RESOLUTION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT ISSUES IN PERMITTING TILE PLATEAU CREEK PIPELINE1

ABSTRACT: This paper describes how a hydrologic model proved to be a valuable tool to help interested parties understand impacts to four threatened and endangered fish species in the Upper Colorado River. In 1994, the Ute Water Conservancy District initiated permitting and design of the Plateau Creek pipeline replacement. The project was considered a major Federal action and therefore subject to the National Environmental Policy Act. Under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) entered the process to develop a Biological Opinion (BO) and determined that the project could potentially impact the endangered fish in the 15‐mile reach of the Colorado River. The Section 7 consultation was directed by a Core Committee comprised of stakeholders in the Upper Colorado River watershed. Hydrologic modeling became the evaluation tool for comparing flow reductions to USFWS target recovery flows and defining make‐up flow requirements to meet those targets. The Colorado River Recovery Implementation Program was designated to provide the make‐up flows. The USFWS released a final BO in December 1997, approving diversions through 2015. An Environmental Impact Statement for the project was completed and the Record of Decision was issued by the Bureau of Land Management in early 1998.     

Occupational Safety and Health in Finland

In Finland, occupational safety is the responsibility of the employer, while the occupational safety and health laws are enforced by the Labour Inspection Service, an organization of the state. The Labour Inspection is divided in 11 administrative districts, and it employs 360 professionals. They are mandated to carry out site visits without prearranged appointments to inspect safe work situations, working hours, construction safety, or any aspect of accident risks. The inspectors are also mandated to verify the existence of sufficient occupational health services as prescribed by the Occupational Health Services Act for all employees. The occupational health services are typically provided by enterprise-owned medical departments, by mutually owned health care centers, by private practitioners, or by municipal health care centers. The latter are required by law to provide all services as prescribed by the legislation to anyone who comes to the facility. This situation is prevalent in the countryside, where there are very few private caregiving centers. Declaring occupational accidents and disease cases is mandatory, and the Inspection districts examine all accidents to establish causes and consequences, and to initiate prosecution in case of criminal negligence. Labour Inspection Districts are also notified of the new occupational disease cases as they are declared to insurance companies. Insurance for occupational disease, accidents, and death is an obligation of the employer, although they can choose the insurance company. The medical confidentiality between the workers and their occupational health care providers is very strict. Official statistics are maintained by the state Statistics Finland organization, and they may be used, for example, for research purposes by scientific institutes like the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. Construction industry accounts for 25% of all fatal accidents (120 cases per 1 million working hours), followed by mechanical, wood, metal, machinery, and pulp and paper industry (10% each of fatal accidents) with rates ranging from 100–160 cases per 1 million working hours. There are some 5,000 occupational disease cases per year (rate 22/10,000 employed). The major disease categories include repetitive strain injuries (1,300 cases), respiratory allergies (600 cases), occupational skin diseases (1,000 cases), and 900 cases of noise-caused hearing loss. In 1998, 589 cases of asbestos-related diseases were reported.     

基于景观结构和空间统计方法的绿洲区生态风险分析——以石羊河武威、民勤绿洲为例

论文以石羊河流域武威、民勤绿洲为研究区域,在ArcGIS 10.0、ArcView 3.2 软件和景观格局分析软件FRAGSTATS的技术支持下,采用干扰度指数、景观脆弱度指数、优势度指数和破碎度等指数,并通过分析景观格局与生态风险度之间的关系,将各景观指数进行栅格叠置运算,从而构建生态风险度,在此基础上,利用GIS局部空间统计方法研究分析了绿洲区景观结构格局和生态风险的时空变化特征及聚集模式。研究结果表明:① 城乡用地快速扩展的同时,耕地和草地景观有较大幅度的降低,优势景观类型由耕地、草地向耕地和建设用地转变;② 武威绿洲生态风险经历了从较高到中度的转变,生态风险整体趋于好转,而民勤绿洲生态风险从中/较高到较高/高变化,生态风险有所恶化;③ 武威绿洲主要为高于平均值的要素趋于聚集,表现为低生态风险小区高度聚集,且聚集度有上升的趋势,而民勤绿洲则主要为低于平均值的要素趋于聚集,高生态风险小区高度聚集,随着时间的推移呈现面积增大、空间扩展的态势。     

我国东部与云贵湖区富营养化控制标准对比研究

以我国东部湖区及云贵湖区主要湖泊2005~2008年的监测数据和国际公认的湖泊富营养化叶绿素a 含量分级为基础,通过频率统计方法,对叶绿素a、总氮(TN)、总磷(TP)、透明度(SD)和高锰酸盐指数(CODMn)进行了统计分析,并根据反退化原则,计算了两湖区湖泊富营养化控制指标的建议值.结果表明,东部湖区湖泊富营养化控制标准的建议值为TN:1.65mg/L,TP:0.100mg/L,SD:0.45m,CODMn:4.50mg/L;云贵湖区为TN:1.00 mg/L,TP:0.045 mg/L,SD:1.10m,CODMn:4.00mg/L.云贵高原湖区氮磷营养盐控制指标值绝对值低,相应控制标准比东部平原湖区严,主要原因是东部平原湖区受人类活动影响强烈,目前的水环境总体质量劣于云贵湖区.     

