National Spill Control School

The National Spill Control School (NSCS) was established to provide training in the safe and effective handling of oil and hazardous material spills. The program has been modified as new needs arose in the public sector. The School today offers courses in Oil Spill Management, Oil Spill Response and Safety, Oiled Wildlife Rehabilitation, Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER), Hazardous Materials Transportation, Introduction to Geographic Information Systems, and Spill Information Management Systems. Additional services in contingency planning and exercise development are offered.     

Healthcare waste management: a case study from the National Health Service in Cornwall, United Kingdom

This paper looks at steps taken towards the development of a 10-year strategy for the management of healthcare waste from the National Health Service (NHS) in Cornwall, United Kingdom. The major issues and challenges that affect the management of waste by the NHS, including its organisational structure and collection infrastructure, are outlined. The waste flows of the main acute medical site are detailed, using waste audits of domestic and clinical bags, redundant equipment, bulky waste, and special waste. Some of the common barriers to change, such as staff habits and public perceptions, are also identified. Recommendations are made with respect to improvements in the overall organisational infrastructure and increased localised control. The recommendations also centre around the formation of strategic partnerships, within the site, between sites and at the broader level between the NHS and its surrounding community. An important challenge to be overcome is the need to progress from the concept of "waste management", to one of sustainable decision making regarding resource use, including methods of waste minimisation at the source and recycling. Staff training and awareness underpin several of the short and medium/long term solutions suggested to reduce the waste at the source and recover value from that produced. These measures could potentially reduce disposal quantities by as much as 20-30% (wt.) and costs by around 25-35%.     

Monitoring Long-term Trends in Sulfate and Ammonium in US Precipitation: Results from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network

Data from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program/National Trends Network (NADP/NTN) indicate significant changes have occurred in precipitation chemistry and the chemical climate in the United States (US). A Seasonal Kendall Trend (SKT) analysis shows statistically significant increases in precipitation ammonium concentrations at 64% of 159 continental US NADP/NTN sites evaluated from Winter 1985 to Fall 2004 (Dec. 1984 – Nov. 2004). Sulfate decreases were widespread, with an SKT analysis indicating statistically significant decreases at 89% of sites evaluated. Ratios of chemical equivalent concentrations of ammonium to sulfate in precipitation have risen to the extent that ammonium now exceeds sulfate over more than half of the continental U.S. on a precipitation-weighted-mean annual basis. These trends in the concentrations of ammonium, sulfate, and other species have been accompanied by significant decreases in the frequency of acidic precipitation (pH < 5.0) in the last decade.     

Development of a National Marine Oil Transportation System Model

This paper presents the development of a model of the marine oil transportation in the United States. NMOTSM, the National Marine Oil Transportation System Model, is a high-level strategic decision-making tool that will be used to systematically identify causes of oil spills and prioritize oil pollution R and D needs for prevention and response. Three distinct phases in the analysis are identified, namely the formulation of the oil transport model, the risk and safety performance assessment and the evaluation of potential prevention, and response measures and approaches.     

Predicting Freshwater Critical Loads from Catchment Characteristics using National Datasets

Maps of freshwater critical loads are used toguide emission strategies for sulphur and nitrogen bothnationally and internationally. Water chemistry data arerequired to calculate critical loads and the production ofnational maps therefore relies on the existence of extensivechemistry datasets. However, the data required to calculatecritical loads are not readily available for all sites. Thisarticle explores how empirical statistical models mightpotentially be used to predict critical loads using nationallyavailable datasets representing a range of catchmentcharacteristics. Initially a global regression model forexplaining freshwater critical load variation across a broadspectrum of catchment types (from lowland agricultural tomountain lakes) throughout mainland Britain is described. Whenattention is focused on more specific catchment types (i.e.upland and non-arable) it is shown that the global model hasless explanatory power. A regionalisation of Great Britain(based on 100 km grid squares) shows that the global modelcannot necessarily be applied successfully within a narrowerregional context. Separate analyses were undertaken on each ofthe regional subsets using backward selection regression. Thevariables emerging as significant predictors variedsubstantially across the regions, as did the explanatory powerof the models. This was also the case when the analysis wasconfined to upland and non-arable catchments. This approachcould be developed so that critical loads assessments can bemade for populations of standing waters rather than simplythose for which water chemistry is available.     

