Alfred Duda - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Papers by Alfred Duda
Ocean and Coastal Law Journal, 2004
Water Science and Technology, Feb 1, 1996
Compared to point source discharges, nonpoint or diffuse source contaminants cause more widesprea... more Compared to point source discharges, nonpoint or diffuse source contaminants cause more widespread degradation of surface and groundwater quality worldwide. While it is in the economic interest of all nations to establish programs for abatement of nonpoint source pollution, priorities must be established, and particularly dangerous contaminants that are hazardous, toxic or radioactive by nature deserve the highest priority. This paper makes the case for why these dangerous contaminants from nonpoint sources must urgently be addressed. The nature and significance of these contaminants are reviewed and the complex, multimedia sources of the releases are identified, including "donations" and export of hazardous materials to developing countries. Examples are cited from North America, Europe, the former Soviet Union and Asia of the enormous extent of contamination of soil, groundwater, surface water, fish, and wildlife from these persistent toxic chemicals. They are persistent in the environment, build up in fash through food chains, and contaminate human food. These chemicals mimic hormones and disrupt the development of offspring as they cause complex reproductive, metabolic, neurological, and behavioral changes as well as cancer risks. A new Water Resources Management Policy recently adopted by the World Bank places a priority on pollution prevention measures for industry, abatement of nonpoint source discharges, development of effective government regulatory institutions, and remediation/restoration of contaminated sites and ecosystems. Relevant elements of the policy are presented. In addition, the importance of economic instruments (polluters pays funds) for waste site cleanup and remedial action requirements being included during privatization of industrial sites are stressed.
Large Marine Ecosystems, 2005
Fragmentation among institutions, international agencies, and disciplines, lack of cooperation am... more Fragmentation among institutions, international agencies, and disciplines, lack of cooperation among nations sharing marine ecosystems, and weak national policies, legislation, and enforcement all contribute to the recognition of a new imperative for adopting ecosystem-based approaches to managing human activities in these systems to avoid social and economic disruption. The chapter discusses global scope of GEF–LME projects. Listed are the LME projects that have been approved by the GEF or are under preparation with GEF funding. The approved GEF–LME projects include developing nations or those in economic transition and other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, because the living resources, the pollution loading, or the critical habitats have trans-boundary implications across rich and poor nations alike. Each of the GEF–LME projects assists participating countries in moving toward the World Summit targets with the implementation of their ecosystem-based projects having objectives consistent with the Summit POI for ocean coastal waters. There is discussion on features and early results of LME projects—Danube/Black Sea Basin LME, Red Sea LME, Western Pacific Warm Pool marine ecosystem, Mediterranean LME, South China Sea LME, and Patagonia Shelf LME. The chapter discusses comprehensive LME demonstration projects and project modules—Gulf of Guinea Pilot Project, Benguela Current LME Project, the Yellow Sea LME Project, and Baltic Sea Regional Project. There are details on the excessive nutrient loading of ocean coastal waters, the sustaining momentum created in 121 countries—the New LME partnerships. It appears there is a focused global effort to restore biomass and biological diversity to coastal oceans, as concerned governments understand the poverty reduction and security enhancement that accompanies more sustainable management regimes. The GEF international waters focal area has played a catalytic role through its emphasis on joint, integrated management of LMEs, their coastal assets, and linked river basins.
Water Science and Technology, Sep 1, 1994
Across the world, transboundary water pollution interferes with man9s use of water, degrades aqua... more Across the world, transboundary water pollution interferes with man9s use of water, degrades aquatic ecosystems, causes human health impacts, and increases tensions between nations. While developing nations are just beginning to assess the extent of transboundary water quality degradation, developed countries have learned over the years that pollution prevention, not cleanup actions or end-of-pipe treatment is the most cost-effective approach to fighting water pollution. The extent of transboundary water pollution across the world is reviewed in the paper, and key elements are outlined for addressing pollution prevention needs through joint institutions as part of international commissions. The Great Lakes/St. Lawrence River basin in North America is used as an example of where multimedia pollution prevention initiatives are being implemented to resolve transboundary pollution problems. The joint institutions for the Great Lakes cleanup utilized under the auspices of the International Joint Commission (U.S. and Canada) are described. Lessons learned from this experience include: (1) significance of multimedia pollution prevention measures to address toxic substances, (2) use of ecosystem-based, watershed approaches targeted to high priority catchments, and (3) political advantages of employing joint institutions to facilitate progress, undertake oversight and verification functions, foster public participation, and establish credibility and trust among the parties through joint fact-finding.
