Comparing Green and Grey Infrastructure Using Life Cycle Cost and Environmental Impact: A Rain Garden Case Study in Cincinnati,OH

Green infrastructure (GI) is quickly gaining ground as a less costly, greener alternative to traditional methods of stormwater management. One popular form of GI is the use of rain gardens to capture and treat stormwater. We used life cycle assessment (LCA) to compare environmental impacts of residential rain gardens constructed in the Shepherd's Creek watershed of Cincinnati, Ohio to those from a typical detain and treat system. LCA is an internationally standardized framework for analyzing the potential environmental performance of a product or service by including all stages in its life cycle, including material extraction, manufacturing, use, and disposal. Complementary to the life cycle environmental impact assessment, the life cycle costing approach was adopted to compare the equivalent annual costs of each of these systems. These analyses were supplemented by modeling alternative scenarios to capture the variability in implementing a GI strategy. Our LCA models suggest rain garden costs and impacts are determined by labor requirement; the traditional alternative's impacts are determined largely by the efficiency of wastewater treatment, while costs are determined by the expense of tunnel construction. Gardens were found to be the favorable option, both financially (~42% cost reduction) and environmentally (62‐98% impact reduction). Wastewater utilities may find significant life cycle cost and environmental impact reductions in implementing a rain garden plan.     

Using GIS to Delineate Headwater Stream Origins in the Appalachian Coalfields of Kentucky

Headwater streams have a significant nexus or physical, chemical, and/or biological connection to downstream reaches. Generally, defined as 1st‐3rd order with ephemeral, intermittent, or perennial flow regimes, these streams account for a substantial portion of the total stream network particularly in mountainous terrain. Due to their often remote locations, small size, and large numbers, conducting field inventories of headwater streams is challenging. A means of estimating headwater stream location and extent according to flow regime type using publicly available spatial data is needed to simplify this complex process. Using field‐collected headwater point of origin data from three control watersheds, streams were characterized according to a set of spatial parameters related to topography, geology, and soils. These parameters were (1) compared to field‐collected point of origin data listed in three nearby Jurisdictional Determinations, (2) used to develop a geographic information system (GIS)‐based stream network for identifying ephemeral, intermittent, and perennial streams, and (3) applied to a larger watershed and compared to values obtained using the high‐resolution National Hydrography Dataset (NHD). The parameters drainage area and local valley slope were the most reliable predictors of flow regime type. Results showed the high‐resolution NHD identified no ephemeral streams and 9 and 65% fewer intermittent and perennial streams, respectively, than the GIS model.     

Streamside Management Zones Compromised by Stream Crossings,Legacy Gullies,and Over‐Harvest in the Piedmont

Streamside management zone (SMZ) breakthroughs were identified and characterized to determine frequency and potential causes, in order to provide enhanced guidance for future water quality protection. Ten kilometers of SMZs were carefully examined for partial or complete breakthroughs. With partial breakthroughs the SMZ trapped sediment before it reached the stream, while complete breakthroughs appeared to have allowed sediment to have passed through with minimal restriction. A total of 41 breakthroughs occurred (33 complete, 8 partial) across 16 sites, averaging 1 complete breakthrough per 0.3 km of SMZ length. The most common complete breakthroughs were caused by stream crossings (42%), reactivation of legacy agricultural gullies (27%), and harvest related soil disturbances near/within SMZs (24%). Pearson correlations of site characteristics at breakthroughs indicated no strong relationships between breakthrough sites, representing the variable nature of these unique circumstances. Stream crossings are an intentional breakthrough for access purposes, but resulting environmental impacts can be reduced with best management practice implementation. Current recommendations for SMZs tend to work in most situations, yet further research is needed to identify causal factors and quantify breakthrough severity.     

