MAXIMIZING THE VALUE OF INFORMATION FOR GROUND WATER PROTECTION: THREE TEST CASES1

ABSTRACT: Public awareness of the importance of protecting the nation's water supplies is growing. Recent studies have shown a substantial increase in the perceived value of protecting water supplies for future use. In the Northeast, much of the water supply comes from ground water. This paper examines three test cases, each with different approaches for using geographic information systems (GIS) for ground water protection planning. In Wellfleet, Massachusetts, build-out scenarios were used to support regulatory and land acquisition decisions for siting a public water supply well. In Hadley, Massachusetts, the focus was on a decision support model for septic suitability assessment in support of regulatory efforts and infrastructure expansion. For Cortland County, New York, an interactive graphic user interface was created to facilitate the manipulation and recombination of a large volume of data by county officials to target ground water pollution prevention efforts. As personal computers become more powerful and inexpensive, and GIS data become more readily available, community and county governments are turning to GIS as a tool for developing comprehensive resource protection plans. Once appropriate data are input, a GIS can effectively and efficiently be used to derive outcomes of various land use plans and regulations.     

RESPONSE CAPABILITY IN WATER CONTAMINATION EMERGENCIES1

ABSTRACT: Contamination of supplies by a wide variety of pollutants has long presented water managers with difficult problems. In the last fifteen years the issue of groundwater contamination has received a great deal of attention. Most work has focused on the source side of the problem. Questions have included: where do pollutants come from, how widespread is the problem, and what are the effects of the contaminants on human health and the environment? Very little work, however, has yet been done on the response side of this issue. Are water managers aware of water pollution problems (actual or potential) and their magnitude, and how well prepared are they to deal with contamination situations if they should develop? This paper reports results from a study of such questions for the southern New Jersey area. The study was intended to assess both the methodological and substantive issues involved in an empirical investigation of response capability. In addition to reporting methodological findings, the paper concludes that, while problem awareness is relatively high, actual preparedness and response capabilities are strikingly low.     

Coming to grips with scientific ignorance in the governance of endocrine disrupting chemicals and nanoparticles

New technologies are characterized by various forms of incertitude that challenge both scientific expertise and regulatory action. In this paper, we argue that these incertitudes place experts in irreducible double bind situations, which may end in paralysis. Double binds emerge when primary injunctions are contradicted by secondary injunctions at a different logical level, which affects the interpretation of the primary injunction. Adequately addressing the challenges posed by new technologies requires phronesis, or pragmatic, context-dependent and action-oriented knowledge grounded in value deliberation. Using endocrine disruptors and carbon nanotubes as empirical examples, we argue that in relation to new technologies involving various kinds of incertitude, being phronimos—the person who can do phronesis—involves synthetically and simultaneously enacting parts of the three interrelated domains of knowledge, ethics and institutions, also across different logical levels. The special kind of experience-based phronesic skill that required in the regulatory appraisal of new technologies is thus fundamentally related to the human capacity of pattern recognition. Finally, we argue that being aware of and making full use of practical wisdom thus conceptualized enables a new operationalization of the precautionary principle.     

ESTABLISHING WATERSHED MANAGEMENT IN LAW: NEW ZEALAND'S EXPERIENCE1

ABSTRACT: New Zealand is one of the first countries in the world to enshrine the concept of watershed management in law, through institutional arrangements and the Resource Management Act of 1991 ‐ a law constructed on a watershed management legacy begun in 1941. This paper outlines the development of New Zealand's Resource Management Act (as it applies to water management) and the lessons that have been learned in its implementation.     

天津滨海新区生态系统服务评估及空间分级

采用提出的“功能当量”相对评估模型,并以RS和GIS为技术平台对2009年天津滨海新区生态系统服务功能进行评估,采用区域网格化空间表达,对研究区进行分级研究.结果表明,滨海新区生态系统单位面积服务功能当量大小依次为湿地、水体、林地、草地、耕地、裸地;2009年滨海新区生态系统服务功能当量总和为1068680.13,III级以上功能当量的单元格比例为71.22%,总体处于较高水平;通过与价值量法结果对比,得出利用“功能当量”相对评估模型对研究区的评估结果与价值量法的评估结果具有显著相关性,证明该评估模型的可行性和合理性.     