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 1985
... hot spots. In South Carolina's Broadway Lake MIP, for example, two practices (pasture li... more ... hot spots. In South Carolina's Broadway Lake MIP, for example, two practices (pasture liminglfertiliza-tion and farm ponds) received the majority of almost $400,000 in cost-sharing funds earmarked for the project. These practices ...
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, Sep 1, 1987
... GENERALIZED AQUIFER VULNERABILITY HIGHLY VULNERABLE - KARST HIGHLY VULNERABLE ... reportedly ... more ... GENERALIZED AQUIFER VULNERABILITY HIGHLY VULNERABLE - KARST HIGHLY VULNERABLE ... reportedly ex-ceeds drinking water standards for iron, sul-fate, nitrate, chloride,fluoride, and, in ... from a policy per-spective is the fact that the TVA assessment found serious ...
Univ. Ky., Off. Eng. Serv., (Bull.); (United States), Dec 1, 1979
A water quality investigation was conducted in the Appalachian mountains of western North Carolin... more A water quality investigation was conducted in the Appalachian mountains of western North Carolina over a one year period. The study was undertaken to determine whether erosion from a concentrated area of open-pit mining for industrial minerals (mica, feldspar, kaolin) resulted in adverse water quality impacts in trout waters. Intensive biological sampling of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and depth-integrated measurements of sediment transport were used to characterize water quality upstream and downstream of mining activities. Very severe biological degradation has occurred in trout streams and rivers. The damage appears to be caused by large amounts of sediment eroded from active mines, haul roads, inactive mines, and old tailings waste piles dumped next to rivers. Observations are provided on the lack of erosion control on some of the mining operations and in the careless disposal of tailings waste. If existing programs on the State level do not prove to be adequate, water quality problems may continue to occur until the 1977 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act is amended to include additional types of mining activities.
Transactions of the ASAE, 1983
T EN agricultural watersheds with widely varying populations of livestock were instrumented to co... more T EN agricultural watersheds with widely varying populations of livestock were instrumented to collect samples of lowflow and storm-event nutrient concentrations. Conducted in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain of North Carolina, the investigation demonstrated that much higher concentrations of nutrients occur in watersheds with extensive artificial drainage and larger nonpoint source populations of livestock than in similar agricultural watersheds with low populations of livestock. In addition, comparisons were made with nutrient levels previously recorded in forested watersheds in North Carolina. For total phosphorus, agricultural watersheds without high populations of livestock had mean concentrations 5 to 10 fold greater than mostly forested watersheds, while those with high populations of livestock approached 50 fold increases. For total inorganic nitrogen, the increases over forested watersheds approached 100 fold for agricultural watersheds with high populations of livestock. Observations are made concerning the production of stormflow from variable source areas in the watershed and the significance of animal waste and agricultural drainage improvements in causing elevated levels of nutrients in coastal waters.
Water Science and Technology, Aug 1, 1993
The nature and significance of nonpoint sources of surface and groundwater pollution are examined... more The nature and significance of nonpoint sources of surface and groundwater pollution are examined in this review. Examples are given from across the globe illustrating extensive economic, environmental, and human health damage from these diffuse sources. Agricultural sources, both subsistence farming and irrigated cropland, were found to cause the most widespread water quality problems worldwide. In the least developed nations, areawide releases of human sewage – especially near rural groundwater wells and in burgeoning urban areas – cause the most serious damage with an estimated one billion people suffering from waterborne diseases at any one time. In Europe, the former Soviet Union, and North America, leaking hazardous waste sites, contaminated sediments, and atmospheric deposition of acidifying and toxic substances pose complex challenges in addition to the agricultural pollution sources; and transboundary pollution abatement to restore large waterbodies is becoming a priority for foreign aid assistance. Institutional and cultural barriers to pollution abatement can be overcome by including interventions as integral parts of sustainable economic development initiatives. Through a comprehensive, ecosystem-based approach to water resources management, progress in controlling nonpoint source pollution can be made.
