Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Design Evaluation Of A Low-Tension Cable Guardrail End Terminal System, Cody S. Stolle, Karla A. Polivka, Ronald K. Faller, John R. Rohde, Dean L. Sicking, Rebecca A. Hitz, Kirk J. Molacek, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of Critical Flare Rates For The Midwest Guardrail System, Cody S. Stolle, Karla A. Polivka, Ronald K. Faller, Robert W. Bielenberg M.S.C.E., E.I.T., Dean L. Sicking, John R. Rohde, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Pavement Quality Indicators Study, Cody Kluver, Wayne Jensen

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of Asphalt Pavement Analyzer Testing Program In Nebraska, Minki Hong

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Chemisorption Of Oxygen Onto Activated Carbon Can Enhance The Stability Of Biological Perchlorate Reduction In Fixed Bed Biofilm Reactors, Young Chul Choi, Xu Li, Lutgarde Raskin, Eberhard Morgenroth

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

Fixed bed biofilm reactors with granular activated carbon (GAC) or glass beads as support media were used to evaluate the influence of short-term (12 h) and long-term (23 days) increases of influent dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations on biological perchlorate removal. The goal was to evaluate the extent by which chemisorption of oxygen to GAC can enhance the stability of biological perchlorate reduction. Baseline influent concentrations were 50 μg/L of perchlorate, 2 mg/L of acetate as C, and 1 mg/L of DO. Perchlorate removal in the glass bead reactor seized immediately after increasing influent DO concentrations from 1 to 4 mg/L …

2008 Epa’S Report On The Environment

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

To accomplish its mission, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) must pay close attention to trends in the condition of the nation’s air, water, and land, and to associated trends in human exposure and health and the condition of ecological systems. Data on environmental trends serve two key purposes: they provide valuable input to EPA in developing its strategic outlook and priorities, and they allow EPA and the public to assess whether the Agency is succeeding in its overall mission to protect human health and the environment. EPA prepared this Report on the Environment (ROE) to accomplish these purposes.
In …

Proctor Compaction Testing, Joshua Connelly, Wayne Jensen, Paul Harmon

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Implementing Mass Nutrient Balance Procedures On Swine Production Facilities, Richard Koelsch, Alan Sutton

Department of Agricultural and Biological Systems Engineering: Faculty Publications

Whole Farm Nutrient Balance (WFNB) approaches have been used to provide a measure of environmental performance (Aarts et al., 1992; Lanyon and Beegle, 1993; Klausner, 1995). Whole farm balance concepts are used as part of the Netherlands Mineral Accounting System public policy that includes compulsory mineral input and output reports from livestock farms and levies for excess imbalances (Jongbloed and Lenis, 1998). Procedures for measuring WFNB will be followed in measurements made on commercial swine facilities for 2006 and 2007. The conclusions developed based upon data from 13 for 2006 include:

• On average, the participating swine producers import 1.5 units …

Development Of A Stand-Alone Concrete Bridge Pier Protection System, Scott Rosenbaugh, Ronald K. Faller, Jason A. Hascall, Robert W. Bielenberg, Karla A. Polivka, John R. Rohde, Dean L. Sicking, Erin M. Allison

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Improved Method Of Using Traffic Estimates To Evaluate Intersection Improvements, Karen Schurr, Krishna C. Movva, Linna Zhang

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Evaluation Of A Modified Three Cable Guardrail Adjacent To Steep Slope, Ryan J. Terpsma, Dean L. Sicking, Karla A. Polivka, John R. Rohde, Ronald K. Faller, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Climate Change On Aquatic Invasive Species And Implications For Management And Research, Roxanne Thomas, Austin Kane, Environmental Law Institute, Britta G. Bierwagen

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Global change stressors, including climate change and variability and changes in land use, are major drivers of ecosystem alterations. Invasive species, which are non-native species that cause environmental or economic damages or human-health impacts, also contribute to ecosystem changes. The interactions between stressors and invasive species, although not well understood, may exacerbate the impacts of climate change on ecosystems, and likewise, climate change may enable further invasions. This report reviews available literature on climate-change effects on aquatic invasive species (AIS) and examines state-level AIS management activities. Data on management activities came from publicly available information, was analyzed with respect to …

Bifidobacteria In Feces And Environmental Waters, Regina Lamendella, Jorge W. Santo Domingo, Catherine Kelty, Daniel B. Oerther

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Bifidobacteria have been recommended as potential indicators of human fecal pollution in surface waters even though very little is known about their presence in nonhuman fecal sources. The objective of this research was to shed light on the occurrence and molecular diversity of this fecal indicator group in different animals and environmental waters. Genus- and species-specific 16S rRNA gene PCR assays were used to study the presence of bifidobacteria among 269 fecal DNA extracts from 32 different animals. Twelve samples from three wastewater treatment plants and 34 water samples from two fecally impacted watersheds were also tested. The species-specific assays …

Phase Iv Development Of A Short-Radius Guardrail For Intersecting Roadways, Karla A. Polivka, Cody S. Stolle, Robert W. Bielenberg, Ronald K. Faller, Dean L. Sicking, John R. Rohde, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Research On Fatigue Of Asphalt Mixtures And Pavements In Nebraska, Francisco Thiago S. Aragao, Yong-Rak Kim, Junghun Lee

