Notice to Rescind the Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-02

    ... to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Kootenai County, ID AGENCY: Federal Highway... Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), in cooperation with Idaho Transportation Department (ITD... because congestion and safety concerns were rising within the project corridor and travel times for local...

  16. Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1991

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1992-04-01

    This progress report summarizes the research and development activities conducted in the Environmental Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory during the period October 1, 1990, through September 30, 1991. The report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the division's major organizational units. Following the sections describing the organizational units is a section devoted to lists of information necessary to convey the scope of the work in the division. The Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) conducts environmental research and analyses associated with both energy technology development and the interactions between people and the environment. The division engages in basic and applied research for a diverse list of sponsors. While the US Department of Energy (DOE) is the primary sponsor ESD staff also perform research for other federal agencies, state agencies, and private industry. The division works collaboratively with federal agencies, universities, and private organizations in achieving its research objectives and hosts a large number of visiting investigators from these organizations. Given the diverse interdisciplinary specialization of its staff, ESD provides technical expertise on complex environmental problems and renders technical leadership for major environmental issues of national and local concern. This progress report highlights many of ESD's accomplishment in these and other areas in FY 1991.

  17. Environmental Sciences Division annual progress report for period ending September 30, 1991

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1992-04-01

    This progress report summarizes the research and development activities conducted in the Environmental Sciences Division of Oak Ridge National Laboratory during the period October 1, 1990, through September 30, 1991. The report is structured to provide descriptions of current activities and accomplishments in each of the division`s major organizational units. Following the sections describing the organizational units is a section devoted to lists of information necessary to convey the scope of the work in the division. The Environmental Sciences Division (ESD) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) conducts environmental research and analyses associated with both energy technology development and the interactions between people and the environment. The division engages in basic and applied research for a diverse list of sponsors. While the US Department of Energy (DOE) is the primary sponsor ESD staff also perform research for other federal agencies, state agencies, and private industry. The division works collaboratively with federal agencies, universities, and private organizations in achieving its research objectives and hosts a large number of visiting investigators from these organizations. Given the diverse interdisciplinary specialization of its staff, ESD provides technical expertise on complex environmental problems and renders technical leadership for major environmental issues of national and local concern. This progress report highlights many of ESD`s accomplishment in these and other areas in FY 1991.

  18. Multi-level, Multi-stage and Stochastic Optimization Models for Energy Conservation in Buildings for Federal, State and Local Agencies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Champion, Billy Ray

    Energy Conservation Measure (ECM) project selection is made difficult given real-world constraints, limited resources to implement savings retrofits, various suppliers in the market and project financing alternatives. Many of these energy efficient retrofit projects should be viewed as a series of investments with annual returns for these traditionally risk-averse agencies. Given a list of ECMs available, federal, state and local agencies must determine how to implement projects at lowest costs. The most common methods of implementation planning are suboptimal relative to cost. Federal, state and local agencies can obtain greater returns on their energy conservation investment over traditional methods, regardless of the implementing organization. This dissertation outlines several approaches to improve the traditional energy conservations models. . Any public buildings in regions with similar energy conservation goals in the United States or internationally can also benefit greatly from this research. Additionally, many private owners of buildings are under mandates to conserve energy e.g., Local Law 85 of the New York City Energy Conservation Code requires any building, public or private, to meet the most current energy code for any alteration or renovation. Thus, both public and private stakeholders can benefit from this research. . The research in this dissertation advances and presents models that decision-makers can use to optimize the selection of ECM projects with respect to the total cost of implementation. A practical application of a two-level mathematical program with equilibrium constraints (MPEC) improves the current best practice for agencies concerned with making the most cost-effective selection leveraging energy services companies or utilities. The two-level model maximizes savings to the agency and profit to the energy services companies (Chapter 2). An additional model presented leverages a single congressional appropriation to implement ECM

  19. [Environmental Hazards Assessment Program annual report, June 1992--June 1993

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1993-06-01

    This report contains the script from a videotaped dialogue concerning a hypothetical hazardous waste/community health risk scenario presented as a Round Table Forum. Various issues are explored, ranging from the scientific and technical aspects of environmental studies and remedial action, to public information and community involvement, to the economic impact on local communities. The roles of the media, local government and federal and state agencies are examined as well as sources for funding. In an attempt to gauge audience response and reaction, evaluation cards were distributed, and the comments and recommendations are included here

  20. CDC’s National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program in Action: Case Studies From State and Local Health Departments

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eatman, Shana; Strosnider, Heather M.

    2017-01-01

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program (Tracking Program) is a multidisciplinary collaboration that involves the ongoing collection, integration, analysis, interpretation, and dissemination of data from environmental hazard monitoring, human exposure surveillance, and health effects surveillance. With a renewed focus on data-driven decision-making, the CDC’s Tracking Program emphasizes dissemination of actionable data to public health practitioners, policy makers, and communities. The CDC’s National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network (Tracking Network), a Web-based system with components at the national, state, and local levels, houses environmental public health data used to inform public health actions (PHAs) to improve community health. This article serves as a detailed landscape on the Tracking Program and Tracking Network and the Tracking Program’s leading performance measure, “public health actions.” Tracking PHAs are qualitative statements addressing a local problem or situation, the role of the state or local Tracking Program, how the problem or situation was addressed, and the action taken. More than 400 PHAs have been reported by funded state and local health departments since the Tracking Program began collecting PHAs in 2005. Three case studies are provided to illustrate the use of the Tracking Program resources and data on the Tracking Network, and the diversity of actions taken. Through a collaborative network of experts, data, and tools, the Tracking Program and its Tracking Network are actively informing state and local PHAs. In a time of competing priorities and limited funding, PHAs can serve as a powerful tool to advance environmental public health practice. PMID:28763381

  1. Total cylindrospermopsins, microcystins/nodularins, and saxitoxins data for the 2007 United States Environmental Protection Agency National Lake Assessment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Loftin, Keith A.; Dietze, Julie E.; Meyer, Michael T.; Graham, Jennifer L.; Maksimowicz, Megan M.; Toyne, Kathryn D.

    2016-05-26

    Phytoplankton communities in freshwater lakes, ponds, and reservoirs may be dominated by cyanobacteria (also called blue-green algae) under certain environmental conditions. Cyanobacteria may cause a range of water-quality impairments, including the potential for toxin production. Cyanobacteria toxins (cyanotoxins) may adversely impact human and ecological health. Microcystins are considered to be one of the most commonly found classes of cyanotoxins in freshwater ecosystems, and as such were selected as a recreational indicator of water quality for the 2007 United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Lakes Assessment. However, much less is known about the occurrence of other classes of cyanotoxins in fresh surface water such as anatoxins, cylindrospermopsins, nodularins, and saxitoxins.

  2. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency national network of research centers: A case study in socio-political influences on research

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morehouse, K. [Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC (United States)

    1995-12-01

    During the 15 years that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has supported university-based research centers, there have been many changes in mission, operating style, funding level, eligibility, and selection process. Even the definition of the term {open_quotes}research center{close_quotes} is open to debate. Shifting national priorities, political realities, and funding uncertainties have powered the evolution of research centers in EPA, although the agency`s basic philosophy on the purpose and value of this approach to research remains essentially unchanged. Today, EPA manages 28 centers, through the Office of Exploratory Research. These centers are administered under three distinct programs. Each program has its own mission and goals which guide the way individual centers are selected and operated. This paper will describe: (1) EPA`s philosophy of reserach centers, (2) the complicated history of EPA research centers, (3) coordination and interaction among EPA centers and others, (4) opportunities for collaboration, and (5) plans for the future.

  3. Formation of a Community of Practice in the Watershed Scale, with Integrated Local Environmental Knowledge

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kenji Kitamura

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Rural communities around the world face formidable problems such as resource depletion, environmental degradation and economic decline. While the term ‘community’ is often used without clear definition or context, it can be viewed as a group of people emerging through social interaction. Through a series of collaborative action toward a shared goal, a community of practice can be formed. This paper proposes a hypothetical framework of integrated local environmental knowledge (ILEK, and applies it to analyze the processes of collaborative actions in the case of the Nishibetsu Watershed in Hokkaido, Japan. The case study identified several phases of actions, all initiated by a group of local residents on a grassroots and voluntary basis. These local resident-initiated collaborative actions had a particular confluence of elements to facilitate gradual strengthening of formal and informal institutions in the watershed scale beyond jurisdictional boundaries, making this a worthy case to study. The local residents used diverse types of knowledge, including livelihood-based technologies and skills of working as a group and with local governments, for establishing and strengthening various institutions for collaborative actions, with such knowledge being used in the manner of tools in a box of bricolage for community formation.

  4. Assessing exposure to radon in the United States: An EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] perspective

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guimond, R.J.; Magno, P.J.

    1990-01-01

    A number of investigators have suggested that exposure to radon decay products may be a significant factor associated with the incidence of some lung cancers in the US. Various scientists have estimated that 5,000 to greater than 20,000 lung cancers per year may be attributable to radon if the average level in the US is 0.004 working levels (WL). To help assess the significance of exposure to radon across the US and within specific geographical regions, more information is needed. The paper describes efforts in the Environmental Protection Agency to assess this problem and determine the most appropriate means for dealing with risks posed by radon in new and existing housing

  5. Amoco-US Environmental Protection Agency, pollution prevention project, Yorktown, Virginia: Yorktown refinery project workplan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Curran, L.; Grieves, C.; Browning, R.; Hanlon, D.; Crane, C.

    1990-09-01

    The report provides a detailed workplan for obtaining data and analyzing results for a 2-year pollution prevention study of Amoco Oil Company's Yorktown Virginia Refinery. The study was jointly sponsored as a cooperative effort of Amoco Corporation and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The goals of the study include (1) a multi-media inventory of all releases entering the environment from the Refinery, (2) development of possible engineering options to reduce the releases, (3) analysis of each option in terms of release reduction potential, impact on human health risk, ecological impact, changes in future liability, etc. and (4) identification of obstacles and incentives for implementation of any of the options considered

  6. Valuing environmental services provided by local stormwater management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brent, Daniel A.; Gangadharan, Lata; Lassiter, Allison; Leroux, Anke; Raschky, Paul A.

    2017-06-01

    The management of stormwater runoff via distributed green infrastructures delivers a number of environmental services that go beyond the reduction of flood risk, which has been the focus of conventional stormwater systems. Not all of these services may be equally valued by the public, however. This paper estimates households' willingness to pay (WTP) for improvements in water security, stream health, recreational and amenity values, as well as reduction in flood risk and urban heat island effect. We use data from nearly 1000 personal interviews with residential homeowners in Melbourne and Sydney, Australia. Our results suggest that the WTP for the highest levels of all environmental services is A799 per household per year. WTP is mainly driven by residents valuing improvements in local stream health, exemptions in water restrictions, the prevention of flash flooding, and decreased peak urban temperatures respectively at A297, A244, A104 and A$65 per year. We further conduct a benefit transfer analysis and find that the WTP and compensating surplus are not significantly different between the study areas. Our findings provide additional support that stormwater management via green infrastructures have large nonmarket benefits and that, under certain conditions, benefit values can be transferred to different locations.

  7. Annual site environmental report for calendar year 1999

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2000-04-14

    Many State and Federal environmental protection laws and regulations apply to Western. Western facilities are within the jurisdiction of six Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regions and 17 states. Western's environmental policy statement directs employees to prevent, control, and abate environmental pollution at their facilities, and when possible, enhance the environment. To help assure conformance with all regulatory requirements, and to achieve its pollution prevention goals and objectives, Western is developing an Environmental Management System (EMS). One of the major regulatory impacts on Western continues to be the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) that regulates the use of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB). Western's policy is to eliminate PCBs from its system wherever economically and operationally possible. This will lessen the impact of PCB regulations on operations and the impact of PCBs on the environment. Executive Order 12856 requires Federal Agencies to comply with the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). As with other DOE elements, Western has been complying with EPCRA since before the Executive Order was issued. To summarize, in 1999, Western's Regional offices implemented programs to notify State and local emergency response entities in accordance with Section 311 and 312 of EPCRA. Chemical inventories indicate that Western does not manufacture, process, or otherwise use reportable quantities of EPCRA Section 313 chemicals so Toxic Release reports were not required.

  8. 76 FR 54529 - Notice To Rescind a Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement: San Francisco...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-01

    ..., Acting Director, Local Programs, Federal Highway Administration, Sacramento, CA. [FR Doc. 2011-22349... To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement: San Francisco County, CA AGENCY: Federal Highway..., Oakland, California 94623-0660, Telephone: (510) 286-5231, E-mail: [email protected]ca.gov...

  9. Environmental Requirements Management

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cusack, Laura J.; Bramson, Jeffrey E.; Archuleta, Jose A.; Frey, Jeffrey A.

    2015-01-08

    CH2M HILL Plateau Remediation Company (CH2M HILL) is the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) prime contractor responsible for the environmental cleanup of the Hanford Site Central Plateau. As part of this responsibility, the CH2M HILL is faced with the task of complying with thousands of environmental requirements which originate from over 200 federal, state, and local laws and regulations, DOE Orders, waste management and effluent discharge permits, Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) response and Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) corrective action documents, and official regulatory agency correspondence. The challenge is to manage this vast number of requirements to ensure they are appropriately and effectively integrated into CH2M HILL operations. Ensuring compliance with a large number of environmental requirements relies on an organization’s ability to identify, evaluate, communicate, and verify those requirements. To ensure that compliance is maintained, all changes need to be tracked. The CH2M HILL identified that the existing system used to manage environmental requirements was difficult to maintain and that improvements should be made to increase functionality. CH2M HILL established an environmental requirements management procedure and tools to assure that all environmental requirements are effectively and efficiently managed. Having a complete and accurate set of environmental requirements applicable to CH2M HILL operations will promote a more efficient approach to: • Communicating requirements • Planning work • Maintaining work controls • Maintaining compliance

  10. 76 FR 21345 - Environmental Impacts Statements;

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-04-15

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-8996-4] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-1399 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 04/04/2011 Through 04...

  11. 78 FR 48672 - Environmental Impacts Statements;

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-09

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9010-5] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 07/29/2013 Through...

  12. Act No. 61 of 21 January 1994-Transformation into law, with amendments, of Decree-Law No. 496 of 4 December 1996 laying down urgent provisions on reorganising environmental controls and creating the National Environmental Protection Agency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-01-01

    This Act sets up the National Environmental Protection Agency-ANPA which replaces the Nuclear Safety and Health Protection Directorate (ENEA/DISP) of the National Agency for New Technology, Energy and the Environment (ENEA). The ENEA/DISP's tasks, staff, structures, technical equipment and financial resources are transferred to the new Agency. ANPA is responsible for all the national technical and scientific activities and co-ordinates the working methods of the above-mentioned regional and provincial agencies. It also provides consultation and support services to the Ministry of the environment. In particular, ANPA is competent for supervising activities related to the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and analysing the impact of radiation on the environment. (NEA)

  13. Encoding instructions and stimulus presentation in local environmental context-dependent memory studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markopoulos, G; Rutherford, A; Cairns, C; Green, J

    2010-08-01

    Murnane and Phelps (1993) recommend word pair presentations in local environmental context (EC) studies to prevent associations being formed between successively presented items and their ECs and a consequent reduction in the EC effect. Two experiments were conducted to assess the veracity of this assumption. In Experiment 1, participants memorised single words or word pairs, or categorised them as natural or man made. Their free recall protocols were examined to assess any associations established between successively presented items. Fewest associations were observed when the item-specific encoding task (i.e., natural or man made categorisation of word referents) was applied to single words. These findings were examined further in Experiment 2, where the influence of encoding instructions and stimulus presentation on local EC dependent recognition memory was examined. Consistent with recognition dual-process signal detection model predictions and findings (e.g., Macken, 2002; Parks & Yonelinas, 2008), recollection sensitivity, but not familiarity sensitivity, was found to be local EC dependent. However, local EC dependent recognition was observed only after item-specific encoding instructions, irrespective of stimulus presentation. These findings and the existing literature suggest that the use of single word presentations and item-specific encoding enhances local EC dependent recognition.

  14. The Impact of Socio-environmental Projects of Jewish and Bedouin Youth in Israel on Students' Local Knowledge and Views of Each Other

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alkaher, Iris; Tal, Tali

    2014-02-01

    This study is part of a first study of collaborative socio-environmental projects that engage Jewish and Arab students in Israel in learning about their local environment and about each other through outdoor learning and environmental action. We used ideas of social learning and environmental citizenship to frame our research. We investigated students' knowledge regarding their local environment and their knowledge of each other's community. We also studied the participants' views regarding their project-partners'environmental knowledge, awareness and behaviour in comparison to their own. Initially, differences were found regarding various aspects of the students' socio-environmental knowledge and in students' views of their counterparts' environmentalism. At the end of the projects, students showed better understanding of local socio-environmental issues and demonstrated changes in their original views towards the environmental awareness and behaviour of their counterparts. These findings suggest that projects which involve students from segregated communities not only promote environmental awareness but contribute to a reduction in mutual prejudices. We suggest that the differences we found are not related to ethnicity, but rather to students' socioeconomic status and experience in environmental education programmes.

  15. 78 FR 44933 - Intent To Prepare a Draft Supplement to the July 2011 Environmental Impact Statement for the...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-25

    ... and local units of government. The other partnering agencies include: U.S. Environmental Protection... Resources; and the Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization. The Merger process provides a forum for... travel lanes between a previously proposed interchange south of the Topsail High School and the...

  16. 78 FR 39284 - Technical Guidance for Assessing Environmental Justice in Regulatory Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-01

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [EPA-HQ-OA-2013-0320; FRL-9830-1] Technical Guidance for Assessing Environmental Justice in Regulatory Analysis AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice... Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued for public comment a document entitled, ``Technical Guidance for...

  17. The Competing Dynamics and Relationships in Corporate and Local Government Agency Constructions of Place

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natalie Russell

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available This paper explores the dynamics of how private sector business entities and local government bodies perceive and interact with the identity of the locality in which they operate. It identifies tensions and differences in, and consequences of, the dynamics and relationships between how private sector business entities view constructions of ‘place’ and how government and publicly-funded place-marketing organisations portray and promote localities. These issues are examined through the phenomenon, brand and slogan of ‘visit, live, invest’ which is gaining credence in the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the world. The paper develops data using in-depth interviews and a small-scale survey set within an overall interpretivistic case study approach. The data and the case-study demonstrate that, despite the rebranding of the local government agencies as a place-marketing organisation committed to the new ‘live, visit, invest’ initiative and brand agenda, there is an ongoing ‘cultural hangover’ from previous place promotion policies. There are also serious impacts and consequences for relationships between the public and private sectors and with other stakeholders. The prevailing image of UKTown (real name anonymised by business leaders is one that sees this town fundamentally as a historic, traditional and conservative town. This image has been the product of many years of older style promotion in this vein. While such an image may suggest pleasant aspects of the living environment, it has little to do with corporate image, values and concerns and many private sector business entities do not identity with it. In several instances it is even considered by certain business sectors to be ‘detrimental’ to the need for a dynamic business environment and the forms of relationships and activities these necessitate. The paper indicates a number of strategic moves that could be adopted in order to improve this predicament.

  18. Collaboration, Competition, and Co-opetition: Interorganizational Dynamics Between Private Child Welfare Agencies and Child Serving Sectors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bunger, Alicia C; Collins-Camargo, Crystal; McBeath, Bowen; Chuang, Emmeline; Perez-Jolles, Monica; Wells, Rebecca

    2014-03-01

    Human service agencies are encouraged to collaborate with other public and private agencies in providing services to children and families. However, they also often compete with these same partners for funding, qualified staff, and clientele. Although little is known about complex interagency dynamics of competition and collaboration in the child-serving sector, evidence suggests that competition can undermine collaboration unless managed strategically. This study explores the interrelationship between competition and collaboration, sometimes referred to as "co-opetition." Using a national dataset of private child and family serving agencies, we examine their relationships with other child serving sectors (N=4460 pair-wise relationships), and explore how variations in patterns of collaboration and competition are associated with several organizational, environmental and relational factors. Results suggest that most relationships between private child welfare agencies and other child serving agencies are characterized by both competition and collaboration (i.e. "co-opetition"), and is most frequently reported with other local private child welfare agencies. Logistic regression analyses indicate that co-opetition is likely to occur when private child welfare agencies have a good perceived relationship or a sub-contract with their partner. Findings have implications for how agency leaders manage partner relationships, and how public child welfare administrators structure contracts.

  19. Using non-local databases for the environmental assessment of industrial activities: The case of Latin America

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Osses de Eicker, Margarita; Hischier, Roland; Hurni, Hans; Zah, Rainer

    2010-01-01

    Nine non-local databases were evaluated with respect to their suitability for the environmental assessment of industrial activities in Latin America. Three assessment methods were considered, namely Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and air emission inventories. The analysis focused on data availability in the databases and the applicability of their international data to Latin American industry. The study showed that the European EMEP/EEA Guidebook and the U.S. EPA AP-42 database are the most suitable ones for air emission inventories, whereas the LCI database Ecoinvent is the most suitable one for LCA and EIA. Due to the data coverage in the databases, air emission inventories are easier to develop than LCA or EIA, which require more comprehensive information. One strategy to overcome the limitations of non-local databases for Latin American industry is the combination of validated data from international databases with newly developed local datasets.