Ethical Issues Associated With Sheep Fly Strike Research, Prevention, and Control

Fly strike is a painful conditioncaused by live maggots eating at the flesh of sheep.Remedies for this disorder are traumatic, with sheepundergoing painful mulesing and tail dockingoperations to protect against flystrike. In an attemptto find control solutions and to understand thedisorder, Australasian researchers increase sheepsuffering by conducting experiments that artificiallyinduce fly strike. Some of these experiments have noapplication in prevention and control of fly strike.Many others could be modified or replaced with lesspainful techniques.Anecdotal evidence through communication withorganic farmers suggests that fly strike is largelypreventable if farmers keep sheep healthy and inspectthem regularly. Some organic farmers have largelyeliminated fly strike from their farm. Investigationson fly strike control using non-intrusive techniquesare also progressing in Australasia and the UnitedKingdom.Since it is possible to conduct useful research andto run profitable farms with little or no fly strike,much of the current management, research and policy onsheep farming is ethically questionable even to thoseholding the moderate view that animals can be used forhuman purposes providing suffering is kept to aminimum. Sheep farmers will need to take animalwelfare problems into consideration. Greatercommunication among researchers needs to be encouragedto prevent unnecessary duplication of experiments.International trade regulations will also need toallow trade barriers based on animal welfareconcerns.     

燃煤锅炉深度脱硫脱氮技术

新国家排放标准的实施对燃煤锅炉二氧化硫和氮氧化物排放提出了严格的要求,目前单一的减排技术只能满足部分燃煤锅炉的排放要求。本文综述了国内外现有的脱硫和脱氮技术,提出了燃煤锅炉深度脱硫脱氮需考虑多种技术相结合,并针对不同容量和燃烧方式的锅炉推荐了合适的深度脱硫脱氮技术,可为燃煤锅炉污染物排放达到新国标提供技术参考。     

WATER RESOURCES DEVELOPMENT IN THE MULLICA RIVER BASIN1

ABSTRACT: The potential withdrawal of water from the Mullica River-Great Bay Estuary is southern New Jersey prompted a joint study by biologists and engineers to determine the maximum supply of water that could be diverted from the basin without causing undue environmental impacts. The effect of removal of water from the basin over long periods of time was simulated by review of records of a severe drought. Based on analysis of streamflows and salinities during these drought conditions, minimum mean monthly streamflows were determined corresponding to the maximum salinities tolerable by the fish and shellfish communities, important sources of revenue and recreation in the region. A physically optimized, chance constrained linear programming model was developed for the conjunctive use of ground and surface waters. Adjusting water withdrawal from streamflow and groundwater sources according to physical and seasonal criteria would permit maximum use of the basin's resources, with no additional burden on the ecology of the estuary.     

免拆模板复合剪力墙粘结性能试验研究

免拆模板复合剪力墙体系是适应当前新型建筑体系需求而发展起来的新型节能结构体系。它具有节约能源、增大使用面积、优良的抗震性能及工厂化的施工工艺等优点。笔者专门对免拆模板复合剪力墙体系进行了研究 ,针对 3种不同聚苯板截面和 4种不同免拆模板截面进行粘结性能试验 ,通过试验总结出影响免拆模板与现浇混凝土之间粘结性能的因素 ,并对其作用机理进行分析 ,以期对新型建筑节能体系的发展有所贡献。     

AQUATIC ORGANISMS AND HEAVY METALS IN MISSOURI'S NEW LEAD BELT1

The New Lead. Belt of southeastern Missouri has recently become the largest lead producing region of the world. The impact of this rapid development on the previously rural and undeveloped region of the Missouri Ozarks is the subject of a continuing interdisciplinary study. Since the industrial development began, there have been a number of nuisance biological blooms in several of the small streams receiving effluent from the mines and mills. The major constituents of the problem algal growths were identified and found to include: Cladophora, Oscillatoria, Mougeotia, Zygnema, Spirogyra, Cymbella, and a variety of other stalked and non-stalked diatoms. Secondary blooms of Sphaerotilus were observed to reach problem proportions in some streams, particularly in the autumn. Finely ground rock flour and mineral particles escaping from tailings dams were found to be trapped by the stream vegetation. Concentrations of lead, zinc, copper, and manganese in the algal and bacterial mats were found to be inversely related to distance downstream from the tailings dams. Consumer organisms, including crayfish, snails, aquatic insects, tadpoles, minnows and larger sunfish were analyzed to determine the extent of dissemination and concentration of the heavy metals through food chains. Preliminary results indicated insignificant concentrations of heavy metals in those consumer organisms studied, though in at least one problem stream the normal consumer organisms mentioned were markedly reduced in numbers.