环境维权中的司法鉴定

环境侵权构成要件包括行为违法性、损害事实和因果关系三方面,而侵权能否构成则需要从侵权行为和损害事实之间是否存在前因后果的关系来加以认定。     

加强危险废物污染环境的追责和生态修复

<正>2016年12月22日,河南省洛宁县社会责任促进中心诉铜鑫汞业公司等被告环境污染责任纠纷一案在河南省洛阳市中级人民法院宣判,该案是我国第一起涉及固体废弃物的跨省环境公益诉讼案件。该案对于发挥环境执法司法联动机制在环境公益诉讼中的作用,对环境侵权的因果关系认定和举证责任合理分配,对环境侵权责任的认定及执行等方面具有创新性,将极大地推动危险废物污染环境的追责和生态修复工作的开展。     

环境诉讼维权中的证据问题

为了保障环境维权证据的客观性,需要借助于两方面努力:一方面,当事人努力。一旦出现环境污染损害,当事人需及时取证,并在必要时申请证据保全,尽量收集到侵权发生时的证据;另一方面,技术进步。国家要支持、鼓励、保障医学和司法鉴定技术认定环境侵权因果关系的客观性。     

生态环境损害赔偿诉讼与环境私益诉讼的关系

审视现有规定均未涉及生态环境损害赔偿诉讼与环境私益诉讼的关系。但这两个诉讼同属环境私益诉讼,而法院在审理具体的侵权构成要件事实时,具有逻辑上的一致性,故探究二者的关系确有必要。基于这两个诉讼既有相同点,又有不同点,故当权利主体都提起这两个诉讼,应采取"因果关系共同审理"+"损害额分别认定"的合并审理模式。当权利主体先后提起这两个诉讼,应认可前诉判决中对于相同事实的认定,于后诉具有扩张适用的效力。     

论疫学因果关系推定法在环境犯罪中的运用简

污染型环境犯罪具有复杂、时间长、举证难的特点,运用传统刑法必然因果关系理论难以确定因果关系。疫学因果关系推定法建立在大量的客观统计数据之上,根据四大推定原则来进行因果关系推理,有利于认定污染型环境犯罪的因果关系,但是又存在“高度盖然性”标准不明和容易被主观干扰等缺陷。结合我国实际情况,建议有原则地在污染型环境犯罪中引入疫学因果关系推定。     

论疫学因果关系推定法在环境犯罪中的运用

污染型环境犯罪具有复杂、时间长、举证难的特点,运用传统刑法必然因果关系理论难以确定因果关系。疫学因果关系推定法建立在大量的客观统计数据之上,根据四大推定原则来进行因果关系推理,有利于认定污染型环境犯罪的因果关系,但是又存在"高度盖然性"标准不明和容易被主观干扰等缺陷。结合我国实际情况,建议有原则地在污染型环境犯罪中引入疫学因果关系推定。     

环境监管失职罪的正确认定

结合真实案例探讨了环境监管失职罪的两个难点问题,主张运用监督过失理论认定监督人的预见范围,运用偶然因果关系的理论分析监督人的失职行为与危害结果之间的因果关系。     

环境侵权中纯粹经济损失赔偿标准探析

赔偿标准一直是侵权损害赔偿的症结所在,对环境侵权中纯粹经济损失赔偿标准的探析,是研究环境侵权中纯粹经济损失赔偿机制最基础、最重要的一环。我国立法对环境侵权中纯粹经济损失赔偿标准的规定非常缺乏,亟须规范。在环保意识广泛觉醒的背景下围绕环境侵权中纯粹经济损失赔偿标准的研究,从比较分析的视角对国内外有关环境侵权中纯粹经济损失赔偿标准的考察和规范分析得出:环境侵权中纯粹经济损失的独特性,使得其赔偿标准的建立关键在如何确定赔偿范围和损失计算标准。如此,通过因果关系盖然性考量,明确赔偿标准参考因素,引入环境损害司法鉴定程序,方能破解环境侵权中纯粹经济损失赔偿难题。     