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 1985
▪ JSWC: We often hear that we have dealt effectively with point-source pollutants and that now, i... more ▪ JSWC: We often hear that we have dealt effectively with point-source pollutants and that now, if we are going to make further headway in managing water quality, we must deal with nonpoint sources. Is this a fair assumption? ▪ BOWER: There are some basins in which point sources represent the major sources of discharges of some substances, such that reductions from nonpoint sources wouldn't make a bit of difference in ambient water quality. In other areas, nonpoint sources, particularly from rural lands, constitute the prime dischargers, at least of jertain kinds of polluting materials. Overall, as far as point sources are concerned, the record is reasonably clear. The private sector has done fairly veil in a lot of places; municipal governments have not lone nearly as well; the federal government has done poorly. ▪ OUTEN: I generally agree. Nonpoint-source pollution las to rise in public visibility and legitimacy to the level that point-source pollution has had for the last dec...
Advances in Groundwater Governance, 2017
NO national legislation exists for dealing effectively with acid precipitation and nonpoint-sourc... more NO national legislation exists for dealing effectively with acid precipitation and nonpoint-source water pollution. Heated debate surrounds both issues. Interest groups express concern about scientific uncertainty or the chance that legislative action might produce unwanted consequences. Whenever uncertainty cannot be reduced, public policy decisions become difficult. No action or calls for more research often become the most attractive options. Despite scientific uncertainty, however, commonsense approaches to natural resource management decisions are possible. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) made two recent water policy decisions that illustrate how to cope with uncertainty. One case involved establishment of a program to control nonpoint sources of sediment in agricultural watersheds. In contrast to this decision, which was based a great deal on available information, TVA also developed a policy on acid precipitation, an issue encumbered by scientific uncertainty and much pu...
Journal of International Affairs, 2005
Interlinked crises of freshwater depletion, food insecurity, pollution loading and ecosystem decl... more Interlinked crises of freshwater depletion, food insecurity, pollution loading and ecosystem decline stand in the way of poverty reduction and sustainable development. (1) These crises are exacerbated by changes in climatic regimes and associated disasters from floods, droughts and storms that further marginalize the world's 2.7 billion people living in poverty. The planet's oceans and their coastal interfaces are especially at risk, with livelihoods, food security, international trade and relations among sovereign nations at stake. The increased vulnerability of burgeoning coastal urban areas and the expanding footprint of coastal resource depletion are becoming increasingly significant liabilities. It is precisely at the coastal level that unsustainable development is creating the greatest risk for stability, security and economic progress. Traditional sector-by-sector economic development strategies at the coasts of both developed and developing nations are responsible fo...
Despite stunning examples of progress on many fronts, the 20th century has also been attended by ... more Despite stunning examples of progress on many fronts, the 20th century has also been attended by enormous global environmental degradation.(1) As we near a new millennium, the world community is slowly coming to grips with the problem. To that end, more than 180 nations and 105 heads of state participating in the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro pledged their commitment to a series of environmental initiatives designed to have a dramatic impact on the world's resources and ecology in the years ahead.(2) The reality is that such good intentions have so far done little to turn the tide on environmental degradation. Indeed, the hundreds of billions of dollars needed each year to stem continuing ecological damage has not been forthcoming. While many observers hope that new, environmentally sustainable development policies and practices will soon replace the destructive practices of the past, such policies - even if they prove successful - will fail to address existing environment...
Journal of the Environmental Engineering Division, 1982
Wet weather and dry weather sampling is utilized to monitor densities of coliform bacteria in wat... more Wet weather and dry weather sampling is utilized to monitor densities of coliform bacteria in waters draining residential areas of coastal North Carolina. The bacterial levels are compared to different densities of unsewered residences in each watershed and the limitations of the developed soils for assimilating septic tank effluent. An analysis of the data implicates septic tank drainfields installed in unsuitable soils as a major source of contamination of these shellfish waters. In order to reduce the threat to public health and the multimillion dollar economic loss to the fishing industry, several options are presented for rehabilitating concentrations of failing septic tank systems and for modifying overdesigned drainage systems that carry the contamination directly to shellfish waters. In addition, several common sense management practices that minimize the delivery of bacterial contamination to estuarine waters are suggested for use in siting future coastal residential develo...