  20. ENVIRONMENTAL SECURITY IN THE REGION IN THE SERVICE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF LOCAL SPATIAL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ljiljana Stošić Mihajlović

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available A fundamental prerequisite for the existence, growth and development of each social community is environmental safety. In modern conditions of environmental degradation as a global process, it is bound to increase social stratification, ethnic and even religious conflict, conflict and intolerance that threatens the safety of society. It is a notorious fact that the world of Simply is no longer in a position to deal with new shocks. The financial crisis has reduced global economic resilience, while geopolitical tensions and increased social concerns point to the fact that the state and society less able than ever to cope with global challenges, among which is the primary problem of environmental security. In modern countries, political, security and other interests of the citizens' day-to-day modeling, transform, get the content, in accordance with the general civilization changes. In this connection, sustainable local spatial development is crucial conditioned ecological without security region and aims to achieve a balance between current consumption of natural resources and the ability of the system to maintain the level at which future generations will be able to use them. The work represents a contribution to the achievement of environmental security as a new, modern forms of security, and originated from the need to once again draw attention to the evident environmental degradation as an integral part of human security. Ecological security of the region protects the basic components of the environment and determinants of the local spatial development. In fact, safety in the field of protection and preservation of the environment is one of the most important factors Security Council shall contemporary world. In doing so, it is important to emphasize, however, that environmental security has no borders and is a global problem, a task and an obligation.

  1. Can voter-approved tax levies provide fiscal advantages and stability for local public health agencies?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmalzried, Hans D; Fallon, L Fleming

    2013-01-01

    Major funding cuts have occurred throughout the United States public health system during the past several years. Funding for local public health agency (LPHA) services and programs is obtained through a patchwork of sources that vary both within and among states. Even though local city and county sources provide a significant proportion of funding for LPHAs, information available in the literature about these revenues is sparse and is not clearly described. This study focused on a single specific revenue stream included in the local sources (local city and county) category: funds voted on directly by the public. The primary purpose of this study was to examine whether this type of funding source provided fiscal advantages for LPHAs. Specifically, we wanted to see how sensitive levy votes were to changing general economic conditions. A questionnaire to collect LPHA levy data was developed, approved, and mailed to county boards of elections in Ohio (n = 88). Elections officials were asked to provide voting results for all LPHA levy ballot attempts since 1994 regardless of outcome. In the study period (1994 through 2011), 250 LPHA property tax levies were placed on election ballots in Ohio. LPHAs were successful in 155 (62.0%) and unsuccessful in 95 (38.0%) attempts. Over the 18-year period, the most noteworthy outcome was a 94.6% pass rate for renewal levies. Our study demonstrated that voter-approved tax levies provide some fiscal advantages for LPHAs: higher per capita revenues than those who have to rely on other sources of income and predictable revenue streams. This translates into more funds being available for public health programs and services. Property tax levies allow citizens to make direct investments in their local health departments.

  2. Tiny Stowaways: Analyzing the Economic Benefits of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Permit Regulating Ballast Water Discharges

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lovell, Sabrina J.; Drake, Lisa A.

    2009-03-01

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has proposed permitting ballast water discharges—a benefit of which would be to reduce the economic damages associated with the introduction and spread of aquatic invasive species. Research on ship-borne aquatic invasive species has been conducted in earnest for decades, but determining the economic damages they cause remains troublesome. Furthermore, with the exception of harmful algal blooms, the economic consequences of microscopic invaders have not been studied, despite their potentially great negative effects. In this paper, we show how to estimate the economic benefits of preventing the introduction and spread of harmful bacteria, microalgae, and viruses delivered in U.S. waters. Our calculations of net social welfare show the damages from a localized incident, cholera-causing bacteria found in shellfish in the Gulf of Mexico, to be approximately 706,000 (2006). On a larger scale, harmful algal species have the potential to be transported in ships’ ballast tanks, and their effects in the United States have been to reduce commercial fisheries landings and impair water quality. We examine the economic repercussions of one bloom-forming species. Finally, we consider the possible translocation within the Great Lakes of a virus that has the potential to harm commercial and recreational fisheries. These calculations illustrate an approach to quantifying the benefits of preventing invasive aquatic microorganisms from controls on ballast water discharges.

  3. Public Health Agency Accreditation Among Rural Local Health Departments: Influencers and Barriers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beatty, Kate E; Erwin, Paul Campbell; Brownson, Ross C; Meit, Michael; Fey, James

    Health department accreditation is a crucial strategy for strengthening public health infrastructure. The purpose of this study was to investigate local health department (LHD) characteristics that are associated with accreditation-seeking behavior. This study sought to ascertain the effects of rurality on the likelihood of seeking accreditation through the Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB). Cross-sectional study using secondary data from the 2013 National Association of County & City Health Officials (NACCHO) National Profile of Local Health Departments Study (Profile Study). United States. LHDs (n = 490) that responded to the 2013 NACCHO Profile Survey. LHDs decision to seek PHAB accreditation. Significantly more accreditation-seeking LHDs were located in urban areas (87.0%) than in micropolition (8.9%) or rural areas (4.1%) (P < .001). LHDs residing in urban communities were 16.6 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 5.3-52.3) and micropolitan LHDs were 3.4 times (95% CI, 1.1-11.3) more likely to seek PHAB accreditation than rural LHDs (RLHDs). LHDs that had completed an agency-wide strategic plan were 8.5 times (95% CI, 4.0-17.9), LHDs with a local board of health were 3.3 times (95% CI, 1.5-7.0), and LHDs governed by their state health department were 12.9 times (95% CI, 3.3-50.0) more likely to seek accreditation. The most commonly cited barrier was time and effort required for accreditation application exceeded benefits (73.5%). The strongest predictor for seeking PHAB accreditation was serving an urban jurisdiction. Micropolitan LHDs were more likely to seek accreditation than smaller RLHDs, which are typically understaffed and underfunded. Major barriers identified by the RLHDs included fees being too high and the time and effort needed for accreditation exceeded their perceived benefits. RLHDs will need additional financial and technical support to achieve accreditation. Even with additional funds, clear messaging of the benefits of accreditation

  4. Incorporating environmental justice measures during environmental impact statement scoping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Imam, J.; Poles, J.S.

    1995-01-01

    Executive Order 12898, open-quote Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice in Minority Populations and Low-Income populations,close-quote directs Federal agencies to make environmental justice part of their mission by involving minorities and low-income populations and by identifying and addressing as appropriate disproportionately high and adverse human health and environmental effects of their programs, policies, and activities on minority and low-income populations. In the Presidential Memorandum transmitting the Executive Order it was stated that environmental justice should be taken into consideration under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). NEPA, with its systematic approach and requirements for alternatives analysis and comprehensive public participation, has served as one of the main mechanisms for involving the public in environmental decision-making. This paper addresses challenges faced by the Department of Energy in involving minority and low-income populations in the public involvement activities associated with a national-level environmental impact statement (EIS) and suggests ways to improve agencies' incorporation of environmental justice considerations in NEPA scoping

  5. Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Electronics Environmental Benefits Calculator (EEBC) was developed to assist organizations in estimating the environmental benefits of greening their purchase,...

  6. The Role of Marketing in Building An Environmental Agenda: Reflections A Case Study of One From the Public Management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dennis Henrique Vicário Olivio

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper – a case study discusses – the construction of an environmental agenda in a public managing relating this process to the marketing used in the city of Catanduva, São Paulo state. Its aim is to evaluate the importance of the use of techniques and communication methods as mechanisms of human interaction related to environmental questions and if hiring a marketing agency has produced some changes in the people. With this aim, a series of researches was developed based on the register of the environmental campaigns promoted by the Water and Sewage Treatment Sector of Catanduva (Superintendência de Água e Esgoto de Catanduva – Saec with the main involved actors: the communication agency, the local public power, and later, the people and the opinion formers in the city. The adopted methodology involved consulting the Saec data about water consume in the periods which preceded and succeeded the environmental campaigns which took place in Catanduva and questionnaires applied in two sections of the city, with different socioeconomic composition.We also interviewed public management agents, who were directly or indirectly involved in the environmental question, section leaders, among others. This way it was possible to verify that public local policies frequently use marketing to help in the conduction of environmental awareness processes, but, unluckily, the process is still deficient and great part of the actions doesn't reach their primary objectives. It is possible to conclude that local public policies, even using marketing, have made little progress in making citizens aware of the necessities of habit changes in environmental issues.

  7. Revenue rules when environmental regulation agencies collude

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gaarn Hansen, L.

    1994-01-01

    In this paper the welfare implications of earmarking of revenues from environmental taxes in analyzed using a principal-agent model in the incomplete contracting tradition of constitutional design. In the model the public has very limited knowledge of the emissions problem to be regulated. Government has full knowledge and is given a general mandate to regulate, however government may be biased toward an interested party. To curb the welfare effects of government bias the public may either earmark revenues from environmental taxes for environmental expenditures or for transfers to the polluters. We find that earmarking for transfers to the polluters (under certain conditions) can be expected to maximize welfare when government bias is strong and the direction of bias is uncertain. (au) 10 refs

  8. Federal Aid and State Library Agencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shavit, David

    1985-01-01

    Considers role of states as middlemen between federal government and local public libraries in administration of Library Services and Construction Act funds. An audit of Illinois state library agencies, 1970 federal mandates, state control of federal funds, and state library agencies' use of funds are discussed. Eight references are cited. (EJS)

  9. Environmental attributable fractions in remote Australia: the potential of a new approach for local public health action.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McMullen, Cheryl; Eastwood, Ashley; Ward, Jeanette

    2016-04-01

    To determine local values for environmental attributable fractions and explore their applicability and potential for public health advocacy. Using World Health Organization (WHO) values for environmental attributable fractions, responses from a practitioner survey (73% response rate) were considered by a smaller skills-based panel to determine consensus values for Kimberley environmental attributable fractions (KEAFs). Applied to de-identified data from 17 remote primary healthcare facilities over two years, numbers and proportions of reasons for attendance directly attributable to the environment were calculated for all ages and children aged 0-4 years, including those for Aboriginal patients. Of 150,357 reasons for attendance for patients of all ages, 31,775 (21.1%) were directly attributable to the environment. The proportion of these directly due to the environment was significantly higher for Aboriginal patients than others (23.1% v 14.6%; penvironmental factors, 20% of total primary healthcare demand could be prevented and, importantly, some 25% of presentations by Aboriginal children. KEAFs have potential to monitor impact of local environmental investments. © 2015 Public Health Association of Australia.

  10. Local perceptions of jaguar conservation and environmental justice in Goiás, Matto Grosso and Roraima states (Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yennie K. Bredin

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Wildlife conservation often leads to various conflicts with other human activities, resulting in concerns about the justice of conservation. Although species' protection – notably of large carnivores – can have negative consequences for economic interests and human well-being, environmental justice issues related to species conservation are rarely explored. In Brazil, jaguars (Panthera onca have become flagships for a series of conservation initiatives. Whereas jaguars' direct impact on cattle farming has been studied, their influence on other rural stakeholders is poorly understood. Here we study local people's views on jaguars and jaguar conservation across the Cerrado savannah and the Amazon rainforest biomes. Using Q-methodology, we identified five distinct narratives regarding jaguar conservation in relation to environmental justice issues. These were shared among fishermen, tourist guides, cattle breeders, crop farmers and jaguar hunters. Interestingly, we did not find any systematic differences in subjective views, across regions, or professions/livelihood forms. However, our results showed a strong desire among the stakeholders for more local empowerment to influence the management of both jaguars and nature where they live. Moreover, we detected a widespread discontent with the lack of consistent implementation and predictable enforcement of environmental laws. Keywords: Jaguar conservation, Environmental justice, Brazil, Q methodology, Local views

  11. 75 FR 14438 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; NOX

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-03-25

    ... nitrogen oxides (NO X ) from power plants and other large combustion sources in the eastern United States...) 566-1741. Mail: Air and Radiation Docket and Information Center, Environmental Protection Agency... of Air and Radiation, (6204J), Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Ave., NW...

  12. Health and Environmental Risk Communication in Thailand: An Analysis of Agency Staff’s Perspectives on Risk Communication With External Stakeholders

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seth Tuler

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Health and environmental agencies are routinely called upon to provide risk-related information to the public-at-large and to more narrowly defined audiences, such as children, pregnant women, or labourers. While a large body of guidance is available, it is often general and transferability to new contexts is not well understood. In particular, the relevance of this guidance for South-East Asia is not clear. This paper reports the results of a study, using Q method, that aimed to develop a better understanding of officers’ and staff’s perspectives on health and environmental risk communication within a single regulatory agency in Thailand, the Pollution Control Department. The results demon- strate that there are multiple perspectives, and they are unrelated to roles or experience. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the ways that officers and staff within a national agency with important responsibilities for health and environmental risk communication in Thailand think about these responsibilities and how to achieve them. ----- Gesundheits- und Umweltbehörden erfüllen üblicherweise die Rolle der allgemeinen Öffentlichkeit, aber auch speziellen Zielgruppen wie Kindern, Schwangeren oder ArbeiterInnen, risikobasierte Infor- mationen zur Verfügung zu stellen. Trotz vorhandener Beratung ist diese oft sehr allgemein gehalten und eine Übertragbarkeit auf neue Kontexte ist schwierig. Besonders die Relevanz der Beratung in Bezug auf Südostasien ist oft unklar. Dieser Artikel berichtet über die Ergebnisse einer auf der Q-Methode basierenden Studie, die versucht, ein besseres Verständnis über die Perspektiven von Führungskräften und MitarbeiterInnen in Bezug auf Gesundheits- und Umweltrisikokommunikation innerhalb der thailändischen Behörde für Umweltschutz zu gewinnen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass es, unabhängig von den Rollen und Erfahrungen der Befragten, sehr unterschiedliche Perspektiven über Verantwortlichkeiten

  13. Modeling the influence of local environmental factors on malaria transmission in Benin and its implications for cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cottrell, Gilles; Kouwaye, Bienvenue; Pierrat, Charlotte; le Port, Agnès; Bouraïma, Aziz; Fonton, Noël; Hounkonnou, Mahouton Norbert; Massougbodji, Achille; Corbel, Vincent; Garcia, André

    2012-01-01

    Malaria remains endemic in tropical areas, especially in Africa. For the evaluation of new tools and to further our understanding of host-parasite interactions, knowing the environmental risk of transmission--even at a very local scale--is essential. The aim of this study was to assess how malaria transmission is influenced and can be predicted by local climatic and environmental factors.As the entomological part of a cohort study of 650 newborn babies in nine villages in the Tori Bossito district of Southern Benin between June 2007 and February 2010, human landing catches were performed to assess the density of malaria vectors and transmission intensity. Climatic factors as well as household characteristics were recorded throughout the study. Statistical correlations between Anopheles density and environmental and climatic factors were tested using a three-level Poisson mixed regression model. The results showed both temporal variations in vector density (related to season and rainfall), and spatial variations at the level of both village and house. These spatial variations could be largely explained by factors associated with the house's immediate surroundings, namely soil type, vegetation index and the proximity of a watercourse. Based on these results, a predictive regression model was developed using a leave-one-out method, to predict the spatiotemporal variability of malaria transmission in the nine villages.This study points up the importance of local environmental factors in malaria transmission and describes a model to predict the transmission risk of individual children, based on environmental and behavioral characteristics.

  14. Environmental performance data in environmental report 2012

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Yurina; Tatebe, Kazuaki; Ohtake, Masaki; Shirato, Seiichi

    2013-03-01

    In September, 2012 Japan Atomic Energy Agency published the Environmental Report 2012 concerning the activities of FY 2011 under 'Law Concerning the Promotion of Business Activities with Environmental Consideration by Specified Corporations, etc, by Facilitating Access to Environmental Information, and Other Measures'. This report has been edited to show detailed environmental performance data in FY 2011 as the base of the Environmental Report 2012. This report would not only ensure traceability of the data in order to enhance the reliability of the environmental report, but also make useful measures for promoting activities of environmental considerations in JAEA. (author)

  15. Environmental performance data in environmental report 2015

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Yurina; Kanai, Katsuta; Sato, Sadayuki; Tatebe, Kazuaki

    2016-03-01

    In September, 2015 Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) published the Environmental Report 2015 concerning the activities of FY 2014 under 'Law Concerning the Promotion of Business Activities with Environmental Consideration by Specified Corporations, etc., by Facilitating Access to Environmental Information, and Other Measures'. This report has been edited to show detailed environmental performance data in FY 2014 as the base of the Environmental Report 2015. This report would not only ensure traceability of the data in order to enhance the reliability of the environmental report, but also make useful measures for promoting activities of environmental considerations in JAEA. (author)

  16. Environmental performance data in environmental report 2009

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, Yoshinori; Noritake, Kazumitsu; Kawasaki, Takanori; Suzuki, Yurina; Nemoto, Asako

    2010-02-01

    In July, 2009 Japan Atomic Energy Agency published the Environmental Report 2009 concerning the activities of FY 2008 under 'Law Concerning the Promotion of Business Activities with Environmental Consideration by Specified Corporations, etc, by Facilitating Access to Environmental Information, and Other Measures'. This report has been edited to show detailed environmental performance data in FY 2008 as the base of the Environmental Report 2009. This report would not only ensure traceability of the data in order to enhance the reliability of the environmental report, but also make useful measures for promoting activities of environmental considerations in JAEA. (author)

  17. Environmental performance data in environmental report 2013

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Suzuki, Yurina; Ohtake, Masaki; Shirato, Seiichi; Tatebe, Kazuaki

    2014-03-01

    In September, 2013 Japan Atomic Energy Agency published the Environmental Report 2013 concerning the activities of FY 2012 under 'Law Concerning the Promotion of Business Activities with Environmental Consideration by Specified Corporations, etc, by Facilitating Access to Environmental Information, and Other Measures'. This report has been edited to show detailed environmental performance data in FY 2012 as the base of the Environmental Report 2013. This report would not only ensure traceability of the data in order to enhance the reliability of the environmental report, but also make useful measures for promoting activities of environmental considerations in JAEA. (author)

  18. Global Warming Mitigation through the Local Action of Environmental Education in the Plantation Area of Palm Oil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Siti Badriyah Rushayati

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Oil palm is a strategic mainstay product with a crucial role in the national economy, and it can also be carbon sink to mitigate the negative impact of global warming when managed in environmentally friendly manner. Therefore, management and surrounding community need to have an understanding of the environment, and pro-environmental attitude and behaviour. Action research, which aimed at mitigating global warming through the local action of environmental education (EE, was conducted toward oil palm plantation employee and surrounding community. The EE programme was expected to be able to shape understanding and pro-environmental attitude and behaviour in the target group.  Rapid observation and interview were carried out in collecting data for EE programme development.  A needs assessment was conducted in developing the EE subject; based on local environmental problems and gap of target group’s perception of the problems.  Global warming-related environmental problems found in the location included air temperature increase, drought and difficulty in determining planting season.  Spatial analysis based on 1989 and 2014 satellite imagery showed a decrease of the water body, tree vegetated land and open areas, and an increase in non-tree vegetated land and built land, accompanied by an increase in areas with higher temperature range.  Both employees and the community had a good knowledge of the environment, but less in conservation. The environmental education provided for them had been able to increase their perception on environmental conservation. However, repetition and intensive assistance are still needed to strengthen the perception

  19. The Conduct of Adjustment Term as Form Alternative to Jurisdictionalization the Solution of Conflict Environmental

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tatiana Fernandes Dias Da Silva

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available This paper aims to demonstrate that the Conduct Adjustment Term (TAC can be an effective way to forward alternative jurisdictionalization environmental conflicts. Therefore we studied the Brazilian legislation, the national and foreign doctrine, case law and journals. The goal is to prove that given the slow pace of judicial assistance, especially in cases of environmental demands, the TAC, as extrajudicial form of dispute resolution, could be an effective solution for the preservation and protection of the environment if it were more used by legitimate environmental agencies and effectively monitored compliance by the local government.

  20. Environmental audits: A lawyer's perspective

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Walls, S.K.

    1992-01-01

    This paper reviews the advantages and disadvantages of using environmental compliance audits to help detect potential environmental violations and/or potential problems. The paper focuses on the legal issues inherent in this type of audit. The primary purpose of conducting such an audit is to determine the suitability of a facility or a site prior to a transaction or to determine a company's own compliance before a regulatory agency identifies it. The paper discusses how to set up a compliance audit and then reviews how various government agencies view voluntary environmental audits. These voluntary actions are perceived by most agencies as commendable and result in significant decreases in penalties and assessments

  1. The annual report on the environmental monitoring around the Ningyo-toge. 2005. Okayama

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tago, Itaru; Ono, Takayuki; Kawasaki, Satoru

    2007-03-01

    The Ningyo-toge Environmental Engineering Center of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency performs the environmental monitoring around the Ningyo-toge and the waste rock sites according to the agreements with local governments, Okayama and Tottori prefectures. Environmental monitoring of plutonium has been also performed around the Ningyo-toge regarding the practical application study on the reprocessed uranium conversion, which was carried out from 1994 to 1999 at the Ningyo-toge. The prefectural committees on the environmental monitoring evaluate the monitoring data annually. This report summarized the results of the environmental monitoring mentioned above in the fiscal year 2005. The results show that the levels of the radiation and the radioactive concentrations in the environmental samples were within natural variations, and that the waste rock sites have been well maintained. The committees concluded the environmental impacts from the sites were negligible. (author)

  2. Environmental management in local organizations; La gestion ambiental en el ambito municipal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gonzalez, M.

