THE ROLE OF CITIZEN ADVISORY GROUPS IN WATER RESOURCES PLANNING1

ABSTRACT: This paper presents the significant conclusions of research conducted over a four-year period, the purpose of which was to analyze the operation of three citizen advisory groups established in conjunction with Level B Studies of the New England River Basins Commission. The three Studies were the Long Island Sound Study, the Southeastern New England Study, and the Supplemental Flood Management Study of the Connecticut River Basin Program. The research examined the criteria and procedures used for selection of members, the relevant personal characteristics of the members, the procedures employed for carrying out their responsibilities, and the relative importance of group functions as perceived by both citizen advisors and professional study participants. The impact of these factors upon the effectiveness of citizen advisory groups as a strategy of public participation is evaluated. The paper includes recommendations, derived from the research, for the use of planning agencies seeking to maximize the effectiveness of citizen advisory groups.     

从美国法规“高度危害化学物质处理过程的安全管理”谈我国重大危险源的控制

简要介绍国外、特别是美国在控制重大危险源方面的基本情况，针对我国实际，提出“辩识──评价——监察”的管理模式作为控制重大危险源的对策。     

易燃、易爆、有毒重大危险源评价方法与控制措施

论述了重大危险源和重大事故隐患的定义;介绍了易燃、易爆、有毒重大危险源评价方法;在辨识评价的基础上,提出了制定重大危险源事故应急计划,加强监控、管理等措施     

Carbonaceous matter in glacier at the headwaters of the Yangtze River: Concentration, sources and fractionation during the melting process

Carbonaceous matter has an important impact on glacial retreat in the Tibetan Plateau, further affecting the water resource supply. However, the related studies on carbonaceous matter are still scarce in Geladaindong (GLDD) region, the source of the Yangtze River. Therefore, the concentration, source and variations of carbonaceous matter at Ganglongjiama (GLJM) glacier in GLDD region were investigated during the melting period in 2017, which could deepen our understanding on carbonaceous matter contribution to glacier melting. The results showed that dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentration of snowpit samples (283?±?200?μg/L) was much lower than that of precipitation samples (624?±?361?μg/L), indicating that large parts of DOC could be rapidly leached from the snowpit during the melting process. In contrast, refractory black carbon (rBC) concentration measured by Single Particle Soot Photometer of snowpit samples (4.27?±?3.15?μg/L) was much higher than that of precipitation samples (0.97?±?0.49?μg/L). Similarly, DOC with high mass absorption cross-section measured at 365?nm value was also likely to enrich in snowpit during the melting process. In addition, it was found that both rBC and DOC with high light-absorbing ability began to leach from the snowpit when melting process became stronger. Therefore, rBC and DOC with high light-absorbing ability exhibited similar behavior during the melting process. Based on relationship among DOC, rBC and K⁺ in precipitation, the main source of carbonaceous matter in GLJM glacier was biomass burning during the study period.     

A study of maintenance-related major accident cases in the 21st century

This paper is based on a review of 183 detailed, major accident investigation and analysis reports related to the handling, processing and storage of hydrocarbons and hazardous chemicals over a decade from 2000 to 2011. The reports cover technical, human and organizational factors. In this paper, the Work and Accident Process (WAP) classification scheme is applied to the accident reports with the intention of investigating to what extent maintenance has been a cause of major accidents and what maintenance-related causes have been the most frequent.The main objectives are: (1) to present more current overall statistics of maintenance-related major accidents, (2) to investigate the trend of maintenance-related major accidents over time, and (3) to investigate which maintenance-related major accident causes are the most frequent, requiring the most attention in the drive for improvement.The paper presents statistical analysis and interpretation of maintenance-related major accidents’ moving averages as well as data related to the types of facility, hazardous substances, major accidents and causes. This is based on a thorough review of accident investigation reports.It is found that out of 183 major accidents in the US and Europe, maintenance was linked to 80 (44%) and that the accident trend is decreasing. The results also show that “lack of barrier maintenance” (50%), “deficient design, organization and resource management” (85%) and “deficient planning/scheduling/fault diagnosis” (69%) are the most frequent causes in terms of the active accident process, the latent accident process and the work process respectively.     

