As the use of collaborative, consensus-based decisionmaking procedures increases, so, too, do the obstacles to using these processes. For example, many managers and decision makers are now encountering limits on the participation in such processes by key stakeholder groups. Indeed, perhaps one of the most difficult challenges an agency faces in undertaking a consensus process is in securing participation by appropriate stakeholders. In order to more effectively sponsor and manage collaborative decisionmaking processes, an understanding of the incentives for stakeholder participation is critical. A recent study of negotiated rulemaking at the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) assessed participants' incentives for participation, which revolve around four major themes: (1) resources required for participation, (2) input into final decision and response to comments, (3) use of technical data, and (4) representation and communication issues. Keeping these incentives in mind when initiating a collaborative regulatory process may assist managers and sponsors in ensuring inclusion and participation by key participants.

Small urban watersheds are difficult to characterize in terms appropriate to ecological assessment They are typically larger than the study areas common to ecological assessments, typically measuring in tens of square kilometers in area, even for a small urban stream. They are also more variable and fragmented than natural ecosystems, since they reflect socioeconomic and historical, as well as natural, factors. We have traditionally relied on land use/land cover classifications to characterize such areas, but these record a mixture of natural and socioeconomic variables, and they typically reflect neither the high diversity nor the extreme fragmentation of the urban environment. Doan Brook is a small urban stream on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio. Thematic Mapper (TM) and ½-m resolution Digital Aerial Photography were used together to characterize its roughly 60 km2 area in terms of ecologically meaningful gradients such as percent canopy closure and percent perviousness of the ground. Field checking was used to verify the consistency of the class definition and to correct the parameters. In the process, we found several patterns with ecological significance that would have been overlooked in a more standard classification of the satellite image. The approach used in this study provides an alternative to land-cover analysis that may be broadly applicable to environmental assessments in urban areas, including ecological simulation modeling, assessment of park resources, and analysis of the environmental change in heterogeneous regions.

Many environmental impact analyses, including those pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, do not identify the spatial and temporal scales used in the analysis. Without definition of analytical scales, the reader is left to infer scale, which could confound decision making when different readers infer different scales of analysis. For ecological analysis, site-specific spatial and temporal scales based on unique natural features and phenomena are most appropriate, given the inability of ecological resources to restrict themselves according to political boundaries or arbitrary time lines. Definition of scale in the environmental impact document allows the reader or decision maker to consider the impacts in the intended context. Scales of ecological analysis should be based on ecological principles as applied to a specific study area and the ecological resources that may be affected by the proposed action or activity. The multiscalar concept of biological connectivity should be addressed in spatial and temporal analysis, which inherently includes cross-scale considerations such as those for potential effects on metapopulations. Definition of spatial and temporal scales is critical to bound the impact analysis and to inform readers and decision makers, and suggested guidelines are provided as an example of an acceptable method. Although several different scales could be correctly chosen, analysts should identify and define spatial and temporal scales used to promote consistent interpretations of results and to facilitate the decision-making process.

Environmental Practice 16: 281–286 (2014)

The long fight in the desert over a nuclear repository headed for Yucca Mountain between Nevada and the United States Department of Energy (DOE) is apparently over, and the man primarily responsible and who fought hardest to save Las Vegans from inheriting transported spent nuclear waste through their city is the state's senior senator, Harry Reid.

Environmental Practice 11:218–219 (2009)

The Eva Aetas are custodians of a degraded upland environment in Sitio Pita Bayan-bayanan, a small community in the town of Orion, Bataan, the Philippines. Having lived there for seven decades, they have watched their ancestral land decay from a lush forest to barren grassland. Acknowledging the fact that they have played an active role in its degradation, the Eva Aetas have transformed their environmental practices to adapt to their situation. From crop choice to harvesting methods and ethnomedicine, they provide various means to maximize the minimal outputs of grasslands and possibly allow its eventual rehabilitation. The use of development communication and the application of relevant local policies provide the means as to how their current situation could be remedied.

Environmental Practice 17: 69–77 (2015)

It is crucial to understand the response reproducibility of on-line continuous-flow respirometers applied as biological toxicity monitors to alert plant operators to contamination in wastewater influent. Used as upset early warning systems, on-line respirometers could identify toxic waste streams that should be diverted from activated sludge treatment systems. This study used a continuous flow-through respirometer (Bioscan™) to examine the reproducibility in the respiration response of activated sludge biomass from a local wastewater treatment plant and a commercially available seed (POLYTOX®), when each was exposed to a toxic pH 3.0 buffer solution. Respiration response is characterized in this study as a change in dissolved oxygen concentration over time in the respirometer effluent. This response was segregated into groups, including within an inoculated population of a given seed source (activated sludge biomass or POLYTOX®), between different inoculations of the same seed source, and by the two different seed sources. Reproducibility in the response of the Bioscan™ respirometer was as high as 22% within populations, 23% between populations, and 29% for the same population over time. In addition, time dependency in the respirometer response to the toxin was examined. It was demonstrated that response to the same toxic pulse varies between and within populations and that reduced sensitivity of the microorganisms can occur if repeatedly exposed to an individual toxin. A genetic DGGE analysis for one population suggests that the observed reduction in sensitivity may be caused by changes in species composition.