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Investigation Of Asphalt Pavement Analyzer Testing Program In Nebraska, Minki Hong, Yong-Rak Kim

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

The asphalt pavement analyzer (APA) has been widely used to evaluate hot-mix asphalt (HMA) rutting potential in mix design and quality control – quality assurance (QC-QA) applications, because the APA testing and its data analyses are relatively simple, rapid, and easy. However, as demonstrated in many studies and also experienced by the state of Nebraska, the APA testing is in question due to its high testing variability and a lack of sufficient correlation with actual filed performance. The primary objective of this research was to find critical materials and/or mixture design factors affecting APA test results so as to eventually …

Biological Opinion On The Operation Of The Missouri River Main Stem System, Operation And Maintenance Of The Missouri River Bank Stabilization And Navigation Project, And Operation Of The Kansas River Reservoir System

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) prepared this annual report for interested parties in accordance with reporting recommendations of the Biological Opinion on the Operation of the Missouri River Main Stem System (System), Operation and Maintenance of the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Project and Operation of the Kansas River Reservoir System, prepared by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) dated November 30, 2000, and the Amendment thereto, dated December 16, 2003 (BiOp). This annual report also documents the Corps’ activities implemented under the Missouri River Bank Stabilization and Navigation Fish and Wildlife Mitigation Project, Iowa, Nebraska, …

Adaptive Management: Background For Stakeholders In The Missouri River Recovery Program, Heida Diefenderfer, Craig Fleming

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

Since adaptive ecosystem management was described, the need for such a process has been widely recognized by restoration ecologists and managers. In the United States, for example, the National Research Council (NRC) has recommended that ecological restoration projects be designed and executed according to the principles of adaptive planning and management. The NRC report highlights the fact that inflexible restoration goals and plans are unlikely to succeed given that knowledge of natural and social systems is imperfect. As the restoration ecologist John Cairns, Jr., stated: “whatever restoration measures we take, the outcome is highly uncertain.” The reliable existence …

Missouri River Recovery Program: Least Tern And Piping Plover: Endangered & Threatened Species

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

Maintaining a healthy Missouri River, including protecting species that live along the river, is a top priority for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The least tern and piping plover are shorebirds that use the Missouri River for breeding habitat. In 1985 the least tern was listed as endangered, and the piping plover as threatened, within the Missouri River basin. Today, the Corps’ conservation efforts are helping the recovery of these species.

While both birds nest elsewhere, the sandbars of the Missouri River and reservoir shorelines are important to their survival. In fact, in 2002 the U.S. Fish and Wildlife …

Missouri River Recovery Program: Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

The Missouri River Recovery Implementation Committee (MRRIC) will serve as a collaborative forum to develop a shared vision and comprehensive plan for the restoration of the Missouri River ecosystem. This committee will provide recommendations to federal, tribal, state, local and private entities in the basin on efforts to recover threatened and endangered species and restore their habitats while sustaining the river’s many uses. Section 5018 of the Water Resources Development Act of 2007 authorizes the Secretary of the Army to establish the MRRIC.

Missouri River Recovery Program: Shallow Water Habitat Program

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

Historically, the Missouri River was a shallow, shifting river well known for muddy waters and rapidly changing channel conditions. The dynamic river provided a wide range of depth, velocity and sediment conditions. Within this environment, the amount of shallow water habitat was quite prevalent, with estimated amounts of more than 100 acres per mile. Shallow water habitat is an aquatic area less than five feet deep where the river flows slowly – less than two feet per second.

Over the years, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has been charged by Congress to remove snags, protect banks, construct navigation channels …

Missouri River Recovery Program: Missouri River Ecosystem Restoration Plan (Mrerp)

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

The Missouri River Ecosystem Restoration Plan (MRERP) and Missouri River
Recovery Program (MRRP) are complementary efforts led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect, recover and restore the Missouri River ecosystem and its native species. The MRERP will provide a long-term, focused analysis of basin-wide restoration, mitigation and recovery needs of the Missouri River for the next 30 years. It will provide a comprehensive perspective to accomplish restoration objectives and reduce conflict over scarce resources while balancing the river’s social, economic and cultural values.

Preservation And Analytical Procedures For The Analysis Of Chloro-S-Triazines And Their Chlorodegradate Products In Drinking Waters Using Direct Injection Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Glynda A. Smith, Barry V. Pepich, David J. Munch

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

A direct injection, liquid chromatography tandemmass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS)method has been developed for the analysis of the chloro-s-triazine herbicides and their degradates in finished drinking water. The target compounds in the method were selected based on their inclusion in a common mechanism group (CMG) because of their ability to induce a similar toxic effect through a common mechanism of toxicity. The target list includes the chloro-s-triazines (atrazine, simazine, cyanazine, and propazine) and their dealkylated degradates (desethylatrazine, desisopropylatrazine, and diaminochlorotriazine). Potential matrix effects are minimized by the use of individual isotopically enriched internal standards. Analyte stability in finished …