    2001-07-01

    The position towards the environment of the local organizations has envolved parallely to the restlessness of the society in general, taking every time a greater importance in this matter. From the municipal point of view, the management of the environment is not just a mere idea of protection of the nature or of certain forms of natural life in danger; now, the environmental management includes more complex aspects, like the balanced management of the natural resources and the general aim of the quality of life. The City councils, in their paper of public institutions, have much to say like centers where a great part of the life and activity of the population is developed, and the physical and geographic frame where the environmental problems have their seat. (Author)

  3. Overview of stakeholders issues and activities: report of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Forinash, Betsy

    2004-01-01

    Over the past year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has implemented a new, more interactive stakeholder program in preparation for conducting a comprehensive technical update of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) after its first five years of operation. As the national repository for long-lived transuranic radioactive waste from U.S. defense activities and site clean-up, the facility continues to be of great interest both locally and nationally. We have worked actively with stakeholders since Congress established EPA as the regulator at WIPP in 1992. Early on, we visited with local communities near WIPP to understand their concerns and information needs. In response, we established toll-free telephone information lines and developed numerous public documents. During the technical review and regulatory decision regarding WIPP's safety, we provided numerous public hearings and solicited written comments on important topics. Ultimately, we issued the WIPP certification decision (1998), finding WIPP in compliance with EPA's radioactive waste disposal regulations and allowing it to open (1999). During 'lessons learned' assessments afterwards, we found that stakeholders appreciated some aspects of our program but were frustrated with the lack of two-way dialogue and were interested in getting clearer information on technical issues. We are using the 'lessons learned' in formulating our stakeholder activities for WIPP's first re-certification review, begun in March 2004. The re-certification review is intended to confirm that the WIPP continues to comply with EPA's regulations, taking into account the changes and new information gained over its first five years of operation. Key aspects of the stakeholder program are summarized below: - Define the goals for public information and participation. Our goal is to gain public acceptance, not necessarily full agreement, of our actions. We want to foster in the public

  4. Environmental aspects of hydraulic fracturing - Main results and recommendations from two studies on behalf of the German Environment Agency

    Science.gov (United States)

    Krischbaum, Bernd; Bertram, Andreas; Böttcher, Christian; Iyimen-Schwarz, Züleyha; Rechenberg, Jörg; Dannwolf, Uwe; Meiners, Georg

    2016-04-01

    The German Environment Agency (UBA) accompanies the debate on fracking for years. Two major reports on risks and environmental impacts regarding the exploration and exploitation of unconventional natural gas, in particular shale gas have been published. On the basis of these studies as well as on scientific evidence UBA considers ecological barriers as a sustainable means to minimize the risks to environment and human health. 1) Recent studies show that the contamination of shallow aquifers by rise of fluids through natural faults or artificially created fractures is extremely unlikely. However, activities on the surface and lack of wellbore integrity pose threats and substantial risks for the quality of shallow aquifers. 2) The need for thorough groundwater monitoring is fully accepted, yet its range and design is subject to discussion. 3) Formerly, analysis and mass balances of flowback and produced water have been insufficient, thus there is a lack of exact information on proportions of frac-fluids, flowback and formation water respectively, as well as data on possible reaction products. 4) Currently, neither on national nor on European level best reference techniques (BREF) for the treatment and disposal of flowback and produced water are available. 5) In addition, land consumption, emission of greenhouse gases, and induced seismicity are major issues. UBA recommends amongst others the implementation of an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for fracking activities, the prohibition of fracking in water protection areas as well as their catchments, and the disclosure of all frac-fluid chemicals within a national chemical registry. To achieve these objectives the German Environment Agency suggests a step-by-step approach. The paper will present the main results from the studies and the recommendations of the German Environment Agency regarding hydraulic fracturing for unconventional gas exploitation.

  5. Modelling malaria incidence with environmental dependency in a locality of Sudanese savannah area, Mali.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaudart, Jean; Touré, Ousmane; Dessay, Nadine; Dicko, A Lassane; Ranque, Stéphane; Forest, Loic; Demongeot, Jacques; Doumbo, Ogobara K

    2009-04-10

    The risk of Plasmodium falciparum infection is variable over space and time and this variability is related to environmental variability. Environmental factors affect the biological cycle of both vector and parasite. Despite this strong relationship, environmental effects have rarely been included in malaria transmission models.Remote sensing data on environment were incorporated into a temporal model of the transmission, to forecast the evolution of malaria epidemiology, in a locality of Sudanese savannah area. A dynamic cohort was constituted in June 1996 and followed up until June 2001 in the locality of Bancoumana, Mali. The 15-day composite vegetation index (NDVI), issued from satellite imagery series (NOAA) from July 1981 to December 2006, was used as remote sensing data.The statistical relationship between NDVI and incidence of P. falciparum infection was assessed by ARIMA analysis. ROC analysis provided an NDVI value for the prediction of an increase in incidence of parasitaemia.Malaria transmission was modelled using an SIRS-type model, adapted to Bancoumana's data. Environmental factors influenced vector mortality and aggressiveness, as well as length of the gonotrophic cycle. NDVI observations from 1981 to 2001 were used for the simulation of the extrinsic variable of a hidden Markov chain model. Observations from 2002 to 2006 served as external validation. The seasonal pattern of P. falciparum incidence was significantly explained by NDVI, with a delay of 15 days (p = 0.001). An NDVI threshold of 0.361 (p = 0.007) provided a Diagnostic Odd Ratio (DOR) of 2.64 (CI95% [1.26;5.52]).The deterministic transmission model, with stochastic environmental factor, predicted an endemo-epidemic pattern of malaria infection. The incidences of parasitaemia were adequately modelled, using the observed NDVI as well as the NDVI simulations. Transmission pattern have been modelled and observed values were adequately predicted. The error parameters have shown the smallest

  6. Modelling malaria incidence with environmental dependency in a locality of Sudanese savannah area, Mali

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gaudart, Jean; Touré, Ousmane; Dessay, Nadine; Dicko, A lassane; Ranque, Stéphane; Forest, Loic; Demongeot, Jacques; Doumbo, Ogobara K

    2009-01-01

    Background The risk of Plasmodium falciparum infection is variable over space and time and this variability is related to environmental variability. Environmental factors affect the biological cycle of both vector and parasite. Despite this strong relationship, environmental effects have rarely been included in malaria transmission models. Remote sensing data on environment were incorporated into a temporal model of the transmission, to forecast the evolution of malaria epidemiology, in a locality of Sudanese savannah area. Methods A dynamic cohort was constituted in June 1996 and followed up until June 2001 in the locality of Bancoumana, Mali. The 15-day composite vegetation index (NDVI), issued from satellite imagery series (NOAA) from July 1981 to December 2006, was used as remote sensing data. The statistical relationship between NDVI and incidence of P. falciparum infection was assessed by ARIMA analysis. ROC analysis provided an NDVI value for the prediction of an increase in incidence of parasitaemia. Malaria transmission was modelled using an SIRS-type model, adapted to Bancoumana's data. Environmental factors influenced vector mortality and aggressiveness, as well as length of the gonotrophic cycle. NDVI observations from 1981 to 2001 were used for the simulation of the extrinsic variable of a hidden Markov chain model. Observations from 2002 to 2006 served as external validation. Results The seasonal pattern of P. falciparum incidence was significantly explained by NDVI, with a delay of 15 days (p = 0.001). An NDVI threshold of 0.361 (p = 0.007) provided a Diagnostic Odd Ratio (DOR) of 2.64 (CI95% [1.26;5.52]). The deterministic transmission model, with stochastic environmental factor, predicted an endemo-epidemic pattern of malaria infection. The incidences of parasitaemia were adequately modelled, using the observed NDVI as well as the NDVI simulations. Transmission pattern have been modelled and observed values were adequately predicted. The error

  7. Environmental Radiation Data

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Environmental Radiation Data (ERD) is an electronic and print journal compiled and distributed quarterly by the Office of Radiation and Indoor Air's National Air and...

  8. Research as relational agency

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hasse, Cathrine

    2017-01-01

    the agency of iPads implemented in Danish schools challenged the implementation of a research based auxiliary artefact, the TECS-model, meant to help teachers managing teaching with iPads in Danish schools. Researchers had to develop a special sensitivity to the cultural force of all of these artefacts......Studying the impact of educational technologies ‘in the wild’ put new demands on researchers than when researchers are conducting experiments in a laboratory. When researchers work within institutional boundaries they cannot take for granted that all members engaged in institutional work share...... the same conception of material artefacts, which are non-human in the sense that they are not just material but agentic and persuasive like humans. Local conceptualisations of artefacts must be explored as the researchers develop relational agency with the different local people involved. New educational...

  9. Implementation Plan. Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1994-01-01

    In accordance with the Department of Energy`s National Environmental Policy Act implementing procedures in Volume 10 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Section 1021,312, the Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement Implementation Plan has two primary purposes: to provide guidance for the preparation of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement and to record the issues resulting from the scoping and the extended public participation process. The Implementation Plan identifies and discusses the following: background of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management activities, the purpose of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, and the relationship of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement to other Departmental initiatives (Chapter 1); need and purposes for action (Chapter 2); scoping process and results of the public participation program in defining the scope of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, including a summary of the comments received and their disposition (Chapter 3); planned scope and content of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Chapter 4); consultations with other agencies and the role of cooperating agencies (Chapter 5); planned schedule of major Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement milestones (Chapter 6); and responsibilities for preparation of the Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (Chapter 7).

  10. Modeling the influence of local environmental factors on malaria transmission in Benin and its implications for cohort study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gilles Cottrell

    Full Text Available Malaria remains endemic in tropical areas, especially in Africa. For the evaluation of new tools and to further our understanding of host-parasite interactions, knowing the environmental risk of transmission--even at a very local scale--is essential. The aim of this study was to assess how malaria transmission is influenced and can be predicted by local climatic and environmental factors.As the entomological part of a cohort study of 650 newborn babies in nine villages in the Tori Bossito district of Southern Benin between June 2007 and February 2010, human landing catches were performed to assess the density of malaria vectors and transmission intensity. Climatic factors as well as household characteristics were recorded throughout the study. Statistical correlations between Anopheles density and environmental and climatic factors were tested using a three-level Poisson mixed regression model. The results showed both temporal variations in vector density (related to season and rainfall, and spatial variations at the level of both village and house. These spatial variations could be largely explained by factors associated with the house's immediate surroundings, namely soil type, vegetation index and the proximity of a watercourse. Based on these results, a predictive regression model was developed using a leave-one-out method, to predict the spatiotemporal variability of malaria transmission in the nine villages.This study points up the importance of local environmental factors in malaria transmission and describes a model to predict the transmission risk of individual children, based on environmental and behavioral characteristics.

  11. 78 FR 299 - Environmental Laboratory Advisory Board Meeting Dates and Agenda

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-03

    ... p.m. Eastern Time (ET) and two face-to-face meetings each calendar year. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION... and Agenda AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of teleconference and face-to-face meetings. SUMMARY: The Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Laboratory Advisory Board...

  12. Integrating Local Public Health Agencies into the Homeland Security Community

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Reed, Patricia D

    2007-01-01

    .... This thesis argues that several factors contribute to this lack of success, including funding structures and guidelines, the reluctance on the part of other responder agencies to include Public...

  13. 33 CFR 238.10 - Coordination with other Federal agencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... abreast of the public works programs administered by other Federal agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, Farmers Home Administration and the... help to achieve this objective (see ER 1105-2-811). ...

  14. Effect of Local Community’s Environmental Perception on Trust in a Mining Company: A Case Study in Mongolia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lavdmaa Dagvadorj

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available While the mining industry is booming globally, local communities resist mining operations. It is crucial for mining companies to maintain trust within these communities to prevent conflicts. This research investigated local community’s trust in a mining company in Mongolia using a questionnaire survey. We assessed the residents’ perceptions of the company’s effort to maintain environmental protection, as a determinant of trust, in addition to the determinants of motivation and ability. The results showed that the trust level varied within the different respondent groups and the determinants of trust differentially explained the state of trust. The nomadic herders who lived close to the mine site had low trust while being sensitive to the environmental effects. Other herders had neutral trust. Town citizens had high trust, which was mainly related to positive perceptions of motivation. Communicability of the information provided by the company influenced formulation of positive and negative perceptions. Overall, low trust likely leads to conflicts. Therefore, mining companies are advised to conduct surveys with different groups in the local community, especially those sensitive to environmental changes, and take measures to maintain trust.

  15. RESTORATION PLUS: A COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY RESEARCH PROGRAM TO DEVELOP AND EVALUATE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT OPTIONS TO ACHIEVE ECOLOGICALLY AND ECONOMICALLY SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS

    Science.gov (United States)

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) is evaluating ecosystem restoration and management techniques to ensure they create sustainable solutions for degraded watersheds. The ORD/NRMRL initiated the Restoration Plus (RePlus) program in 2002, which emphasizes collabora...

  16. Multi-agency collaboration in local governace: partnership or pragmatism? An exploratory case study

    OpenAIRE

    Cunneen, Jacinta Mary

    2012-01-01

    peer-reviewed Policy makers everywhere are confronted by complex problems and public agencies strive to find effective solutions in a context of dwindling resources and increased demands. This study examines how a partnership, among Irish public agencies, was used to address anti-social behaviour on some public housing estates in Limerick City. In 2007 the Limerick City Community Safety Partnership Limited was established. This was the first time a multi-agency community ...

  17. Environmental impact analysis: the first five years of the National Environmental Policy Act in the USA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Thorold, O

    1975-11-01

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 was the first comprehensive law to subject decisions to an assessment of total environmental consequence and instill environmental attitudes throughout government. All agencies must submit impact projections of proposed as well as alternative actions. Twenty-one states have passed similar legislation. A review of the Act's provisions for oversight, court action, timing, content, and commenting procedures is followed by a five-year evaluation. Because NEPA is generally felt to be a realistic approach to decision making and not a substitute for other kinds of environmental control, Mr. Thorold feels the American experience has been positive and is worth modifying for other countries. The Act lacked a ''grandfather clause,'' which caused a difficult transition period while agencies coped with both new and existing projects and developed standards for identifying and reviewing impacts. As agencies recognized that delays from lawsuits often resulted from inadequate impact statements, the quality improved to meet the strict guidelines of the Council on Environmental Quality. Joint efforts of agencies, universities, consulting firms, and private groups have cooperated to improve environmental forecasting and promote full communication. The costs of preparing statements and those of abandoned projects are felt to be conservative when compared to the costs of pursuing inappropriate projects. (21 references) (DCK)

  18. Separation from the budget of the Republic of Serbia environmental protection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dašić Boban

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The term 'budget' has international significance for national income and expenditure plan and used by most countries in the world. Symbolizes the bag Minister of Finance by the same 'opening' during the presentation to parliament plan of government revenues and expenditures. The main sources of environmental financing in the Republic of Serbia, the State Budget and fee income. Elements of the system of financing environmental regulations are defined in different areas. To collect data on the financing of environmental protection at the national level the fundamental importance of the Agency for Environmental Protection. The environment must have a much higher priority than it currently has in Serbia. Environmental protection is one of the most important activities of the company, it impinges on all aspects of people's daily lives. The analysis of economic instruments in environmental protection is very important, because it shows how much this activity is effectively implemented at the state and local level.

  19. Environmental forensic research for emerging contaminants in complex environmental matrices

    Science.gov (United States)

    The United States Environmental Protection Agency has established criteria to address many of the significant traditional pollutants demonstrated to have adverse affects on environmental quality. However, new chemicals are being created almost daily, and these new chemicals, as ...

  20. Electromagnetic fields and health impact: measurements, monitoring and environmental indicators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lubritto, C.; Vetromile, C.; Petraglia, A.; Racioppoli, M.; D'Onofrio, A.

    2008-01-01

    Full text: During the last 10 years there has been a remarkable growth of the attention for problems related to the electromagnetic pollution, motivated by the alert connected to potential risk for the health of persons and due to the increasing diffusion of Bats for mobile telecommunication as EMF sources. Many projects are being realized about the environmental and health impact of electromagnetic field and an important social role is played by specific actions to minimize the risk perception of the population. This study aims to find an innovative approach to these problems through the use of a system of continuous time monitoring of the electromagnetic fields and the individuation of appropriate environmental indicators. The proposed system monitors the electromagnetic fields continuously over time, and is already operating in many southern Italian cities. It works in a very efficient way as a mean for: a) Info to the citizens, thanks to diffusion of daily collected data on Internet Web; b) Control for local administrations and Authorities, due to capability of the system itself to alert when measured values exceed the limits reported by the Italian laws; c) Planning, for the implementation of : 1) New procedures agreed among local environmental control agency, local administrations and mobile Companies for network planning and management of alarm situations; 2) New local guidelines documents concerning the installation and operation of telecommunications apparatus. Moreover, starting from the general principles of the Strategic Environmental Evaluation (VAS), the environmental impacts of EMS field is studied. Based on the model DPSIR (Drivers, Pressure, State, Impacts, Responses), 12 environmental indicators have been chosen providing an immediate and understandable tool to obtain very important information on electromagnetic pollution generated by radio-telecommunication systems. The selected environmental indicators have been applied to 11 cities of the

  1. DOE/EIS-0355 Remediation of the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings, Grand and San Juan Counties, Utah, Final Environmental Impact Statement (July 2005)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2005-01-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE or the Department) is proposing to clean up surface contamination and implement a ground water compliance strategy to address contamination that resulted from historical uranium-ore processing at the Moab Uranium Mill Tailings Site (Moab site), Grand County, Utah. Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), 42 United States Code (U.S.C.) (section) 4321 et seq., DOE prepared this environmental impact statement (EIS) to assess the potential environmental impacts of remediating the Moab site and vicinity properties (properties where uranium mill tailings were used as construction or fill material before the potential hazards associated with the tailings were known). DOE analyzed the potential environmental impacts of both on-site and off-site remediation and disposal alternatives involving both surface and ground water contamination. DOE also analyzed the No Action alternative as required by NEPA implementing regulations promulgated by the Council on Environmental Quality. DOE has determined that its preferred alternatives are the off-site disposal of the Moab uranium mill tailings pile, combined with active ground water remediation at the Moab site. The preferred off-site disposal location is the Crescent Junction site, and the preferred method of transportation is rail. The basis for this determination is discussed later in this Summary. DOE has entered into agreements with 12 federal, tribal, state, and local agencies to be cooperating agencies in the development and preparation of this EIS. Several of the cooperating agencies have jurisdiction by law and intend to use the EIS to support their own decisionmaking. The others have expertise relevant to potential environmental, social, or economic impacts within their geographic regions. During the preparation of the EIS, DOE met with the cooperating agencies, provided them with opportunities to review preliminary versions of the document, and addressed their comments

  2. 77 FR 36010 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-06-15

    ... Respondents, Local Jails and State Prisons ACTION: 60-day notice. The Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of..., students, the media, others interested in criminal justice statistics, and the general public. (5) An... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Office of Justice Programs [OMB No. 1121-0249] Agency Information Collection...

  3. Measuring Airflow in Local Exhaust Ventilation Systems. Module 23. Vocational Education Training in Environmental Sciences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Consumer Dynamics Inc., Rockville, MD.

    This module, one of 25 on vocational education training for careers in environmental health occupations, contains self-instructional materials on measuring airflow in local exhaust ventilation systems. Following guidelines for students and instructors and an introduction that explains what the student will learn are three lessons: (1) naming each…

  4. Federal Agency for Limnology. Annual report 1991

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1992-01-01

    The Federal Agency for Limnology (BfG) reports on its research and activities in 1991. Contents: environmental impact statement and environmental impact investigations in the area of the federal waterways, report of activities, research projects, list of scientific staff, publications, committee activities, science lectures, list of abbreviations and organization plan. (BBR) [de

  5. LEAP: local environmental action plan. Municipality of Kriva Palanka

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2004-01-01

    The Municipality of Kriva Palanka. in terms of geography. occupies the northeastern part of Republic of Macedonia, spreading over at an altitude of 450 m to 2 252 m (the peak of Ruen) above the sea level of the Osogovo area. The main sources of air pollution in the Municipality have been identified to be: population, intensive traffic and industry, as well as other polluters causing negative impacts on human health and environment, such as local communal landfill (burning of waste at illegal dumping sites), frequent forest fires, exhaust gases from local heating facilities of households; air released from mining ventilation and dust from tailings; indoor smoking, as well as noise from various ambiental and internal sources. Industrial facilities also affect the quality of the ambient air in the region, the most significant being Lead and Zinc Mine 'Toranica', textile factory 'Karpos', lumber processing enterprise 'Treska', etc. The main industrial air polluter in the region is Lead and Zinc Mine 'Toranica' with its tailings disposal site and flotation tailings located 17 km from Kriva Palanka. The severe environmental problem, has been assessed as risk posing by 74.7% of the respondents involved in the survey. 85.1% of the respondents involved in the survey have recognized pollution from tailing landfills of Lead and Zinc Mine 'Toranica' and Krastov Dol' as risk posing

  6. Nuclear medicine environmental discharge measurement. Final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gesell, T.F.; Prichard, H.M.; Davis, E.M.; Pirtle, O.L.; DiPietro, W.