The following presentation was given by Rabbi Lawrence Troster on June 25, 2003, at the National Association of Environmental Professionals' (NAEP) 28th Annual Conference, held in San Antonio, Texas.

Trace metals were determined in the soil and water of four lagoons, two estuaries, and four heavy-traffic roads in Greater Accra along the Atlantic coast of Ghana. The results showed that water samples from all of the water bodies studied were polluted with mercury (Hg) and less polluted with arsenic (As), nickel (Ni), and cadmium (Cd). The pollution status of water samples was confirmed by contamination degree (CD) analysis, which yielded values of >1 of Hg and <1 of As, Ni, and Cd. Evaluation of the data from the soil sample was enhanced by the application of pollution quantification tools—the pollution load index (PLI) and the index of geoaccumulation (IGEO)—which showed that the mangrove swamp soil studied is progressively degrading with Hg, As, Ni, and Cd. It was also revealed that vehicular emissions were a potential source of lead (Pb), Ni, and manganese (Mn) in the roadside soils monitored. From the results of this study, it is clear that the mangroves are gradually degrading and that measures should established to control release of these metals into the environment.

Environmental Practice 14:173–183 (2012)

Native American tribes and organizations and other public interest groups, including environmental and religious ones, sometimes partner in litigation about public lands management. This study examines three such litigation alliances involving disputes over National Park Service and US Forest Service policies and management concerning public land containing sites considered sacred by Native Americans. Specifically, it explores factors such as trust, complementary resources, and compatibility that are considered in deciding whether to create a litigation alliance between indigenous and non-indigenous partners. Questions asked in this research relate to the Yin method of case study research: How did these alliances come about and why were these allies chosen? More importantly, what are the key elements in a successful alliance? Based on the proposition that “organizations collaborate (ally) because they derive mutual benefits,” this article explores, through archival research and interview format, what really happened in three landmark cases litigated on a national level.

A flow and mass transport model simulated two low-energy groundwater remediation strategies: 1) a permeable reactive barrier and 2) non-pumped wells with filter cartridges in a backfilled trench. Both structures occupied a linear transect 5 m downgradient of the leading tip of a contaminant plume and perpendicular to the local hydraulic gradient. In each of four simulated homogeneous and heterogeneous settings, models identified the shortest permeable reactive barrier (measured lengthwise, normal to the ambient hydraulic gradient) or locations of the smallest number of non-pumped wells necessary to contain and remove a contaminant plume. Results suggest that non-pumped wells emplaced in trenches backfilled with aquifer material (when allowed from a regulatory perspective) may be a viable alternative to more costly permeable reactive barriers in some settings.

Environmental Practice 18: 247–252 (2016)

Like the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), state environmental policy acts are intended to incorporate consideration of environmental impacts into governmental decision making. This article reviews and compares environmental policy acts in Massachusetts, Connecticut, North Carolina, and Washington State with NEPA in order to assess differences between the various policies. The review focuses on three aspects of the national and state environmental policy acts: jurisdiction, documentation of impacts, and public participation. Jurisdiction varies among the states based on what is considered to be a governmental action, but even states with broad jurisdiction lack the ability to directly enforce mitigation or other commitments made in environmental impact assessments. The general features of state impact documentation are similar and are clearly modeled after NEPA; however, the amount of detail required in the documentation varies among states. Public participation requirements are largely discretionary; only two of the states have mechanisms in place that enable the public to require a hearing as part of the process. The use of the Internet for providing public notice is common to all environmental policy acts reviewed here, but it should remain coupled with more traditional forms of public notice to reach the widest possible audience.

This article highlights the need to integrate environmental justice (EJ) education into environmental science programs offered in Ghanaian universities. The study was conducted at the University of Cape Coast, which is close to the oil-drilling region in western Ghana. Predominant instances of environmental injustice often accompany oil drilling and extraction of natural resources. Three issues are addressed: students' perceptions of EJ, their attitudes toward studying EJ, and perceived barriers to the practical application of EJ. The history and important concepts of the EJ movement are reviewed for the purpose of educating students. The World Values Survey for determining Ghanaians' perceptions and attitudes toward various environmental issues is also reviewed. Qualitative research design was used. A questionnaire was developed based on the themes of EJ from the review and administered to 75 students. Students showed a satisfactory level of EJ perception and assessed barriers to practicing EJ. Implications for EJ education are covered.

