Engineering Commons^™

A Plan For Coordinating Department Of Defense Emissions Trading, Charles H. Weir

Theses and Dissertations

The original purpose of this research was to develop a plan to coordinate emissions trading between DoD installations. During the course of this research, findings indicated that restrictions on emissions trading would make such a plan of limited applicability. However, findings did indicate the need for a tool to assist managers with selecting the netting, offset, and banking emissions trading alternatives. Developing this tool became the objective of this research. This objective was fulfilled by developing a management guide to assist environmental managers with selecting the emissions trading alternatives netting, banking, and offsets. Background information was collected by examining literature …

Guidance For The Development Of Air Force Storm Water Sampling Programs, Jerry K. Weldon Iii, Roy T. Willis

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this research was to develop sampling guidance that will enable Air Force (AF) installations to conduct cost effective storm water sampling in accordance with current storm water regulations. Data on the techniques used by AF bases to obtain storm water samples for the AF group storm water permit application were collected and analyzed. This information was used to outline management and resource requirements associated with the implementation of NPDES storm water regulations. The use of in-house personnel, automatic sampling equipment, or a contractor to perform the field data collection was examined. An in-house manual approach to storm …

Analytical Modeling Of Aquifer Decontamination By Pulsed Pumping When Contaminant Transport Is Affected By Rate-Limited Sorption And Desorption, Thomas A. Adams, Robert C. Viramontes

Theses and Dissertations

This research explores radially convergent contaminated transport in an aquifer towards an extraction well. This thesis presents the equations governing the transport of a contaminant during aquifer remediation by pulsed pumping. Contaminant transport is assumed to be affected by radial advection, dispersion, and sorption/desorption. Sorption is assumed to be either equilibrium or rate-limited, with the rate-limitation described by either a first-order law, or by Fickian diffusion of contaminant through layered, cylindrical, or spherical immobile water regions. The equations are derived using an arbitrary initial distribution of contaminant in both the mobile and immobile regions, and they are analytically solved in …

Evaluation Of The Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon Standard For Cleanup Of Petroleum Contaminated Sites, Rick A. Blaisdell, Mark E. Smallwood

Theses and Dissertations

This study evaluated the TPH (total petroleum hydrocarbon) cleanup standard for petroleum contaminated soils (PCS). A survey of 13 state regulators was performed to characterize current standards and regulatory viewpoints on the use of a TPH versus a BTEX cleanup standard. The regulatory community considers the BTEX constituents the greatest threat to groundwater, yet expressed concern that the use of a compound specific standard, without an accompanying analysis for TPH, might result in residual soil contamination that may present risk. This study also evaluated the ratio of BTEX TPH in soil over time. Based on JP-4 contaminated site soil data, …

Drainage Basins And Flash Flood Hazards In Al-Ain Area, United Arab Emirates, Moza Hamad Al-Shamsi

Civil and Environmental Theses

Flash flood strike different parts of Al-Ain area virtually every year causing Serious property loses this study investigates the main factors control ling this Flooding, namely. (a) Climate, (b) geomorphology, and (c) hydrogeology Climatically, mo t of rainstorms do occur during the month of February. Geomorphologic ally, the landforms and drainage systems are the main factors. Hydrogeological, twenty basins were carefully identified and their morphometric Parameters were measured the relations between these morphometric parameters and flash floods were accordingly assessed. The results show that most severe damage did occur in buildings and farms in Al Ain Area the most influential …

Simulation Of Daily Precipitation From A Nonparametric Renewal Model, Balaji Rajagopalan, Upmanu Lall, David G. Tarboton

Reports

Wet/dry spell characteristics of daily precipitation are of interest for a number of hydrologic applications (e.g., flood forecasting or assessment of erosion potential). Here, we examine issues related to designing an appropriate nonparametric scheme that focuses on spell characteristics for resampling historically daily precipitation data. A subset of the nonparametric wet/dry spell model presented in Lall et al (1993) is tested with synthetic data to justify the strategy proposed for applications. An application of the nonparametric wet/dry spell model to a Utah data set follows. Performance is judged on a set of statistical measures. Numerical comparisons of model performance with …