    1975-06-01

    The discharge of most man-made radioactive materials to the environment is controlled by Federal, State or local regulatory agencies. Exceptions to this control include the radioactive wastes eliminated by individuals who have undergone diagnostic or therapeutic nuclear medicine procedures. The purpose of this study is to estimate the amount of radioactivity released to the environment via the nuclear medicine pathway for a single sewage drainage basin and to measure the amounts discharged to the environment. The report is organized into a review of previous studies, scope of work, facility data, environmental measurements and estimates of population exposure

  7. 78 FR 16500 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-03-15

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9008-2] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 03/04/2013 Through...

  8. 78 FR 26027 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-03

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9008-9] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 04/22/2013 Through...

  9. 78 FR 21938 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-04-12

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9008-6] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 04/01/2013 Through...

  10. 78 FR 2397 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-11

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9007-1] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 12/31/2012 Through...

  11. 78 FR 43200 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-19

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9010-2] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 07/08/2013 Through...

  12. 76 FR 45554 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-07-29

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-8998-2] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-1399 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 07/18/2011 Through...

  13. 76 FR 62405 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-07

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-8999-4] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability AGENCY: Office of Federal Activities, EPA. General Information (202) 564-1399 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 09/26/2011 Through 09...

  14. 78 FR 78955 - Environmental Impact Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-27

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9012-7] Environmental Impact Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements filed 12/16/2013 through 12...

  15. 76 FR 63922 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-14

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-8999-5] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-1399 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 10/03/2011 Through...

  16. 77 FR 2060 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-13

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9001-1] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability RESPONSIBLE AGENCY: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly Receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 01/03/2012 Through...

  17. 78 FR 32645 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-05-31

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9009-4] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability RESPONSIBLE AGENCY: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 05/20/2013 Through...

  18. 75 FR 69434 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-12

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-8993-6] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-1399 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 11/01/2010 Through...

  19. 77 FR 793 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-06

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9000-9] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-1399 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 12/27/2011 through...

  20. 77 FR 46433 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-08-03

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9004-3] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 07/23/2012 Through...

  1. 75 FR 65320 - Environmental Impact Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-22

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-8993-3] Environmental Impact Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-1399 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 10/11/2010 Through...

  2. 77 FR 62235 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-10-12

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9005-5] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 10/01/2012 Through...

  3. 76 FR 76972 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-12-09

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9000-4] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-1399 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 11/28/2011 through...

  4. 77 FR 56840 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-14

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9005-1] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements. Filed 09/03/2012 Through...

  5. 78 FR 5439 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-25

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9007-3] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 01/14/2013 Through...

  6. 78 FR 20632 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-04-05

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9008-5] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 03/25/2013 Through...

  7. 78 FR 37539 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-21

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9009-7] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 06/10/2013 Through...

  8. 76 FR 80367 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-12-23

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9000-6] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-1399 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 12/12/2011 Through...

  9. 78 FR 35928 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-06-14

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9009-6] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 06/03/2013 through...

  10. 75 FR 38517 - Environmental Impact Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-02

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-8991-2] Environmental Impact Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-1399 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements. Filed 06/21/2010 through...

  11. Corporate Social Responsibility and Labour Agency

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lund-Thomsen, Peter; Coe, Neil M.

    2015-01-01

    to which the measures advocated in a new, emerging policy paradigm on CSR in GPNs enabled labour agency at Nike’s main football supplier factory in Pakistan. We argue that while such CSR policies can create enhanced space for labour agency, that potential agency is also shaped (i) by wider economic forces......This article examines the circumstances under which corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives facilitate and/or constrain labour agency in global production networks (GPNs). Using a case study of Nike’s CSR approach in the football manufacturing industry of Pakistan, we explore the extent...... within the global economy and (ii) relationships with local/national actors and regulatory frameworks. Understanding the intersection of these dimensions becomes vital to interpreting the potential for, and activation of, labour agency within CSR-influenced GPNs....

  12. Great Lakes Environmental Database (GLENDA)

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Great Lakes Environmental Database (GLENDA) houses environmental data on a wide variety of constituents in water, biota, sediment, and air in the Great Lakes area.

  13. 77 FR 32137 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comments Requested; Strategic...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-05-31

    ...] Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comments Requested; Strategic Planning... Form/Collection: Strategic Planning Environmental Assessment Outreach. (3) Agency form number, if any... satisfaction. This act requires that agencies update and revise their strategic plans every three years. The...

  14. Modelling malaria incidence with environmental dependency in a locality of Sudanese savannah area, Mali

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Demongeot Jacques

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The risk of Plasmodium falciparum infection is variable over space and time and this variability is related to environmental variability. Environmental factors affect the biological cycle of both vector and parasite. Despite this strong relationship, environmental effects have rarely been included in malaria transmission models. Remote sensing data on environment were incorporated into a temporal model of the transmission, to forecast the evolution of malaria epidemiology, in a locality of Sudanese savannah area. Methods A dynamic cohort was constituted in June 1996 and followed up until June 2001 in the locality of Bancoumana, Mali. The 15-day composite vegetation index (NDVI, issued from satellite imagery series (NOAA from July 1981 to December 2006, was used as remote sensing data. The statistical relationship between NDVI and incidence of P. falciparum infection was assessed by ARIMA analysis. ROC analysis provided an NDVI value for the prediction of an increase in incidence of parasitaemia. Malaria transmission was modelled using an SIRS-type model, adapted to Bancoumana's data. Environmental factors influenced vector mortality and aggressiveness, as well as length of the gonotrophic cycle. NDVI observations from 1981 to 2001 were used for the simulation of the extrinsic variable of a hidden Markov chain model. Observations from 2002 to 2006 served as external validation. Results The seasonal pattern of P. falciparum incidence was significantly explained by NDVI, with a delay of 15 days (p = 0.001. An NDVI threshold of 0.361 (p = 0.007 provided a Diagnostic Odd Ratio (DOR of 2.64 (CI95% [1.26;5.52]. The deterministic transmission model, with stochastic environmental factor, predicted an endemo-epidemic pattern of malaria infection. The incidences of parasitaemia were adequately modelled, using the observed NDVI as well as the NDVI simulations. Transmission pattern have been modelled and observed values were adequately

  15. Does eating local food reduce the environmental impact of food production and enhance consumer health?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards-Jones, Gareth

    2010-11-01

    The concept of local food has gained traction in the media, engaged consumers and offered farmers a new marketing tool. Positive claims about the benefits of local food are probably not harmful when made by small-scale producers at the local level; however, greater concern would arise should such claims be echoed in policy circles. This review examines the evidence base supporting claims about the environmental and health benefits of local food. The results do not offer any support for claims that local food is universally superior to non-local food in terms of its impact on the climate or the health of consumers. Indeed several examples are presented that demonstrate that local food can on occasions be inferior to non-local food. The analysis also considers the impact on greenhouse gas emissions of moving the UK towards self-sufficiency. Quantitative evidence is absent on the changes in overall emissions that would occur if the UK switched to self-sufficiency. A qualitative assessment suggests the emissions per item of food would probably be greater under a scenario of self-sufficiency than under the current food system. The review does not identify any generalisable or systematic benefits to the environment or human health that arise from the consumption of local food in preference to non-local food.

  16. Nevada Test Site annual site environmental report for calendar year 1996

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Black, S.C.; Townsend, Y.E. [eds.

    1997-10-01

    Monitoring and surveillance on and around the Nevada Test Site (NTS) by US Department of Energy (DOE) contractors and NTS user organizations during 1996 indicated that operations on the NTS were conducted in compliance with applicable DOE, state, and federal regulations and guidelines. All discharges of radioactive liquids remained onsite in containment ponds, and there was no indication of potential migration of radioactivity to the offsite area through groundwater. Surveillance around the NTS indicated that airborne radioactivity from diffusion, evaporation of liquid effluents, or resuspension of soil was not detectable offsite, and exposure above background to members of the offsite population was not measured by the offsite monitoring program. Using the US Environmental Protection Agency`s (EPA) Clean Air Package 1988 (CAP88)PC model and NTS radionuclide emissions and environmental monitoring data, the calculated effective dose equivalent (EDE) to the maximally exposed individual offsite would have been 0.11 mrem. This value is less than 2 percent of the federal dose limit prescribed for radionuclide air emissions. Any person receiving this dose would also have received 144 mrem from natural background radiation. There were no nonradiological releases to the offsite area. Hazardous wastes were shipped offsite to approved disposal facilities. Compliance with the various regulations stemming from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is being achieved and, where mandated, permits for air and water effluents and waste management have been obtained from the appropriate agencies. Cooperation with other agencies has resulted in seven different consent orders and agreements. Support facilities at off-NTS locations have complied with the requirements of air quality permits and state or local wastewater discharge and hazardous waste permits as mandated for each location.

  17. Feasibility study for automating the analytical laboratories of the Chemistry Branch, National Enforcement Investigation Center, Environmental Protection Agency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morris, W.F.; Fisher, E.R.; Barton, G.W. Jr.

    1978-01-01

    The feasibility of automating the analytical laboratories of the Chemistry Branch of the National Enforcement Investigation Center, Environmental Protection Agency, Denver, Colorado, is explored. The goals of the chemistry laboratory are defined, and instrumental methods and other tasks to be automated are described. Five optional automation systems are proposed to meet these goals and the options are evaluated in terms of cost effectiveness and other specified criteria. The instruments to be automated include (1) a Perkin-Elmer AA spectrophotometer 403, (2) Perkin-Elmer AA spectrophotometer 306, (3) Technicon AutoAnalyzer II, (4) Mettler electronic balance, and a (5) Jarrell-Ash ICP emission spectrometer

  18. 77 FR 56840 - Meeting of the Environmental Financial Advisory Board-Public Notice

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-09-14

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9727-8] Meeting of the Environmental Financial Advisory Board... meeting. SUMMARY: The United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Financial... expected on the following topics: Clean air technology; tribal environmental programs; transit-oriented...

  19. Merger of Science Agencies Proposed

    Science.gov (United States)

    1992-07-01

    A bill proposing the establishment of a cabinet-level Department of Science, Space, Energy and Technology was introduced in the House of Representatives on July 1 by Robert Walker (R-Pa.), George Brown (D-Calif.), Ron Packard (R-Calif.), and Joe Kolter (D-Pa.). The department would be a conglomerate of existing civilian science and technology agencies, including NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the National Technical Information Service, and research functions at the Department of Energy.

  20. 78 FR 74129 - National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-10

    ... for Environmental Policy and Technology AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice... Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT). NACEPT provides advice to the EPA Administrator on a broad range of environmental policy, technology, and management issues. NACEPT members represent academia...

  1. The Relative Importance of Spatial and Local Environmental Factors in Determining Beetle Assemblages in the Inner Mongolia Grassland.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao-Dong Yu

    Full Text Available The aim of this paper is to increase understanding of the relative importance of the input of geographic and local environmental factors on richness and composition of epigaeic steppe beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae and Tenebrionidae along a geographic (longitudinal/precipitation gradient in the Inner Mongolia grassland. Specifically, we evaluate the associations of environmental variables representing climate and environmental heterogeneity with beetle assemblages. Beetles were sampled using pitfall traps at 25 sites scattered across the full geographic extent of the study biome in 2011-2012. We used variance partitioning techniques and multi-model selection based on the Akaike information criterion to assess the relative importance of the spatial and environmental variables on beetle assemblages. Species richness and abundance showed unimodal patterns along the geographic gradient. Together with space, climate variables associated with precipitation, water-energy balance and harshness of climate had strong explanatory power in richness pattern. Abundance pattern showed strongest association with variation in temperature and environmental heterogeneity. Climatic factors associated with temperature and precipitation variables and the interaction between climate with space were able to explain a substantial amount of variation in community structure. In addition, the turnover of species increased significantly as geographic distances increased. We confirmed that spatial and local environmental factors worked together to shape epigaeic beetle communities along the geographic gradient in the Inner Mongolia grassland. Moreover, the climate features, especially precipitation, water-energy balance and temperature, and the interaction between climate with space and environmental heterogeneity appeared to play important roles on controlling richness and abundance, and species compositions of epigaeic beetles.

  2. 29 CFR 1601.70 - FEP agency qualifications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ...) That the State or political subdivision has a fair employment practice law which makes unlawful... State or political subdivision has either established a State or local authority or authorized an...; or to institute criminal proceedings with respect to the practice. (b) Any State or local agency or...

  3. 76 FR 73632 - National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-29

    ... and Technology AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Request for Nominations to the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT). SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental... appointment to the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT). Vacancies are...

  4. ENVIRONMENTAL BENCHMARKING FOR LOCAL AUTHORITIES

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marinela GHEREŞ

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper is an attempt to clarify and present the many definitions ofbenchmarking. It also attempts to explain the basic steps of benchmarking, toshow how this tool can be applied by local authorities as well as to discuss itspotential benefits and limitations. It is our strong belief that if cities useindicators and progressively introduce targets to improve management andrelated urban life quality, and to measure progress towards more sustainabledevelopment, we will also create a new type of competition among cities andfoster innovation. This is seen to be important because local authorities’actions play a vital role in responding to the challenges of enhancing thestate of the environment not only in policy-making, but also in the provision ofservices and in the planning process. Local communities therefore need tobe aware of their own sustainability performance levels and should be able toengage in exchange of best practices to respond effectively to the ecoeconomicalchallenges of the century.

  5. Thailand Momentum on Policy and Practice in Local Legislation on Dengue Vector Control

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adisak Bhumiratana

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Over a past decade, an administrative decentralization model, adopted for local administration development in Thailand, is replacing the prior centralized (top-down command system. The change offers challenges to local governmental agencies and other public health agencies at all the ministerial, regional, and provincial levels. A public health regulatory and legislative framework for dengue vector control by local governmental agencies is a national topic of interest because dengue control program has been integrated into healthcare services at the provincial level and also has been given priority in health plans of local governmental agencies. The enabling environments of local administrations are unique, so this critical review focuses on the authority of local governmental agencies responsible for disease prevention and control and on the functioning of local legislation with respect to dengue vector control and practices.

  6. Impact of payments for environmental services and protected areas on local livelihoods and forest conservation in northern Cambodia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clements, Tom; Milner-Gulland, E J

    2015-02-01

    The potential impacts of payments for environmental services (PES) and protected areas (PAs) on environmental outcomes and local livelihoods in developing countries are contentious and have been widely debated. The available evidence is sparse, with few rigorous evaluations of the environmental and social impacts of PAs and particularly of PES. We measured the impacts on forests and human well-being of three different PES programs instituted within two PAs in northern Cambodia, using a panel of intervention villages and matched controls. Both PES and PAs delivered additional environmental outcomes relative to the counterfactual: reducing deforestation rates significantly relative to controls. PAs increased security of access to land and forest resources for local households, benefiting forest resource users but restricting households' ability to expand and diversify their agriculture. The impacts of PES on household well-being were related to the magnitude of the payments provided. The two higher paying market-linked PES programs had significant positive impacts, whereas a lower paying program that targeted biodiversity protection had no detectable effect on livelihoods, despite its positive environmental outcomes. Households that signed up for the higher paying PES programs, however, typically needed more capital assets; hence, they were less poor and more food secure than other villagers. Therefore, whereas the impacts of PAs on household well-being were limited overall and varied between livelihood strategies, the PES programs had significant positive impacts on livelihoods for those that could afford to participate. Our results are consistent with theories that PES, when designed appropriately, can be a powerful new tool for delivering conservation goals whilst benefiting local people. © 2014 The Authors. Conservation Biology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society for Conservation Biology.

  7. 78 FR 47316 - National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-05

    ... and Technology AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Request for nominations to the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT). SUMMARY: The U.S. Environmental... Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT). Vacancies are anticipated to be filled by February, 2014. Sources...

  8. Environmental occurrences

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Black, D.G.

    1995-06-01

    This section of the 1994 Hanford Site Environmental Report summarizes the onsite and offsite releases of radioactive and regulated materials. The specific agencies notified of the releases depended on the type, amount, and location of the individual occurrences. The more significant of these off-normal environmental occurrences are summarized in this section.

  9. Environmental occurrences

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Black, D.G.

    1995-01-01

    This section of the 1994 Hanford Site Environmental Report summarizes the onsite and offsite releases of radioactive and regulated materials. The specific agencies notified of the releases depended on the type, amount, and location of the individual occurrences. The more significant of these off-normal environmental occurrences are summarized in this section

  10. Handbook of environmental isotope geochemistry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Baskaran, Mark (ed.) [Wayne State Univ., Detroit, MI (United States). Dept. Geology

    2011-07-01

    Applications of radioactive and stable isotopes have revolutionized our understanding of the Earth and near-earth surface processes. The utility of the isotopes are ever-increasing and our sole focus is to bring out the applications of these isotopes as tracers and chronometers to a wider audience so that they can be used as powerful tools to solve environmental problems. New developments in this field remain mostly in peer-reviewed journal articles and hence our goal is to synthesize these findings for easy reference for students, faculty, regulators in governmental and non-governmental agencies, and environmental companies. While this volume maintains its rigor in terms of its depth of knowledge and quantitative information, it contains the breadth needed for wide variety problems and applications in the environmental sciences. This volume presents all of the newer and older applications of isotopes pertaining to the environmental problems in one place that is readily accessible to readers. This book not only has the depth and rigor that is needed for academia, but it has the breadth and case studies to illustrate the utility of the isotopes in a wide variety of environments (atmosphere, oceans, lakes, rivers and streams, terrestrial environments, and sub-surface environments) and serves a large audience, from students and researchers, regulators in federal, state and local governments, and environmental companies. (orig.)

  11. The National Environmental Policy Act and DOE's programmatic environmental impact statement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wisenbaker, W.E.

    1991-01-01

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 requires that all agencies of the federal government prepare a detailed statement on any action significantly affecting the quality of the human environment. Such a statement must include the environmental impact of the proposed action, any adverse environmental effects that cannot be avoided should the proposed action be implemented, and alternatives to the proposed action. In requiring environmental statements, NEPA encourages viewing related actions collectively and looking at cumulative impacts. A programmatic environmental impact statement (PEIS) is a broad environmental analysis of a program or policy prepared when actions are connected and may have cumulative environmental impacts. The PEIS benefits include providing input into an agency's planning and decision making, assessing potential environmental consequences of a wide range of alternatives before options have been foreclosed, and allowing consideration of systemwide impacts of various alternatives early in the decision-making process. The US Department of Energy (DOE) will prepare its PEIS on Environmental Restoration and Waste Management program. The PEIS will consider programmatic issues and integrated approaches to the program; address national, program-wide alternatives rather than site-specific actions; and provide for subsequent NEPA documents of narrower scope to be prepared to address site-specific or project-specific actions

  12. [Environmental Hazards Assessment Program annual report, June 1992--June 1993]. South Carolina ETV Socratic Dialog II

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1993-06-01

    This report contains the script from a videotaped dialogue concerning a hypothetical hazardous waste/community health risk scenario presented as a Round Table Forum. Various issues are explored, ranging from the scientific and technical aspects of environmental studies and remedial action, to public information and community involvement, to the economic impact on local communities. The roles of the media, local government and federal and state agencies are examined as well as sources for funding. In an attempt to gauge audience response and reaction, evaluation cards were distributed, and the comments and recommendations are included here.

  13. Documentation to the NCES Common Core of Data Local Education Agency Universe Survey: School Year 2011-12. Provisional Version 1a. NCES 2014-035

    Science.gov (United States)

    Keaton, Patrick

    2014-01-01

    This documentation is for the provisional version 1a file of the National Center for Education Statistics' (NCES) Common Core of Data (CCD) Local Education Agency (LEA) Universe Survey for SY 2011-12. It contains a brief description of the data collection, along with information required to understand and access the data file. The CCD is a…

  14. Local bureaucrats as bricoleurs. The everyday implementation practices of county environment officers in rural Kenya

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mikkel Funder

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available Bricolage in natural resource governance takes place through the interplay of a variety of actors. This article explores the practices of a group whose agency as bricoleurs has received little attention, namely the government officers who represent the state in the everyday management of water, land, forests and other resources across rural Africa. Specifically we examine how local Environment Officers in Taita Taveta County in Kenya go about implementing the national environmental law on the ground, and how they interact with communities in this process. As representatives of “the local state”, the Environment Officers occupy an ambiguous position in which they are expected to implement lofty laws and policies with limited means and in a complex local reality. In response to this they employ three key practices, namely (i working through personal networks, (ii tailoring informal agreements, and (iii delegating public functions and authority to civil society. As a result, the environmental law is to a large extent implemented through a blend of formal and informal rules and governance arrangements, produced through the interplay of the Environment Officers, communities and other local actors.

