Managing environmental aspects associated with the development of domestic and international power projects

Increasingly, a key component in the financial success of developing and operating domestic and international energy projects is the management of environmental issues. This article outlines an environmental management system for developing and acquiring power projects. The specific issues addressed include the development and communication of an environmental policy and the development and use of environmental expectations. These expectations are designed to manage the environmental components of the dynamic development process and provide a framework for enhancing team effectiveness in addressing environmental issues. Examples of expectations for each development phase are provided. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

NUTRIENT LOAD CHARACTERIZATION FROM INTEGRATED SOURCE DATA FOR THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI RWER1

ABSTRACT: Nutrient data from all available sources for the lower Mississippi River were examined for potential differences among sampling agencies and geographic locations for the period between 1960 and 1998. Monthly means grouped by parameter, sampling location and agency, were calculated and compared as paired sets, excluding those months where data were not available for both sets. Some significant differences were found between various agencies collecting nutrient data on the river, as well as between various stretches of river, especially in the case of phosphorus nutrient data. Results were used to synthesize data sets from which a history of nutrient loading in the Mississippi River was determined. General trends in nitrate+nitrite, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, orthophosphate, total phosphorus and silica loads, as well as changes in nutrient proportions and the specific limiting nutrient (by month) are reported. This study provides a useful summary of contemporary and historical nutrient data that may assist in the evaluation of Mississippi River water quality and its potential effect on the Gulf of Mexico.     

A quantitative estimate of potential aluminium recovery from incineration bottom ashes

The recovery of ferrous and non ferrous metals from the bottom ashes is a common practice in the most part of Europe, both for the environmental advantages of their recycle and to avoid problems of swelling and expansion that metals can cause when bottom ashes are reused in concrete production or in road construction. This paper focuses on metal recovery from bottom ashes produced in Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) incinerators, with a particular focus on aluminium. A forecasting model was developed in order to evaluate the quantity of aluminium scraps recoverable from the bottom ashes. The model was applied to the Italian situation but its validity can be extended to other countries. Focusing on Italy, by applying conventional technologies for the separation of non-ferrous metals, the amount of aluminium potentially recoverable from bottom ashes is estimated in the range from 16,500 to 21,000 tonnes at the year 2015, and from 19,000 to 28,500 tonnes at 2020.     

Evaluation of Rio Grande Management Alternatives Using a Surface‐Water/Ground‐Water Model1

Abstract: Previous investigations observed significant seepage losses from the Rio Grande to the shallow aquifer between Socorro and San Antonio, New Mexico. High‐resolution telescopic modeling was used along a 10‐km reach of the Rio Grande and associated drains and canals to evaluate several management alternatives aimed at improving river conveyance efficiency. Observed data consisted of ground‐water and surface‐water elevations, seepage rates along the Rio Grande and associated canals and drains, and borehole geology. Model calibration was achieved by adjusting hydraulic conductivity and specific storage until the output matched observed data. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the system was responsive to changes in hydrogeologic properties, especially when such alterations increased vertical connectivity between layers. The calibrated model predicted that removal of the low flow conveyance channel, a major channel draining the valley, would not only decrease river seepage by 67%, but also decrease total flow through the reach by 75%. The decreased flow through the reach would result in increased water logging and an average increase in ground‐water elevations of 1.21 meter. Simulations of the system with reduced riparian evapotranspiration rates or a relocated river channel also predicted decreased river seepage, but to a much lesser degree.     

Prerequisite conditions for meaningful participation in brownfields redevelopment

Current research in environmental planning supports decision making based on collaborative planning mechanisms. While current research clearly details the limitations to and prerequisites for meaningful public participation in general and for select environmental issues, there is little focus on them in brownfields redevelopment. In practice, the general assumptions are that brownfields redevelopment is an ideally situated policy issue for participatory planning. However, as this paper will illustrate through case study research, there are several situational prerequisites that must be met before there can be meaningful citizen participation in brownfields redevelopment. By highlighting these prerequisites, the author's goal is to mobilize research and policy efforts to overcome those limitations and to foster widespread meaningful participation in the redevelopment of brownfields in residential neighborhoods.     

ARE RURAL RESIDENTS WILLING TO PAY ENOUGH TO IMPROVE DRINKING WATER QUALITY?1

ABSTRACT: The concentrations of iron and sulfate in community water supplies are a concern for a number of areas in southwestern Minnesota. This study used the contingent valuation method to determine how much consumers would be willing to pay to improve their drinking water quality. On average, individuals were willing to pay US$5.25 per month (in 1995 U.S. dollars) to reduce the level of iron and US$4.33 per month to reduce the level of sulfate in their water to the USEPA's secondary standards for drinking water quality. Respondents with negative perceptions of their drinking water quality were willing to pay more to improve water quality. The aggregate annual willingness to pay (WTP) for all consumers in community water systems in southwestern Minnesota that were out of compliance with water quality standards were estimated to be US$2.4 million and US$2.0 million (in 1995 dollars) for reducing the levels of iron and sulfate, respectively. Yet the total WTP of consumers who use small community water systems may not be enough to pay the full cost of providing improved water in those systems. Economies of scale in water treatment and difficulties in financing improvements mean that technical innovation, government assistance, or institutional changes may be needed to improve water quality in these areas.