Digital Commons Network^™

Berkeley Pit And Discharge Pilot Project Downstream Field Sampling Plan 2024 Update, Revision 1, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Draft Final Quarterly Operations And Maintenance Report Butte Treatment Lagoon System – First Quarter 2024, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

An Index Of Biotic Integrity For Macroinvertebrate Stream Bioassessment Conducted By Community Scientists, Patrick M. Edwards, Daniel Bedell, Shannon Hubler, Chad A. Larson, Kate H. Macneale, Elisa Mickelson, Chris Prescott, Elinore Webb, Jo Wilhelm

Environmental Science and Management Faculty Publications and Presentations

Community science bioassessment has great potential to inform comprehensive stream management plans, but regional analytical tools are needed to evaluate macroinvertebrate data collected through community science programs. To this end, we modified a pre-existing professional index of biotic integrity (IBI) to create a community science IBI (CS-IBI), designed for stream macroinvertebrate data collected by community scientists with minimal training. We used data collected by both professional and community scientists to develop, calibrate, and validate the CS-IBI at 76 streamsites in the Puget Lowland andWillamette Valley ecoregions of the PacificNorthwest in theUnited States. Community science data were taxonomically coarser andmore variable …

Remediating History: A Review Of Restoration For Creeks Polluted From Historical Mining Sites, With The Red Boy Mine As A Primary Case Study, Kara Atiyeh

University Honors Theses

I conducted a literature review to examine the key aspects of restoring watersheds affected by pollution from historical mining. This review is then applied to a case study discussion of the Red Boy Mine and Clear Creek remediation project in Granite, Oregon. The goal of this discussion is to explore how an analysis of site conditions along with current literature on management practices can help guide these projects. Thousands of abandoned hard rock mines remain throughout the country, and many pose serious environmental health effects. Heavy metals like cadmium, nickel, and copper are brought to the surface from mining activity, …

Positron Emission Tomography In Oncology And Environmental Science, Samantha Delaney

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

The last half century has played witness to the onset of molecular imaging for the clinical assessment of physiological targets. While several medical imaging modalities allow for the visualization of the functional and anatomical properties of humans and living systems, few offer accurate quantitation and the ability to detect biochemical processes with low-administered drug mass doses. This limits how physicians and scientists may diagnose and treat medical issues, such as cancer, disease, and foreign agents.

A promising alternative to extant invasive procedures and suboptimal imaging modalities to assess the nature of a biological environment is the use of positron emission …

A Molecular Dynamics Study On The Destruction Mechanism Of Per And Polyfluoroalkyl Substances Due To Ultrasound Technology, Bruno Bezerra De Souza

Dissertations

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a group of stable synthetic chemicals that are highly persistent and harmful pollutants to the environment and human health. PFAS have caused a strong public and regulatory response due to their ubiquitous presence in the environment and toxicity to humans. The application of ultrasound is one of the most effective treatment technologies for the mineralization of PFAS in contaminated water. However, this technology is treated as a black box causing the inability to be optimized. Therefore, there is a pressing need to investigate the intricate dynamics of PFAS degradation under ultrasound to unlock its …

Plas 439: Organic Farming And Food Systems Faculty-Led Inquiry Into Reflective Scholarly Teaching Benchmark Portfolio, Christian Stephenson

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

Organic Farming and Food Systems is a senior and graduate level course for students in the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture. This course was previously offered but has been significantly modified as I have taken on responsibility for the course. Goals for the course include student comprehension of the methods of organic and regenerative farming and the impacts of those methods on economic, environmental, and social sustainability. An additional goal is to build student competency in the evaluation of primary, secondary, and tertiary information resources and critical thinking surrounding issues in food production. Assessment for the course was through diverse …

Reevaluating Texas Energy Market Forecasts In The Wake Of Recent Extreme Weather Events, Robert A. Derner, Richard W. Butler Ii, Alexandria Neff, Adam R. Ruthford

SMU Data Science Review

This paper provides updated forecasts of energy demand in Texas and recognizes the impact of sustainable energy. It is important that the forecasts of the adoption of sustainable energy are reexamined after Winter Storm Uri crippled the Texas power grid and left many without power. This storm highlighted the issues the Texas power grid had and has continued to struggle with in supplying the state with energy. This paper will offer an overview of the relevant literature on the adoption of sustainable energy and relevant events that have occurred in the state of Texas that will give the reader the …

Re: Conditional Approval Letter Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit Grove Gulch Sedimentation Bay 100% Remedial Design (Dated March 22, 2024), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Draft Final Annual Operations And Maintenance (O&M) Report: Butte Treatment Lagoon (Btl) System – 2023, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Silver Bow Creek Conservation Area Repository Data Gap Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp), Josh Bryson

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Silver Bow Creek Conservation Area Repository Data Gap Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp), Josh Bryson

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Carbon Sequestration In Peatlands: Using Environmental Proxies To Understand The Impact Of A Changing Climate On Global Carbon Storage, Sarah Schuller, Don Sullivan