  15. Climate policy conception of the Federal Environmental Agency. Necessary position of points 2009; Konzeption des Umweltbundesamtes zur Klimapolitik. Notwendige Weichenstellungen 2009

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Knoche, Guido; Luenenbuerger, Benjamin; Hain, Benno; Mueschen, Klaus

    2009-10-15

    The report on the climate policy concept of the Federal Environmental Agency covers the following issues: Climatic change and the consequences: climatic change until today, future climatic change, consequences in Germany, effects on environment, society and industry. Goals of climate policy: maximum global warming of 2 deg C, reversal of global greenhouse gas emissions until 2020, sustainable development and adaptation strategies. Adaptation: international adaptation, national and regional instruments, adaptation concerning public health, environmental protection, including biodiversity in agriculture and forestry, economics. Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions: international treaty beyond 2013, reduced emissions in industrial and developing countries, national goals, climate protection instruments, reduction within electricity, heat and traffic, reduction of fluorine containing gases in agriculture, economical cost and benefit considerations, effects on economic growth and employment. Synergies and conflicts between climate policy and other environmental goals: climate protection, public health and ecosystems, biomass conversion and sustainable agriculture, climate and resources protection, development of a sustainable energy supply.

  16. Development of local knowledge of environmental contamination in Sydney, Nova Scotia: Environmental health practice from an environmental justice perspective

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lambert, Timothy W. [Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta (Canada); Guyn, Lindsay [Department of Information and Evaluation Unit, Mental Health and Psychiatric Services, Calgary Health Region (Canada); Lane, Stephanie E.

    2006-09-15

    In Sydney, Nova Scotia, from 1901 through 1988 a coke and steel factory operated with no pollution controls, depositing over a million tons of particulate matter and releasing several thousands of tons of coal tar into the estuary. Previously we documented the presence of lead, arsenic and PAHs, in soil above Canadian guidelines, and in house dust in the communities surrounding the site [Lambert, TW, Lane, S. Lead, arsenic, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil and house dust in the communities surrounding the Sydney, Nova Scotia, tar ponds. Environ Health Perspect 2004; 112:35-41.]. In this paper we further the research by documenting and developing community knowledge with a study of resident's observations and experiences of the industrial contamination. We conducted two surveys, a quantitative door-to-door survey and qualitative dust interview, designed to complement each other and bring together the observations and experiences in the different communities to develop the local knowledge. The combined methodology uses techniques from both social and physical science, and was developed with the cooperation of community members. The research supports the proposition that local knowledge adds contextual meaning that complements the physical measurement of environmental contaminants, in order to understand the complex environment in which people live, and the multiple exposure pathways through which they can be affected. Residents in all three communities provided vivid observations and detailed experiences of the industrial pollution in their community and homes. The local knowledge is consistent with our physical data and review of the historical scientific research in Sydney, and supports the inference that the community was adversely impacted by the coke and steel facility. From a justice perspective, the three communities should be equally considered for remediation as part of the 'tar pond remediation policy' rather than the current

  17. Development of local knowledge of environmental contamination in Sydney, Nova Scotia: Environmental health practice from an environmental justice perspective

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lambert, Timothy W.; Guyn, Lindsay; Lane, Stephanie E.

    2006-01-01

    In Sydney, Nova Scotia, from 1901 through 1988 a coke and steel factory operated with no pollution controls, depositing over a million tons of particulate matter and releasing several thousands of tons of coal tar into the estuary. Previously we documented the presence of lead, arsenic and PAHs, in soil above Canadian guidelines, and in house dust in the communities surrounding the site [Lambert, TW, Lane, S. Lead, arsenic, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil and house dust in the communities surrounding the Sydney, Nova Scotia, tar ponds. Environ Health Perspect 2004; 112:35-41.]. In this paper we further the research by documenting and developing community knowledge with a study of resident's observations and experiences of the industrial contamination. We conducted two surveys, a quantitative door-to-door survey and qualitative dust interview, designed to complement each other and bring together the observations and experiences in the different communities to develop the local knowledge. The combined methodology uses techniques from both social and physical science, and was developed with the cooperation of community members. The research supports the proposition that local knowledge adds contextual meaning that complements the physical measurement of environmental contaminants, in order to understand the complex environment in which people live, and the multiple exposure pathways through which they can be affected. Residents in all three communities provided vivid observations and detailed experiences of the industrial pollution in their community and homes. The local knowledge is consistent with our physical data and review of the historical scientific research in Sydney, and supports the inference that the community was adversely impacted by the coke and steel facility. From a justice perspective, the three communities should be equally considered for remediation as part of the 'tar pond remediation policy' rather than the current policy of including

  18. 78 FR 4143 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-18

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9007-2] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . [[Page 4144

  19. 75 FR 43160 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-23

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-8991-6] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-1399 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . [[Page 43161

  20. 78 FR 70041 - Environmental Impact Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-11-22

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9012-2] Environmental Impact Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly Receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 11/11/2013 through 11/15/2013. Pursuant to 40 CFR 1506.9....

  1. 78 FR 67140 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-11-08

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9011-8] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 10/28/2013 Through 11/01/2013, Pursuant to 40 CFR 1506.9....

  2. 78 FR 63977 - Environmental Impact Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-10-25

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9011-6] Environmental Impact Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 09/30/2013 Through 10/18/2013 Pursuant to 40 CFR 1506.9....

  3. 78 FR 69665 - Environmental Impact Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-11-20

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9011-9] Environmental Impact Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ . Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements. Filed 11/04/2013 through 11/08/2013. Pursuant to 40 CFR 1506.9....

  4. Environmental Dataset Gateway (EDG) REST Interface

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Use the Environmental Dataset Gateway (EDG) to find and access EPA's environmental resources. Many options are available for easily reusing EDG content in other...

  5. Report: investigation concerning environmental improvement expenditures (1974 survey commissioned by Environmental Agency)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1975-08-01

    Environmental improvement expenditures were calculated from a pilot model for environmental conservation. An average cost for pollution elimination was postulated, and expenditures for lowering a pollution factor by one unit were calculated for construction, amortization, and operation. The pilot model consists of two sectors: economic activities sector (macromodel of Japanese economy, including factors based on industrial production, energy expenditures, and fuel consumption) and pollution factor sector, consisting of 5 pollution factors (sulfur oxides; nitrogen oxides; biological oxygen demand; general wastes; industrial wastes), their causes, treatment, amounts of emission, and target standards. External factors such as population changes and automobile usage are also included. Industries were divided into 20 groups for purposes of setting up a matrix for environmental improvement expenditures. Based on 1972 data, operational costs for desulfurization were calculated to be $410/S ton (direct desulfurization), and $760/S ton (indirect desulfurization), with the weighted averaged value being $609/S ton. Average construction costs for direct and indirect processes were calculated to be $5100/S Kg/hour. Average amortization costs were calculated to be $118/S ton.

  6. Final environmental statement for La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor: (Docket No. 50-409)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1980-04-01

    A Final Environmental Statement for the Dairyland Power Cooperative for the conversion from a provisional to a full-term operating license for the La Crosse Boiling Water Reactor, located in Vernon County, Wisconsin, has been prepared by the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation. This statement provides a summary of environmental impacts and adverse effects of operation of the facility, and a consideration of principal alternatives (including removal of LACBWR from service, alternative cooling methodology, and alternative waste treatment systems). Also included are the comments of federal, state, and local governmental agencies and certain non-governmental organizations on the La Crosse Draft Environmental Statement and staff responses to these comments. After weighing environmental, economic, and technical benefits and liabilities, the staff recommends conversion from a provisional operating license to a full-term operating license, subject to specific environmental protection limitations. An operational monitoring program shall be established as part of the Environmental Technical Specifications. 64 refs., 20 figs., 48 tabs

  7. Nevada Test Site annual site environmental report, 1989

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wruble, D T; McDowell, E M [eds.

    1990-11-01

    Prior to 1989 annual reports of environmental monitoring and assessment results for the Nevada Test Site (NTS) were prepared in two separate parts. Onsite effluent monitoring and environmental monitoring results were reported in an onsite report prepared by the US Department of Energy, Nevada Operations Office (DOE/NV). Results of the offsite radiological surveillance program conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory, Las Vegas, Nevada, were reported separately by that Agency. Beginning with this 1989 annual Site environmental report for the NTS, these two documents are being combined into a single report to provide a more comprehensive annual documentation of the environmental protection program conducted for the nuclear testing program and other nuclear and non-nuclear activities at the Site. The two agencies have coordinated preparation of this combined onsite and offsite report through sharing of information on environmental releases and meteorological, hydrological, and other supporting data used in dose-estimate calculations. 57 refs., 52 figs., 65 tabs.

  8. Global versus local environmental impacts of grazing and confined beef production systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Modernel, P; Astigarraga, L; Picasso, V

    2013-01-01

    Carbon footprint is a key indicator of the contribution of food production to climate change and its importance is increasing worldwide. Although it has been used as a sustainability index for assessing production systems, it does not take into account many other biophysical environmental dimensions more relevant at the local scale, such as soil erosion, nutrient imbalance, and pesticide contamination. We estimated carbon footprint, fossil fuel energy use, soil erosion, nutrient imbalance, and risk of pesticide contamination for five real beef background-finishing systems with increasing levels of intensification in Uruguay, which were combinations of grazing rangelands (RL), seeded pastures (SP), and confined in feedlot (FL). Carbon footprint decreased from 16.7 (RL–RL) to 6.9 kg (SP–FL) CO 2 eq kg body weight −1 (BW; ‘eq’: equivalent). Energy use was zero for RL–RL and increased up to 17.3 MJ kg BW −1 for SP–FL. Soil erosion values varied from 7.7 (RL–RL) to 14.8 kg of soil kg BW −1 (SP–FL). Nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient balances showed surpluses for systems with seeded pastures and feedlots while RL–RL was deficient. Pesticide contamination risk was zero for RL–RL, and increased up to 21.2 for SP–FL. For the range of systems studied with increasing use of inputs, trade-offs were observed between global and local environmental problems. These results demonstrate that several indicators are needed to evaluate the sustainability of livestock production systems. (letter)

  9. 78 FR 73524 - Environmental Impact Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-12-06

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9012-4] Environmental Impact Statements; Notice of Availability RESPONSIBLE AGENCY: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 11/25/2013 Through 11/29/2013 Pursuant to 40 CFR 1506.9. Notice...

  10. 78 FR 52524 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-08-23

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [ER-FRL-9010-7] Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability Responsible Agency: Office of Federal Activities, General Information (202) 564-7146 or http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/ Weekly receipt of Environmental Impact Statements Filed 08/12/2013 Through 08/16/2013 Pursuant to 40 CFR 1506.9. Notic...

  11. A review of the methods used by the US Environmental Protection Agency to assess the financial impacts of the repository regulations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pflum, C.G.; Mattson, S.R.; Matthusen, A.C.

    1994-01-01

    All Federal agencies must consider the financial impacts of their regulations. When costs significantly outweigh benefits, the Office of Management and Budget can recommend that Congress not provide the funds needed to implement the regulation. Without funds, the agency is forced to either revise or retract the regulation. This has happened previously with a regulation on uranium mill tailings proposed by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and it could happen again with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations that govern the disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW). The EPA (1985, 1992) claims that its regulation: ''Environmental Standards for the Management and Disposal of Spent Nuclear Fuel, High-Level and Transuranic Radioactive Waste'' (40 CFR Part 191 or standards) does not increase costs above what the US Department of Energy (DOE) would spend anyway or, at most, what the DOE would spend to comply with 10 CFR Part 60: a regulation promulgated by the NRC. This report reviews and disputes the EPA claim. In Chapter 2 a summary of the basis for the EPA claim is presented and in Chapter 3 a critique of the basis of the claim is presented. This critique finds the EPA basis unrealistic, incomplete, and misleading. According to the EPA, a repository at Yucca Mountain would easily meet 40 CFR Part 191 even without the use of special engineered barriers. Because the NRC regulation (10 CFR Part 60) requires engineered barriers, the EPA places the onus for regulatory costs on the NRC. We disagree; the EPA standards drive regulatory costs as much as NRC regulations. The EPA has the higher responsibility for setting the overall standard for safety while the NRC can only implement this standard

  12. Consolidated permit regulations and hazardous waste management system: Environmental Protection Agency. Notice of issuance of regulation interpretation memorandum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1981-12-10

    The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing today a Regulation Interpretation Memorandum (RIM) which provides official interpretation of the issue of whether a generator who accumulates hazardous waste pursuant to 40 CFR 262.34, may qualify for interim status after November 19, 1980. This issue arose when the requirements for submitting a Part A permit application (one of the prerequisites to qualifying for interim status) were amended on November 19, 1980. The provisions interpreted today are part of the Consolidated Permit Regulations promulgated under Subtitle C of the Solid Waste Disposal Act, as amended by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, as amended (RCRA).

  13. Environmental issues affecting CCT development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reidy, M. [U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, DC (United States)

    1997-12-31

    While no final legislative schedule has been set for the new Congress, two issues with strong environmental ramifications which are likely to affect the coal industry seem to top the list of closely watched debates in Washington -- the Environmental Protection Agency`s proposed new ozone and particulate matter standards and utility restructuring. The paper discusses the background of the proposed standards, public comment, the Congressional review of regulations, other legislative options, and utility restructuring.

  14. Translating Agency Reform: Rhetoric and culture in comparative perspective

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    A.J. Smullen (Amanda)

    2007-01-01

    textabstractThe experience of the last two decades would suggest that a new international reform category has emerged, the agency. Although not always consistent with local titles, the agency label has been associated with public sector arrangements observed in countries as diverse as England

  15. Fernald Environmental Management Project 1995 site environmental report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-06-01

    The Fernald site continues to examine the air and liquid pathways as possible routes through which pollutants from past operations and current remedial activities may leave the site. This 1995 Site Environmental Report provides the general public as well as scientists and engineers with the results from the site's ongoing Environmental Monitoring Program. Also included in this report is information concerning the site's progress toward achieving full compliance with requirements set forth by DOE, US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and Ohio EPA

  16. Environmental/chemical thesaurus

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shriner, C.R.; Dailey, N.S.; Jordan, A.C.; Miller, K.C.; Owens, E.T.; Rickert, L.W.

    1978-06-01

    The Environmental/Chemical Thesaurus approaches scientific language control problems from a multidisciplinary view. The Environmental/Biomedical Terminology Index (EBTI) was used as a base for the present thesaurus. The Environmental/Chemical Thesaurus, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, used as its source of new terms those major terms found in 13 Environmental Protection Agency data bases. The scope of this thesaurus includes not only environmental and biomedical sciences, but also the physical sciences with emphasis placed on chemistry. Specific chemical compounds are not included; only classes of chemicals are given. To adhere to this level of classification, drugs and pesticides are identified by class rather than by specific chemical name. An attempt was also made to expand the areas of sociology and economics. Terminology dealing with law, demography, and geography was expanded. Proper names of languages and races were excluded. Geographic terms were expanded to include proper names for oceans, continents, major lakes, rivers, and islands. Political divisions were added to allow for proper names of countries and states. With such a broad scope, terminology for specific sciences does not provide for indexing to the lowest levels in plant, animal, or chemical classifications

  17. Environmental/chemical thesaurus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shriner, C.R.; Dailey, N.S.; Jordan, A.C.; Miller, K.C.; Owens, E.T.; Rickert, L.W.

    1978-06-01

    The Environmental/Chemical Thesaurus approaches scientific language control problems from a multidisciplinary view. The Environmental/Biomedical Terminology Index (EBTI) was used as a base for the present thesaurus. The Environmental/Chemical Thesaurus, funded by the Environmental Protection Agency, used as its source of new terms those major terms found in 13 Environmental Protection Agency data bases. The scope of this thesaurus includes not only environmental and biomedical sciences, but also the physical sciences with emphasis placed on chemistry. Specific chemical compounds are not included; only classes of chemicals are given. To adhere to this level of classification, drugs and pesticides are identified by class rather than by specific chemical name. An attempt was also made to expand the areas of sociology and economics. Terminology dealing with law, demography, and geography was expanded. Proper names of languages and races were excluded. Geographic terms were expanded to include proper names for oceans, continents, major lakes, rivers, and islands. Political divisions were added to allow for proper names of countries and states. With such a broad scope, terminology for specific sciences does not provide for indexing to the lowest levels in plant, animal, or chemical classifications.

  18. EPA Region 1 Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Points)

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This coverage represents point equivalents of environmentally sensitive areas in EPA New England. This coverage represents polygon equivalents of environmentally...

  19. Lack of congruence in species diversity indices and community structures of planktonic groups based on local environmental factors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doi, Hideyuki; Chang, Kwang-Hyeon; Nishibe, Yuichiro; Imai, Hiroyuki; Nakano, Shin-ichi

    2013-01-01

    The importance of analyzing the determinants of biodiversity and community composition by using multiple trophic levels is well recognized; however, relevant data are lacking. In the present study, we investigated variations in species diversity indices and community structures of the plankton taxonomic groups-zooplankton, rotifers, ciliates, and phytoplankton-under a range of local environmental factors in pond ecosystems. For each planktonic group, we estimated the species diversity index by using linear models and analyzed the community structure by using canonical correspondence analysis. We showed that the species diversity indices and community structures varied among the planktonic groups and according to local environmental factors. The observed lack of congruence among the planktonic groups may have been caused by niche competition between groups with similar trophic guilds or by weak trophic interactions. Our findings highlight the difficulty of predicting total biodiversity within a system, based upon a single taxonomic group. Thus, to conserve the biodiversity of an ecosystem, it is crucial to consider variations in species diversity indices and community structures of different taxonomic groups, under a range of local conditions.

  20. Environmental and social risks: defensive National Environmental Policy Act in the US Forest Service

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michael J. Mortimer; Marc J. Stern; Robert W. Malmsheimer; Dale J. Blahna; Lee K. Cerveny; David N. Seesholtz

    2011-01-01

    The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and its accompanying regulations provide a spectrum of alternative analytical pathways for federal agencies proposing major actions that might significantly impact the human environment. Although guidance from the President's council on Environmental Quality suggests the decision to develop an environmental impact...

  1. 75 FR 11534 - Notice of Charter Renewal for the Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-03-11

    .... Joshua Baylson, Associate Chief Financial Officer. [FR Doc. 2010-5241 Filed 3-10-10; 8:45 am] BILLING... Financial Advisory Board (EFAB) AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. The Charter for the Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB) will be...

  2. How information resources are used by state agencies in risk assessment applications - Illinois

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Olson, C.S.

    1990-12-31

    The Environmental Protection Agency of the State of Illinois (Illinois EPA) has programs in water, air, and land pollution and water supplies paralleling those of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The organization is part of a tripartite arrangement in which the Pollution Control Board is the judicial arm, the Department of Energy and Natural Resources is the research arm, and the Illinois EPA is the enforcement arm. Other state agencies are also concerned with various aspects of the environment and may do risk assessments for chemicals. Although there are various risk assessment activities, both formal and informal, in our agency and in others, this paper will discuss only recent initiatives in water quality criteria.

  3. Environmental justice at the Savannah River Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Flemming, R.; Hooker, K.L.

    1995-01-01

    Environmental justice is the conscious commitment to ensure that poor and/or minority communities are not disproportionately bearing adverse human health and environmental effects from the production, processing, or disposal of hazardous or toxic waste. To focus federal attention on assessing the environmental and human health conditions in minority and/or low-income communities surrounding federal facilities, on February 11, 1994, President Clinton signed Executive Order (EO) 12898. As part of the strategy to comply with EO 12898, the President required all federal agencies to develop localized strategies to ensure that their programs and policies are consistent with EO 12898. This would incorporate mechanisms for increasing public participation opportunities for involvement in the decision making, easier access to information, and the collection and analysis of economic, demographic, and food consumption data in surrounding communities. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) responded by issuing its Environmental Justice Strategy 2 (April 1995), although many of its field offices had been actively implementing activities in support of the executive order since its issuance. One DOE facility, the Savannah River Site (SRS), which is located in west central South Carolina, is making great strides toward implementing a successful public participation program, which includes environmental justice initiatives

  4. 77 FR 39705 - National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-05

    ... and Technology AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of Advisory Committee... meeting of the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT). NACEPT provides advice to the EPA Administrator on a broad range of environmental policy, technology, and management...

  5. 76 FR 1431 - National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-10

    ... and Technology AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of Meeting. SUMMARY... National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT). NACEPT provides advice to the EPA Administrator on a broad range of environmental policy, technology, and management issues. NACEPT...

  6. 75 FR 52941 - National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-08-30

    ... and Technology AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY... National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT). NACEPT provides advice to the EPA Administrator on a broad range of environmental policy, technology, and management issues. NACEPT...

  7. 76 FR 24481 - National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-05-02

    ... and Technology AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY... National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT). NACEPT provides advice to the EPA Administrator on a broad range of environmental policy, technology, and management issues. NACEPT...

  8. 76 FR 68183 - National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-11-03

    ... and Technology AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY... National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT). NACEPT provides advice to the EPA Administrator on a broad range of environmental policy, technology, and management issues. NACEPT...

  9. 77 FR 1931 - National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-12

    ... and Technology AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of Advisory Committee... meeting of the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT). NACEPT provides advice to the EPA Administrator on a broad range of environmental policy, technology, and management...

  10. 75 FR 38810 - National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-06

    ... and Technology AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY... of the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT). NACEPT provides advice to the EPA Administrator on a broad range of environmental policy, technology, and management...