“大气十条”实施后大气污染协同治理政策的量化研究

针对大气污染问题,2013年国务院颁布了《大气污染防治行动计划》,从更高层次上实施国家及区域层面的大气污染协同治理战略。区域联合防控及协同治理是当前情况下治理好大气污染的必然选择,但是尚未形成完整的体系。收集整理了100篇大气污染协同治理相关政策文件,构建了政策工具量化的二维分析框架,探讨了当前对大气污染协同治理的政策工具使用情况,并针对性地提出了强化命令型政策工具、弥补能力型建设工具、完善奖惩福利机制、完善监督监测预警系统等一系列政策建议。     

The significance of domino effect in chemical accidents

A historical survey was performed on 330 accidents involving domino effect, occurred in process/storage plants and in the transportation of hazardous materials; only accidents occurred after 1st-January-1961 have been considered. The main features – geographical location, type of accident, materials involved, origin and causes, consequences, domino sequences – were analyzed, with special consideration to the situation in the developing countries and compared to those from other previous surveys. Among the involved substances, LPG was the most frequent one, followed by liquid hydrocarbons. Process plants (38.5% of cases) and storage areas (33%) were the most common settings; 10.6% of past domino accidents occurred in transfer operations. The ratio between “two-step” and “three-step” domino accidents was found to be 6. A specific analysis of the accidents (84) occurred in the 21st century was performed, comparing them with the total set of accidents. Finally, a set of specific recommendations inferred from the results is provided.     

“十二五”期间中国区域低碳经济与国土空间开发格局的协调发展研究

有别于单纯的"区域竞争"模式,国土空间开发格局逐渐成为新形势下我国区域发展的基础和前提,区域开发应满足前者的基本要求。本文根据各省基于县级单元的主体功能区划,以2010年为基年,通过建立人口、经济、产业结构和温室气体排放等多层次指标体系,评价"十二五"时期我国区域低碳经济与国土空间开发格局协调发展的进展程度。研究发现,城市化地区(重点开发区和优化开发区)以占不到18%的国土面积,集聚了1/2以上的人口和3/4的经济产出;农产品主产区的面积占比超过1/4,人口比例接近1/3;重点生态功能区面积比例接近56%,人口比例低于10%。2010—2014年,从全国范围看,各类主体功能区的发展态势与其功能定位基本吻合,表现为优化开发区、农产品主产区和重点生态功能区的人口和经济集聚度均有微降,而重点开发区有所上升;各区产业结构均有所优化,但农产品主产区和重点生态功能区产业结构调整的幅度小于城市化地区。具体到各省,研究发现本文所研究的"协调性"进展与传统意义上的东、中、西区域划分和发展水平并无直接关系,例如同为东部地区的京津冀三地,协调性进展有显著差异,也显示出三地协同发展的难度。相反,一些惯常认为发展较为落后的省区,例如河北、青海、山西等地,在经济发展与国土空间开发格局的协调性方面所付出的努力和成效走在前列。部分地区低碳发展与其国土空间开发格局呈现出相对不协调的态势,主要表现为农产品主产区和重点生态保护区都出现了经济集聚度上升、产业结构劣化、CO_2排放大幅度上升、排放强度甚至也上升的趋势。     

Linking Cellulose Fiber Sediment Methyl Mercury Levels to Organic Matter Decay and Major Element Composition

Methylation of mercury (Hg) to highly toxic methyl Hg (MeHg), a process known to occur when organic matter (OM) decomposition leads to anoxia, is considered a worldwide threat to aquatic ecosystems and human health. We measured temporal and spatial variations in sediment MeHg, total Hg (THg), and major elements in a freshwater lagoon in Sweden polluted with Hg-laden cellulose fibers. Fiber decomposition, confined to a narrow surface layer, resulted in loss of carbon (C), uptake of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and sulfur (S), and increased MeHg levels. Notably, fiber decomposition and subsequent erosion of fiber residues will cause buried contaminants to gradually come closer to the sediment–water interface. At an adjacent site where decomposed fiber accumulated, there was a gain in C and a loss of S when MeHg increased. As evidenced by correlation patterns and vertical chemical profiles, reduced S may have fueled C-fixation and Hg methylation at this site.     

Analysis of the relationship between environmental policies and air quality during major social events

Based on an analysis of major recent social events in China, such as the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, 2010 Shanghai World Expo, 2014 Nanjing Youth Olympic Games, and 2014 Beijing Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Conference, mandatory, temporary, and indemnificatory quantitative policies aimed at protecting air quality, which were carried out by both central and local governments, made substantial contributions to changes and improvements in air quality. To some extent, the findings show that command and control measures play a significant role in protecting air quality, while the law and economic and voluntary environmental safeguard measures do not during major social events. Therefore, it reminds us the air quality could and will improve not only during major social events but also in the regular days if we implement appropriate environmental policies and safeguard measures.