DU Undergraduate Research Journal Archive

Peatlands are a type of terrestrial wetland ecosystem in which consistently waterlogged conditions prevent the decomposition of organic matter. These conditions allow for sequestered carbon in plant matter to remain stored in the soil to such a great degree that peatlands store more carbon than all other vegetation types in the world combined. By inhibiting decomposition, the composition of water-rich peat soil remains representative of the environmental conditions during the period in which the peat was formed. The collected peat samples can then be utilized as environmental proxies to determine historical temperature, moisture, and carbon content and extrapolated to predict …

Effect Of Sex On The Accumulation Of Hepatic Mercury In Mallards Wintering In Louisiana, Latorya E. Mason

Master's Theses

The increase in mercury production through anthropogenic activities has led to a global crisis of mercury pollution that poses a significant threat to the health of both humans and wildlife. Aquatic ecosystems are especially at risk due to the creation of methylmercury, a toxic form of mercury, by sulfate-reducing bacteria in anoxic sediments and soils. Methylmercury enters the food chain where it bioaccumulates in individual organisms and then biomagnified with increasing trophic level. Aquatic birds are useful bioindicators of many pollutants, including mercury, due to their abundance and position in the food chain. Previous studies have primarily focused on mercury …

Botdr-Based Horizontal Deformation Monitoring Of Section Coal Pillars, Chai Jing, Hao Hongru, Yang Jianfeng, Gao Dengyan, Gao Kuiying, Chen Jianhua, Yang Lei, Liu Zeyu

Coal Geology & Exploration

To address potential safety hazards like microcrack initiation, deformation, and failure inside coal pillars, this study monitored the horizontal deformations of coal pillars using the Brillouin optical time-domain reflectometry (BOTDR)—a distributed optical fiber sensing technology. Firstly, this study established a method for converting the axial strain of optical fibers into horizontal deformations based on a theoretical analysis of the failure and bulking characteristics of coal pillars. Secondly, it determined the axial tensile response of metal-based cord-shaped sensing optical fibers by conducting laboratory tests. Then, it corrected the strain coefficient based on the deformation and failure patterns of coal pillars. Finally, …

Anti-Channeling Methods For Coalbed Methane Production Using L-Type Horizontal Wells, Liu Zhan, Zhang Qunxia, Geng Yuxin, Luo Dan, Wang Minggang

Coal Geology & Exploration

Coalbed methane (CBM) production using L-type horizontal wells can yield stable single-well production of up to above 8 000 m³/d. However, due to the lack of sand settling pockets, L-type horizontal wells fail to achieve gas-water separation under the action of gravity. Consequently, gas channeling from tubing is prone to occur, significantly decreasing pumping efficiency and restricting further drainage and pressure reduction. By optimizing the lifting process for production in the early stage, the gas channeling from tubing has been somewhat alleviated. However, the anti-channeling effects remain unsatisfactory in low-fluid-pressure and high-yield gas wells. This study examined L-type …

Research On Digital Twin-Driven Tracking, Positioning And Collision Detection Method Of Excavating And Anchoring Equipment, Yang Wenjuan, Zhao Dian, Zhang Xuhui, Chen Xin, Zheng Xili, Liu Yanhui, Zhang Ran, Wan Jicheng

Coal Geology & Exploration

The automation of excavating and anchoring operation is critical for intelligent excavation of coal mine roadway. Aiming at the challenges of relative pose measurement and collision detection during the alternating operation of the current excavating and anchoring equipment, a digital twin-driven tracking, positioning and collision detection method was proposed. Firstly, in order to overcome the influence of low illumination, high dust and complex background interference in the underground excavating face, the multi-point infrared LED target is taken as the information source, the infrared LED feature point image is collected by industrial camera, the center of the spot is extracted using …

Draft Final 2024 Residential Metals Abatement Program (Rmap) Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp) Annual Update (Non-Residential Parcels And Residential Daycares), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Re: Comments For The Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Draft Final Unreclaimed Sites Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp) (Dated February 26, 2024), Molly Roby

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Exploring Microplastic Concentrations And The Sedimentology Of San Diego's Offshore Benthic Environments, Rachel Sarner

Theses

Marine pollution studies are showing infiltration of plastic debris in remote parts of oceans including the deep sea. Microplastics (MPs) are being discovered not only in the ocean’s water column but also benthic sediments reaching thousands of meters in depth. This is the first study to analyze MP concentrations in conjunction with sedimentary characteristics from varying deep-sea environments (coastal, deep ocean, offshore terrace) in the Southern California Continental Borderland (CCB). Our goal for this study was to observe how the concentration and type (morphology, color, size) of microplastics varied with distance from shore, with water depth, and between different submarine …

Releases Of Hazardous Materials And Waste From Transportation Incidents In The Us: An Analysis To Increase Environmental Resiliency, Elizabeth Irene Tautges