Past And Projected Rural Land Conversion In The Us At State, Regional, And National Levels, Eric M. White, Anita T. Morzilla, Ralph J. Alig

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

The developed land area of the US increased by 14.2 million hectares between 1982 and 2003. Along with a projected US population increase to more than 360 million individuals by 2030 is an expected continuation of expanding rural land development. Related to population growth, rural land development and the associated loss of rural open space are expected to have a number of social, economic, and ecological implications. To gain greater insight into land development patterns, we used US Census Bureau and National Resources Inventory data to quantify per-housing-unit rates of land development during recent decades and to model future land …

Linkage Of The Us National Health Interview Survey To Air Monitoring Data: An Evaluation Of Different Strategies, Jennifer D. Parker, Tracey Woodruff, Lara J. Akinbami, Natalyia Kravets

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

The goal of this study is to describe linkages between the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) air monitoring data, specifically how the linkage method affects characteristics and exposure estimates of study samples and estimated associations between exposure and health. In the USA, nationally representative health data are collected in the NHIS and annual air quality data are collected by the EPA. The linkage of these data for research is not straightforward and the choices made may introduce bias into results. The 2000–2003 NHIS and air quality data for six air pollutants were linked by residential …

Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms: Chapter 31: Ecosystem Effects Workgroup Report, John Fournie, Elizabeth Hilborn, Geoffrey Codd, Michael Coveney, Juli Dyble, Karl Havens, Bas Ibelings, Jan Landsberg, Wayne Litaker

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Harmful cyanobacterial blooms represent one of the most serious ecological stressors in lakes, rivers, estuaries and marine environments. When there are persistent or frequent blooms with high biomass of cyanobacterial cells, colonies or filaments in the water, a wide range of impacts on the ecosystem may occur. These are well established in the scientific literature and are summarized in Paerl et al. (2001). Blooms may shade the water and thereby inhibit growth of other primary producers including phytoplankton, benthic algae and vascular plants and may elevate pH, particularly in poorly buffered waters. High population densities of large cyanobacteria interfere with …

Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms: Chapter 1: An Overview Of The Interagency, International Symposium On Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms (Isoc-Hab): Advancing The Scientific Understanding Of Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms, H. Kenneth Hudnell, Quay Dortch, Harold Zenick

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

There is growing evidence that the spatial and temporal incidence of harmful algal blooms is increasing, posing potential risks to human health and ecosystem sustainability. Currently there are no US Federal guidelines, Water Quality Criteria and Standards, or regulations concerning the management of harmful algal blooms. Algal blooms in freshwater are predominantly cyanobacteria, some of which produce highly potent cyanotoxins. The US Congress mandated a Scientific Assessment of Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms in the 2004 reauthorization of the Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Act. To further the scientific understanding of freshwater harmful algal blooms, the US Environmental …

Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms: Chapter 35: Risk Assessment Workgroup Report, Joyce Donohue, Jennifer Orme–Zavaleta, Michael Burch, Daniel Dietrich, Belinda Hawkins, Tony Lloyd, Wayne Munns, Jeffery Steevens, Dennis Steffensen, Dave Stone, Peter Tango

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Risk assessment is a four–stage process used in evaluating the impact of contaminants on the well being of individuals, populations and/or the physical environment. As defined by the National Academy of Sciences (1983), the four components are as follows: hazard identification, dose– response assessment, exposure assessment and risk characterization.
The goal of a risk assessment is to utilize existing information coupled with site specific data to quantitatively characterize the potential risk of a stressor to an identified receptor(s). Quantitative, risk–based estimates of dose–response relationships integrated with exposure scenarios and information on environmental conditions often become the basis for regulatory measures …

Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms: Chapter 26: Human Health Effects Workgroup Report, Sandra Azevedo, Neil Chernoff, Ian Falconer, Michael Gage, Elizabeth Hilborn, Michelle Hooth, Karl Jensen, Robert Macphail, Ellen Rogers, Glen Shaw, Ian Stewart

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Two types of approaches may be used to evaluate the toxicity of environmental agents:

• Observational population studies may be used to investigate humans or animals in contact with the agent of interest, either prospectively or retrospectively.
• Experimental studies may be performed under controlled conditions on animals, living tissues or cells. These results may be extrapolated to human and animal populations.

Observational epidemiological studies of human and animal populations have the advantage of investigating the effects of environmentally relevant exposures to naturally–occurring mixtures of toxins. Health effects may be identified in the target species of concern. These studies are …

Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms: Chapter 38: Integrating Human And Ecological Risk Assessment: Application To The Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Bloom Problem, Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, Wayne Munns, Jr.

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Environmental and public health policy continues to evolve in response to new and complex social, economic and environmental drivers. Globalization and centralization of commerce, evolving patterns of land use (e.g., urbanization, deforestation), and technological advances in such areas as manufacturing and development of genetically modified foods have created new and complex classes of stressors and risks (e.g., climate change, emergent and opportunist disease, sprawl, genomic change). In recognition of these changes, environmental risk assessment and its use are changing from stressor-endpoint specific assessments used in command and control types of decisions to an integrated approach for application in communitybased decisions. …