Evidence of integration of air quality management in the decision-making processes and procedures of English local government

The air quality management (AQM) framework in the UK is a risk management approach using effects-based objectives for air pollutants to determine the need for action. The Environment Act 1995 required a National Air Quality Strategy to be published, setting out health-based standards and objectives for eight pollutants, of which seven are to managed at a local scale. Because of the variety of sources of air pollution, if the AQM process is to succeed in the long term, solutions to identified problems will be required from transport, land use and economic planning sectors of local government in liaison with various other agencies, regulators and outside bodies. As such the task is inherently multi-disciplinary and an integrated, collaborative approach will be necessary. Although this observation is now fairly well documented, there is still little guidance relating to how, in relation to air quality management, integration can actually be accomplished. This paper presents some observations from case studies undertaken as part of a longer-term research study and in particular focuses on the identified problems of involving non-air-quality professionals in a highly technical scientific process. Various approaches to the collaborative aspects of air quality management will be presented. These case studies represent local authorities of different sizes in different political and organisational situations facing a range of air quality challenges. The creation of project teams or task forces is judged particularly useful for local air quality management. Methods that could be applied more widely include appointing individuals as integrators, and rotation of key personnel.     

Transforming open mining pits into fish farms: Moving towards sustainability

The legacy of mining activities has typically been land ‘returned to wildlife’, or, at some sites, degraded to such an extent that it is unsuitable for any alternate use. Progress towards sustainability is made when value is added in terms of the ecological, social and economic well‐being of the community. In keeping with the principles of sustainable development, the innovative use of flooded open pits and tailings impoundments as commercial, recreational or ornamental fish farms should be considered in some locations, as it could make a significant contribution to the social equity, economic vitality and environmental integrity of mining communities. This article highlights the growing significance of aquaculture and explores the benefits and barriers to transforming flooded pits and impoundments into aquaculture operations. Among other benefits, aquaculture may provide a much‐needed source of revenue, employment and, in some cases, food to communities impacted by mine closure. Further, aquaculture in a controlled closed environment may be more acceptable to critics of fish farming who are concerned about fish escapes and viral transmissions to wild populations. Despite the potential benefits, aquaculture in flooded pits and impoundments is not without its complications — it requires a site‐specific design approach that must consider issues ranging from metals uptake by fish, to the long‐term viability of the aquatic system as fish habitat, to the overall contribution of aquaculture to sustainability.     

THE INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE VARIATION ON THE ESTIMATION OF LOW FLOWS USED TO PROTECT WATER QUALITY: A NATIONWIDE ASSESSMENT1

ABSTRACT: Historical flow records are used to estimate the regulatory low flows that serve a key function in setting discharge permit limits through the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System, which provides a nationwide mechanism for protecting water quality. Use of historical records creates an implicit connection between water quality protection and climate variability. The longer the record, the more likely the low flow estimate will be based on a broad set of climate conditions, and thus provides adequate water quality protection in the future. Unfortunately, a long record often is not available at a specific location. This analysis examines the connection between climate variability and the variability of biologically based and hydrologically based low flow estimates at 176 sites from the Hydro‐Climatic Data Network, a collection of stream gages identified by the USGS as relatively free of anthropogenic influences. Results show that a record of 10 to 20 years is necessary for satisfactory estimates of regulatory low flows. Although it is possible to estimate a biologically based low flow from a record of less than 10 years, these estimates are highly uncertain and incorporate a bias that undermines water quality protection.     

TRANSIENT RESPONSE FUNCTIONS FOR CONJUNCTIVE WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE SNAKE RIVER PLAIN,IDAHO1

ABSTRACT: Increasing demands on western water are causing a mounting need for the conjunctive management of surface water and ground water resources. Under western water law, the senior water rights holder has priority over the junior water rights holder in times of water shortage. Water managers have been reluctant to conjunctively manage surface water and ground water resources because of the difficulty of quantification of the impacts to surface water resources from ground water stresses. Impacts from ground water use can take years to propagate through an aquifer system. Prediction of the degree of impact to surface water resources over time and the spatial distribution of impacts is very difficult. Response functions mathematically describe the relationship between a unit ground water stress applied at a specific location and stream depletion or aquifer water level change elsewhere in the system. Response functions can be used to help quantify the spatial and temporal impacts to surface water resources caused by ground water pumping. This paper describes the theory of response functions and presents an application of transient response functions in the Snake River Plain, Idaho. Transient response functions can be used to facilitate the conjunctive management of surface and ground water not only in the eastern Snake River Plain basin, but also in similar basins throughout the western United States.     