超标概率场在污水海洋处置工程浓度场分析中的应用

以深圳市宝安污水海洋处置工程为背景,针对目前国内外进行排放口近区研究存在的问题,提出了一套解决这些问题的方法．建立了一套详细的采用超标概率场、侵袭频率场分析时域法的计算结果的方法．通过输入排放口丰、枯水期大、小潮的监测数据,计算得出了这４种状况下,排放污水产生的超标概率场和侵袭频率场,并得出了相应的结论     

新疆柴窝堡地区沉积物元素地球化学特征及其环境意义

通过对新疆柴窝堡地区湖泊沉积物和流域表层沉积物中元素含量的分析,研究了柴窝堡湖沉积物中元素的地球化学特征及其环境意义,并利用重金属潜在生态危害指数法对沉积物重金属的生态效应进行了简要评价。相关分析及主成分分析表明,柴窝堡流域Al、K、Na、Be、Ba、Ti、Ca、Mg、Sr等元素含量的变化主要受流域化学风化作用强度的影响,而Fe、Mn、Zn、Cu、Cr、Ni、Pb、Co等重金属元素与黏土含量之间相关性显著,反映了自然与人类活动的影响过程。1950年前,人类活动影响弱,湖泊沉积物重金属元素主要受控于流域水动力条件;1950年后,流域人类活动的加强使得湖泊沉积物中重金属含量显著增加。利用聚类方法进行了湖泊沉积物与流域表层沉积物元素组成的比较分析,结果显示不同湖泊沉积物元素的组合特征反映了流域人类活动和自然作用的影响。最后,通过重金属潜在生态危害指数法对柴窝堡湖泊沉积物中Cu、Cr、Zn、Pb等4种重金属的潜在危害程度进行初步评价,其中以沉积物中Pb和Cu危害程度较高,但潜在生态危害程度尚属轻微。     

Temporal and Spatial Trends in Nutrient and Sediment Loading to Lake Tahoe,California‐Nevada,USA

Since 1980, the Lake Tahoe Interagency Monitoring Program (LTIMP) has provided stream‐discharge and water quality data—nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and suspended sediment—at more than 20 stations in Lake Tahoe Basin streams. To characterize the temporal and spatial patterns in nutrient and sediment loading to the lake, and improve the usefulness of the program and the existing database, we have (1) identified and corrected for sources of bias in the water quality database; (2) generated synthetic datasets for sediments and nutrients, and resampled to compare the accuracy and precision of different load calculation models; (3) using the best models, recalculated total annual loads over the period of record; (4) regressed total loads against total annual and annual maximum daily discharge, and tested for time trends in the residuals; (5) compared loads for different forms of N and P; and (6) tested constituent loads against land use‐land cover (LULC) variables using multiple regression. The results show (1) N and P loads are dominated by organic N and particulate P; (2) there are significant long‐term downward trends in some constituent loads of some streams; and (3) anthropogenic impervious surface is the most important LULC variable influencing water quality in basin streams. Many of our recommendations for changes in water quality monitoring and load calculation methods have been adopted by the LTIMP.     

Spatial sampling and the environment: some issues and directions

In this paper we summarize research issues for spatial environmental sampling stemming from a NISS/USEPA workshop held on 21-22 September 1994 at Chapel Hill, NC.     

沁河流域水体污染物时空分异特征及潜在污染源识别

应用多种多元统计方法对晋城市沁河流域2005—2010年的水质数据(11个监测断面、24个水质指标)进行时空分异特征分析及潜在污染源识别.将聚类分析与判别分析相结合,在空间尺度上识别出重污染区和轻污染区,在时间尺度上识别出水质的年内差异性,揭示并探讨河流水质对降雨延迟的响应现象,进而将时间及空间聚类分析结果有机结合,开展时空联合分析与因子分析,有针对性地进行污染源识别.结果表明,监测断面可分成2类:A组(4个断面)及B组(其余7个断面),其中,丹河污染程度重于沁河,应当作为流域污染控制的重点;全年可分为2个时段:时段Ⅰ(7—11月)和时段Ⅱ(其它月份),时段Ⅰ水质略优于时段Ⅱ,流域面源污染或内源污染较严重;A组的典型污染指标共12项,分别为重金属、有机物、有毒有机物和其他污染物,主要来自于工业点源;B组的典型污染指标共11项,分别为重金属、有机物和生物指标,主要来自于工业和生活点源、生活和农业面源.     

太湖上游的水文特征及灾害分析

分析了1957～1988年太湖上游主要入湖河道的水位和流量变化规律及其与降水量的关系.基于年径流量,对太湖上游河流每年的丰枯等级进行了评价,讨论了太湖流域的洪涝灾害特征,提出了可根据本文所分析结果进行太湖洪涝灾害预测的结论.