A Kernel Quantile Function Estimator For Flood Frequency Analysis, Young-Ii Moon, Upmanu Lall

Reports

A kernel estimator (KQ) of the quantile function is presented here. Boundary kernels are used for extrapolation of tail quantiles. The bandwidth of the estimator is chosen using an automatic, "plus-in" method. Confidence intervals for the estimated quantile are estimated by bootstrapping. Comparisons of the estimator with selected tail probability estimators are offered. The KQ estimator presented here is shown to be competitive with other estimators.

Effectiveness Determination Of Two Different Water-Saving Devices For Toilet Tanks, C. Earl Israelsen, Gilberto Urroz

Reports

Introduction: The project was successful in obtaining eight different brands of new toilet tanks in the 3.5 gals-per-flish-bariety, and two used ones requiring 5.0 gals per flish. The tanks were installed on a t atime on a padded stell frame and connected to a water supply. The float was adjusted to maintain the water in the tank at the level recommended by the manufacturer. When the flush and shut-off mechanisms were adjusted properly, the testing begain.

A Prototype Computer Based Tutorial For The Use Of Highway Patrol Radar Guns, William J. Grenney, Thad E. Senti

Reports

Executive Summary: The software contained in this package, termed POSAT (Police Officer Standards and Training) is the prototype knowledge-base decision support system developed specifically for the Utah State Police Academy. All police officers must be certified annual for the use of radar guns. This self-study computer program is intended to reduce the cost of providing field training for hundreds of police officers each year. By installing the POSAT software at remote locations, polic officers within a certain districut need only to travel to the nearest remote testing sight to take the exam and renew their radar certification. POSAT automatically transmits …

Computer Methodology For Transportation Agencies To Screen Technologies For Hazardous Waste Remediation, William J. Grenney, Ravi Kumar Penmetsa

Reports

Executive Summary: Many pathways exist for transportation agencies and other public and private agencies to become responsible for sites contaminated by hazardous wastes. As a reult, agencies frequently face a multitude of lega, regulatory, financial, technical, and health risk problems. When transportation agencies become involved in the remediation of hazardous waste sites, the common practice is to hire consultants and contractors for the clean up process. Because the field of hazardous waste site remediation is changing so rapidly, agency personnel evaluating the consultant's recommendations need to ahve access to the most recent regulatory and remediation information. Early stages of the …

Development Of Mountain Climate Generator And Snowpack Model For Erosion Predictions In The Western United States Using Wepp: Phase Iv, David S. Bowles, U. Lall, D. G. Tarboton, E. Malek, B. Rajagopalan, T. Chowdhury, E. Kluzak

Reports

Executive Summary: Introduction: This report summarizes work conducted during the funding period (December 1, 1991 through September 30, 1992) of a Research Joint Venture Agreement between the Intermountain Research Station, Forest Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture and the Utah Water Research Laboratory (UWRL), Utah State University (USU). The purpose of the agreement is to develop a Western Mountain Cilmate Generator (MCLIGEN) similar in function to the existing (non-orographic area) Climate Generator (CLIGEN), which is part of the Water Erosion Prediciton Project (WEPP) procedure. Aso, we are developing a Western U.S. Snowpack Simulation Model for includsion in WEPP. In the …

Interpretation Of Drill Log Data: Dlog3d - A Probabilistic Tool For Analyzing Subsurface Soil Variability, Alaa El-Din Ali, Upmanu Lall

Reports

Groundwater contamination potential is directly related to the location of zones of high hydraulic conductivity. Sedimentary depositional environments can be quite complex. Pockets of sand of varying thickness and orientation may be scattered over the aquifer. A contaminant pathway can esist where these pockets or lenses are interconnected. Aquifer pump tests do not provide useful information on the occurrence of such lenses. Drill log data directly sample the soil, but may represent very local sections of the aquifer, and are of relatively poor quality. Here we present a methodology (DLOG3D) that allows a probabilistic interpretation of drill log data that …