  11. 77 FR 3475 - National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-24

    ... and Technology AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of advisory committee... teleconference of the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT). NACEPT provides advice to the EPA Administrator on a broad range of environmental policy, technology, and management...

  12. 76 FR 37112 - National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-06-24

    ... and Technology AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY... of the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT). NACEPT provides advice to the EPA Administrator on a broad range of environmental policy, technology, and management...

  13. Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI)

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — EPA’s Risk-Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI) is a geographically-based model that helps policy makers and communities explore data on releases of toxic...

  14. The USAID Environmental Compliance Database

    Data.gov (United States)

    US Agency for International Development — The Environmental Compliance Database is a record of environmental compliance submissions with their outcomes. Documents in the database can be found by visiting the...

  15. Environmental impacts on dust temperature of star-forming galaxies in the local Universe

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsuki, Yasuhiro; Koyama, Yusei; Nakagawa, Takao; Takita, Satoshi

    2017-04-01

    We present infrared views of the environmental effects on the dust properties in star-forming (SF) galaxies at z ˜ 0, using the AKARI Far-Infrared Surveyor all-sky map and the large spectroscopic galaxy sample from Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 7 (DR7). We restrict the sample to those within the redshift range of 0.05 4 Å) and emission line flux ratios. We perform far-infrared (FIR) stacking analyses by splitting the SDSS SF galaxy sample according to their stellar mass, specific star formation rate (SSFRSDSS), and environment. We derive total infrared luminosity (LIR) for each subsample using the average flux densities at WIDE-S (90 μm) and WIDE-L (140 μm) bands, and then compute infrared (IR)-based SFR (SFRIR) from LIR. We find a mild decrease of IR-based SSFR (SSFRIR) amongst SF galaxies with increasing local density (˜0.1-dex level at maximum), which suggests that environmental effects do not instantly shut down the SF activity in galaxies. We also derive average dust temperature (Tdust) using the flux densities at 90 and 140 μm bands. We confirm a strong positive correlation between Tdust and SSFRIR, consistent with recent studies. The most important finding of this study is that we find a marginal trend that Tdust increases with increasing environmental galaxy density. Although the environmental trend is much milder than the SSFR-Tdust correlation, our results suggest that the environmental density may affect the dust temperature in SF galaxies, and that the physical mechanism which is responsible for this phenomenon is not necessarily specific to cluster environments because the environmental dependence of Tdust holds down to relatively low-density environments.

  16. Environmental performance data in environmental report 2008

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sato, Yoshinori; Noritake, Kazumitsu; Kawasaki, Takanori; Nemoto, Asako

    2009-02-01

    Japan Atomic Energy Agency published the Environmental Report 2008 concerning the activities of FY 2007 in August, 2008 under 'Law Concerning the Promotion of Business Activities with Environmental Consideration by Specified Corporations, etc, by Facilitating Access to Environmental Information, and Other Measures'. This report has been edited to show detailed environmental performance data in FY 2007 as the base of the Environmental Report 2008. This report would not only ensure traceability of the data in order to enhance the reliability of the environmental report, but also make useful measures for promoting activities of environmental considerations in JAEA. The environmental objectives in FY 2007 were to reduce the amounts of electric power consumption, fossil fuel usage, carbon dioxide emissions, and water usage by more than one percent in comparison with those in the previous fiscal year. The detailed environmental performance data in this report has shown that the numerical targets of the environmental objectives in FY 2007 were achieved. (author)

  17. Using Local Ecological Knowledge and Environmental Education in Resource Management of Abalone in Carot, Anda, Pangasinan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Emmanuel C. Capinpin, Jr.

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available The objectives of the present study were to (1 determine the local ecological knowledge (LEK of abalone gatherers through interviews and mentoring, and assess the correspondence between scientific information and LEK, so that areas where local knowledge may be most useful in resource management could be identified, and (2 to empower selected gatherers/farmers with knowledge and technical skills through environmental education to help develop or build their capacity to become sustainable resource managers. The LEK of abalone fishers was determined using three complementary approaches – group interview, individual interview, and mentoring sessions. Local fishers possess a wealth of knowledge about the interactions of species gained through many years of observations, and this knowledge may be useful in guiding biologists in ecological restoration or management regimes. Additionally, the fishers’ LEK, validated by modern scientific ecological findings, could be a source of important and effective ideas in resource management. The knowledge of the abalone gatherers about important abalone fishing grounds should help in pinpointing critical areas that need to be managed. Abalone mariculture in cages should be set up in these areas to routinely create dense breeding populations which can help in enhancing recovery and in providing fishers with a source of additional income. The continued enforcement of marine protected areas and the periodic release or reseeding of abalone in sanctuaries could also be considered viable resource management options. Other recommendations for resource management based on gathered local knowledge and lessons learned from the environmental education (EE seminars are also presented.

  18. Engaging academia to advance the science and practice of environmental public health tracking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Strosnider, Heather; Zhou, Ying; Balluz, Lina; Qualters, Judith

    2014-10-01

    Public health agencies at the federal, state, and local level are responsible for implementing actions and policies that address health problems related to environmental hazards. These actions and policies can be informed by integrating or linking data on health, exposure, hazards, and population. The mission of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention׳s National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program (Tracking Program) is to provide information from a nationwide network of integrated health, environmental hazard, and exposure data that drives actions to improve the health of communities. The Tracking Program and federal, state, and local partners collect, integrate, analyze, and disseminate data and information to inform environmental public health actions. However, many challenges exist regarding the availability and quality of data, the application of appropriate methods and tools to link data, and the state of the science needed to link and analyze health and environmental data. The Tracking Program has collaborated with academia to address key challenges in these areas. The collaboration has improved our understanding of the uses and limitations of available data and methods, expanded the use of existing data and methods, and increased our knowledge about the connections between health and environment. Valuable working relationships have been forged in this process, and together we have identified opportunities and improvements for future collaborations to further advance the science and practice of environmental public health tracking. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  19. Environment. 1980-1994. International Atomic Energy Agency publications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1995-06-01

    The catalogue lists all publications of the International Atomic Energy Agency dealing with the Environment issued during the period 1980-1993. The major subjects covered include: effect of agrochemical residues on soils and aquatic ecosystems, application of radioisotopes in conservation of the environment, siting of nuclear power plants, environmental isotope data and environmental contamination due to nuclear accidents

  20. The options of local authorities for addressing climate change and energy efficiency through environmental regulation of companies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dirckinck-Holmfeld, Kasper

    2015-01-01

    of energy consumption and GHG emissions during inspections. The assessment is based on the triangulation of different data: a) qualitative interviews with environmental officers from seven local authorities taking part in a EU life+ project, Carbon 20; b) a documentary review of political documents...

  1. Environmental impact assessment: use of literature data versus use of specific local and regional data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rochedo, Elaine R.R.; Wasserman, Maria Angelica

    2000-01-01

    The environmental radiological impact assessment methodology includes a large number of parameters to simulate the environmental transfer and population exposure. Local and regional data are often not available, particularly for tropical regions, which leads to the use of literature data, mostly determined at temperate climate countries. Since 1993, IRD has been developing radioecological studies aiming the determination soil-plant transfer factors, which showed the possibility of finding values up to one order of magnitude higher than those found at temperate climate countries literature. This paper compares dose results for several scenarios, using regional and literature data, assessing the relevance of using site specific data for radiological impact assessments, for both practices and intervention situations. (author)

  2. Typological review of environmental performance metrics (with illustrative examples for oil spill response).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seager, Thomas P; Satterstrom, F Kyle; Linkov, Igor; Tuler, Seth P; Kay, Rebecca

    2007-07-01

    An intensification of interest in environmental assessment during the last 2 decades has driven corporate efforts to better document environmental goals, improve environmental management systems, and increase awareness of the environmental and ecological effects of business operations. This trend has been motivated partly by regulatory requirements (such as the Toxics Release Inventory in the United States) and partly by the inclination of some large manufacturing firms to embrace a broader social and environmental mission characterized as "sustainability" or "ecoefficiency." Moreover, the importance of measurable objectives in the US government has been recognized at least since the Government Performance Results Act of 1993, which was intended to both improve the efficiency of government and the confidence of the American public in government managers. However, in management of environmental crises - such as catastrophic oil or chemical spills - development of measurable performance standards has lagged. Consequently, government spill managers are unable to define success in terms that are easily communicated to public and other stakeholder groups, and they could be disadvantaged in their efforts to deploy response resources with maximum efficiency. In this paper, we present a typological review of environmental assessment measures and summarize some of the current practices and strategic goals among federal agencies with regard to oil and chemical spills. A general approach to organizing metrics for oil spill response, restoration, and recovery is also presented. The results could improve planning efforts and communication among different federal, state, and local agencies and public or stakeholder groups involved in spill management.

  3. Fernald Environmental Management Project 1995 site environmental report

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1996-06-01

    The Fernald site continues to examine the air and liquid pathways as possible routes through which pollutants from past operations and current remedial activities may leave the site. This 1995 Site Environmental Report provides the general public as well as scientists and engineers with the results from the site`s ongoing Environmental Monitoring Program. Also included in this report is information concerning the site`s progress toward achieving full compliance with requirements set forth by DOE, US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), and Ohio EPA.

  4. Amoco-US Environmental Protection Agency, pollution prevention project, Yorktown, Virginia: Surface water data

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baloo, S.

    1991-08-01

    The report summarizes the surface water sampling program at the Amoco Refinery at Yorktown, Virginia. This was undertaken as a part of the joint project between Amoco Corporation and the United States Environmental Protection Agency to review pollution prevention alternatives at a petroleum refinery. The surface water data provides a snapshot of surface water pollutant generation and discharge from the refinery. Different process units contribute to the total wastewater flow of 460 GPM in the refinery. Water in the ditch system, which is non-process water, is free of organic contamination. Oil and grease, phenols, ammonia and sulfides are the significant components measured in the process wastewater. The concentrations of organics in most water streams leaving the individual process units are relatively low, in the 1-5 parts per million (ppm) range. A few individual streams such as the crude desalter brine and tank water draws have high pollutant loadings. Concentrations of metals in the refinery wastewater are very low. The wastewater treatment plant is very effective in reducing the pollutant loading in the water with overall removal efficiencies greater than 99% for most organics and inorganics

  5. 77 FR 8859 - National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-02-15

    ... and Technology AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Cancellation and Rescheduling of National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT) Committee Meeting. SUMMARY: EPA... Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT) Meeting to be held at the EPA Potomac Yard Conference Center, One...

  6. Evolution of phenotypic clusters through competition and local adaptation along an environmental gradient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leimar, Olof; Doebeli, Michael; Dieckmann, Ulf

    2008-04-01

    We have analyzed the evolution of a quantitative trait in populations that are spatially extended along an environmental gradient, with gene flow between nearby locations. In the absence of competition, there is stabilizing selection toward a locally best-adapted trait that changes gradually along the gradient. According to traditional ideas, gradual spatial variation in environmental conditions is expected to lead to gradual variation in the evolved trait. A contrasting possibility is that the trait distribution instead breaks up into discrete clusters. Doebeli and Dieckmann (2003) argued that competition acting locally in trait space and geographical space can promote such clustering. We have investigated this possibility using deterministic population dynamics for asexual populations, analyzing our model numerically and through an analytical approximation. We examined how the evolution of clusters is affected by the shape of competition kernels, by the presence of Allee effects, and by the strength of gene flow along the gradient. For certain parameter ranges clustering was a robust outcome, and for other ranges there was no clustering. Our analysis shows that the shape of competition kernels is important for clustering: the sign structure of the Fourier transform of a competition kernel determines whether the kernel promotes clustering. Also, we found that Allee effects promote clustering, whereas gene flow can have a counteracting influence. In line with earlier findings, we could demonstrate that phenotypic clustering was favored by gradients of intermediate slope.

  7. 76 FR 62434 - HUD Draft Environmental Justice Strategy

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-10-07

    ... Justice Strategy AGENCY: Office of the Sustainable Housing and Communities, HUD. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Through this notice, HUD announces the release of its draft Environmental Justice Strategy for review and... federal agency, with the law as its guide, should make environmental justice part of its mission. In this...

  8. Integrated approach to the understanding of the degradation of an urban river: local perceptions, environmental parameters and geoprocessing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collier, Carolina A; Almeida Neto, Miguel S de; Aretakis, Gabriela M A; Santos, Rangel E; de Oliveira, Tiago H; Mourão, José S; Severi, William; El-Deir, Ana C A

    2015-09-15

    The use of interdisciplinary approaches such as the proposed report provides a broad understanding of the relationship between people and the environment, revealing reliable aspects not previously considered in the study of this relationship. This study compiled evidence on the environmental degradation of an urbanized river over the past few decades, providing a diagnosis of the consequences of this process for the river, its ichthyofauna, and the local human population. The study was focused on the Beira Rio community on the Capibaribe River in the municipality of São Lourenço da Mata, Pernambuco, Brazil. Data were collected using geoprocessing and ethnobiological approaches, as well as environmental parameters. This research was conducted with the most experienced long-term residents in the local community, through interviews and participatory methodologies to recovering information about the river environment, its ichthyofauna and its environmental services for the last decades. According to the GIS analysis, the study area was subject to an accelerated process of urbanization, with the total urban area increasing from 73 565, 98 m(2) in 1974 to 383 363, 6 m(2) in 2005. The informants perceived the urban growth, especially in the late twentieth century, being this period recognized as the phase of greatest negative changes in the river environment. The perceived decline of fish stocks was indicated by the community as one of the effects of river degradation. According to the interviews, the deterioration of the river affected the ecosystem services and the relationship of the adjacent human community with this ecosystem. The environmental data indicated that the river is suffering eutrophization and has fecal coliform concentrations 160 times higher than the maximum level permitted by Brazilian legislation. The interdisciplinary approach used in this research allowed the understanding of the degradation process of an urban river and some negative effects

  9. 76 FR 7844 - Notice of Open Meeting of the Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-02-11

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9265-4] Notice of Open Meeting of the Environmental Financial... States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB) will hold a... discussed include: Financing Clean Air Technology; Voluntary Environmental Improvement Bonds (VEIB)/Property...

  10. Environmental history

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pawson, Eric; Christensen, Andreas Aagaard

    2017-01-01

    Environmental history is an interdisciplinary pursuit that has developed as a form of conscience to counter an increasingly powerful, forward-looking liberal theory of the environment. It deals with the relations between environmental ideas and materialities, from the work of the geographers George...... risks”. These are exposed by environmental history’s focus on long-run analysis and its narrative form that identifies the stories that we tell ourselves about nature. How a better understanding of past environmental transformations helps to analyse society and agency, and what this can mean...... for solutions and policies, is the agenda for an engaged environmental history from now on....

  11. EJSCREEN Environmental Indicators 2015 Public

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — There are eight EJ Indexes in EJSCREEN reflecting the 8 environmental indicators. The eight EJ Index names are: Particulate Matter (PM2.5), Ozone Traffic Proximity...

  12. Teen Advocates for Community and Environmental Sustainability

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wunar, B.

    2017-12-01

    The Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago (MSI) is in the early stages of a NOAA supported Environmental Literacy Grant project that aims to engage high school age youth in the exploration of climate and Earth systems science. Participating youth are positioned as teen advocates for establishing resilient communities in the Midwest. The project utilizes a variety of resources, including NOAA Science On a Sphere® (SOS) technology and datasets, Great Lakes and local climate assets, and local municipal resiliency planning guides to develop museum-based youth programming. Teen participants in the project will share their learning through regular facilitated interactions with public visitors in the Museum and will bring learning experiences to Chicago Public Library sites throughout the city's neighborhoods. Project content will also be adapted for use in 100+ after-school science clubs to engage younger students from diverse communities across the Chicago area. Current strategies for supporting teen facilitation of public experiences, linkages to out of school time and summer learning programs, and connections to local resiliency planning agencies will be explored.

  13. 41 CFR 115-1.108 - Agency implementation and supplementation of FPMR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Agency implementation and supplementation of FPMR. 115-1.108 Section 115-1.108 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property Management Regulations System (Continued) ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 1-INTRODUCTION...

  14. The Canadian experience in frontier environmental protection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jones, G.H.

    1991-01-01

    Early Canadian frontier exploration (from 1955 onshore and from 1966 for offshore drilling) caused insignificant public concern. The 1967-1968 Torrey Canyon Tanker and Santa Barbara disasters roused public opinion and governments. In Canada, 1969-1970 Arctic gas blowouts, a tanker disaster, and damage to the 'Manhattan' exacerbated concerns and resulted in new environmental regulatory constraints. From 1970, the Arctic Petroleum Operations Association learned to operate safely with environmental responsibility. It studied physical environment for design criteria, and the biological and human environment to ameliorate impact. APOA's research projects covered sea-ice, permafrost, sea-bottom, oil-spills, bird and mammal migration, fish habitat, food chains, oceanography, meteorology, hunters'/trappers' harvests, etc. In 1971 Eastcoast Petroleum Operators' Association and Alaska Oil and Gas Association followed APOA's cooperative research model. EPOA stressed icebergs and fisheries. Certain research was handled by the Canadian Offshore Oil Spill Research Association. By the mid-1980s these associations had undertaken $70,000,000 of environmental oriented research, with equivalent additional work by member companies on specific needs and similar sums by Federal agencies often working with industry on complementary research. The frontier associations then merged with the Canadian Petroleum Association, already active environmentally in western Canada. Working with government and informing environmental interest groups, the public, natives, and local groups, most Canadian frontier petroleum operations proceeded with minimal delay and environmental disturbance

  15. Environmental regulations handbook for enhanced oil recovery

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madden, M.P.; Blatchford, R.P.; Spears, R.B.

    1991-12-01

    This handbook is intended to assist owners and operators of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations in acquiring some introductory knowledge of the various state agencies, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the many environmental laws, rules and regulations which can have jurisdiction over their permitting and compliance activities. It is a compendium of summarizations of environmental rules. It is not intended to give readers specific working details of what is required from them, nor can it be used in that manner. Readers of this handbook are encouraged to contact environmental control offices nearest to locations of interest for current regulations affecting them

  16. Environmental regulations handbook for enhanced oil recovery

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Madden, M.P. [National Inst. for Petroleum and Energy Research, Bartlesville, OK (United States); Blatchford, R.P.; Spears, R.B. [Spears and Associates, Inc., Tulsa, OK (United States)

    1991-12-01

    This handbook is intended to assist owners and operators of enhanced oil recovery (EOR) operations in acquiring some introductory knowledge of the various state agencies, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the many environmental laws, rules and regulations which can have jurisdiction over their permitting and compliance activities. It is a compendium of summarizations of environmental rules. It is not intended to give readers specific working details of what is required from them, nor can it be used in that manner. Readers of this handbook are encouraged to contact environmental control offices nearest to locations of interest for current regulations affecting them.

  17. Review of technical justification of assumptions and methods used by the Environmental Protection Agency for estimating risks avoided by implementing MCLs for radionuclides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morris, S.C.; Rowe, M.D.; Holtzman, S.; Meinhold, A.F.

    1992-11-01

    The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed regulations for allowable levels of radioactive material in drinking water (40 CFR Part 141, 56 FR 33050, July 18, 1991). This review examined the assumptions and methods used by EPA in calculating risks that would be avoided by implementing the proposed Maximum Contaminant Levels for uranium, radium, and radon. Proposed limits on gross alpha and beta-gamma emitters were not included in this review

  18. 40 CFR 1501.4 - Whether to prepare an environmental impact statement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... impact statement. 1501.4 Section 1501.4 Protection of Environment COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY NEPA AND AGENCY PLANNING § 1501.4 Whether to prepare an environmental impact statement. In determining whether to prepare an environmental impact statement the Federal agency shall: (a) Determine under its...

  19. Environmental guidance regulatory bulletin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1994-12-01

    On September 22,1993, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published [58 Federal Register (FR) 492001 the final OffSite Rule, which defines criteria for approving facilities for receiving waste from response actions taken under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). The off-site requirements apply to the off-site management of hazardous substances, pollutants, and contaminants, as defined under CERCLA, that are generated from remedial and removal actions funded or authorized, at least in part, by CERCLA. CERCLA-authorized cleanups include those taken under lead-agency authority, Section 106 Consent Orders, Consent Agreements, Consent Degrees, and Records of Decision (RODs). EPA requires that remedial actions at Federal facilities taken under Sections 104, 106, or 120 of CERCLA comply with the Off-Site Rule for all cleanups enacted through DOE's lead-agency authority

  20. Environmental situation in Austria. Sixth environmental control report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Deweis, M.; Kaitna, M.

    2001-01-01

    This sixth environmental control report gives an overall picture of the situation of the environment in Austria for the period from 1997 to 2000. It emphasizes the areas of the Austrian environmental policy where significant improvements were achieved, such as the reduction of air pollutant emissions and the improvement of the quality of running waters. It also deals with problem areas such as transport, climate protection and renewable energy, where new solutions will have to be found within the framework of the Austrian and European environmental policies and already agreed upon strategies will have to be translated into daily practice. This environmental control report was written by experts of the Federal Environment Agency, which is an agency subordinate to the Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, and which acquired independent status in the form of a limited company. The report gives comprehensive information on all aspects of environmental monitoring in Austria, with a huge amount of numerical, geographical and evaluated data. The report is structured by the following chapters: population and land use; air; global climate change; stratospheric ozone degradation; water; soil; forests; environmental protection; agriculture; traffic; industry; economic audit; waste; contaminated sites; energy; noise; secure handling of chemicals; plant-protective agents; gene technology; radioecology. Those chapters which are in the INIS subject scope, dealing with radioecology and ecological aspects of nuclear and non-nuclear energy are treated individually on analytical level for the INIS database. (a.n.)