The Applicability of National Critical Loads Data in Assessing Designated Sites

Critical loads have been successfully used within Europe in the development of effects-based policies for pollution abatement, including the Second Sulphur Protocol and the Protocol to abate acidification, eutrophication and ground-level ozone (CLRTAP, 1979). This success has encouraged the UK Environment Agency and Conservation Agencies to use the national critical load maps as a screening tool in assessing the threats from acidification and eutrophication to designated (Natura 2000) sites. The UK maps of critical loads are based on national-scale data sets appropriate for national-scale assessments, and were never intended for use at the site-specific level. Site-based assessments are often targeted at Special Areas of Conservation, a sub-set of the UK Natura 2000 sites. The spatial data available includes the boundaries of the sites but not the location of the designated features. Ancillary data is variable from one site to another; habitat types may be described in detail with cross-reference to classes of the National Vegetation Classification (NVC: Rodwell, 1991 et seq), but information available on soils and geology is generalised and has not been related to the habitats or species being protected. Hence it can be difficult to relate the individual sites to the national maps, even where appropriate to do so. This paper examines the underlying uncertainties in the national critical load maps showing how the maps could give misleading results if used for site-specific assessments. It also includes advice on how to determine when the national data may be appropriate as a policy-tool at the site-level.     

Practical Policy Applications of Uncertainty Analysis for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories

International policy makers and climate researchers use greenhouse gas emissions inventory estimates in a variety of ways. Because of the varied uses of the inventory data, as well as the high uncertainty surrounding some of the source category estimates, considerable effort has been devoted to understanding the causes and magnitude of uncertainty in national emissions inventories. In this paper, we focus on two aspects of the rationale for quantifying uncertainty: (1) the possible uses of the quantified uncertainty estimates for policy (e.g., as a means of adjusting inventories used to determine compliance with international commitments); and (2) the direct benefits of the process of investigating uncertainties in terms of improving inventory quality. We find that there are particular characteristics that an inventory uncertainty estimate should have if it is to be used for policy purposes: (1) it should be comparable across countries; (2) it should be relatively objective, or at least subject to review and verification; (3) it should not be subject to gaming by countries acting in their own self-interest; (4) it should be administratively feasible to estimate and use; (5) the quality of the uncertainty estimate should be high enough to warrant the additional compliance costs that its use in an adjustment factor may impose on countries; and (6) it should attempt to address all types of inventory uncertainty. Currently, inventory uncertainty estimates for national greenhouse gas inventories do not have these characteristics. For example, the information used to develop quantitative uncertainty estimates for national inventories is often based on expert judgments, which are, by definition, subjective rather than objective, and therefore difficult to review and compare. Further, the practical design of a potential factor to adjust inventory estimates using uncertainty estimates would require policy makers to (1) identify clear environmental goals; (2) define these goals precisely in terms of relationships among important variables (such as emissions estimate, commitment level, or statistical confidence); and (3) develop a quantifiable adjustment mechanism that reflects these environmental goals. We recommend that countries implement an investigation-focused (i.e., qualitative) uncertainty analysis that will (1) provide the type of information necessary to develop more substantive, and potentially useful, quantitative uncertainty estimates-regardless of whether those quantitative estimates are used for policy purposes; and (2) provide information needed to understand the likely causes of uncertainty in inventory data and thereby point to ways to improve inventory quality (i.e., accuracy, transparency, completeness, and consistency).     

National monument locations and remediation of World War II battle sites

In December 2008, George W. Bush established the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, including eight locations connected with World War II fighting. The executive proclamation designating the monument briefly described the individual sites, mentioning remaining battlefield debris. World War II battle locations in Hawaii and Alaska are currently designated for remediation under different programs of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or Department of Defense (DOD). The Pearl Harbor Naval Complex is a “Superfund” National Priority List site. Former military locations in the Aleutian Islands, involved in Japanese occupation and the U.S. offensive to regain control, are included in DOD's Formerly Used Defense Sites (FUDS) remediation program. These monument sites, the regulatory frameworks of the applicable programs, and the current cleanup status are described. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

National Greenhouse Gas Inventories: Understanding Uncertainties versus Potential for Improving Reliability

We investigated the Austrian national greenhouse gas emission inventory to review the reliability and usability of such inventories. The overall uncertainty of the inventory (95% confidence interval) is just over 10% of total emissions, with nitrous oxide (N₂O) from soils clearly providing the largest impact. Trend uncertainty – the difference between 2 years – is only about five percentage points, as important sources like soil N₂O are not expected to show different behavior between the years and thus exhibit a high covariance. The result is very typical for industrialized countries – subjective decisions by individuals during uncertainty assessment are responsible for most of the discrepancies among countries. Thus, uncertainty assessment cannot help to evaluate whether emission targets have been met. Instead, a more rigid emission accounting system that allows little individual flexibility is proposed to provide harmonized evaluation uninfluenced by the respective targets. Such an accounting system may increase uncertainty in terms of greenhouse gas fluxes to the atmosphere. More importantly, however, it will decrease uncertainty in intercountry comparisons and thus allow for fair burden sharing. Setting of post-Kyoto emission targets will require the independent evaluation of achievements. This can partly be achieved by the validation of emission inventories and thorough uncertainty assessment.     