德国环境设备责任制度初探

德国《民法典》确定了一般环境侵权的规则——行为责任,再以《环境责任法》确立了特殊的环境侵权的规则——设备责任。设备侵权是危险责任的一种,其构成要件有两个:设备运营对环境产生不良影响进而导致损害;人身、财产受侵害。设备责任的承担不要求设备运营人的过错。设备责任归责采用因果关系推定原则。     

污染环境侵权行为的认定研究

《侵权责任法》实施后,学说和司法实务在污染环境行为的认定依据方面存在"排污标准说"、"违法或超标排放标准说"以及"损害标准说"之别。鉴于存在污染环境行为系环境污染侵权责任成立的必要和非充分条件,采用"损害标准说"有混同不同责任成立要件之嫌,"违法或超标排放标准"已被侵权责任法和环境保护基本法所放弃,因而,认定污染环境行为宜采用排污标准说,即排污是否获得许可、是否超标均不影响污染环境行为存在的认定。     

非典型环境案件法律适用问题初探

实践中一些非典型环境案件的法律适用问题存在争议。对此,必须明确:生态破坏侵权属于一般侵权行为,应当适用《侵权责任法》对一般侵权行为的规定;家庭生活污染和劳动环境污染属于环境污染,受害者在法律适用上有选择权;室内装修污染不属于环境污染,其责任属于产品责任,不适用环境污染侵权规则。     

由环境污染侵权的特征看环境污染侵权诉讼中的制度设计

我国已经是世界上环境污染最为严重的国家之一,环境污染给人们造成了巨大的侵害,环境污染侵权有不同于传统侵权行为的特征,针对这些特征来设计我国的环境污染侵权诉讼制度,对于防止环境污染的进行和环境污染侵权赔偿具有一定的理论和现实意义.     

试论光污染的有关法律问题

我国有关光污染的立法几乎近于苍白，法院缺乏处理光污染侵害的法律依据，不能充分地维护受侵害人的利益。光污染侵权行为的构成要件有一定的特殊之处，亟需立法规范。防治光污染是一项社会系统工程，需要有关部门科学规划，合理布局环境建设，从源头防治光污染；采取有利于光环境保护的技术手段；加强对光污染的监督管理，有效控制光污染源；加强环境宣传教育，提高公众的环境意识。     

Relating landscape characteristics to non-point source pollution in mine waste-located watersheds using geospatial techniques

Landscape characteristics of a watershed are important variables that influence surface water quality. Understanding the relationship between these variables and surface water quality is critical in predicting pollution potential and developing watershed management practices to eliminate or reduce pollution risk. To understand the impacts of landscape characteristics on water quality in mine waste-located watersheds, we conducted a case study in the Tri-State Mining District which is located in the conjunction of three states (Missouri, Kansas and Oklahoma). Severe heavy metal pollution exists in that area resulting from historical mining activities. We characterized land use/land cover over the last three decades by classifying historical multi-temporal Landsat imagery. Landscape metrics such as proportion, edge density and contagion were calculated based on the classified imagery. In-stream water quality data over three decades were collected, including lead, zinc, iron, cadmium, aluminum and conductivity which were used as key water quality indicators. Statistical analyses were performed to quantify the relationship between landscape metrics and surface water quality. Results showed that landscape characteristics in mine waste-located watersheds could account for as much as 77% of the variation of water quality indicators. A single landscape metric alone, such as proportion of mine waste area, could be used to predict surface water quality; but its predicting power is limited, usually accounting for less than 60% of the variance of water quality indicators.     

Hot,Salty Water: A Confluence of Issues in Managing Stormwater Runoff for Urban Streams

Research increasingly highlights cause and effect relationships between urbanization and stream conditions are complex and highly variable across physical and biological regions. Research also demonstrates stormwater runoff is a key causal agent in altering stream conditions in urban settings. More specifically, thermal pollution and high salt levels are two consequences of urbanization and subsequent runoff. This study describes a demonstration model populated with data from a high gradient headwaters stream. The model was designed to explain surface water‐groundwater dynamics related to salinity and thermal pollution. Modeled scenarios show long‐term additive impacts from salt application and suggest reducing flow rates, as stormwater management practices are typically designed to do, have the potential to greatly reduce salt concentrations and simultaneously reduce thermal pollution. This demonstration model offers planners and managers reason to be confident that stormwater management efforts can have positive impacts.     