Master's Projects and Capstones

Excessive amounts of hazardous materials and waste are released into the environment from transportation incidents. The United States federal government has regulations on the movement of hazardous material and waste during transportation, but preventing environmental releases is not a major priority. Multiple external factors influence the release of hazardous material and waste into the environment. Transportation incidents can be prevented by modifying the information collected in emergency reports, adjusting transportation patterns and conditions, and expressing negative environmental impacts, preparing responder efforts to communicate effectively. The components of previous hazardous materials and waste releases emphasize the needed improvements for increasing environmental …

From Pixels To Plants: Remote Sensing Of California Invasive Plants, Kenneth Rangel

Master's Projects and Capstones

Invasive plants cause significant impacts to ecosystems, the economy, and human health. California has experienced significant plant invasions and is well suited to future invasion because of its Mediterranean climate and human disturbance. Eradication or control of invasive plant species requires a detailed understanding of their spatial distribution, which typically involves on the ground surveys that can be expensive or inconsistent. Remote sensing offers a potential alternative or supplement to in-person invasive plant mapping. This study performed a comparative analysis of 41 remote sensing studies that mapped the distribution of California invasive plants. I found that while high spectral resolution …

Re: Approval Of The Revised Draft Final Silver Bow Creek Conservation Area Repository Data Gap Quality Assurance Project Plan (Qapp) (Dated 5/7/24), Emma Rott

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Investigating The Effects Of Suspended Algal Content, Dissolved Oxygen, And Temperature On A High-Frequency Acoustic Attenuation System In A Controlled Laboratory Environment, Noah Watson

Honors Theses

The Single Frequency Acoustic Attenuation System (SFAAS) has been developed at the National Center for Physical Acoustics (NCPA). This system uses acoustic methods to monitor fine suspended sediment concentration in streams. Site-specific calibrations are necessary for this system, and previous research has indicated that algal concentration or dissolved oxygen concentration of water may affect collected data. Temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration, and fluorescence, used as a proxy for algal concentration, were monitored during this system’s use, and calibrations were derived to account for the effect of each of these variables on acoustic measurements. It has been shown that temperature has a …

The Environmental Craftsfolk: Making Things In A World Full Of Stuff, Zoey Ballard

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

This Civic Engagement Project (CEP) proposes a transformative approach to addressing the complex challenges of environmental degradation and disconnection from nature through the establishment of the Eco-Craft Cabal in Missoula, Montana. The project seeks to reframe environmental consciousness through the lens of craft, fostering improved connections with the local environment and promoting community resilience. By repurposing both natural and artificial materials in inclusive, accessible crafting activities, the Eco-Craft Cabal aims to empower participants to confront feelings of despair and hopelessness with tangible, meaningful actions.

Climate Change In Mississippi: A Journalistic Exploration Of Education And Activism, Kala Nance

Honors Theses

Climate Change in Mississippi: A Journalistic Exploration of Education and Activism takes an investigative, journalistic approach toward climate change in Mississippi. Specifically, how education and awareness have a direct impact on Mississippi industries, people and legislation. The project explored the level of acknowledgement of climate change across the state, and how certain individuals used advocacy to encourage education about climate change to raise awareness of the severity of the situation. This project includes interviews with university professors and researchers, non-profit organizations, educational groups and working individuals in some of Mississippi’s largest areas of employment. Additionally, this project draws on research …

Draft Final 2024 Residential Metals Abatement Program (Rmap) Mandan Park Soil Remedial Action Work Plan (Rawp), Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Draft Final 2024 Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Borrow Amendment Submittal #1, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Revitalizing Turtle Creek Park, Michael Hardyway, Ethan Harm, Abbey Jacoby, Casey Stephenson

Final Reports in ENST 411: Environmental Community Projects

We current ENST 411 students, Abbey Jacoby, Michael Hardyway, Ethan Harm, and Casey Stephenson have chosen to work with Jim Knight, East Buffalo Township, the Merrill Linn Land and Waterways Conservancy, and many others in an attempt to revitalize Turtle Creek Park for a plethora of reasons. Three of us are majoring in biology, and two are majoring in environmental science, which makes much of the information and techniques relevant in Turtle Creek applicable to our courses of study. This project included heavy hands on work which allowed us students to leave a memorable and impactful influence on the Lewisburg …

Fireflies At Rpa Natural Area Final Report, Olivia H. Bush, Sydney M. Shea, Sofia J. Gordon, Nick S. Wiebke

Final Reports in ENST 411: Environmental Community Projects

Our group worked alongside community partners Shaunna Barnhart and Jim Dunn during the Spring 2024 semester to assist with their annual event Fireflies at RPA Natural Area. RPA Natural Area is a local park in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania that was recently acquired by Southside Recreational Authority. Since taking over the park, the organization has begun hosting an event each July to educate the general public about firefly biology and conservation by showing a film and guiding attendees through a firefly tour through the park. Our goals for this project included creating physical educational materials to be used at the park …