2. The use of the term "multimedia remedial actions" refers to cleanup efforts that are needed to... more 2. The use of the term "multimedia remedial actions" refers to cleanup efforts that are needed to stop pollutants from being released from a multitude of areas (land-based industrial operations, dumpsites, contaminated groundwater, discharges to surface waters, runoff from industrial areas, and remediation of contaminated bottom sediments containing pollutants deposited from all sources). 3. Hodge, supra note 1, at 463.
![Research paper thumbnail of Water quality in urban streams: what we can expect [USA]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/77638196/thumbnails/1.jpg)
](Journal of Water Pollution Control Federation, 1982
Despite 15 years of investigation into the water-qual ity problems caused by urban runoff, the na... more Despite 15 years of investigation into the water-qual ity problems caused by urban runoff, the national effort to improve water quality in urban streams is nearing a standstill. The areawide planning conducted under Section 208 of the Water Pollution Control Act amend ments (PL 92-500), was relied on to provide the nec essary abatement of urban runoff problems. This flurry of planning in urban areas was plagued by unrealistic deadlines that resulted in hasty data collection and com puter-modeling efforts. Many areawide agencies opted for expensive computer simulations to provide an as sessment of their assumed water quality problems, rather than collecting cause-and-effect water-quality data. Local officials were wary of these simulations, and consequently, little substantive implementation has re sulted. A report by the U. S. Comptroller General elaborates on these points.1 Recognizing that the existing assessment of the urban runoff problem was inadequate, the U. S. Environmen tal...
Continued degradation of Lakes Malawi/Nyasa, Tanganyika, and Victoria has major implications not ... more Continued degradation of Lakes Malawi/Nyasa, Tanganyika, and Victoria has major implications not only for their globally significant biological diversity but also for tens of millions of people depending on them for survival. Governments responsible for the lakes understood this in the early 1990s and approached the GEF for funding to begin addressing the threats. Some early lessons from implementation of GEF projects for the lakes are presented. Different approaches for each lake provided different experiences, including how to cope with war. Different institutional approaches that were chosen have broad implications for how to address complex, transboundary water problems in Africa. The role of science in addressing barriers provided by complexity are discussed, and the importance of harnessing the local scientific community is underscored. However, lack of attention to management institutions, regulatory reform, and joint management in some projects can render even the best studies politically irrelevant.
Ocean and Coastal Law Journal, 2004
Water Science and Technology, Feb 1, 1996
Compared to point source discharges, nonpoint or diffuse source contaminants cause more widesprea... more Compared to point source discharges, nonpoint or diffuse source contaminants cause more widespread degradation of surface and groundwater quality worldwide. While it is in the economic interest of all nations to establish programs for abatement of nonpoint source pollution, priorities must be established, and particularly dangerous contaminants that are hazardous, toxic or radioactive by nature deserve the highest priority. This paper makes the case for why these dangerous contaminants from nonpoint sources must urgently be addressed. The nature and significance of these contaminants are reviewed and the complex, multimedia sources of the releases are identified, including "donations" and export of hazardous materials to developing countries. Examples are cited from North America, Europe, the former Soviet Union and Asia of the enormous extent of contamination of soil, groundwater, surface water, fish, and wildlife from these persistent toxic chemicals. They are persistent in the environment, build up in fash through food chains, and contaminate human food. These chemicals mimic hormones and disrupt the development of offspring as they cause complex reproductive, metabolic, neurological, and behavioral changes as well as cancer risks. A new Water Resources Management Policy recently adopted by the World Bank places a priority on pollution prevention measures for industry, abatement of nonpoint source discharges, development of effective government regulatory institutions, and remediation/restoration of contaminated sites and ecosystems. Relevant elements of the policy are presented. In addition, the importance of economic instruments (polluters pays funds) for waste site cleanup and remedial action requirements being included during privatization of industrial sites are stressed.