  1. Increased growth in environmental technology; Oekad tillvaext inom miljoeteknik

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    2011-07-01

    The Swedish Energy Agency has received a government commission, after consultation with the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA) and other relevant actors. The commission is to develop proposals on how the actions for strengthening collaboration and increased communication between agencies, innovators, entrepreneurs and business angels and venture capitalists among others can be designed in environmental technology with a focus on early commercial stages. The largest part of the environmental technology sector consists of energy related technology

  2. Involvement of local stakeholders in the development of new information schemes for the displaying of environmental radiological monitoring results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rollinger, Francoise; Lebeau, Audrey; Petitfrere, Michael; Eimer, Michel; Ganay, Claude de; Gadbois, Serge; Leprieur, Fabrice; Vaillant, Ludovic

    2008-01-01

    Evolution of radionuclides concentration in the environment and associated potential health impacts are key and legitimate questions for the population living around nuclear facilities. In spite of the efforts from authorities, public experts and operators to make this information available and understandable, mainly through Local Liaison Committees (LLC), the way it is usually formalized makes it difficult to meet non-expert expectations. In this context, the IRSN launched a pilot project in the Loire Valley to define new schemes for the displaying of this information. This project brings together representatives from LLCs - local elected people, trade unions and environmental NGOs -, experts from the IRSN - environment and radiation protection departments - and facilitators - CEPN and MUTADIS -. Its objectives are: 1-) To identify all nuclear facilities and producers of measurements in the environment within the Valley; 2-) To clearly define local population expectations regards environmental radiological survey; 3-) To select adequate measurements values and presentational schemes; 4-) To provide recommendations regarding the environment monitoring strategy. This project is also connected with the French national measurement network. Within this national network, the IRSN is in charge of developing a database that brings together all the results from environmental radiological monitoring, in order to provide all these data to the population, including elements about impacts on human health. This network will take advantage of the work achieved within the pilot project. The facilitation process mainly consisted in fostering relations of trust (notably with the preparation of detailed minutes of the project meetings), and supporting both local stakeholders and IRSN experts in the project management and the development of a common language at the crossroad between scientific and technical knowledge and local actors' understanding of their own environment. This

  3. Health Physics Society Comments to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Regulatory Reform Task Force.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ring, Joseph; Tupin, Edward; Elder, Deirdre; Hiatt, Jerry; Sheetz, Michael; Kirner, Nancy; Little, Craig

    2018-05-01

    The Health Physics Society (HPS) provided comment to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on options to consider when developing an action plan for President Trump's Executive Order to evaluate regulations for repeal, replacement, or modification. The HPS recommended that the EPA reconsider their adherence to the linear no-threshold (LNT) model for radiation risk calculations and improve several documents by better addressing uncertainties in low-dose, low dose-rate (LDDR) radiation exposure environments. The authors point out that use of the LNT model near background levels cannot provide reliable risk projections, use of the LNT model and collective-dose calculations in some EPA documents is inconsistent with the recommendations of international organizations, and some EPA documents have not been exposed to the public comment rule-making process. To assist in establishing a better scientific basis for the risks of low dose rate and low dose radiation exposure, the EPA should continue to support the "Million Worker Study," led by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurement.

  4. Environmental Dataset Gateway (EDG) CS-W Interface

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Use the Environmental Dataset Gateway (EDG) to find and access EPA's environmental resources. Many options are available for easily reusing EDG content in other...

  5. EJSCREEN Environmental Indicators 2016 Public

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — There are eleven EJ Indexes in EJSCREEN reflecting the 11 environmental indicators. The EJ Index names are: Particulate Matter (PM2.5), Ozone, NATA Diesel PM, NATA...

  6. State agency for environment, measurements and nature protection Baden-Wuerttemberg. Environmental data 2015 Baden-Wuerttemberg; Landesanstalt fuer Umwelt, Messungen und Naturschutz Baden-Wuerttemberg. Umweltdaten 2015 Baden-Wuerttemberg

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2015-10-15

    The report environmental data 2015 Baden-Wuerttemberg of the State agency for environment, measurements and nature protection Baden-Wuerttemberg, covers the following issues: Sustainability of Baden-Wuerttemberg, climate, air, soils, water, nature and agriculture, noise, waste management, radioactivity, electromagnetic fields, surveillance/monitoring, warning and alter services.

  7. Final programmatic environmental impact statement for the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action Ground Water Project. Volume 1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1996-10-01

    The purpose of the Uranium Mill Tailings Remedial Action (UMTRA) Ground Water Project is to eliminate, reduce, or address to acceptable levels the potential health and environmental consequences of milling activities by meeting Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ground water standards. One of the first steps in the UMTRA Ground Water Project is the preparation of this Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS). The EPA standards allow the use of different strategies for achieving compliance with the standards. This document analyzes the potential impacts of four alternatives for conducting the Ground Water Project. Each of the four alternatives evaluated in the PEIS is based on a different mix of strategies to meet EPA ground water standards. The PEIS is intended to serve as a programmatic planning document that provides an objective basis for determining site-specific ground water compliance strategies and data and information that can be used to prepare site-specific environmental impact analyses more efficiently. DOE will prepare appropriate further National Environmental Policy Act documentation before making site-specific decisions to implement the Ground Water Project. Affected States, Tribes, local government agencies, and members of the public have been involved in the process of preparing this PEIS; DOE encourages their continued participation in the site-specific decision making process

  8. Natural resources management by local associations in Ifedore local ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Management of natural resource by local associations not only in its socio ecological but also in its socio economic context will go a long way in reducing environmental degradation in some local communities. This study examined the operational capacity for natural resource management by local associations in Ifedore ...

  9. 75 FR 36150 - Notice of Final Federal Agency Action on Proposed Transportation Project in Illinois

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-06-24

    .... ACTION: Notice of limitation on claims for judicial review of actions by FHWA and other Federal agencies... result of a tiered environmental review process under the National Environmental Policy Act, 42 U.S.C... judicial review of the Tier 1 Federal agency actions of the proposed highway and transit project will be...

  10. Actions Environmental Sustainability Measures for Producers and Local Communities in a Coastal Area

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Elena Zequeira-Álvarez

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available In this work, the area of study is defined as the producers and communities of the northern coastal zone, up to the 5-meter level curve of the province of Camagüey, Cuba. It is composed of four municipalities and is very rich in natural values but also identifies itself as a very fragile ecosystem. The methodological procedure consists of three stages that respond to their respective objectives: General characteristics of the study area, environmental problems in the area of study and general measures of sustainability for producers and coastal communities, The general objective of the work is to propose general measures of Environmental sustainability for producers and local communities in the northern coastal zone of Camagüey, Cuba in order to contribute to the use and conservation of the ecosystem. These are aimed at the producers and settlers of the study area but may be interesting for other ecosystems.

  11. An Evaluation of Early Education Based on Physical Environmental Guidelines

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Donna J. Satterlee

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available The integration of environmental policies with political support for action on these policies is of prime significance for mobilization and progression of improving indoor environments. However, state licensing agencies and local county ordinances for child care centers do not universally follow these policies and standards. As a result, most early childhood educational programs operate without proper indoor environments. Indoor air quality, temperature, ventilation, daylighting, and acoustics are crucial factors for educational settings in early childhood education. This study documents the physical environment in early childhood education centers in three counties in Maryland. Results indicate that building performance and indoor air quality standards vary according to the socioeconomic status of children who attend early childhood programs, and environmental factors correlate with educational achievement (as measured by kindergarten readiness scores.

  12. Indicadores socioambientais para vigilância da dengue em nível local Socio-environmental indicators for dengue surveillance in the local level

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Regina Fernandes Flauzino

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Este artigo caracteriza uma localidade quanto às condições de saneamento e processos de degradação ambiental que possam estar relacionados à transmissão da dengue, além de discutir a construção de novos indicadores socioambientais visando à vigilância epidemiológica. A área de estudo foi a Ilha da Conceição, no município de Niterói, RJ. Informantes-chave foram entrevistados para obter informações que pudessem ser utilizadas nas construções de novos indicadores. Ao se compararem os dados do IBGE com os fornecidos pelos informantes, foram encontradas algumas diferenças. Os dados dos informantes são mais condizentes com a realidade local, propiciando, de acordo com a área, a observação de diferentes modus operandi de coleta de lixo e limpeza pública. Os casos concentraram-se nos setores favela plana e favela morro. Concluiu-se que os indicadores referentes à frequência de abastecimento de água e coleta de lixo se mostram importantes para serem analisados em estudos de nível local associados com a incidência da dengue.This paper characterizes a local area in terms of sanitary conditions and environmental degradation processes that may be related to dengue transmission, and discusses the construction of new social and environmental indicators aiming at epidemiological surveillance. The studied area was Ilha da Conceição, in the municipality of Niterói, state of Rio de Janeiro. Key informants were interviewed to obtain information that could be used in the construction of new indicators. Comparing the data from the IBGE with those provided by the informants, we found some differences. The data provided by the latter are more reliable regarding the local reality, and they enable, according to the area, the observation of different modus operandi of garbage collection and public cleansing. The cases were concentrated on flat slum and hill slum areas. It was concluded that it is important to analyze indicators

  13. Agencies Collaborate, Develop a Cyanobacteria Assessment Network

    Science.gov (United States)

    This collaborative effort integrates the efforts of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to provide an approach for mainstrea...

  14. 77 FR 2719 - National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology; Meeting

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-19

    ... and Technology; Meeting AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice of Advisory... a public meeting of the National Advisory Council for Environmental Policy and Technology (NACEPT). NACEPT provides advice to the EPA Administrator on a broad range of environmental policy, technology...

  15. Effectiveness of Environmental Impact Assessment system in Estonia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Heinma, Kaupo; Poder, Tonis

    2010-01-01

    To be effective, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) system, first, has to minimize the probability that projects with significant environmental effects are implemented without EIA, and second, minimize the number of EIAs, which do not provide decision makers with essential information, so that the decision is improved as a result of EIA. The objective of this study was to find out how frequently in Estonia the projects implemented without EIA have caused significant environmental effects, and to measure the relative frequency of EIAs that have no influence on decision. An extensive survey with e-mail distributed questionnaires was carried out to reveal information from governmental agencies, local self-governments, and developers. There was no evidence that projects authorized without EIA have had environmental impacts, which could have been mitigated as a result of EIA. In contrast, about half of EIAs did not alter the decision of relevant authorities. This proportion was valid to both mandatory EIAs and those initiated on judgement basis. In our view, the proportion of no-influence EIAs was excessive and indicated the need to reconsider the provisions applying to the projects with a mandatory EIA requirement as well as judgements practice.

  16. Exploring the interplay between entrepreneurial agency and structural context

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Müller, Sabine; Neergaard, Helle

    of interactions (or morphogenetic sequences) between local (rural) structures and entrepreneurial agency empirically. The research shows how entrepreneurs draw from the local context to create unique activities; how these unique activities result in various forms of regional development outcomes (i.e. social...

  17. Final generic environmental statement on the use of recycle plutonium in mixed oxide fuel in light water cooled reactors. Volume 5. Public comments and Nuclear Regulatory Commission responses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1976-08-01

    Copies of 69 letters are presented commenting on the Draft Generic Environmental Statement (GESMO) WASH-1327 and the NRC's responses to the comments received from Federal, State and local agencies; environmental and public interest groups, members of the academic and industrial communities, and individual citizens. An index to these letters indicating the number assigned to each letter, the author, and organization represented, is provided in the Table of Contents

  18. Final generic environmental statement on the use of recycle plutonium in mixed oxide fuel in light water cooled reactors. Volume 5. Public comments and Nuclear Regulatory Commission responses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1976-08-01

    Copies of 69 letters are presented commenting on the Draft Generic Environmental Statement (GESMO) WASH-1327 and the NRC's responses to the comments received from Federal, State and local agencies; environmental and public interest groups, members of the academic and industrial communities, and individual citizens. An index to these letters indicating the number assigned to each letter, the author, and organization represented, is provided in the Table of Contents.

  19. Regional hyperthermia combined with radiotherapy for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancers. A multi-institutional prospective randomized trial of the International Atomic Energy Agency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mitsumori, Michihide; Hiraoka, Masahiro; Zeng Zhifan; Oliynychenko, P.; Park, Jeong-Ho; Choi, Ihl-Bohng; Tatsuzaki, Hideo; Tanaka, Yoshiaki

    2007-01-01

    An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)-sponsored, multi-institutional prospective randomized trial was conducted to clarify whether the combination of hyperthermia and radiotherapy improves the local response rate of locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) compared with that obtained by radiotherapy alone. Between October 1998 and April 2002, 80 patients with locally advanced NSCLC were randomized to receive either standard radiation therapy alone (RT) or radiation therapy combined with hyperthermia (RT+HT). The primary endpoint was the local response rate. The secondary endpoints were local progression-free survival and overall survival. The median follow-up period was 204 days for all patients and 450 days for surviving patients. There were no significant differences between the two arms with regard to local response rate (P=0.49) or overall survival rate (P=0.868). However, local progression-free survival was significantly better in the RT+HT arm (P=0.036). Toxicity was generally mild and no grade 3 late toxicity was observed in either arm. Although improvement of local progression-free survival was observed in the RT+HT arm, this prospective randomized study failed to show any substantial benefit from the addition of hyperthermia to radiotherapy in the treatment of locally advanced NSCLC. (author)

  20. Accuracy of Environmental Monitoring in China: Exploring the Influence of Institutional, Political and Ideological Factors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniele Brombal

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Environmental monitoring data are essential to informing decision-making processes relevant to the management of the environment. Their accuracy is therefore of extreme importance. The credibility of Chinese environmental data has been long questioned by domestic and foreign observers. This paper explores the potential impact of institutional, political, and ideological factors on the accuracy of China’s environmental monitoring data. It contends that the bureaucratic incentive system, conflicting agency goals, particular interests, and ideological structures constitute potential sources of bias in processes of environmental monitoring in China. The current leadership has acknowledged the issue, implementing new measures to strengthen administrative coordination and reinforce the oversight of the central government over local authorities. However, the failure to address the deeper political roots of the problem and the ambivalence over the desirability of public participation to enhance transparency might jeopardize Beijing’s strive for environmental data accuracy.

  1. Environmental sciences division: Environmental regulatory update table July 1988

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langston, M.E.; Nikbakht, A.; Salk, M.S.

    1988-08-01

    The Environmental Regulatory Update Table provides information on regulatory initiatives of interest to DOE operations and contractor staff with environmental management responsibilities. The table is updated each month with information from the Federal Register and other sources, including direct contact with regulatory agencies. Each table entry provides a chronological record of the rulemaking process for that initiative with an abstract and a projection of further action

  2. 75 FR 6202 - Notice of Open Meeting of the Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-02-08

    ... expected to be discussed include: Financial Assurance Mechanisms (Commercial Insurance & Cost Estimation... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9111-3] Notice of Open Meeting of the Environmental Financial... States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB) will hold a...

  3. Environmental Management Systems in Local Authorities: The Case Study of the Cesana Torinese Municipality, a Turin 2006 Olympic Site

    OpenAIRE

    Serena Botta; Claudio Comoglio

    2007-01-01

    Environmental certification according to the ISO 14001 standard and EMAS regulation represents an efficient tool for those organizations who want to continuously improve their environmental performances. Even though first thought up for application to the industrial section, in recent years these schemes have also proved to be valid in organizations with territorial competences, such as local authorities. The case study of the Cesana Torinese municipality, an important ski resort in North Wes...

  4. Community Participation in the Impact Aid Program. Special Impact Aid Provisions for Local Education Agencies That Claim Entitlements Based on the Number of Children Residing on Indian Lands, Public Law 81-874.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (ED), Washington, DC.

    Created in 1950, the Impact Aid program provides financial assistance to local education agencies (LEAs) in areas affected by federal activity. The program gives a direct general aid payment to LEAs that: (1) have lost local revenue as a result of land purchases by the federal government; (2) provide education to children who reside on federal…

  5. Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program Data (REMAP)

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — The Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (REMAP) was initiated to test the applicability of the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program...

  6. 1984 environmental monitoring report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Day, L.E.; Miltenberger, R.P.; Naidu, J.R.

    1985-04-01

    The environmental monitoring program has been designed to ensure that BNL facilities operate such that the applicable environmental standards and effluent control requirements have been met. A listing, as required by DOE Order 5484.1 of BNL facilities, of environmental agencies and permits is provided in the Environmental Program Information Section 3.0, Table B. Since the aquifer underlying Long Island has been designated a ''sole source'' aquifer, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Drinking Water Standards have been used in the assessment of ground water data. However, the limits prescribed in the regulations are not directly applicable to the monitoring well data since (1) the standards apply to a community water supply system, i.e., one serving more than 25 individuals, and (2) the standards represent an annual average concentration. Since the monitoring wells are not components of the Laboratory's water supply system, the EPA drinking water standards are employed as reference criteria to which the surveillance well data is compared. The standards also serve as guidance levels for any appropriate remedial action. 36 refs., 9 figs., 40 tabs

  7. The geography of mercury and PCBs in North Carolina’s local seafood

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freitag, Amy; Sohn, Nari; Hooper, Mark; Rittschof, Dan

    2012-01-01

    Mercury and PCBs are used by non-governmental organizations and federal agencies to inform seafood safety recommendations. Pollution dynamics suggest recommendations on the national scale may be too large to be accurate. We tested softshell and hardshell blue crab, white and pink shrimp, oysters, clams, spot, and mullet from fishers in each of the three North Carolina fishery districts. We measured mercury using EPA method 7473 and PCBs using a commercially available ELISA kit. Over 97% of samples were below the Environmental Protection Agency levels of concern for both mercury and PCBs. Mercury and PCBs have different spatial dynamics, but both differ significantly by water body, suggesting that seafood safety recommendations should occur by water body instead of at the national scale. This finding supports previous research suggesting that differences in water chemistry, terrestrial influence, and flushing time in a particular water body control the contaminant load in locally resident species.

  8. Environmental and Genetic Factors Regulating Localization of the Plant Plasma Membrane H+-ATPase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Haruta, Miyoshi; Tan, Li Xuan; Bushey, Daniel B; Swanson, Sarah J; Sussman, Michael R

    2018-01-01

    A P-type H + -ATPase is the primary transporter that converts ATP to electrochemical energy at the plasma membrane of higher plants. Its product, the proton-motive force, is composed of an electrical potential and a pH gradient. Many studies have demonstrated that this proton-motive force not only drives the secondary transporters required for nutrient uptake, but also plays a direct role in regulating cell expansion. Here, we have generated a transgenic Arabidopsis ( Arabidopsis thaliana ) plant expressing H + -ATPase isoform 2 (AHA2) that is translationally fused with a fluorescent protein and examined its cellular localization by live-cell microscopy. Using a 3D imaging approach with seedlings grown for various times under a variety of light intensities, we demonstrate that AHA2 localization at the plasma membrane of root cells requires light. In dim light conditions, AHA2 is found in intracellular compartments, in addition to the plasma membrane. This localization profile was age-dependent and specific to cell types found in the transition zone located between the meristem and elongation zones. The accumulation of AHA2 in intracellular compartments is consistent with reduced H + secretion near the transition zone and the suppression of root growth. By examining AHA2 localization in a knockout mutant of a receptor protein kinase, FERONIA, we found that the intracellular accumulation of AHA2 in the transition zone is dependent on a functional FERONIA-dependent inhibitory response in root elongation. Overall, this study provides a molecular underpinning for understanding the genetic, environmental, and developmental factors influencing root growth via localization of the plasma membrane H + -ATPase. © 2018 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

  9. EPA Region 1 Environmentally Sensitive Areas

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — This coverage represents polygon equivalents of environmentally sensitive areas (ESA) in EPA Region I. ESAs were developed as part of an EPA headquarters initiative...

