The 1976 outbreak of Hog Cholera in New Jersey: An application of geology to a biological emergency

Hog cholera is a highly contagious virus disease of swine. Since 1962, a Hog Cholera Eradication Program has replaced vaccination as the control mechanism in the U.S. Because the cholera agent requires a live host to thrive, quarantine and herd depopulation are ordered at every U.S. outbreak. The results have been positive and dramatic.The presence of hog cholera was confirmed in Gloucester County, New Jersey, on February 26, 1976. A cooperative State-Federal task force was mobilized to contain and eliminate the infection. Burial would be the disposal technique. For the first time a geologist was requested to augment outbreak control, with responsibility to pinpoint safe burial sites for thousands of animals. USDA emergency policy and procedures limited the options of the assisting geologist, but basic geologic judgments sufficed during appraisals of burial sites. Ultimately, 10 sites were needed and used; other locations proposed during the course of the outbreak were judged hydrogeologically unsuitable and were therefore rejected. Each excavation was sited to minimize potential impact on local aquifers, chiefly by maintaining maximum separation from the water table and by prudent siting within the hydrogeology of the outbreak area.From the first positive confirmation to the end of the active outbreak, a period of four weeks, 15,741 swine totaling over 1 million kg were destroyed and buried. The resulting indemnity was just under $3 million. Because of effective cooperative action during the New Jersey incident, geologic appraisal during large U.S. livestock depopulations now promises to become standard procedure.     

Decision making: With applications for environmental management

The two major processes of decision making, behavioral interactions and decision analysis, are discussed. Comparisons are made between the Delphi and NGT methods of behavioral interaction. Three different types of decision analysis are compared, including the Goals Achievement Matrix, Concordance Analysis, and the Simple Multi-Attribute Rating Technique. Decision making problems characteristic of environmental studies are reviewed. A method of decision making that combines the best qualities of other methods is suggested. The overall purpose of this paper is to make the technical knowledge of decision making useful to environmentalists, businessmen, citizens, and politicians, and to improve the process of policy making in environmental studies.     

THE COSTS OF CONFLICTING ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY: A CASE STUDY IN MILWAUKEE1

ABSTRACT: The history of the Milwaukee water pollution abatement program is examined as a case study to investigate the costs of conflicting environmental policy. The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision concerning the Milwaukee case is described as a milestone in U.S. water pollution abatement policy which will help preclude the type of environmental policy conflict which has been found to be so costly to Milwaukee. The implications to U.S. water pollution abatement policy of the 13-year history of conflict in Milwaukee are presented.     

快速带压堵漏技术在集输管网上的应用

针对油田开发建设中地面管线及容器等设备的腐蚀、老化、穿孔等问题,以生产和环保为基点,介绍了快速带压堵漏技术在中原油田集输管网上的应用,提出6种快速带压技术,并详述了其优缺点。     

风对桥梁结构稳定性的影响及其对策

桥梁风害是人们极为关心的问题之一。本文回顾了１８１８年以来世界上主要的桥梁风害情况，然后选取其中一典型的桥梁（Ｔａｃｏｍａ桥）风毁事例，详细分析了其毁坏的原因．指出了风对桥梁的作用形式及破坏方式；最后，对如何避免桥梁风害事故的发生提出了一些建议和对策。     

环保自动举报系统的功能需求和探讨

环保自动举报系统用于环保热线,通过应用环保自动举报系统,环保部门能提高服务品质,能对环境污染举报工作进行科学化和自动化的管理,本文就环保自动举报系统的应有功能进行探讨。     

稻田稻麦两熟养鱼高产技术研究

本文研究了稻麦两熟养鱼高产的调控原理,提出了稻麦连作,畦麦沟鱼、稻鱼共生的稻田全年养鱼技术。①利用深沟窄畦扩容和稳容,改造生境容量;②采用畦麦沟鱼、稻鱼共生结构调节群落的种群密度和生态位宽度,延长养鱼时间;③按照生物种群的生态型对水层敏感性实施田间水位和流水增氧调控,提高养鱼产量;④提高稻麦两熟养鱼的生产率,合理投入,以生物质能为主源输入稳定系统结构。     

Evaluation of two herbicide techniques on electric transmission rights-of-way: Development of relatively stable shrublands

Postmanagement vegetation patterns were studied on five transmission rights-of-way subjected to over a decade of basal or stem-foliar herbicide applications designed to eliminate tall-growing trees. The basally treated lines had a mean of 100% greater shrub and 50% less herbaceous cover than stem-foliar treated lines due primarily to the lack of overspray damage to nontarget plant species with the basal technique. Persisting tree growth was also 50% less with basal treatments whenSassafras albidum, a rootsuckering problem species on all areas, was excluded. Tree seedling establishment on basally treated rights-of-way was 34% less than on stem-foliar treated lines. The creation of stable shrublands can potentially reduce the amount of future herbicide usage. These findings also lend support to the Initial Floristic Composition concept in vegetation development proposed by Egler. In southern New England, commercial basal applications can effectively control unwanted tree growth on rights-of-way while promoting the development of relatively stable shrublands which tend to inhibit the invasion of tree seedlings.     

Air Pollution Potential: Regional Study in Argentina

/ Air pollution potential is a measure of the atmospheric conditions that are unable to transport and dilute pollutants into the air, independently of the existence of sources. This potential can be determined from two atmospheric parameters: mixing height and transport wind. In this paper a statistical analysis of the mixing height and transport wind, in order to determine the areas with high or poor atmospheric ventilation in Argentina, is presented. In order to achieve this, meteorological data registered during 1979-1982 at eight meteorological stations were used. Daily values of the maximum mixing height were calculated from observations of daily temperatures at different heights and maximum surface temperature. At the same time as the maximum mixing height, the values of the transport wind were determined from the surface windspeed and the characteristics of the ground in the surroundings of each meteorological station. The mean seasonal values for both parameters were obtained. Isopleths of the mean seasonal of the maximum mixing heights were drawn. The percentage of seasonal frequencies of poor ventilation conditions were calculated and the frequency isopleths were also drawn to determine areas with minor and major relative frequencies. It was found that the northeastern and central-eastern regions of Argentina had a high air pollution potential during the whole year. Unfavorable atmospheric ventilation conditions were also found in the central-western side of the country during the cold seasons (37.5% in autumn and 56.9% in winter). The region with the greatest atmospheric ventilation is located south of 40 degrees S, where the frequency of poor ventilation varies between 8.0% in summer and 10.8% in winter.     

和声搜索算法参数的均匀设计

和声搜索算法的参数设置主要是依靠经验和试验来确定,造成试验工作量大且难以得到最优的参数组合,影响了算法的应用.文中通过将和声搜索算法参数设置问题描述成均匀设计中多因素、多水平的试验设计,从而能够用较少的试验很快设置算法参数的取值.仿真试验表明,利用均匀设计得到的参数组合可使算法获得较优的寻优性能,说明了该方法的可行性和有效性.