Large Marine Ecosystems, 2005
Fragmentation among institutions, international agencies, and disciplines, lack of cooperation am... more Fragmentation among institutions, international agencies, and disciplines, lack of cooperation among nations sharing marine ecosystems, and weak national policies, legislation, and enforcement all contribute to the recognition of a new imperative for adopting ecosystem-based approaches to managing human activities in these systems to avoid social and economic disruption. The chapter discusses global scope of GEF–LME projects. Listed are the LME projects that have been approved by the GEF or are under preparation with GEF funding. The approved GEF–LME projects include developing nations or those in economic transition and other Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries, because the living resources, the pollution loading, or the critical habitats have trans-boundary implications across rich and poor nations alike. Each of the GEF–LME projects assists participating countries in moving toward the World Summit targets with the implementation of their ecosystem-based projects having objectives consistent with the Summit POI for ocean coastal waters. There is discussion on features and early results of LME projects—Danube/Black Sea Basin LME, Red Sea LME, Western Pacific Warm Pool marine ecosystem, Mediterranean LME, South China Sea LME, and Patagonia Shelf LME. The chapter discusses comprehensive LME demonstration projects and project modules—Gulf of Guinea Pilot Project, Benguela Current LME Project, the Yellow Sea LME Project, and Baltic Sea Regional Project. There are details on the excessive nutrient loading of ocean coastal waters, the sustaining momentum created in 121 countries—the New LME partnerships. It appears there is a focused global effort to restore biomass and biological diversity to coastal oceans, as concerned governments understand the poverty reduction and security enhancement that accompanies more sustainable management regimes. The GEF international waters focal area has played a catalytic role through its emphasis on joint, integrated management of LMEs, their coastal assets, and linked river basins.
Water Science and Technology, Sep 1, 1994
Across the world, transboundary water pollution interferes with man9s use of water, degrades aqua... more Across the world, transboundary water pollution interferes with man9s use of water, degrades aquatic ecosystems, causes human health impacts, and increases tensions between nations. While developing nations are just beginning to assess the extent of transboundary water quality degradation, developed countries have learned over the years that pollution prevention, not cleanup actions or end-of-pipe treatment is the most cost-effective approach to fighting water pollution. The extent of transboundary water pollution across the world is reviewed in the paper, and key elements are outlined for addressing pollution prevention needs through joint institutions as part of international commissions. The Great Lakes/St. Lawrence River basin in North America is used as an example of where multimedia pollution prevention initiatives are being implemented to resolve transboundary pollution problems. The joint institutions for the Great Lakes cleanup utilized under the auspices of the International Joint Commission (U.S. and Canada) are described. Lessons learned from this experience include: (1) significance of multimedia pollution prevention measures to address toxic substances, (2) use of ecosystem-based, watershed approaches targeted to high priority catchments, and (3) political advantages of employing joint institutions to facilitate progress, undertake oversight and verification functions, foster public participation, and establish credibility and trust among the parties through joint fact-finding.
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 1985
... hot spots. In South Carolina's Broadway Lake MIP, for example, two practices (pasture li... more ... hot spots. In South Carolina's Broadway Lake MIP, for example, two practices (pasture liminglfertiliza-tion and farm ponds) received the majority of almost $400,000 in cost-sharing funds earmarked for the project. These practices ...
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, Sep 1, 1987
... GENERALIZED AQUIFER VULNERABILITY HIGHLY VULNERABLE - KARST HIGHLY VULNERABLE ... reportedly ... more ... GENERALIZED AQUIFER VULNERABILITY HIGHLY VULNERABLE - KARST HIGHLY VULNERABLE ... reportedly ex-ceeds drinking water standards for iron, sul-fate, nitrate, chloride,fluoride, and, in ... from a policy per-spective is the fact that the TVA assessment found serious ...
Univ. Ky., Off. Eng. Serv., (Bull.); (United States), Dec 1, 1979
A water quality investigation was conducted in the Appalachian mountains of western North Carolin... more A water quality investigation was conducted in the Appalachian mountains of western North Carolina over a one year period. The study was undertaken to determine whether erosion from a concentrated area of open-pit mining for industrial minerals (mica, feldspar, kaolin) resulted in adverse water quality impacts in trout waters. Intensive biological sampling of benthic macroinvertebrate communities and depth-integrated measurements of sediment transport were used to characterize water quality upstream and downstream of mining activities. Very severe biological degradation has occurred in trout streams and rivers. The damage appears to be caused by large amounts of sediment eroded from active mines, haul roads, inactive mines, and old tailings waste piles dumped next to rivers. Observations are provided on the lack of erosion control on some of the mining operations and in the careless disposal of tailings waste. If existing programs on the State level do not prove to be adequate, water quality problems may continue to occur until the 1977 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act is amended to include additional types of mining activities.
