Appraising the role of relationships between regulators and consultants for effective EIA

The role of relationships between regulators and consultants engaged in environmental impact assessment (EIA) is explored. A Partnering Agreement between Western Australian regulators and consultants gave rise to a survey and interviews with representatives of these EIA practitioners to understand levels of cooperation between them and ways to improve EIA practice locally. A mixture of quantitative and qualitative responses are presented with an emphasis on practitioner comments reproduced in their own words and ‘voice’. The results suggest that while relationships are strained because of staff resources and levels of expertise brought about by a major resource boom in recent years, there is a great desire for cooperation and collaboration. Greater clarification and understanding of each stakeholder's purpose and role in the EIA process along with opportunities for EIA practitioners to interact, communicate and socialise are identified as positive ways forward. The value of establishing the relatively simple Partnering Agreement approach is demonstrated and is put forward as something that practitioners internationally might equally benefit from as a means of improving the effectiveness of EIA practice.     

Transition to Lead-Free Products in the US Electronics Industry: A Model of Environmental,Technical, and Economic Preferences

The European Union’s Restriction on the Use of Certain Hazardous Substances (Directive 2002/95/EC) targeted at electronic products took effect in 2006. In contrast, the USA has no comparable national policy on these products. To understand corporate responses to policy differences across jurisdictions, we conducted a structured-questionnaire survey of individuals in 109 companies that are representative of the US electronics industry. The results reveal that 70% of these companies have already adopted lead-free solder for electronics with 49% of the total preferring the SnAgCu formulation, despite uncertainties associated with environmental impacts of this alternative alloy. We use a modified life cycle impact assessment method based on endpoint modeling approach to derive weighting factors that represent the respondents’ value system for tradeoffs among environmental impacts. We use a modified fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution approach to evaluate technical criteria dominance in declared preferences. A statistical model of corporate behavior is also presented. The results provide the first systematic framework that accounts for environmental impact, technological challenge, and business strategy concurrently toward formulating a comprehensive national policy for materials selection in electronic products.     

关于环境监测社会化的调查与思考

环境监测社会化在我国还处于探索阶段,社会化的根本目的是有序引入社会力量共同参与,提供更多、更好的监测服务。为此,环境监测社会化应坚持政府主导、社会参与的总体格局,引导环保监测机构重点强化环境监测网络运行管理、技术标准研发制定、监督性或执法性监测、环境质量预报预警及污染事故应急监测、监测数据质量控制及汇总分析等职能,同时因地制宜地确定环境监测社会化区域策略,严格规范社会检测的行为,确保监测市场有序开放、公平竞争、风险可控。     

Analysis of spatial-temporal association and factors influencing environmental pollution incidents in China

Environmental risk refers to the possibility of environmental pollution events caused by natural causes or human activities. Environmental risks are transmitted through environmental media and can have destructive effects on human society and the natural environment. Understanding the current status and characteristics of environmental risks can effectively prevent and control environmental risks, which is essential for establishing the safety of ecological systems. Although many scholars have studied the environmental risk characteristics of different enterprises or regional scales and proposed corresponding control methods. However, the study of environmental risk characteristics in the national scale is still insufficient, which affects the accuracy of large-scale environmental impact assessment (EIA) and is not conducive to the formulation of the large-scale environmental management system. This paper attempts to use spatial statistical methods and geographically weighted regression (GWR) models to study the temporal and spatial evolution trends of environmental events in China and the spatial correlation characteristics of influencing factors and environmental events in different regions. The research results show that the focus of China's environmental risk is continuously shifting. At present, environmental pollution incidents are concentrated in the western region, and their spatial correlation with influencing factors varies from region to region. Spatial statistical analysis can help us understand the spatial characteristics of risk and identify the interrelationships of environmental risks in different areas. Therefore, spatial statistical analysis can provide a scientific basis for macro decision-making of large regional EIA and environmental risk management. In the future, it is recommended that the focus of environmental events in different regions should be different to reduce the risk of environmental events in China.     