World water dynamics: global modeling of water resources

The growing scarcity of fresh and clean water is among the most important issues facing civilization in the 21st century. Despite the growing attention to a chronic, pernicious crisis in world's water resources our ability to correctly assess and predict global water availability, use and balance is still quite limited. An attempt is documented here in modeling global world water resources using system dynamics approach. Water resources sector (quantity and quality) is integrated with five sectors that drive industrial growth: population; agriculture; economy; nonrenewable resources; and persistent pollution. WorldWater model is developed on the basis of the last version of World3 model. Simulations of world water dynamics with WorldWater indicate that there is a strong relationship between the world water resources and future industrial growth of the world. It is also shown that the water pollution is the most important future water issue on the global level.     

DESIGN OF AN INDEX OF WATER QUALITY1

ABSTRACT: This paper describes the formulation of an Index of Water Quality to evaluate the level of pollution in fresh water. A Four-Round Delphi equation, using a panel of seven nationally recognized water scientists, was performed to ascertain the pollutants to be included in the index, the relationship between the quantity of these pollutants in the water and the resulting quality of the water, and the importance of each pollution variable to each water use as well as to overall pollution. A multiplicative index was used to bring the pollutants together into one system.     

京津冀地区典型城市地表水质污染类型划分及驱动力研究

根据京津冀地区典型城市水环境污染的主要来源,选取工业COD排放量,工业氨氮排放量、工业废水排放量、生活COD排放量、生活氨氮排放量、生活污水排放量共6项指标,对区域经济发展水平与水污染物排放之间的关系进行研究。基于经济发展水平和污染排放特征,利用系统聚类法划分城市类型,利用回归分析研究污染排放指标对GDP的贡献。结果表明:京津冀地区废水及主要污染物排放特征存在明显的行政区划差异性:A类城市中,生活污染源已超越工业污染源成为该地区水污染物排放的重中之重;B类城市和C类城市污染控制重点仍需放在工业污染源减排上。经过多年努力,主要工业污染物排放量已得到了有效的控制,生活污水排放量已成为京津冀地区不容忽视的减排对象。今后,应在此基础上针对不同行政区划内的污染排放特征,加强政策的针对性。     

Water quality perception,a dynamic evaluation

Seventy-six users of a camp grounds along the River Loing (France) took part in semi-directive interviews concerning their perceptions of water pollution levels of the river. The results of the interviews were analysed in conjunction with objective water pollution data supplied by the water quality monitoring authority. While there is some relationship between subjective estimates and objective quality classifications many people appear to be tolerant of water pollution. Quality estimates do not seem to be affected by the specific water-related activities of the respondents. A number of criteria are used by respondents in achieving their overall assessment of water quality (colour, presence/absence of water plants and algae, presence/absence of floating debris, odour, movement and clarity). These criteria appear to be used hierarchically and in a multi-stage judgmental process.     

Impervious surface as an indicator of pH and specific conductance in the urbanizing coastal zone of New Jersey, USA

Impervious surface is often used as an indicator of non-point source pollution in urban areas due to the strong relationship between percent impervious surface cover and water-quality impacts. In many cases, a threshold effect exists where water quality rapidly degrades above a given percent cover, but the exact threshold level appears to vary across regions. This study explores the relationship between pH, specific conductance, and percent impervious surface cover in the urbanizing coastal zone of New Jersey (USA) to determine the nature of the relationship in the region. The results of the analysis suggest the system is very sensitive to impervious surface, with a threshold potentially existing between 2.4% and 5.1% impervious surface cover. An examination of future conditions suggests that by 2020 water quality in more than 50% of the catchments in the study area will be negatively impacted by non-point source pollution associated with impervious surface.