Transactions of the ASAE, 1983
T EN agricultural watersheds with widely varying populations of livestock were instrumented to co... more T EN agricultural watersheds with widely varying populations of livestock were instrumented to collect samples of lowflow and storm-event nutrient concentrations. Conducted in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain of North Carolina, the investigation demonstrated that much higher concentrations of nutrients occur in watersheds with extensive artificial drainage and larger nonpoint source populations of livestock than in similar agricultural watersheds with low populations of livestock. In addition, comparisons were made with nutrient levels previously recorded in forested watersheds in North Carolina. For total phosphorus, agricultural watersheds without high populations of livestock had mean concentrations 5 to 10 fold greater than mostly forested watersheds, while those with high populations of livestock approached 50 fold increases. For total inorganic nitrogen, the increases over forested watersheds approached 100 fold for agricultural watersheds with high populations of livestock. Observations are made concerning the production of stormflow from variable source areas in the watershed and the significance of animal waste and agricultural drainage improvements in causing elevated levels of nutrients in coastal waters.
Water Science and Technology, Aug 1, 1993
The nature and significance of nonpoint sources of surface and groundwater pollution are examined... more The nature and significance of nonpoint sources of surface and groundwater pollution are examined in this review. Examples are given from across the globe illustrating extensive economic, environmental, and human health damage from these diffuse sources. Agricultural sources, both subsistence farming and irrigated cropland, were found to cause the most widespread water quality problems worldwide. In the least developed nations, areawide releases of human sewage – especially near rural groundwater wells and in burgeoning urban areas – cause the most serious damage with an estimated one billion people suffering from waterborne diseases at any one time. In Europe, the former Soviet Union, and North America, leaking hazardous waste sites, contaminated sediments, and atmospheric deposition of acidifying and toxic substances pose complex challenges in addition to the agricultural pollution sources; and transboundary pollution abatement to restore large waterbodies is becoming a priority for foreign aid assistance. Institutional and cultural barriers to pollution abatement can be overcome by including interventions as integral parts of sustainable economic development initiatives. Through a comprehensive, ecosystem-based approach to water resources management, progress in controlling nonpoint source pollution can be made.
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 1985
▪ JSWC: We often hear that we have dealt effectively with point-source pollutants and that now, i... more ▪ JSWC: We often hear that we have dealt effectively with point-source pollutants and that now, if we are going to make further headway in managing water quality, we must deal with nonpoint sources. Is this a fair assumption? ▪ BOWER: There are some basins in which point sources represent the major sources of discharges of some substances, such that reductions from nonpoint sources wouldn't make a bit of difference in ambient water quality. In other areas, nonpoint sources, particularly from rural lands, constitute the prime dischargers, at least of jertain kinds of polluting materials. Overall, as far as point sources are concerned, the record is reasonably clear. The private sector has done fairly veil in a lot of places; municipal governments have not lone nearly as well; the federal government has done poorly. ▪ OUTEN: I generally agree. Nonpoint-source pollution las to rise in public visibility and legitimacy to the level that point-source pollution has had for the last dec...
Advances in Groundwater Governance, 2017
NO national legislation exists for dealing effectively with acid precipitation and nonpoint-sourc... more NO national legislation exists for dealing effectively with acid precipitation and nonpoint-source water pollution. Heated debate surrounds both issues. Interest groups express concern about scientific uncertainty or the chance that legislative action might produce unwanted consequences. Whenever uncertainty cannot be reduced, public policy decisions become difficult. No action or calls for more research often become the most attractive options. Despite scientific uncertainty, however, commonsense approaches to natural resource management decisions are possible. The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) made two recent water policy decisions that illustrate how to cope with uncertainty. One case involved establishment of a program to control nonpoint sources of sediment in agricultural watersheds. In contrast to this decision, which was based a great deal on available information, TVA also developed a policy on acid precipitation, an issue encumbered by scientific uncertainty and much pu...