Economic Impacts Of Noxious Facilities: Incorporating The Effects Of Risk Aversion, Leslie A. Nieves

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

The author suggests an integrative approach for projecting economic impacts of facilities that elicit public Risk aversion. She incorporates both economic stimulus effects and perception-based effects of facilities on the host area economy. Empirical findings are compared and an impact estimation framework is suggested for integrating psychometric and econometric techniques.

Southern Nevada Effluent Wetlands: A Proposed Cooperative Venture Between The Bureau Of Reclamation & City Of Las Vegas, Bureau Of Reclamation

Publications (WR)

Throughout North America there is a growing interest in constructed wetlands, both as relatively inexpensive, low-maintenance systems for removing nutrients from wastewater, and as a means of using municipal wastewater to enhance wildlife habitat and create public use opportunities. Because wetlands appear to have good potential as a component in the overall management of scarce water resources, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) has undertaken several cooperative research and demonstration projects to evaluate their effectiveness in a variety of local environments. While a number of projects have demonstrated that wetlands can be beneficially employed to improve water quality, few such projects …

Use Of High-Energy Radiation For Degradation Of Environmental Pollutants, Robert D. Guthrie, Manjiri Patwardhan

KWRRI Research Reports

The purpose of this project was to explore the advantages and/or limitations of high-energy radiation treatment as a method for degrading organic pollutants, particularly aryl halides, in an aqueous medium. We have done analyses of ⁶⁰Co-irradiated samples and kinetic studies using pulsed electron beams. For aryl halides containing no more than two fused rings, the main products detected are those of simple halogen replacement by hydrogen, although the amount of aryl halide destroyed was always greater than the total amount of products detected. To accomplish halogen replacement by H, the reaction solvent may not be pure water but must …

Field Calibration Of A Transient Model For Broiler Misting, Richard S. Gates, Douglas G. Overhults, Robert W. Bottcher, Shu Hui Zhang

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

A transient model to predict temperature within a tunnel ventilated broiler house during misting is developed. The model is calibrated with field data to obtain steady-state constants; transient predictions are compared to measured temperatures during cyclic misting for two different size birds. Measured temperatures during cyclic misting are shown to swing between steady-state asymptotes predicted from the model. Transient response of the model was faster than measured temperature data, in part due to temperature sensor dynamic response. The model predicts the length-wise temperature profile within the building during misting, and can be used to investigate alternate misting strategies and designs. …

Book Review, Peter C. Christensen

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Review of: MARY R. ENGLISH, SITING LOW-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL FACILITIES: THE PUBLIC POLICY DILEMMA. (Quorum Books 1992) [278 pp.], Appendices, index, introduction, references. LC-91-42774; ISBN 0-89930-560-1. [$49.95 cloth. One Madison Avenue, New York NY 10010.]

Risk Estimation And Expert Judgment: The Case Of Yucca Mountain, Kristin Shrader-Frechette

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Professor Shrader-Frechette discusses factors responsible for acute disagreement between the federal government and Nevada citizens over potential Risks at Yucca Mountain and focuses on the use of expert judgment, concluding that some of them appear to exemplify "bad science." That aside, she argues that 1,000 year predictions cannot be made from current knowledge of geology or, e.g., institutional behavior and concludes that permanent disposal of radioactive waste is currently impossible.

Mechanical Backup Systems For Electronic Environmental Controllers, Richard S. Gates, Douglas G. Overhults, Larry W. Turner

Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Faculty Publications

A series of mechanical backup systems for electronic environmental controllers is presented for a typical finishing swine barn and a typical tunnel ventilated broiler house. The systems consist of mechanical thermostats and timers used in parallel with the electronic controller, designed to ensure animal survival in the event of controller or related hardware failure. For swine housing, three distinct mechanical backup functions are identified; for broiler housing, four distinct mechanical backup functions are identified. Schematic diagrams of the mechanical backup functions are provided and their implementation is described.