Processing National CO2 Inventory Emissions Data and their Total Uncertainty Estimates

The uncertainty of reported greenhouse gases emission inventories obtained by the aggregation of partial emissions from all sources and estimated to date for several countries is very high in comparison with the countries’ emissions limitation and reduction commitments under the Kyoto Protocol. Independent calculation of the estimates could confirm or question the undertainty estimates values obtained thus far. One of the aims of this paper is to propose statistical signal processing methods to enable calculation of the inventory variances. The annual reported emissions are used and temporal smoothness of the emissions curve is assumed. The methods considered are: a spline-function-smoothing procedure; a time-varying parameter model; and the geometric Brownian motion model. These are validated on historical observations of the CO₂ emissions from fossil fuel combustion. The estimates of variances obtained are in a similar range to those obtained from national inventories using TIER1 or TIER2. Additionally, some regularities in the observed curves were noticed.     

建设柴达木循环经济试验区的重要意义——访国家发展和改革委员会副主任解振华

2010年3月15日,国务院批复了《青海省柴达木循环经济试验区总体规划》,作为世界上最大的循环经济试验园区,其成功建设必将对我国循环经济发展产生广泛而深远的影响。为了解青海柴达木循环经济试验区的建设内容和重要意义,以及今后一段时期我国循环经济发展思路,本刊对国家发改委副主任解振华进行了专访。     

Comparison of Critical Load Exceedance and Its Uncertainty Based on National and Site-specific Data

Critical loads have been used to develop international agreements on acidifying air pollution abatement, and within the UK and other countries, to develop national policies for pollution abatement. The Environment Agency (England and Wales) has regulatory obligations to protect sites of high conservation value from the threat of acidification, and hence requires a practical methodology for acidification assessments at the site-specific scale. The Environment Agency has therefore posed the question: Are the national critical load exceedance models sufficiently robust to form the basis for methods to assess harm to individual sites or are they only useful for national policy development? In order to provide one measure of the appropriateness of applying the models at the site-specific scale we incorporated estimates of uncertainty in both national and site-specific data into the calculation of critical load exceedance for individual sites. The exceedance calculations use data from a wide range of sources and the accuracy of the exceedance will be influenced by the accuracy of the input data sets. Using Monte Carlo methods to incorporate the uncertainty in the input data sets into the calculation a distribution of critical load exceedance values is generated rather than a single point estimate. This paper compares uncertainty analyses for coniferous forested sites in England and Wales using both national scale and site-specific data sets and uncertainty ranges.     

Chemistry of Selected High-Elevation Lakes in Seven National Parks in the Western United States

A chemical survey of 69 high-altitude lakes in seven national parks in the western United States was conducted during the fallof 1999; the lakes were previously sampled during the fall of 1985, as part of the Western Lake Survey. Lakes in parks in the Sierra/southern Cascades (Lassen Volcanic, Yosemite, Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks) and in the southern RockyMountains (Rocky Mountain National Park) were very dilute; medianspecific conductance ranged from 4.4 to 12.2 S cm^-1 andmedian alkalinity concentrations ranged from 32.2 to 72.9 eqL^-1. Specific conductances and alkalinity concentrations were substantially higher in lakes in the central and northernRocky Mountains parks (Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and GlacierNational Parks), probably due to the prevalence of more reactivebedrock types. Regional patterns in lake concentrations of NO₃ and SO₄ were similar to regional patterns in NO₃ and SO₄ concentrations in precipitation, suggestingthat the lakes are showing a response to atmospheric deposition.Concentrations of NO₃ were particularly high in Rocky Mountain National Park, where some ecosystems appear to be undergoing nitrogen saturation.     

实现"又好又快"发展的可持续消费与生产机制

促进国民经济“又好又快”发展,对我国今后转变经济发展方式具有重要意义。介绍了可持续消费与生产内涵及其关系,探讨了“又好又快”理论与可持续消费与生产的关系,并结合我国国情提出了可持续消费机制的对策。     

Remediation of the Radioactive Waste Landfill and Chemical Disposal Pits Sites at Sandia National Laboratories

Sandia National Laboratories' Environmental Restoration (ER) Project remediated the Radioactive Waste Landfill and Chemical Disposal Pits (RWL/CDPs) sites located in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The remediation was conducted in 1996 using conventional excavation, as well as hybrid remote robotic manipulation technology at a cost of approximately $3 million. Wastes generated included approximately 73 cubic meters (m³) of debris (including thermal batteries, spark gap tubes, radioactive sources, weapons components, and some classified material), 535 m³ of plutonium-contaminated soil, and 2,294 m³ of soil contaminated with thorium, cesium, uranium, and tritium. The remediation was successful since the project goal of risk reduction was accomplished and no injuries or negative occurrences resulted. This cleanup is one example of the Department of Energy's (DOE's) accelerated approach to environmental restoration. The remediation was performed as a voluntary corrective measure to reduce schedule and budget, compared with the traditional approach following Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations.