Undercounting of large trucks in federal and state crash databases: Extent of problem and how to improve accuracy of truck classifications

Objective: Prior research suggested that single-unit trucks are undercounted when using vehicle body codes in the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). This study explored the extent of the misclassification and undercounting problem for crashes in FARS and state crash databases.

Methods: Truck misclassifications for fatal crashes were explored by comparing the Trucks Involved in Fatal Accidents (TIFA) database with FARS. TIFA used vehicle identification numbers (VINs) and survey information to classify large trucks. This study used VINs to improve the accuracy of large truck classifications in state crash databases from 5 states (Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Utah).

Results: The vehicle body type codes resulted in a 19% undercount of single-unit trucks in FARS and a 23% undercount of single-unit trucks in state databases. Tractor-trailers were misclassified less often. Misclassifications occurred most frequently among single-unit trucks in the weight classes of 10,001–14,000 pounds.

Conclusions: The amount of misclassification of large trucks is large enough to potentially affect federal and state decisions on traffic safety. Using information from VINs results in more complete and accurate counts of large trucks involved in crashes. The National Transportation Safety Board recommended actions to improve federal and state crash data.     

Dealing with uncertainty in collaborative planning: developing adaptive strategies for the IJsselmeer

Adaptive strategies to deal with uncertainty in water management are often collaboratively developed. So far, however, little attention has been paid to the influence of collaboration on handling uncertainty through adaptive planning. In this paper, we study how collaboration has influenced the handling of uncertainty through adaptive planning for water management strategies for the IJsselmeer area in the Netherlands. We show how a fixation on certainty, different perspectives among actors and unclear responsibilities between arenas affect the handling of uncertainty, and found that it is adversely affected by collaboration. The use of adaptive planning challenged current water uses and system functions, creating resistance from actors. We conclude that developing a shared problem perception, creating a common understanding of uncertainties and ensuring a clear demarcation between the water system, its societal functions and water usage, are necessary to make adaptive planning successful in handling uncertainty.     

京津冀生态环境协同保护立法的基本问题

京津冀生态环境的协同保护需要立法推动,因此,有必要制定《京津冀区域生态环境协同保护条例》或者《京津冀区域国土保护与整治条例》及配套的办法。在基本原则方面,可建立一体化保护、以环境质量管理为核心、功能与用途管制、共同但有区别责任等原则。在监管体制方面,可由国务院成立实体性的区域协同发展委员会。 在制度机制方面,可采取统一的环境规划、环境标准、总量控制、环评、监测与预警应急、生态补偿等措施。在法治架构方面,要建立一体化的环境市场、信息公开、公众参与、执法监管等体系。该立法的制定要符合以下标准:定位要精准,立法目的要明确;思路要清晰,措施的层次要分明;制度可实施,协同的措施要实际;原则要坚持,采取的手段可灵活;权利要公平,赋予的义务要均衡;实施可监督,失职的责任能追究。     

大气污染防治的多主体协同机制研究

以协同思想为出发点,分析了中国大气污染多主体协同防治存在的诸多困境,并因此构建了大气污染多主体协同防治系统,认为中国当前大气污染防治需要政府、企业、环保非政府组织(NGO)、公众、媒体五个主体联合发力,彼此之间分工明确、优势互补的协作关系是维持协同系统高效运转的基础.进而着重探讨了为实现大气污染协同防治的目标,各主体在协同系统内部应该具备的职责.     

INTEGRATING SOCIO‐ECONOMIC AND BIOPHYSICAL DATA TO UNDERPIN COLLABORATIVE WATERSHED MANAGEMENT1

ABSTRACT: Watersheds are widely accepted as a useful geography for organizing natural resource management in Australia and the United States. It is assumed that effective action needs to be underpinned by an understanding of the interactions between people and the environment. While there has been some social research as part of watershed planning, there have been few attempts to integrate socio‐economic and biophysical data to improve the efficacy of watershed management. This paper explores that topic. With limited resources for social research, watershed partners in Australia chose to focus on gathering spatially referenced socio‐economic data using a mail survey to private landholders that would enable them to identify and refine priority issues, develop and improve communication with private landholders, choose policy options to accomplish watershed targets, and evaluate the achievement of intermediate watershed plan objectives. Experience with seven large watershed projects provides considerable insight about the needs of watershed planners, how to effectively engage them, and how to collect and integrate social data as part of watershed management.     

CULTURAL EVOLUTION AND WATER MANAGEMENT IN THE SALINAS RIVER VALLEY1

ABSTRACT: This article reports the findings of a case study of a major California water management district's effort to change its management approach. The following key findings and factors have influenced the Salinas basin management plan (BMP) and its progress: (1) the Salinas Valley is an economy dominated by highly sophisticated irrigated agriculture dependent on ground water; (2) a persistent pattern of agricultural overdraft of ground water has hurt growers primarily in the north end of the valley via induced saline intrusion of irrigation wells; (3) a complex set of water institutions, property and water rights, and land lease practices offer little incentive for good stewardship of land and water; and (4) the BMP approach initially may have intensified tension among growers and between growers and other water user groups. Water rules and practices in the Salinas Valley and Monterey County have evolved through a long historical process of adaptations. Therefore, any significant changes in local water use practices need to be understood in terms of cultural change, that is, changes in deeply held values, beliefs, and assumptions. We believe the BMP and the MCWRA are succeeding when evaluated from this evolutionary perspective. The fact that both still exist relatively intact testifies that they are working, albeit slowly.     

流域保护区域协同立法的功能定位与规范进路

《长江保护法》《黄河保护法》为长江、黄河流域的区域协同立法提供了法律依据,在流域保护区域协同立法“入法”后,需要明晰其权力空间与运行规则,提升其科学化、规范化水平。流域保护区域协同立法在本质上仍属于地方立法,是功能主义进路下解决跨行政区域流域保护难题的一种选择,是流域整体性保护的立法回应。就其功能而言,具有落实国家立法确立的流域保护整体目标的实施性功能,以地方合作为中心,解决那些通过单独地方立法难以解决的跨行政区域地方性流域保护问题的协调性、自主性、创新性功能。在此基础上,应当通过明晰其立法层级,建立地方立法规划协同机制,改、废、释的协同机制,交叉备案与后评估机制,深化公众参与机制,完善流域保护区域协同立法的运行规则。     

区域大气污染协同减排补偿机制研究

在环境规制逐步从污染排放控制向环境质量管理转型的背景下,现行的单一行政区属地治理和管理模式对区域性流动性的大气污染已力不从心,导致减排目标与环境质量改善不对应,因此,跨行政区域的合作治理亟需管理手段和机制的创新。本文基于大气环境质量目标视角,构建了区域上层管理部门(如国家或区域)和下层所辖各区的双层博弈模型,明确了大气污染减排成本与减排量的函数关系,利用定量分析方法模拟计算出区域减排总成本最小化状况下的污染协同减排补偿标准及各辖区所承担的污染物减排量,提出对实际减排量低于(超过)责任减排量的辖区给予补偿费的征收(奖励)的管理机制,通过市场调节手段实现区域内大气污染协同减排的目的。在此基础上,以我国大气污染重点防控区(长株潭城市群)为例,采用2004—2015年的统计面版数据,对区域内所辖各区二氧化硫减排量和协同减排补偿标准进行了定量测算。计算结果表明:为达到国家设定的2030年环境空气质量总体目标,长株潭区域二氧化硫协同减排的补偿费标准为1 506元/t,以该补偿标准作为区域层面二氧化硫协同减排调控手段,可在区域污染治理总成本最小化的同时,实现域内各辖区自身利益的最大化。文章最后就区域污染协同减排补偿机制提出了实施思路及保障措施。基于此研究,区域环境管理部门应设立专项的协同减排基金,专门用于区域大气质量的改善和提高:一方面用于激励大气污染实际减排量超出本行政区域责任减排量的辖区,目的是为区域空气质量比预期目标更高、对居民健康产生的正向外部性买单;另一方面用于对历史包袱重、减排压力大、治理能力弱的辖区给予一定的政策倾斜或扶持;同时,区域环境管理部门还应从组织机构、交易平台、法律法规等方面提供保障措施,确保协同减排补偿机制的顺利实施。     

Natural resource industry involvement in collaboration for water governance: influence on processes and outcomes in Canada

Natural resource industries are increasingly significant actors in environmental decision-making. Possessing vast institutional and technical capacity, firms have an important role to play in ‘new’ governance strategies such as collaboration. These strategies are often based upon assumptions of equitable influence. This paper investigates the nature of resource industry participation in collaborative water governance in Canada, and the potential consequences of that participation as investigated using power theory. The study used comparative cases to reveal that resource industries are able to shape collaboration, and the issues collaborated upon, at multiple analytical levels both internal and external to the collaborative process in ways not available to other actors. Analysis also revealed that resource industry participation in collaboration did not reflect a commitment to engage in shared learning and the reexamination of values and interests as presupposed by collaborative theory. Collaboration is thus challenged in producing equitable, representative outcomes when resource industries participate.