Ground Water Contamination: What You Need To Know, David B. Mcwhorter

Uncovering the Hidden Resource: Groundwater Law, Hydrology, and Policy in the 1990s (Summer Conference, June 15-17)

14 pages.

Contains references.

Quality Meets Quantity: San Gabriel Valley, California, Mark J. Klaiman

Uncovering the Hidden Resource: Groundwater Law, Hydrology, and Policy in the 1990s (Summer Conference, June 15-17)

23 pages (includes maps).

Quality Meets Quantity: San Gabriel Valley, California: The Metropolitan Water District Of Southern California Proposal, Thomas M. Stetson

Uncovering the Hidden Resource: Groundwater Law, Hydrology, and Policy in the 1990s (Summer Conference, June 15-17)

19 pages (includes illustrations and maps).

Contains footnotes.

Transport Modeling – Technical And Legal Issues, Adrian Brown

Uncovering the Hidden Resource: Groundwater Law, Hydrology, and Policy in the 1990s (Summer Conference, June 15-17)

27 pages.

Contains footnotes.

Groundwater Cleanup: Is It Worth It?, Carolyn B. Doty

Uncovering the Hidden Resource: Groundwater Law, Hydrology, and Policy in the 1990s (Summer Conference, June 15-17)

5 pages.

Contains references.

The Rocky Mountain Arsenal: Groundwater Contamination And Clean-Up Activities, Connally E. Mears, Elaine H. Heise

Uncovering the Hidden Resource: Groundwater Law, Hydrology, and Policy in the 1990s (Summer Conference, June 15-17)

26 pages (includes illustrations and map).

The Evolution And Performance Of Groundwater Management Institutions In Southern California, William Blomquist

Uncovering the Hidden Resource: Groundwater Law, Hydrology, and Policy in the 1990s (Summer Conference, June 15-17)

12 pages.

Pre-Trial Case Preparation In Complex Groundwater Litigation: The Lawyer’S Role, Michael D. Shimmin

Uncovering the Hidden Resource: Groundwater Law, Hydrology, and Policy in the 1990s (Summer Conference, June 15-17)

12 pages.

Arizona Groundwater Management Act: Recent Issues And Future Prospects, Katharine Jacobs, Robert Glennon

Uncovering the Hidden Resource: Groundwater Law, Hydrology, and Policy in the 1990s (Summer Conference, June 15-17)

26 pages.

Data, Correspondence, Reports, And Exhibits For Ground Water Rights Cases (Or, Challenges In Developing And Presenting Data To Support A Ground Water Rights Case), Robert E. Brogden

Uncovering the Hidden Resource: Groundwater Law, Hydrology, and Policy in the 1990s (Summer Conference, June 15-17)

17 pages.

Agenda: Uncovering The Hidden Resource: Groundwater Law, Hydrology And Policy In The 1990s, University Of Colorado Boulder. Natural Resources Law Center, Rocky Mountain Ground-Water Conference (1992), Colorado Ground-Water Association

Uncovering the Hidden Resource: Groundwater Law, Hydrology, and Policy in the 1990s (Summer Conference, June 15-17)

Sponsored by Natural Resources Law Center, University of Colorado School of Law and the Rocky Mountain Ground-Water Conference, organized by the Colorado Ground-Water Association.

Faculty for the conference included University of Colorado School of Law professor Lawrence J. MacDonnell.

Nearly half the people in the United States rely on groundwater as their primary water source. As demands for groundwater grow, it becomes increasingly important for lawyer and technical professionals to understand the legal and hydrologic issues arising in groundwater development, use, and protection. These issues will be the focus of the Center's thirteenth annual summer program, June 15-17, 1992.

This …