Alberta's oil sands reclamation policy trajectory: the role of tense layering,policy stretching,and policy patching in long-term policy dynamics

As the Canadian oil sands development matures, an increasingly important policy activity is reclamation. Reclamation has received limited attention compared with the broader discussion of oil sands expansion, however, and its past direction and future trajectory are unclear. Recent moves to reform the policy in Alberta have been interpreted simultaneously as a major change and a marginal adaptation to the existing framework. This article employs a historical-institutional perspective to help reconcile this debate and further understanding of changes to Alberta's oil sands reclamation policies over the past half century. It traces the factors and outlines the processes which have driven its evolution since 1963 with special attention paid to the 2011 Oil Sands Progressive Reclamation Strategy, the most recent attempt to reform oil sands reclamation policy. The article reveals a complex long-term pattern of policy development in which processes of ‘tense layering’ of new initiatives on top of old elements resulted in a constantly shifting policy landscape as existing policy instruments and settings were ‘stretched’ to cover new circumstances but failed to resolve tensions between successive policy layers. After 1993, however, a more reflective process was put into place in which policy feedback informed alterations intended to reduce or remove tensions between successive layers. Such a policy ‘patching’ process is shown to have helped resolve tensions associated with earlier stretching of the existing regime and adds to the vocabulary of more general studies of policy dynamics.     

Effects of oil sands process-affected waters and naphthenic acids on yellow perch (Perca flavescens) and Japanese medaka (Orizias latipes) embryonic development

Syncrude Canada Ltd. is currently developing environmentally acceptable oil sands process-affected water management methods as part of their land reclamation strategy. Surface waters of the “wet landscape” reclamation option characteristically have elevated concentrations of sodium sulphate and naphthenic acids (NAs), with low levels of PAHs. The following experiment compared early-life stage responses of yellow perch (Perca flavescens) to those of Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes) when exposed to Mildred Lake settling basin (MLSB) surface water and a commercial sodium naphthenate (Na-NA) standard. Perch eggs were fertilized and incubated in: 100%, 50%, 20%, 4%, 0.8%, and 0.16% dilutions of MLSB water, as well as 20, 10, 5, 2.5, and 1.25 mg/l solutions of the commercial standard. Medaka embryos were exposed to the same treatments, post-fertilization. Both species demonstrated an increase in the incidence of deformity, and a decrease in length at hatch as NA concentrations increased. MLSB surface water contained higher levels of NAs than the commercial standard, however, showed consistently higher NA threshold effect concentrations for both species. Significant differences between the MLSB water and the Na-NA standard suggest that they contain NA congeners with different toxicity, or other compounds such as PAHs. Species differences in thresholds could be explained by the difference in developmental stage in which the exposures were initiated.     

Levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and dibenzothiophenes in wetland sediments and aquatic insects in the oil sands area of Northeastern Alberta, Canada

An immense volume of tailings and tailings water is accumulating in tailings ponds located on mine leases in the oil sands area of Alberta, Canada. Oil sands mining companies have proposed to use tailings- and tailings water-amended lakes and wetlands as part of their mine remediation plans. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are substances of concern in oil sands tailings and tailings water. In this study, we determined concentrations of PAHs in sediments, insect larvae and adult insects collected in or adjacent to three groups of wetlands: experimental wetlands to which tailings or tailings water had been purposely added, oil sands wetlands that were located on the mine leases but which had not been experimentally manipulated and reference wetlands located near the mine leases. Alkylated PAHs dominated the PAH profile in all types of samples in the three categories of wetlands. Median and maximum PAH concentrations, especially alkylated PAH concentrations, tended to be higher in sediments and insect larvae in experimental wetlands than in the other types of wetlands. Such was not the case for adult insects, which contained higher than expected levels of PAHs in the three types of ponds. Overlap in PAH concentrations in larvae among pond types suggests that any increase in PAH levels resulting from the addition of tailings and tailings water to wetlands would be modest. Biota-sediment accumulation factors were higher for alkylated PAHs than for their parent counterparts and were lower in experimental wetlands than in oil sands and reference wetlands. Research is needed to examine factors that affect the bioavailability of PAHs in oil sands tailings- or tailings water-amended wetlands.     

天然石英砂的表面络合模型研究

天然泥沙颗粒表面特性复杂,其与营养物质及重金属之间的相互作用,是研究天然水体水环境效应的关键科学问题之一.本文以石英砂为例,在考虑天然泥沙表面形貌引起的电荷非均匀分布的基础上,建立了统计意义上的表面电荷分布-表面电位数学关系,并修正表面络合模型,对表面络合常数采用更合理的静电力校正,模拟营养物质及重金属在天然泥沙颗粒表面的吸附-解吸关系.同时,表面滴定实验及吸附实验数据被用来进行模型验证.结果表明,泥沙颗粒的吸附特性受pH值、水相平衡浓度和背景离子强度等影响,考虑颗粒表面电荷非均匀分布的修正模型,更接近天然泥沙的吸附特性,相比传统表面络合模型,能够更好地模拟吸附结果.     