  10. Annual Site Environmental Report Calendar Year 2005

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dan Kayser

    2005-01-01

    This report summarizes the environmental status of Ames Laboratory for calendar year 2005. It includes descriptions of the Laboratory site, its mission, the status of its compliance with applicable environmental regulations, its planning and activities to maintain compliance, and a comprehensive review of its environmental protection, surveillance and monitoring activities. Ames Laboratory is located on the campus of Iowa State University (ISU) and occupies 11 buildings owned by the Department of Energy (DOE). See the Laboratory's Web page at www.external.ameslab.gov for locations and Laboratory overview. The Laboratory also leases space in ISU owned buildings. In 2005, the Laboratory accumulated and disposed of waste under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued generator numbers. All waste is handled accordingly to all applicable EPA, State, Local and DOE Orders. The most recent RCRA inspection was conducted by EPA Region VII in January 1999. The Laboratory received a notice of violation (NOV) which included five citations. There have been no inspections since then. The citations were minor and were corrected by the Laboratory within the time allocated by the EPA. See correspondence in Appendix D. The Laboratory was in compliance with all applicable federal, state, local and DOE regulations and orders in 2005. There were no radiological air emissions or exposures to the general public due to Laboratory activities in 2005. See U.S. Department of Energy Air Emissions Annual Report in Appendix B. Pollution awareness, waste minimization and recycling programs were implemented in 1990 and updated in 2003. Included in these efforts were battery and CRT recycling, waste white paper and green computer paper-recycling. Ames Laboratory also recycles/reuses salvageable metal, used oil, styrofoam peanuts, batteries, CRTs, fluorescent lamps and telephone books. Ames Laboratory reported to DOE-CH, through the Laboratory's Self Assessment Report, on its Affirmative

  11. Environmental impact of fossil fuel utilization in the thermal power plant

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ghasem D Najafpour; Seyed Jafar Mehdizadeh; Abdul Rahman Mohamed

    2000-01-01

    Carbon dioxide causes green house effect, has been considered as a pollutant source of our safe environment. Since combustion of fossil fuel may create tremendous amount of carbon dioxide, detecting any pollutant sources would be important to eliminate the pollution sources. Evaluation of smoke dispersion that has been generated by a power plant utilizing fossil fuel is the objective of this paper. The concentration of NO, and SO, in the soil, have been analyzed from a distance of 3 to 4 km far from power plant. The experimental results shown. that the concentration of toxic gases was a little above the international standards. Replacement of fossil fuel by natural gas caused NO, concentration to be developed in the atmosphere, therefore usage of natural gas is limited by environmental protection agencies. Beside the nuclear power plant, the power generated by other sources. are limited. Electric power generated by water dam is not a major contribution of electric power demand. Therefore generation of electricity by any other energy sources, which are friendly to the environment, is recommended. Other sources of energy, such as wind power, solar energy, geothermal, ocean thennal and renewable source of energy can be considered safe for the environment. The goal of environmental management system would be to meet the minimum requirements were established and demanded by the local environmental protection agency or international standard organization (ISO-14000). (Author)

  12. What matters 2010. Annual report of the Federal Environment Agency

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2010-04-27

    The annual report under consideration of the Federal Environment Agency (Dessau-Rosslau, Federal Republic of Germany) reports on the following themes: (1) Future mobility - Today's best investment; (2) Environmental protection - A barrier to investment for agriculture ?; (3) Emissions trading - The engine of climate policy ?; (4) The Federal Environment Agency (Departmental research, credo, organisation, data and facts, publications).

  13. Joint federal research and development process to meet state and local needs. Part 1. Science and technology and political decision making

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wise, H F; Smith, L K; Einsweiler, R C; Jensen, D E

    1980-10-01

    This part of the handbook addresses the basic how to do it - how states and local governments can identify complex and cross-cutting issues and develop and manage scientific and technical resources in seeking policy solutions to such issues. The following subjects are discussed: background statement of the issue; the research/decision-making process; defining problems and identifying research components; research and decision-making strategies; how to identify existing knowledge or ongoing research in the area of policy concern; and managing multi-disciplinary research. The fourteen agencies involved in this effort include: US Departments of Energy, Agriculture, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Environmental Protection Agency, and National Science Foundation. (PSB)

  14. Nevada Test Site annual site environmental report for calendar year 1996

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Black, S.C.; Townsend, Y.E.

    1997-10-01

    Monitoring and surveillance on and around the Nevada Test Site (NTS) by US Department of Energy (DOE) contractors and NTS user organizations during 1996 indicated that operations on the NTS were conducted in compliance with applicable DOE, state, and federal regulations and guidelines. All discharges of radioactive liquids remained onsite in containment ponds, and there was no indication of potential migration of radioactivity to the offsite area through groundwater. Surveillance around the NTS indicated that airborne radioactivity from diffusion, evaporation of liquid effluents, or resuspension of soil was not detectable offsite, and exposure above background to members of the offsite population was not measured by the offsite monitoring program. Using the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Clean Air Package 1988 (CAP88)PC model and NTS radionuclide emissions and environmental monitoring data, the calculated effective dose equivalent (EDE) to the maximally exposed individual offsite would have been 0.11 mrem. This value is less than 2 percent of the federal dose limit prescribed for radionuclide air emissions. Any person receiving this dose would also have received 144 mrem from natural background radiation. There were no nonradiological releases to the offsite area. Hazardous wastes were shipped offsite to approved disposal facilities. Compliance with the various regulations stemming from the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is being achieved and, where mandated, permits for air and water effluents and waste management have been obtained from the appropriate agencies. Cooperation with other agencies has resulted in seven different consent orders and agreements. Support facilities at off-NTS locations have complied with the requirements of air quality permits and state or local wastewater discharge and hazardous waste permits as mandated for each location

  15. 75 FR 39256 - Notice of Open Meeting of the Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-08

    ...: June 22, 2010. Joshua Baylson, Associate Chief Financial Officer, Office of the Chief Financial Officer... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY [FRL-9172-5] Notice of Open Meeting of the Environmental Financial... States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Environmental Financial Advisory Board (EFAB) will hold an...

  16. Corrective Action Decision Document, Area 15 Environmental Protection Agency Farm Laboratory Building, Corrective Action Unit No. 95, Revision 0

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    1997-08-18

    This report is the Corrective Action Decision Document (CADD) for the Nevada Test Site (NTS) Area 15 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Farm, Laboratory Building (Corrective Action Unit [CAU] No. 95), at the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada. The scope of this CADD is to identify and evaluate potential corrective action alternatives for the decommissioning and decontamination (D and D) of the Laboratory Building, which were selected based on the results of investigative activities. Based on this evaluation, a preferred corrective action alternative is recommended. Studies were conducted at the EPA Farm from 1963 to 1981 to determine the animal intake and retention of radionuclides. The main building, the Laboratory Building, has approximately 370 square meters (4,000 square feet) of operational space. Other CAUS at the EPA Farm facility that will be investigated and/or remediated through other environmental restoration subprojects are not included in this CADD, with the exception of housekeeping sites. Associated structures that do not require classification as CAUS are considered in the evaluation of corrective action alternatives for CAU 95.

  17. Corrective Action Decision Document, Area 15 Environmental Protection Agency Farm Laboratory Building, Corrective Action Unit No. 95, Revision 0

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1997-01-01

    This report is the Corrective Action Decision Document (CADD) for the Nevada Test Site (NTS) Area 15 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Farm, Laboratory Building (Corrective Action Unit [CAU] No. 95), at the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada. The scope of this CADD is to identify and evaluate potential corrective action alternatives for the decommissioning and decontamination (D and D) of the Laboratory Building, which were selected based on the results of investigative activities. Based on this evaluation, a preferred corrective action alternative is recommended. Studies were conducted at the EPA Farm from 1963 to 1981 to determine the animal intake and retention of radionuclides. The main building, the Laboratory Building, has approximately 370 square meters (4,000 square feet) of operational space. Other CAUS at the EPA Farm facility that will be investigated and/or remediated through other environmental restoration subprojects are not included in this CADD, with the exception of housekeeping sites. Associated structures that do not require classification as CAUS are considered in the evaluation of corrective action alternatives for CAU 95

  18. Extracting local information from crowds through betting markets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weijs, Steven

    2015-04-01

    In this research, a set-up is considered in which users can bet against a forecasting agency to challenge their probabilistic forecasts. From an information theory standpoint, a reward structure is considered that either provides the forecasting agency with better information, paying the successful providers of information for their winning bets, or funds excellent forecasting agencies through users that think they know better. Especially for local forecasts, the approach may help to diagnose model biases and to identify local predictive information that can be incorporated in the models. The challenges and opportunities for implementing such a system in practice are also discussed.

  19. 76 FR 4343 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Contractor...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-25

    ...; Contractor Conflicts of Interest AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: In... control numbers in certain EPA regulations is consolidated in 40 CFR part 9. Abstract: EPA contractors... cleanup and enforcement and because its contractors are often involved in both activities, it is...

  20. Environmental services in Zavidovici (Bosnia Herzegovina): current situation and proposals for intervention-Part 1.: Drinking water treatment and distribution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vaccari, M.; Collivignarelli, C.; Vitali, F.

    2009-01-01

    The state of the environment in Bosnia Herzegovina, already compromised before the war by the development of heavy industry, worsened after the conflict. The country is facing difficult issues in the supply of environmental services, which have recently been overlooked with regard to full coverage of the territory with adequate infrastructures and appropriate management of the existing ones. Several years ago CeTAmb started collaborating with the Local Democracy Agency in Zavidovici and local institutions: within that cooperation a survey of environmental services (water supply, wastewater collection and treatment, solid waste management) supplied to the municipal territory was implemented. The first part of the paper presents the different issues, and relative improvement solutions proposed, resulting from an analysis of the water supply infrastructures, with regard to both quantity and quality. [it

  1. The fog of war: Why the environmental crusade for anadromous fish species in California could disarm the State’s local vector control districts in their war against mosquitoes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephen M. Siptroth

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available In California, local mosquito and vector control districts have successfully controlled mosquito and vector-borne diseases by improving drainage patterns and applying pesticides. The Bay-Delta Conservation Plan, which is a proposed habitat conservation plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay-Delta estuary, proposes to add over 70,000 acres of habitat in the Delta to improve conditions for threatened and endangered aquatic and terrestrial species. This habitat could also be a suitable mosquito breeding habitat, which will be located in close proximity to urban and suburban communities. Wetland management practices and continued pesticide applications in the Delta could mitigate the effects of a new mosquito breeding habitat. Recent legal developments, however, require districts to obtain and comply with Clean Water Act permits, which restrict the application of pesticides in or near waters of the United States. Moreover, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has taken the first step in a rulemaking process that could further limit or prohibit the use of certain vector control pesticides in the Delta. In the near term and until less harmful methods for mosquito control are available, local vector control districts’ application of mosquito control pesticides should be exempt from Clean Water Act permit requirements.

  2. Present status of marine environmental radioactivity survey in the sea of Japan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuoka, H.

    1994-01-01

    Science and Technology Agency has been conducting some Marine Environmental Radioactivity Surveys around Japan in cooperation with the relevant organizations (Maritime Safety Agency, Japan Meteorological Agency, Fishery Agency, National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Japan Marine Science and Technology Center, Japan Chemical Analysis Center and Marine Ecology Research Institute). Several artificial radionuclides have been detected but the main origin is supposed to be fall-out. The level trend of marine environmental radioactivity has no anomalies excepting the effect of Chernobyl Accident. The data summarized here are as follows. 1. Marine Environmental Survey of Fisheries near the Nuclear Power Stations, 2. Past Data of Marine Environmental Radioactivity around Japan (Apr. 1982 - Mar. 1991), 3. Marine Environmental Survey of the Sea of Japan (spring, 1993), 4. Marine Environmental Survey of the Sea of Japan (autumn, 1993). In addition, JAPAN-KOREA-RUSSIA JOINT EXPEDITION in the Sea of Japan will start in the middle of March. We are expecting to get valuable data through the EXPEDITION. (J.P.N.)

  3. ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY VERIFICATION REPORT, ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION SUPPORT SOFTWARE, UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE RESEARCH CORPORATION, SPATIAL ANALYSIS AND DECISION ASSISTANCE (SADA)

    Science.gov (United States)

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has created the Environmental Technology Verification Program (ETV) to facilitate the deployment of innovative or improved environmental technologies through performance verification and dissemination of information. The goal of the...

  4. 43 CFR 46.155 - Consultation, coordination, and cooperation with other agencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-10-01

    ... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Consultation, coordination, and... Interior IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT OF 1969 Protection and Enhancement of Environmental Quality § 46.155 Consultation, coordination, and cooperation with other agencies. The Responsible...

  5. 76 FR 24476 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; National Volatile...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-05-02

    ... are manufacturers, distributors, and importers of aerosol coatings. These affected entities fall within the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 32551, ``Paint and Coating... Aerosol Coatings AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: In compliance...

  6. Environmental Impact Analysis Process. Final Environmental Assessment Construction and Operation of Revised PACBAR III Radar Station Saipan, CNMI

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    1987-01-01

    ...). Many project design features have already incorporated environmental concerns. In addition, discussions with Saipan environmental agencies have resulted in mitigation measures, which have been added to the design...

  7. 1999 environmental monitoring report for the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, Pittsburgh Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2000-01-01

    The 1999 results for the Bettis-Pittsburgh radiological and nonradiological environmental monitoring programs are presented. The results demonstrate that the existing procedures ensured that releases to the environment during 1999 were in accordance with applicable Federal, State, County, and local regulations. Evaluation of the environmental data indicates that current operations at the Site continue to have no adverse effect on human health and the quality of the environment. A conservative assessment of radiation exposure to the general public as a result of Site operations demonstrates that the dose received by any member of the public was well below the most restrictive dose limits established by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the US Department of Energy. A risk assessment of potentially exposed populations to chemical residues in the environment at the Site demonstrates that these residues do not pose any significant risk to human health or the environment

  8. 1997 environmental monitoring report for the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory, Pittsburgh Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1997-01-01

    The 1997 results for the Bettis-Pittsburgh radiological and nonradiological environmental monitoring programs are presented. The results demonstrate that the existing procedures ensured that releases to the environment during 1997 were in accordance with applicable Federal, State, County, and local regulations. Evaluation of the environmental data indicates tat current operations at the Site continue to have no adverse effect on human health and the quality of the environment. A conservative assessment of radiation exposure to the general public as a result of Site operations demonstrates that the dose received by any member of the public was well below the most restrictive dose limits established by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the US Department of Energy. A risk assessment of potentially exposed populations to chemical residues in the environment at the Site demonstrates that these residues do not pose any significant risk to human health or the environment

  9. WLAN versus LAN - environmental impacts of small and medium sized local area networks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hottenroth, H.; Quack, D. [Oeko-Inst. e.V., Inst. for Applied Ecology, Freiburg (Germany); Sustainable Products and Material Flows Div., Freiburg (Germany)

    2004-07-01

    In the study presented here the environmental impacts of the infrastructure and the use of wireless LAN are investigated and compared to wired LAN. In order to determine if and under which conditions WLAN shows environmental benefits a comparison with a wired LAN was drawn on the basis of three exemplary applications. The environmental impacts of the life cycle of these applications were assessed using the method of LCA. The investigated systems include the production, the operation of the networks and their end of life stage. The three applications under investigation were the following: application 1: a peer-to-peer connection of two computers; application 2: a small network consisting of three computers like it is used in households and small offices (SOHO) and application 3: an office network consisting of 20 computers. The results showed no significant differences between the two alternatives for the applications 1 and 2 taking into account cumulative energy demand, global warming potential, acidification potential and photochemical oxidation potential as impact categories. In contrast to this a significant advantage for the wireless solution could be identified for the third application. Concerning electronic waste-arise, the wireless solution is advantageous for all three applications. From the results recommendations for equipment options, net structure, and use behaviour of local area networks are derived. (orig.)

  10. 77 FR 45604 - Notification of Two Public Teleconferences of the Science Advisory Board; Environmental Economics...

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-08-01

    ... Science Advisory Board; Environmental Economics Advisory Committee AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency...) Staff Office announces two public teleconferences of the SAB Environmental Economics Advisory Committee...., notice is hereby given that the SAB Environmental Economics Advisory Committee (EEAC) will hold public...

  11. Local Sustainability and Gender Ratio: Evaluating the Impacts of Mining and Tourism on Sustainable Development in Yunnan, China

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Ganlin; Ali, Saleem

    2015-01-01

    This study employed rapid evaluation methods to investigate how the leading industries of mining and tourism impact sustainability as manifest through social, economic and environmental dimensions in Yunnan, China. Within the social context, we also consider the differentiated impact on gender ratio—which is a salient feature of sustained development trajectories. Our results indicate that mining areas performed better than tourism areas in economic aspects but fell behind in social development, especially regarding the issue of gender balance. Conclusions on environmental status cannot be drawn due to a lack of data.  The results from the environmental indicators are mixed. Our study demonstrates that rapid evaluation using currently available data can provide a means of greater understanding regarding local sustainability and highlights areas that need attention from policy makers, agencies and academia. PMID:25607602

  12. Local Sustainability and Gender Ratio: Evaluating the Impacts of Mining and Tourism on Sustainable Development in Yunnan, China

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ganlin Huang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available This study employed rapid evaluation methods to investigate how the leading industries of mining and tourism impact sustainability as manifest through social, economic and environmental dimensions in Yunnan, China. Within the social context, we also consider the differentiated impact on gender ratio—which is a salient feature of sustained development trajectories. Our results indicate that mining areas performed better than tourism areas in economic aspects but fell behind in social development, especially regarding the issue of gender balance. Conclusions on environmental status cannot be drawn due to a lack of data.  The results from the environmental indicators are mixed. Our study demonstrates that rapid evaluation using currently available data can provide a means of greater understanding regarding local sustainability and highlights areas that need attention from policy makers, agencies and academia.

  13. Local sustainability and gender ratio: evaluating the impacts of mining and tourism on sustainable development in Yunnan, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Ganlin; Ali, Saleem

    2015-01-19

    This study employed rapid evaluation methods to investigate how the leading industries of mining and tourism impact sustainability as manifest through social, economic and environmental dimensions in Yunnan, China. Within the social context, we also consider the differentiated impact on gender ratio-which is a salient feature of sustained development trajectories. Our results indicate that mining areas performed better than tourism areas in economic aspects but fell behind in social development, especially regarding the issue of gender balance. Conclusions on environmental status cannot be drawn due to a lack of data.  The results from the environmental indicators are mixed. Our study demonstrates that rapid evaluation using currently available data can provide a means of greater understanding regarding local sustainability and highlights areas that need attention from policy makers, agencies and academia.

  14. Population, Environmental, and Community Effects on Local Bank Vole (Myodes glareolus) Puumala Virus Infection in an Area with Low Human Incidence

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tersago, K; Schreurs, A; Linard, C

    2008-01-01

    In this study, the distribution of Puumala hantavirus (PUUV) infection in local bank vole Myodes glareolus populations in an area with low human PUUV infection (nephropathia epidemica [NE]) incidence in northern Belgium was monitored for 2 consecutive years. Bank voles were trapped in preferred h...... activity patterns, local environmental conditions and rodent community structure are also likely to play a role in determining PUUV infection risk for humans....... habitat and tested for anti-PUUV IgG. Infection data were related to individual bank vole features, population demography, and environmental variables. Rare occurrence of PUUV infection was found and PUUV prevalence was low compared with data from the high NE incidence area in southern Belgium. Small...

  15. Non-volant mammals recorded in environmental evaluation studies in southern Brazil

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jorge J. Cherem

    2005-11-01

    Full Text Available Studies to evaluate environmental impacts have become both a need and a requirement of environmental agencies due to great alteration of the native environments provoked by man. Many of these studies are short-termed, but reporting the acquired data is very important in order to increase knowledge about specific biotic groups. Thus, this paper presents the results of the non-volant mammal surveys arising from seven environmental studies in southern Brazil. The following methodologies were employed: (1 interviews with local residents; (2 visual observations and recording; (3 identification of vestiges; and (4 capture with live traps. A total of 46 mammal species were recorded (5 marsupials, 4 xenarthrans, 2 primates, 13 carnivores, 2 artiodactylans, 2 lagomorphs and 18 rodents. Some species, such as the jaguar (Panthera onca, giant otter (Pteronura brasiliensis, Brazilian tapir (Tapirus terrestris and white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari, are possibly extinct or seriously threatened. The records obtained and the possibilities of the occurrence of other species are discussed.

  16. RadNet (Environmental Radiation Ambient Monitoring System)

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — RadNet, formerly Environmental Radiation Ambient Monitoring System (ERAMS), is a national network of monitoring stations that regularly collect air, precipitation,...

  17. Multicultural development in human services agencies: challenges and solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hyde, Cheryl A

    2004-01-01

    Comprehensive multicultural organizational development (MCOD) is increasingly necessary in human services agencies. This article presents results from an exploratory study that identified challenges and solutions to MCOD, against the backdrop of daily realities of agency life. The author conducted interviews with 20 consultants and 20 practitioners experienced in MCOD. Qualitative analysis revealed four challenges--socioeconomic environment, organizational dynamics, conceptualization of the change effort, and consultant competence; and four solutions--collaborative environmental relations, leadership development, assessment and planning, and consultant selection. Results suggest the complexities of MCOD and ways that human services agencies can sustain such efforts.

  18. 40 CFR 33.406 - May a recipient designate a lead agency for fair share objective negotiation purposes?

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false May a recipient designate a lead agency for fair share objective negotiation purposes? 33.406 Section 33.406 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY GRANTS AND OTHER FEDERAL ASSISTANCE PARTICIPATION BY DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISES IN UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL...

  19. 75 FR 74044 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Gasoline Volatility

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-11-30

    ...; Gasoline Volatility AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: In compliance... entities: Entities potentially affected by this action are those who produce or import gasoline containing... Additives: Gasoline Volatility, Reporting Requirements for Parties Which Produce of Import Gasoline...

  20. 40 CFR 227.4 - Criteria for evaluating environmental impact.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-07-01

    ... impact. 227.4 Section 227.4 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) OCEAN... Impact § 227.4 Criteria for evaluating environmental impact. This subpart B sets specific environmental... of direct environmental impact. ...

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