Environmental Practice 13:314–324 (2011)

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and NEPA documents are constantly being assaulted as being too long, too cumbersome, too expensive, taking too long to accomplish, and not successfully accomplishing the goals of NEPA. Over the years, numerous efforts have attempted to reduce the overall cost, time, and size of NEPA documents. Unfortunately, most of these efforts have failed and, in many cases, actually have made things worse.

Lean process management is a tool that can be used to effectively identify opportunities to improve the NEPA process and NEPA documentation in a manner that does not compromise the principles and requirements of NEPA, but allows for more effective and efficient development of NEPA documents. The result can be NEPA documents that are shorter, but overall documentation that is more complete than what is being developed today. The simplified environmental assessment/categorical exclusion template developed for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) is an example of what this process can accomplish when Lean is applied to NEPA, and the results are staggering. In the pilot, CDOT achieved a 75% reduction in the size of the document and a 50% reduction in review time. The second project to use the template saw even better results.

Environmental Practice 17: 302–307 (2015)

Public opinion, expressed through written comments, developed very differently throughout the planning phases of two road projects in southern Sweden. Each project's Prefeasibility Study, Feasibility Study, and Environmental Impact Report (EIR) were studied to analyze the changes between five evaluation phases: background and inventory of base data, replenishment with additional information, consequence analysis, conflict analysis, and priorities. For one of the road projects, rich and early descriptions of impact estimates, along with appraisals of the effects on the landscape, paved the way for more effective dialogue. Better disclosure of its reports' established facts and evaluations might explain the more solid acceptance for that road project. The other project did not clearly show the reasoning behind its priorities, which may explain the many public and agency comments on the EIR; consequently, people constructed and submitted their own viewpoints regarding impact. This article discusses how transparent documentation and presentation of priorities ultimately can contribute to the success of similar projects.

After 20 years, Superfund has evolved from a risk-based, technically oriented, litigation-driven site cleanup program to an effort that places greater emphasis on negotiated settlements, voluntary cleanups, and community involvement The USEPA's environmental justice initiative reflects this adjustment and sometimes presents unexpected difficulties for both agency personnel and affected community members. Superfund sites, such as the New Orleans Agriculture Street Landfill, assume qualities of what geographer Kenneth Foote refer to as “landscapes of tragedy.” Despite the merging of technical and community approaches to resolving Superfund problems, attachments to place sometimes defy agency efforts. The Agriculture Street situation suggests an additional assessment of community ties to the neighborhood could facilitate remediation and resolution.

There is the potential to use continuous sampling whole effluent toxicity monitors, based on respirometry, as early warning systems for water contamination. in order to apply these monitors, however, many issues influencing system response and data analysis must be addressed. This study examines the use of a continuous flow-through toxicity monitor (Bioscan®) to (1) determine the sensitivity, accuracy, and precision of the toxicity monitor to different concentrations of a stressing agent (in this case pH), (2) establish operational and maintenance procedures, and (3) examine the consistency in the measured response to a single perturbation. The system precision was sensitive to all the pH pulse perturbations, with stable background variability (1 % to 6%); however, replicated pulse applications demonstrated that the system has lower accuracy (31 % to 38%). The response consistency was limited, with notable differences in maximum dissolved oxygen and recovery time. The initial response time (inclining slope) was relatively consistent. Although this examination should be repeated with other contaminants used to stress the toxicity monitor, it appears that continuous flow-through toxicity monitors like the Bioscan® are well suited for qualitative early alert warning systems for water contamination.

Ecosystem restoration planning poses many challenges in deciding what the objectives of restoration will be and how to achieve them. Multiattribute utility choice analysis was used in this study to identify public preferences in Florida for restoration of the Everglades/South Florida ecosystem. The analysis utilized both structural (species populations) and functional (water levels and timing) attributes to represent states of the ecosystem in conjunction with other attributes to represent social tradeoffs in restoration planning. Statistical results on the relative weighting of different attributes indicated strong preferences for Everglades restoration were tempered by concern for the consequences of restoration decisions on municipal water users and agricultural landowners. Multiattribute choice approaches provide a framework to integrate the work of natural and social scientists in adaptive management of ecosystem restoration planning and to provide better information for resource managers about public preferences for different types and levels of restoration.

Flooding risks in the Netherlands have been a high priority for decades because of its high population density, proximity to the North Sea, and extensive use of land reclamation techniques. With confounding factors such as climate and land-use changes, the Dutch water boards, governments, nongovernment organizations (NGOs), local farmers, and private citizens are addressing the vulnerabilities related to increasing flood risks by improving the resilience of the natural and social systems. Based on an existing framework of important governance regime characteristics, we explore how local groups work toward a more sustainable situation by producing synergetic win-win situations, constructive and cooperative planning and implementation, and the development of a high level of trust.

Environmental Practice 14:1–9 (2012)