几种高硅质矿物细颗粒的A549细胞毒性对比

以大气颗粒物成分中主要矿物相:石英、绢云母、钠长石和蒙脱石这4种高硅质矿物细颗粒为研究对象,检测其对A549细胞存活率、膜损伤及炎性因子释放的影响,旨在对比分析几种高硅质矿物细颗粒的毒性大小,并从颗粒物物理化学性质角度阐述其细胞毒性作用机制.结果表明,几种硅质细颗粒对A549细胞存活率的影响:蒙脱石绢云母≥石英钠长石.细胞存活率与矿物颗粒样品的SiO_2含量之间相关性较差,与Fe_2O_3含量存在较好相关性,Fe_2O_3含量越高毒性越大.高硅质矿物颗粒共培养环境中H_2O_2释放量与样品中Fe_2O_3含量呈正相关关系.蒙脱石组细胞受H_2O_2影响最大,石英和钠长石组细胞受粉体释放H_2O_2影响较小.所检测的几种高硅质矿物颗粒不同程度地造成细胞膜损伤,且均可触发A549细胞释放TNF-α或IL-6,进一步激发免疫反应的产生,但不同类型的高硅质矿物颗粒促发炎性反应不同.高硅质矿物细颗粒的成分结构并不是影响其生物活性的唯一因素,粉体的外在形态、表面活性基团、溶解性、吸附和离子交换特性等对细胞的存活率、细胞膜损伤、液相自由基的释放及炎性反应的影响同样不容忽视.     

不同采样膜对大气颗粒物酸性测定影响的研究

颗粒物特别是酸性细粒子对人体呼吸系统具有毒性效应,且颗粒物呈酸性还会加速许多气溶胶二次组分的形成,从而影响环境和气候.因此,本文在美国环保署(EPA)制定的颗粒物酸性标准测定方法的基础上,分别采用玻璃膜、石英膜、Teflon膜和复合纤维素酯滤膜(MCE膜)在实验室中进行平行提取测定,探讨各种膜对颗粒物酸性测定的影响,确定不同条件下加入H+量与提取H+量之间的标准曲线,评价不同采样膜对颗粒物酸性测定的准确性与精密度.结果显示,Teflon膜、MCE膜、石英膜、玻璃膜用于颗粒物酸性测定,其测定的精密度和准确性分别为9.4%和7.8%、9.9%和13.0%、15.6%和18.1%、17.8%和16.1%.玻璃膜用于H+的数据测定时,由于其标准曲线的斜率变化范围大(0.745～1.048),基质碱性物质背景值高,导致测定的潜在误差最大.     

砂土液化的灰色综合评判

通过研究砂土液化的主要影响因子，建立了砂土液化的灰色综合评判理论模型，并成功地将 该理论模型应用于实际工程中。通过对２６个实例的评判和与实际液化结果的比较，说明了本文方法 对砂上液化评判的有效性。     

适应瞬态高温过载环境的加载装置设计及试验研究

目的地面模拟飞行器再入过程瞬态热-离心环境,预测部组件结构响应,开展典型试验件高过载环境瞬态高温加载装置设计技术及试验研究。方法通过优化石英灯结构强度和生产工艺,改进灯阵夹具和石英灯夹持方式,解决高过载离心环境(80g)石英灯强度和夹具夹持位置灯管易碎问题。结果利用自行研制的适用于高过载环境下瞬态加热装置,对典型试验件进行了高过载高温加载试验,实现了最高温度为600℃,最大加速度为80g的技术指标。结论该研究成果可用于相关飞行器及其部组件地面热-离心复合环境等效性试验考核。     

石英砂提高城市污泥生物沥浸效率主导因素分析

通过摇瓶实验探究石英砂提高城市污泥生物沥浸效率的主导因素.结果表明,在0~72h内,生物菌液酸化效应在提高污泥脱水性能中占据主导作用;在72h之后,次生矿物的形成对提高污泥脱水性能的贡献率超过生物菌液.随着生物沥浸持续进行,石英砂诱导次生矿物产量逐渐增加,次生矿物在生物菌液酸化效应基础上进一步强化污泥脱水性能.在二者耦合作用下,城市污泥比阻（SRF）从初始的17.13×10¹²m/kg下降至48h时的最低值3.56×10¹²m/kg.然而,生物菌液和次生矿物单独作用时,SRF降到最低值均需72h,且最低SRF分别为3.89×10¹²和4.77×10¹²m/kg.可见,二者耦合作用在进一步改善污泥脱水性能以及缩短生物沥浸时间方面都有明显的优势.     

AN INDEX OF STORED FINE SEDIMENT IN GRAVEL BEDDED STREAMS1

An index of sediments less than 0.3 mm stored in the top layer of small streams was estimated by disturbing a fixed area for 2 minutes and catching the resultant sediment drift in downstream traps. The method was used in 24 small northern California streams and was tested by releasing known amounts and sizes of sediments in controlled trails. Field use showed general agreement with an exponential model of decrease in sediment trapped vs. distance. Sites in distrubed reaches (watersheds logged with no streamside buffers or with buffers less than 30 m) had higher indices of stored sediment than control sites. Estimates from controlled trials averaged 7.5 percent higher than actual losses for composite size classes ≤ 0.3 mm, 19.7 percent higher than actual losses for just the ≤ 0.125 mm class, and 15.2 percent for all 14 trials. The method is relatively simple and suitable for remote locations, particularly in studies comparing many small streams.