Multivariate Analysis of Interactions Between Phytoplankton Biomass and Environmental Variables in Taihu Lake, China

Phytoplankton variation in large shallow eutrophic lakes is characterized by high spatial and temporal heterogenity. Understanding the pattern of phytoplankton variation and the relationships between it and environmental variables can contribute to eutrophic lakes management. In this study Taihu Lake, one of the largest eutrophic fresh water lake in China, was taken as study area. The water body of Taihu Lake was divided into five regions viz. Wuli bay (WB), Meilian Bay (MB), West Taihu Lake (WTL), Main Body of Taihu Lake (MBTL) and East Taihu Lake (ETL). Concentrations of chlorophyll-a and the related environmental variables were determined in each region in the period 2000–2003. Factor analysis and multivariate analysis were applied to evaluate the interactions between phytoplankton variation and environmental variables. Results showed that the highest average concentrations of TN, TP and Chl-a were observed in WB, followed in a descending order by MB and WTL, and the lowest concentrations of TN, TP and Chl-a were observed in MBTL and ETL. Chl-a and TP concentrations in most regions (except ETL) declined during the study period. It suggested that to some extent the lake was recovering from eutrophication. However, persistent ascending of TN and NH₄–N in all five regions indicated the deteriorating of water quality in the study period. Results of multivariate showed that the relationships between phytoplankton biomass and environmental variables varied among regions. TP illustrated itself a controlling role on phytoplankton in WB, MB, WTL and MBTL according to the significant positive relations to phytoplankton biomass in these regions. Nitrogen could be identified as a limiting factor to phytoplankton biomass in ETL in view of the positive correlations between TN and phytoplankton and between NH₄–N and phytoplankton. Spatial variation of interactions between phytoplankton and environmental parameters suggested proper eutrophication control measures were needed to restore ecological system in each region of Taihu Lake.     

Planning effective industrial liquid waste controls in developing nations

The environmental planning principles described in this study address a problem which many developing nations face at some point along their industrialization process; alarming levels of water pollution, and limited background, expertize and organization to combat it effectively.A rapid pollution assessment methodology has been recently developed [1], [2], [3] enabling such countries to conduct valuable waste source inventories within reasonable time, with few people and little support. The present study describes how to use such inventory data in order to derive high priority waste control measures, formulate an effective national strategy for industrial waste control, organize meaningful industrial effluent survey and water monitoring programs, as well as lay down a rational land-use planning policy for industrial expansion.     

An integrated assessment modeling framework for assessing primary and secondary impacts from carbon dioxide stabilization scenarios

As the nations of the world negotiate future controls on greenhouse gas emissions, a critical environmental policy issue becomes understanding the multiple environmental consequences of these controls. Here we describe an integrated assessment model for quantifying multiple environmental impacts of large-scale environmental initiatives and apply this model to climate change mitigation. Our analysis shows that reductions in global warming will be accompanied by reductions in ozone depletion, acid rain and mercury emissions, and desulfurization waste generation. We also conclude that the largest collateral benefits from reducing global climate change may be in the developing world. This result is critical since it is the developing nations who ultimately control the long-term success of any climate stabilization strategy. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

中国的水环境状况及对策

引用翔实的资料，分析了概括了目前中国水环境面临的主要问题是水体污染、水资源短缺和旱涝灾害。指出了解决我国水环境问题的以考仪表 实施水资源管理和污染控制的可持续发展战略。     

论中国环境监测发展战略

介绍了中国环境监测的发展历程,分析了中国环境监测发展面临的压力,提出了中国环境监测的发展战略和实现战略目标的保障措施.     

The influence of actor capacities on EIA system performance in low and middle income countries —Cases from Georgia and Ghana

In this paper, we aim to better understand the factors that contribute to the substantive performance of EIA systems in low and middle income countries. Substantive performance is defined as the extent to which the EIA process contributes to the EIA objectives for the long term, namely environmental protection or, even more ambitious, sustainable development. We have therefore developed a conceptual model in which we focus on the key actors in the EIA system, the proponent and the EIA authority and their level of ownership as a key capacity to measure their performance, and we distinguish procedural performance and some contextual factors. This conceptual model is then verified and refined for the EIA phase and the EIA follow-up phase (permitting, monitoring and enforcement) by means of 12 case studies from Ghana (four cases) and Georgia (eight cases), both lower–middle income countries. We observe that in most cases the level of substantive performance increases during the EIA phase but drops during the EIA follow-up phase, and as a result only five out of 12 operational cases are in compliance with permit conditions or national environmental standards. We conclude, firstly that ownership of the proponent is the most important factor explaining the level of substantive performance; the higher the proponent's level of ownership the higher the level of substantive performance. The influence of the EIA authority on substantive performance is limited. Secondly, the influence of procedural performance on substantive performance seems less important than expected in the EIA phase but more important during the EIA follow-up phase.In order to improve substantive performance we learned two lessons. Firstly, increasing the proponent's level of ownership seems obvious, but direct change is probably difficult. However, where international finance institutes are involved they can increase ownership. Despite the limited influence of the EIA authority, a proactive strategy of, for example, working together with international finance institutes has a slightly larger influence than a reactive strategy.     

