ON TAXATION AND FIRMS CHOICE OF WASTE WATER TREATMENT TECHNOLOGY1

ABSTRACT: The interaction between the level of taxation and the firms accruing choice of treatment technology is discussed. It is shown that there is a risk of overtaxation, that is, simply increasing taxation may fail to improve environmental quality but only increase production costs and thus consumer prices.     

Simulation modeling and resource management

Simulation models are becoming increasingly important as tools for synthesizing and applying information in almost all aspects of land management. They are particulary valuable for predicting and comparing outcomes of alternative decisions and assumptions. Models also permit managers to consider and integrate the potential influences of a large number of variables.     

Trail erosion patterns in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

All the maintained trails in Great Smoky Mountains National Park were surveyed for width, depth, and a variety of types of erosion. Trail erosion is related to a number of environmental variables, including vegetation type, elevation, trail slope, and section of the park. Open grass balds and spruce-fir forest are the most erosion-sensitive plant communities, and the xeric oak and pine types are the least sensitive. Trails in virgin or mature forest tend to be in poorer condition than those in successional areas. The most important physical factor is the slope of the trail.Trails in the Tennessee district are in slightly poorer condition, on the average, than those in the North Carolina district, but the Appalachian Trail is more eroded than either. A poor section of the park may have ten times the erosion of a good section. On an allpark basis, water erosion is the most important problem, with 15% of the trail surface affected.A comparison of visitation patterns with trail condition indicates that redistribution of use would help to mitigate some erosion problems. Because trail condition is correlated to physical environmental factors, however, some sites will require intensive maintenance, even if visitation is low.The data from this survey have already been used in environmental analysis of proposed developments within the park and can be applied to long-range planning for the park trail system as a whole.     

Time series in M dimensions: The one-dimensional case: Pollution in the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal

A nonstationary time-series model is used to examine the changes occurring at sampling stations on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. Using data from upstream sampling sites, downstream levels of dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, nitrates and nitrites, and ammonia are accurately predicted. The method is simple, insensitive to extreme values, and responsive to changes in the system.     

Municipal sludge management: Health aspects of crop uptake of cadmium from sludge-amended soil and recommendations for regulation

Regulations have been proposed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to promote the proper management of sludge disposal on croplands. The application of municipal sludge to croplands raises serious questions concerning the increase in dietary levels of metals resulting from metal uptake by crops. A model is presented that affords a quantitative estimate of the dietary increase of metals when foods are derived from sludge-amended soil. If a diet or part of a diet is derived completely from sludge-amended soil, it is likely to be excessive in cadmium and pose a clear health hazard. Recommendations designed to reduce the potential health threat of excessive metals in the diet are presented.     

COMPARISON OF ALTERNATIVE ENGINEERING DESIGNS1

ABSTRACT: Procedures are presented for comparing and evaluating alternative engineering designs for a particular water resources project. By using certain aspects of fuzzy set theory, it is possible to introduce both quantitative and qualitative considerations into the decisionmaking process. In addition, the viewpoints of the various interest groups involved with the water resources development can be realistically incorporated by the evaluation techniques for the alternative designs. Methods are given for eliminating undesirable alternatives and thereby obtaining a reduced set of possible feasible solutions to the problem. Because of the flexibility of the evaluation methods, the viable alternatives should not only satisfy economical, technical. environmental and other types of constraints, but these possible solutions should be politically feasible as well. A method is formulated for checking the sensitivity of the feasible results with respect to the factors that are considered in the analysis.     

FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT: SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS' ATTITUDES AND APPROACHES1

ABSTRACT: Methods of floodplain management are changing in the United States. There has been a gradual shift in emphasis from “flood control” to “management” of the floodplain. The complexities of multilevel governmental involvement in floodplain management demand an analysis of a new means to coordinate these efforts. It is the intent of this paper to discuss the role of the Corps of Engineers in this area and the problems the Corps has encountered in its endeavors. The occurrence of these problems indicates that there is a need to strengthen the federal role to ensure a comprehensive view of floodplain management.     

OPTIMAL WATER USE AND SALINITY CONTROL FOR ENERGY - UPPER COLORADO RIVER BASIN1

ABSTRACT: The Upper Colorado River Basin contains appreciable amounts of undeveloped fuel resources. Large quantities of oil shale, coal, and uranium have attracted recent economic and commercial interests. Development of these resources and subsequent conversion to alternative energy forms require an adequate supply of water. Water use for large scale energy development will place increasing demands on an already overstressed allocation of Colorado River water. Present water quality is at a concentration where increased salinity will result in economic detriments to holders of downstream water rights. The salt and water exchange in mining, processing, and spent fuel disposal processes has been incorporated as part of a two-level minimum cost linear programming algorithm. Mathematical simulation results provide an optimal use of Upper Colorado River water for levels of energy output such that salinity concentrations are maintained below predetermined levels.     

A MULTIOBJECTIVE MODEL FOR REGIONAL WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT1

ABSTRACT: Linear programming is the simplest of all the optimization techniques used in regional water quality management studies; but the technique can optimize only one goal. When there are multiple goals with the same or different priorities, goal programming is a useful decisionmaking tool. This paper illustrates the application of goal programming to a regional water quality management problem where the following two goals are considered: (1) minimize the total cost of waste treatment, and (2) maintain the water quality goals (dissolved oxygen) close to the minimum level stated in the stream standards.     

PERSPECTIVES FROM THREE YEARS EXPERIENCE OF REGIONAL WATER SERVICES IN THAMES WATER AUTHORITY1

ABSTRACT: Thames Water is one of ten regional Water Authorities established in 1974 to manage all water services in England and Wales. This paper looks back at water reorganization and reviews the achievements and highlights of the last three years. Constitutionally, Water authorities are a combination of a nationalized industry and local authority. This has advantages and disadvantages. Freedom of action, particularly in financial matters, is constrained by Government and official agencies. A severe pollution of the upper Thames and the drought of 1976 tested Thames Water's ability to deal with emergencies. Thames Water does not have an operational monopoly. Private Water Companies supply one third of the water demand and local authorities manage nearly all the sewers. But Thames Water's control over planning and investment ensures that the river basin is managed in a coordinated fashion. Tariff structure changes have led the Authority to bill all its consumers direct. The Thames is a small but intensively used river and vigilance is needed to maintain water quality. Thames Water is proud of the restoration of the tidal Thames from a typical grossly polluted metropolitan estuary to its present excellent condition. The British Government intends to establish a national water industry strategic planning organization but at the same time they affirm that there can be no departure from the principle of integrated river basin management.