Evaluating the effect of vehicle impoundment policy on illegal construction and demolition waste dumping: Israel as a case study

Construction and demolition (C&D) waste dumped alongside roads and in open areas is a major source of soil and underground water pollution. Since 2006, Israeli ministry for environmental protection enacted a policy of vehicle impoundment (VI) according to which track drivers caught while dumping C&D waste illegally have their vehicles impounded. The present study attempted to determine whether the VI policy was effective in increasing the waste hauling to authorized landfill sites, thus limiting the number of illegal unloads of C&D waste at unauthorized landfill sites and in open areas. During the study, changes in the ratio between the monthly amount of C&D waste brought to authorized landfills sites and the estimated total amount of C&D waste generated in different administrative districts of Israel were examined, before and after the enactment of the 2006 VI policy. Short questionnaires were also distributed among local track drivers in order to determine the degree of awareness about the policy in question and estimate its deterrence effects. According to the study’s results, in the district of Haifa, in which the VI policy was stringently enacted, the ratio between C&D waste, dumped in authorized landfill sites, and the total amount of generated C&D waste, increased, on the average, from 20% in January 2004 to 35% in October 2009, with the effect attributed to the number of vehicle impoundments being highly statistically significant (t = 2.324; p < 0.05). By contrast, in the Jerusalem and Southern districts, in which the VI policy was less stringently enforced, the effect of VI on the above ratio was found to be insignificant (p > 0.1). The analysis of the questionnaires, distributed among the local truck drivers further indicated that the changes observed in the district of Haifa are not coincident and appeared to be linked to the VI policy’s enactment. In particular, 62% of the truck drivers, participated in the survey, were aware of the policy and 47% of them personally knew a driver whose vehicle was impounded. Furthermore, the drivers estimated the relative risk of being caught for unloading C&D waste in unauthorized sites, on the average, as high as 67%, which is likely to become a deterrent on its own. Our conclusion is that the VI policy appears to have a deterring effect on truck drivers, by encouraging them to haul C&D waste to authorized landfill sites. As we suggest, the research methodology implemented in the study and its results may help policy makers in other regions and countries, which experience similar environment enforcement problem, to analyze policy responses.     

A system dynamics model for evaluating the alternative of type in construction and demolition waste recycling center - The case of Chongqing, China

This paper presents a system dynamics computer model to evaluate alternative type of recycling center under different policy and economy environments through comparison on the economic feasibility of recycling centers and ratio of savings to costs in C&D waste management. A case study for the City of Chongqing, China is selected. Simulated results show three key factors can contribute to the economic feasibility of recycling and the ratio of savings to costs in C&D waste management: (a) profit; (b) unit recycling cost; (c) extra revenue from location advantage (It was assumed that the mobile centers can attain extra revenue from the location advantage compared with fixed recycling centers). The sensitive analysis and comparison on ratios between public and private sector indicate that to achieve the optimum ratio of savings to costs, design of recycling centers and selection of governmental instruments are determined by the priority list: (1) low extra revenue from location advantage; (2) low profit; (3) low unit recycling cost. Meanwhile, the fluctuation of the three factors must be prior to achieve economic feasibility of corresponding recycling centers.     

论风力发电建设项目的环境监理

目前,随着国家清洁能源的政策支持,风力发电项目已在内蒙古地区普遍发展。风力发电项目对生态环境影响范围大、污染分散,环境监理内容较多,因此做好风力发电建设项目的环境监理工作是十分重要的。本文简述了这方面的环境监理内容。     

日本公害治理及赔偿的历程、经验及对中国的启示

日本在其经济起飞期,曾经是全球公害最严重的国家,世界八大公害事件有一半发生在日本,随之带来的公害病祸及千家万户。日本在公害应对及相关赔偿上是道路甚曲折、结果可称道：1970年后日本再也没有发生严重的公害事件,但相关赔偿事宜一直到2013年才基本结束。可将其经验总结为五方面：立法规范、绿色发展;科学认定;公众参与;多措并举;多方筹资。这些经验应用到中国,应注意实现形式的差别,弥补我国在上位法制定、非政府组织介入、多渠道筹资等方面的制度短板,加大摸清底数等工作力度,并根据风险管理原理使相关部门的举措联动配合。     

有关建设项目竣工环境保护验收监测问题的思考

结合建设项目竣工“三同时”环境保护验收监测工作实际;对验收监测过程中存在的具体问题进行了分析;提出了解决问题的方法和途径,为进一步搞好建设项目环境保护验收做了有益的借鉴。     

企业安全文化的建设与活动模式

首先论述企业安全文化建设提出的时代背景。接着详细阐述了企业安全文化建设的主要内容，即物态安全文化建设、制度安全文化建设、心态安全文化建设和行为规范安全文化建设，以及企业安全文化的活动模式。     

坡地灾害与重庆城市建设

阐述和探索了重庆地区斜坡的形态和物质结构特征，以及在人为坡活动的影响下与坡地灾害的形成关系，目的在于引起施工人员重视和提高群众的防灾意识。     

城市生态型新区生态建设规划研究——以西安市浐灞生态区为例

结合西安市浐灞生态区的建设特色,系统地阐述了城市新区规划建设的理念和目标,提出了一套适合城市生态型新区建设的、操作性强的指标体系,重点论述了生态区建设的主要领域和重点任务。     

引黄济并工程可持续发展影响评价

本文根据可持续发展理论，初步探讨了建设项目可持续发展影响评价的基本问题，以引黄工程为例，从供水特征变化、影响方向与程度、影响的领域等不同方面，较为系统地分析了工程建设和运营过程对区域可持续发展所带来各种影响，最后进行了宏观效益评估和综合影响评价     

房地产开发项目环境影响评价内容的探讨

根据房地产开发项目的特点，阐述了房地产开发项目类型、工程概况和施工期、运行期分别对环境产生的不良影响，着重分析施工期扬尘、运行期废水污染情况，以及减绶该不利影响的措施，最后总结房地产开发项目环境影响评价还须进一步探讨的问题。