REGION,LANDSCAPE, AND SCALE EFFECTS ON LAKE SUPERIOR TRIBUTARY WATER QUALITY1

ABSTRACT: In 1998 and 1999, third‐order watersheds in high mature forest (HMF) and low mature forest (LMF) classes were selected along gradients of watershed storage within each of two hydrogeomorphic regions in the Lake Superior Basin to evaluate threshold effects of storage on hydrologic regimes and watershed exports. Differences were detected between regions (North and South Shore) for particulates, nutrients, and pH, with all but silica values higher for South Shore streams (p < 0.05). Mature forest effects were detected for turbidity, nutrients, color, and alkalinity, with higher values in the LMF watersheds, that is, watersheds with less that 50 percent mature forest cover. Dissolved N, ammonium, N:P, organic carbon, and color increased, while suspended solids, turbidity, and dissolved P decreased as a function of storage. Few two‐way interactions were detected between region and mature forest or watershed storage, thus threshold based classification schemes could be used to extrapolate effects across regions. Both regional differences in water quality and those associated with watershed attributes were more common for third‐order streams in the western Lake Superior drainage basin as compared with second‐order streams examined in an earlier study. Use of ecoregions alone as a basis for setting regional water quality criteria would have led to misinterpretation of reference condition and assessment of impacts in the Northern Lakes and Forest Ecoregion.     

Steady-state analyses for reactive distillation control: An MTBE case study

An approach, based purely on steady-state analyses, for synthesizing effective control structures for reactive distillation (RD) columns is presented. The main idea is to analyze the steady-state relationships between the manipulated (input) variables and the potential controlled (output) variables to identify input–output (IO) pairings that are sensitive and avoid steady-state multiplicities providing a large range of nearly linear operating region around the base case design. Traditional SISO control loops are then implemented using these IO pairings to obtain control structures that maintain the column near the design product purity and conversion for the anticipated primary disturbances. The Niederlinski Index is used to eliminate dynamically unstable pairings in control structures with multiple loops. The approach is demonstrated on an example MTBE RD column. The impact of steady-state multiplicities on control structure design is highlighted.     

City hazardous gas monitoring network

In our today's societies, many dangerous chemicals are produced and transported. Due to the vast use of chemicals, more chemical accidents are taking place with huge losses. In this study a city hazardous gas monitoring network was designed to detect the dispersion of toxic and combustible gases in the primary stages. The network could cover hazardous chemical facilities, important hazardous chemical routes, warehouses and special locations which may be the targets of terrorist attacks. The network is consisted of several local networks and a central control panel complex. Each local network has a local control panel in the center and many detectors and sounders around it at distances less than 3000 m that communicate with the local control panels wirelessly. In each location there are two types of gas detectors, toxic and combustible, and a sounder which are equipped with a wireless, radio frequency modem allowing the units to communicate readings and other information on a real-time basis with a remotely located local control panel. High sensitive Photo Ionization Detectors, PIDs, are used to provide fast and low-level on-site screening for chemicals contamination. Combustible gas detectors are the second choice to sense the combustible gas and verify the readings of PIDs in this regard. The central panel consists of several connected control panels work uniquely helping a computer set and the appropriate software and communicate with local control panels via telephone lines. All of the network components are shown on the monitor of central panel with special symbols by geographical information system program. The system is fully addressable so that the high level detection of a detector produces a blinking color double-circle around its symbol in GIS plan. In case of high level gas detection, a team of experts who are fully equipped with different portable detectors depart to the site to test the field to identify the chemicals. All readings of detectors are saved in a data bank and then analyzed to find any chemicals spills and leakages. The network was simulated by a special program so that the components of local networks and the central panel are shown in separate windows. By clicking on one detector on environmental window the formerly designed responses will be activated in central panel window.     

The case for the ability‐based model of emotional intelligence in organizational behavior

In this second counterpoint article, we refute the claims of Landy, Locke, and Conte, and make the more specific case for our perspective, which is that ability‐based models of emotional intelligence have value to add in the domain of organizational psychology. In this article, we address remaining issues, such as general concerns about the tenor and tone of the debates on this topic, a tendency for detractors to collapse across emotional intelligence models when reviewing the evidence and making judgments, and subsequent penchant to thereby discount all models, including the ability‐based one, as lacking validity. We specifically refute the following three claims from our critics with the most recent empirically based evidence: (1) emotional intelligence is dominated by opportunistic ‘academics‐turned‐consultants’ who have amassed much fame and fortune based on a concept that is shabby science at best; (2) the measurement of emotional intelligence is grounded in unstable, psychometrically flawed instruments, which have not demonstrated appropriate discriminant and predictive validity to warrant/justify their use; and (3) there is weak empirical evidence that emotional intelligence is related to anything of importance in organizations. We thus end with an overview of the empirical evidence supporting the role of emotional intelligence in organizational and social behavior. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.