Deliberative assessment in complex socioecological systems: recommendations for environmental assessment in drylands

Desertification is a complex process, characterised not only by a damaged ecology but also by conflict over access to scarce resources and trade-offs between the needs of multiple stakeholders at multiple scales. As such, orthodox approaches to environmental assessment in drylands, which rely solely on ecological expertise, are gradually losing legitimacy and greater attention is being given to integrated and participatory assessment approaches, which draw on multiple sources of knowledge in order to accurately describe complex socioecological processes. Moreover, there is growing recognition that successful management of desertification requires a strategy that can accommodate the multiple and often competing needs of contemporary and future stakeholders. In light of these conceptual advances, this paper highlights seven key criteria that dryland environmental assessments must meet: (1) accurately understand complex socioecological system processes, (2) focus on slow variables, (3) integrate multiple scales of analysis, (4) integrate multiple stakeholder perspectives and values, (5) ensure that future generations are fairly represented, (6) ensure that less powerful stakeholders are fairly represented and (7) integrate local and scientific knowledge. The virtues and challenges of deliberative environmental assessments, a novel subset of participatory environmental assessment approaches which places emphasis on social learning, argumentation and critical reflection, are considered in relation to each of these requirements. We argue that deliberative approaches have the potential to achieve accurate, progressive and integrated assessment of dryland environments.     

论水污染物排放统计指标体系

水污染物排放统计指标体系包括水污染物排放统计指标以及排放管理指标,统计对象主要是规模以上点源。实施统计的污染源的规模应当是全国统一的。统计指标区分为指标、主要参数和辅助参数,既便于理解也便于管理;将排放指标细化为污染源排放量、入河排放量和通量使得排放概念更加清晰,有利于水环境管理。对入河排放量和污染源排放量的比较,可以确定纳入统计范围的污染源的代表性,对通量和入河排放量的比较可以推断非点源污染物排放状况。以流域为单元的,以通量、入河排放量和污染源排放量为主要概念的排放统计管理方式,有助于提高流域水污染防治的确定性和一致性。     

An environmental pressure index proposal for urban development planning based on the analytic network process

This paper introduces a new approach to prioritize urban planning projects according to their environmental pressure in an efficient and reliable way. It is based on the combination of three procedures: (i) the use of environmental pressure indicators, (ii) the aggregation of the indicators in an Environmental Pressure Index by means of the Analytic Network Process method (ANP) and (iii) the interpretation of the information obtained from the experts during the decision-making process.The method has been applied to a proposal for urban development of La Carlota airport in Caracas (Venezuela). There are three options which are currently under evaluation. They include a Health Club, a Residential Area and a Theme Park. After a selection process the experts chose the following environmental pressure indicators as ANP criteria for the project life cycle: used land area, population density, energy consumption, water consumption and waste generation. By using goal-oriented questionnaires designed by the authors, the experts determined the importance of the criteria, the relationships among criteria, and the relationships between the criteria and the urban development alternatives.The resulting data showed that water consumption is the most important environmental pressure factor, and the Theme Park project is by far the urban development alternative which exerts the least environmental pressure on the area. The participating experts coincided in appreciating the technique proposed in this paper is useful and, for ranking ordering these alternatives, an improvement from traditional techniques such as environmental impact studies, life-cycle analysis, etc.     

A mobile monitoring system to understand the processes controlling episodic events in Corpus Christi Bay

Corpus Christi Bay (TX, USA) is a shallow wind-driven bay and thereby, can be characterized as a highly pulsed system. It cycles through various episodic events such as hypoxia, water column stratification, sediment resuspension, flooding, etc. Understanding of the processes that control these events requires an efficient observation system that can measure various hydrodynamic and water quality parameters at the multitude of spatial and temporal scales of interest. As part of our effort to implement an efficient observation system for Corpus Christi Bay, a mobile monitoring system was developed that can acquire and visualize data measured by various submersible sensors on an undulating tow-body deployed behind a research vessel. Along with this system, we have installed a downward-looking Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler to measure the vertical profile of water currents. Real-time display of each measured parameter intensity (measured value relative to a pre-set peak value) guides in selecting the transect route to capture the event of interest. In addition, large synchronized datasets measured by this system provide an opportunity to understand the processes that control various episodic events in the bay. To illustrate the capability of this system, datasets from two research cruises are presented in this paper that help to clarify processes inducing an inverse estuary condition at the mouth of the ship channel and hypoxia at the bottom of the bay. These measured datasets can also be used to drive numerical models to understand various environmental phenomena that control the water quality of the bay.     

Evaluating the environmental sustainability of biomass-based energy strategy: Using an impact matrix framework

A roadmap for a more sustainable energy strategy is complex, as its development interacts critically with the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development. This paper applied an impact matrix method to evaluate the environmental sustainability and to identify the desirable policy objectives of biomass-based energy strategy for the case of Alberta. A matrix with the sustainability domains on one axis and areas of environmental impact on the other was presented to evaluate the nexus effect of policy objectives and bioenergy production.As per to our analysis, economic diversification, technological innovation, and resource conservation came up as the desirable policy objectives of sustainable development for Alberta because they demonstrated environmental benefits in all environmental impact categories, namely climate change, human health, and ecosystem. On the other hand, human health and ecosystem impacts were identified as trade-offs when the policy objectives for sustainability were energy security, job creation, and climate change. Thus, bioenergy can mitigate climate change but may impact human health and ecosystem which then in turn can become issues of concern. Energy strategies may result in shifting of risks from one environmental impact category to another, and from one sustainable domain to another if the technical and policy-related issues are not identified.     

梅梁湖水体浮游植物与环境因子的关系

根据2008年的4月—11月梅梁湖水域应急监测数据,探讨了梅梁湖水体浮游植物与环境因子的关系。相关性分析结果表明,蓝绿藻含量与TP、pH值和DO呈极显著正相关;与TN、SD和EC呈极显著负相关;与NH3-N呈显著负相关。多元逐步回归分析结果表明,梅梁湖浮游植物生长受多个环境因子的共同影响,但主要为TP、TN、水温和风速。     

A systems approach to modeling Community-Based Environmental Monitoring: a case of participatory water quality monitoring in rural Mexico

Community-Based Environmental Monitoring (CBM) is a social practice that makes a valuable contribution to environmental management and construction of active societies for sustainable future. However, its documentation and analysis show deficiencies that hinder contrast and comparison of processes and effects. Based on systems approach, this article presents a model of CBM to orient assessment of programs, with heuristic or practical goals. In a focal level, the model comprises three components, the social subject, the object of monitoring, and the means of action, and five processes, data management, social learning, assimilation/decision making, direct action, and linking. Emergent properties were also identified in the focal and suprafocal levels considering community self-organization, response capacity, and autonomy for environmental management. The model was applied to the assessment of a CBM program of water quality implemented in rural areas in Mexico. Attributes and variables (indicators) for components, processes, and emergent properties were selected to measure changes that emerged since the program implementation. The assessment of the first 3 years (2010–2012) detected changes that indicated movement towards the expected results, but it revealed also the need to adjust the intervention strategy and procedures. Components and processes of the model reflected relevant aspects of the CBM in real world. The component called means of action as a key element to transit “from the data to the action.” The CBM model offered a conceptual framework with advantages to understand CBM as a socioecological event and to strengthen its implementation under different conditions and contexts.     

Species Distribution Models of Freshwater Stream Fishes in Maryland and Their Implications for Management

Species distribution models (SDMs) are often used in conservation planning, but their utility can be improved by assessing the relationships between environmental and species response variables. We constructed SDMs for 30 stream fishes of Maryland, USA, using watershed attributes as environmental variables and presence/absence as species responses. SDMs showed substantial agreement between observed and predicted values for 17 species. Most important variables were natural attributes (e.g., ecoregion, watershed area, latitude/longitude); land cover (e.g., %impervious, %row crop) was important for three species. Focused analyses on four representative species (central stoneroller, creek chub, largemouth bass, and white sucker) showed the probability of presence of each species increased non-linearly with watershed area. For these species, SDMs built to predict absent, low, and high densities were similar to presence/absence predictions but provided probable locations of high densities (e.g., probability of high-density creek chub decreased rapidly with watershed area). We applied SDMs to predict suitability of watersheds within the study area for each species. Maps of suitability and the environmental and species response relationships can help develop better management plans.     

苏州储备地块土壤污染防治项目监理模式的实践与探讨

阐述了我国土壤污染防治项目监理现状,以苏州储备地块为例,分析了其土壤污染防治项目以环境监理为主,以工程监理为辅,由环境检测单位提供独立监测服务的监理模式的实践特点,以及环境监理、工程监理和环境监测各环节的实施要点。在此基础上,提出了在土壤污染防治项目实施过程中落实监理全覆盖,夯实监理的安全监管责任,以及将环境监理与工程监理有机结合,形成一套有针对性的行业监理规范等建议。