Journal of International Affairs, 2005
Interlinked crises of freshwater depletion, food insecurity, pollution loading and ecosystem decl... more Interlinked crises of freshwater depletion, food insecurity, pollution loading and ecosystem decline stand in the way of poverty reduction and sustainable development. (1) These crises are exacerbated by changes in climatic regimes and associated disasters from floods, droughts and storms that further marginalize the world's 2.7 billion people living in poverty. The planet's oceans and their coastal interfaces are especially at risk, with livelihoods, food security, international trade and relations among sovereign nations at stake. The increased vulnerability of burgeoning coastal urban areas and the expanding footprint of coastal resource depletion are becoming increasingly significant liabilities. It is precisely at the coastal level that unsustainable development is creating the greatest risk for stability, security and economic progress. Traditional sector-by-sector economic development strategies at the coasts of both developed and developing nations are responsible fo...
Despite stunning examples of progress on many fronts, the 20th century has also been attended by ... more Despite stunning examples of progress on many fronts, the 20th century has also been attended by enormous global environmental degradation.(1) As we near a new millennium, the world community is slowly coming to grips with the problem. To that end, more than 180 nations and 105 heads of state participating in the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro pledged their commitment to a series of environmental initiatives designed to have a dramatic impact on the world's resources and ecology in the years ahead.(2) The reality is that such good intentions have so far done little to turn the tide on environmental degradation. Indeed, the hundreds of billions of dollars needed each year to stem continuing ecological damage has not been forthcoming. While many observers hope that new, environmentally sustainable development policies and practices will soon replace the destructive practices of the past, such policies - even if they prove successful - will fail to address existing environment...
Journal of the Environmental Engineering Division, 1982
Wet weather and dry weather sampling is utilized to monitor densities of coliform bacteria in wat... more Wet weather and dry weather sampling is utilized to monitor densities of coliform bacteria in waters draining residential areas of coastal North Carolina. The bacterial levels are compared to different densities of unsewered residences in each watershed and the limitations of the developed soils for assimilating septic tank effluent. An analysis of the data implicates septic tank drainfields installed in unsuitable soils as a major source of contamination of these shellfish waters. In order to reduce the threat to public health and the multimillion dollar economic loss to the fishing industry, several options are presented for rehabilitating concentrations of failing septic tank systems and for modifying overdesigned drainage systems that carry the contamination directly to shellfish waters. In addition, several common sense management practices that minimize the delivery of bacterial contamination to estuarine waters are suggested for use in siting future coastal residential develo...
2. The use of the term "multimedia remedial actions" refers to cleanup efforts that are needed to... more 2. The use of the term "multimedia remedial actions" refers to cleanup efforts that are needed to stop pollutants from being released from a multitude of areas (land-based industrial operations, dumpsites, contaminated groundwater, discharges to surface waters, runoff from industrial areas, and remediation of contaminated bottom sediments containing pollutants deposited from all sources). 3. Hodge, supra note 1, at 463.
Journal of Water Pollution Control Federation, 1982
Despite 15 years of investigation into the water-qual ity problems caused by urban runoff, the na... more Despite 15 years of investigation into the water-qual ity problems caused by urban runoff, the national effort to improve water quality in urban streams is nearing a standstill. The areawide planning conducted under Section 208 of the Water Pollution Control Act amend ments (PL 92-500), was relied on to provide the nec essary abatement of urban runoff problems. This flurry of planning in urban areas was plagued by unrealistic deadlines that resulted in hasty data collection and com puter-modeling efforts. Many areawide agencies opted for expensive computer simulations to provide an as sessment of their assumed water quality problems, rather than collecting cause-and-effect water-quality data. Local officials were wary of these simulations, and consequently, little substantive implementation has re sulted. A report by the U. S. Comptroller General elaborates on these points.1 Recognizing that the existing assessment of the urban runoff problem was inadequate, the U. S. Environmen tal...
Continued degradation of Lakes Malawi/Nyasa, Tanganyika, and Victoria has major implications not ... more Continued degradation of Lakes Malawi/Nyasa, Tanganyika, and Victoria has major implications not only for their globally significant biological diversity but also for tens of millions of people depending on them for survival. Governments responsible for the lakes understood this in the early 1990s and approached the GEF for funding to begin addressing the threats. Some early lessons from implementation of GEF projects for the lakes are presented. Different approaches for each lake provided different experiences, including how to cope with war. Different institutional approaches that were chosen have broad implications for how to address complex, transboundary water problems in Africa. The role of science in addressing barriers provided by complexity are discussed, and the importance of harnessing the local scientific community is underscored. However, lack of attention to management institutions, regulatory reform, and joint management in some projects can render even the best studies politically irrelevant.