Post‐tsunami relocation of fisher settlements in South Asia: evidence from the Coromandel Coast,India

The tsunami that struck the coasts of India on 26 December 2004 resulted in the large‐scale destruction of fisher habitations. The post‐tsunami rehabilitation effort in Tamil Nadu was directed towards relocating fisher settlements in the interior. This paper discusses the outcomes of a study on the social effects of relocation in a sample of nine communities along the Coromandel Coast. It concludes that, although the participation of fishing communities in house design and in allocation procedures has been limited, many fisher households are satisfied with the quality of the facilities. The distance of the new settlements to the shore, however, is regarded as an impediment to engaging in the fishing profession, and many fishers are actually moving back to their old locations. This raises questions as to the direction of coastal zone policy in India, as well as to the weight accorded to safety (and other coastal development interests) vis‐à‐vis the livelihood needs of fishers.     

关于老工业区污染场地管理的探讨

根据在某老工业区第1批28块场地环境调查的实践,对污染场地管理中存在的问题进行了分析并提出了相应改进建议：①获取准确的场地资料难度很大,建议研究制定场地全过程档案管理制度;②工业企业关闭搬迁会产生新的环境污染风险,工业企业关闭搬迁应该成为污染场地管理的重要环节,环保部门应该在工业企业搬迁前介入,严格监管整个过程中的环境污染;③大量区域由于其中污染严重、风险高的场地缺乏修复资金而难以再开发利用,建议结合规划优先启动资金投入低的污染较轻区域修复,并同时对风险较高的污染场地进行风险管控,当区域开发取得一定规模、成就和收益后,可以整合资金力量和资源开展污染较重区域的修复。     

环境影响评价在中国环境管理中的作用及局限性研究

论述环境影响评价在中国环境管理中的作用,并结合实际工作分析,指出其存在如环境影响分析预测不准确、环保措施实施效果欠佳、监测计划作用发挥不到位、自身局限性等问题.针对存在问题并提出五点建议,即实现环境主管部门全过程监管、加强政府各部门的积极配合、建设环境信息共享平台、全民提高自觉环境保护意识、环评工作者加强自身专业知识培养,以调动全民积极主动性,充分发挥环境影响评价的作用.     

城市环境污染治理设施与社会管理的研究

中国城市环境管理模式虽然有了很大进步,但存在资金的较大压力,使城市环境的运营能力薄弱、工作质量不佳等问题,这些问题阻碍了城市环境污染治理工作.尤其是起步较晚的市场化管理模式,虽然已能够实现城市环境污染治理与社会管理,但管理水平还处于较低的现状,建议通过加强城市环境的法制建设、建立激励政策、加强对运营机构的监管,采取双赢机制,来提高环境污染治理与社会运营管理的市场化.     

关于建立港口群环境管理机构的论证研究

港口群是区域经济发展的重要载体,其环境管理是港口群区域经济可持续发展的重要部分.现阶段中国港口群建设过程中出现环境管理理念落后、环境保护积极性不高、生态功能无序等现象,导致区域环境恶化,生态系统紊乱.通过论证基于港口群基础上建立环境管理机构的必要性与可行性,界定机构的目标、人员组成以及职责与运作,旨在为解决港口群现有环境问题、谋求港口群的长远发展提供一定的政策建议.     

浅谈与信息化管理有关的环境统计分类标准及编码研究

以环境统计信息化管理为背景,研究了国内外信息分类与编码发展情况,系统分析了中国环境统计报告制度中统计指标的编码现状及不足,并结合工作现状及管理需求,提出了环境统计分类编码的需求,确立了环境统计分类编码的目标及原则,研究制定了以层次分类法为主、结合面分类法的环境统计分类编码方法,形成能为中国环境统计信息化管理服务的分类标准及编码体系.     

龙山县生态公益林建设与管理现状及对策

简述了龙山县生态公益林建设与管理的现状,剖析了新时期发挥生态公益林的生态、社会效益与提高林农收入矛盾,分析了龙山县生态公益林建设与管理中存在的问题,提出了龙山县实现生态公益林生态、社会效益与提高林农收入的措施.参4.