Civil and Environmental Engineering Commons^™

Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms: Chapter 15: Cyanotoxins Workgroup Report, Rex Pegram, Andrew Humpage, Brett Neilan, Maria Runnegar, Tonya Nichols, Robert Thacker, Stephan Pflugmacher, Stacey Etheridge, Adam Love

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

The Cyanotoxins Workgroup was charged with the identification and prioritization of research needs associated with: the identification of cyanotoxins; toxicokinetics and toxicodynamics of cyanotoxins; human susceptibility to the toxins; cyanobacterial genetics/omics and factors for inclusion in predictive models of toxin production; and risk reduction from an intentional or accidental release of cyanotoxins. Papers presented for the Cyanotoxins Session of the symposium on toxin types, toxicokinetics, and toxicodyamics (See Humpage this volume), cyanobacterial genetics of toxin production (See Neilan this volume), and parameters related to human risks from cyanobacterial exposure (See Love this volume) set the stage for Cyanotoxins Workgroup discussions. …

Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms: Chapter 2: A Synopsis Of Research Needs Identified At The Interagency, International Symposium On Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms (Isoc-Hab), H. Kenneth Hudnell, Quay Dortch

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Evidence indicates that the incidence of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHABs) is increasing in spatial extent and temporal frequency worldwide. Cyanobacterial blooms produce highly potent toxins and huge, noxious biomasses in surface waters used for recreation, commerce, and as drinking water sources. The Interagency, International Symposium on Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms (ISOC-HAB) characterized the state of the science and identified research needed to address the risks posed by CHABs to human health and ecosystem sustainability. This chapter provides a synopsis of CHAB research needs that were identified by workgroups that addressed charges in major topic areas. The research and infrastructure …

Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms: Chapter 3: Occurrence Of Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms Workgroup Report, Anthony Fristachi, James Sinclair, Sherwood Hall, Julie Hambrook Berkman, Greg Boyer, Joann Burkholder, John Burns, Wayne Carmichael, Al Dufour, William Frazier, Steve Morton, Eric O’Brien, Steven Walker

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Freshwater cyanobacteria periodically accumulate, or bloom, in water bodies across the United States (US). These blooms, also known as cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (CHAB), can lead to a reduction in the number of individuals who engage in recreational activities in lakes and reservoirs, degrade aquatic habitats and potentially impact human health. In 1998, Congress passed the 1998 Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act (HABHRCA) to address CHABs that impacted living marine resources, fish and shellfish harvests and recreational and service industries along US coastal waters. In 2004, as part of its reauthorization, HABHRCA requires federal agencies to …

Nitrogen In The Environment: Chapter 22. New Policy Directions, A.P. Manale

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Advances in linking the science of ecology with economics and the development of agri-environmental modeling systems coupled with new information technology suggest new public policy approaches that reward agricultural producers for providing ecological services. An incentive-based ecosystem approach that identifies and quantifies an array of environmental services that can be provided by agricultural land, and then facilitates the development of markets in these services can protect environmental quality while improving farm income. Sustainability can be achieved whereby economic needs of society are integrated into environmental protection. Before presenting new agricultural policy approaches for improving environmental quality and, in particular, managing …

Bridging The Gaps Between Design And Use: Developing Tools To Support Environmental Management And Policy, B. S. Mcintosh, C. Giupponi, A. A. Voinov, C. Smith, K. B. Matthews, M. Monticino, M. J. Kolkman, N. Crossman, M. Van Ittersum, D. Haase, A. Haase, J. Mysiak, J. Groot, S. Sieber, P. Verweij, N. Quinn, P. Waeger, N. Gaber, D. Hepting, H. Scholten, A. Sulis, H. Van Delden, E. Gaddis, H. Assaf

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Sound decisions in environmental policy and management usually require the examination of alternative solutions, and may require the consideration of alternative problem fornlulations prior to option assessment. Constructing and considering the consequences of alternative problems (variables and relations) and policy options (norms and standards) is fundamental for processes of policy fornlulation (Vickers, 1965).

Complexity And Uncertainty: Rethinking The Modelling Activity, M. Brugnach, C. Pahl-Wostl, K. E. Lindenschmidt, J. A.E.B. Janssen, T. Filatova, A. Mouton, G. Holtz, P. Van Der Keur, N. N. Gaber

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Complexity and uncertainty have become critical considerations for environmental modelling applications, opening ne\v avenues for the use and development of models. Increasingly l110dels are being recognized as essential tools to learn, coml11unicate, explore and resolve the particulars of complex environmental problems (Sterman, 2002; Van den Belt, 2(04). However, this shift in the way in which models have been used has not always been accompanied by a concomitant shift in the way in which models have been conceived and implemented. Too often, models were conceived and built as predictive devices, aimed at capturing single, best, objective explanations. Considerations of uncertainty were …

2008 Epa’S Report On The Environment: Indicators Presenting Data For Epa Region 7, United States Environmental Protection Agency

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

EPA’s 2008 Report on the Environment (ROE) compiles, in one place, the most reliable indicators currently available to answer 23 questions that EPA believes are of critical importance to its mission to protect human health and the environment.
The indicators are supported by data gathered from federal and state agencies and non-governmental organizations. All ROE indicators were peer-reviewed to meet exacting standards for accuracy, representativeness, and reliability, and the report has undergone extensive internal and interagency review, SAB review, and public comment. The indicators present trends wherever adequate data are available, and establish national baselines where they are not. The …

Formal Scenario Development For Environmental Impact Assessment Studies., Y. Liu, M. Mahmoud, H. Hartmann, S. Stewart, T. Wagener, D. Semmens, R. Stewart, H. Gupta, D. Dominguez, D. Hulse, R. Letcher, B. Rashleigh, C. Smith, R. Street, J. Ticehurst, M. Twer, H. Van Delden, D. White

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Scenario analysis is the process of evaluating possible future events through the consideration of alternative plausible, though not equally likely, states (scenarios). The definition by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) best represents scenarios considered in the natural sciences:

"A scenario is a coherent) internally consistent and plausible description of a possible future state of the world. It is not a forecast; rather, each scenario is one alternative image ~fhow the future can unfold."(http://ipcc-ddc.cru. uea.ac.uk/ ddc_definitions. htnll)

Good Modelling Practice, N. Crout, T. Kokkonen, A.J. Jakeman, J.P. Norton, L.T.H. Newham, R. Anderson, H. Assaf, B.F.W. Croke, N. Gaber, J. Gibbons, D. Holzworth, J. Mysiak, J. Reichl, R. Seppelt, T. Wagener, P. Whitfield

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Best-practice guidelines for Modelling have been developed by a numbers of organizations to promote better understanding of model development and application, facilitate tests of model quality and provide a framework for documenting and communicating modelling activities among modellers and decision makers. Good practice within a Data Mining paradigm is presented in Chapter 12.

Missouri River Recovery Program Bald Eagles And Cottonwood Trees: A Dynamic Duo

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

Cottonwood trees are essential to the preservation of the mighty bald eagle along the Missouri River. Bald eagles come to the Missouri River to nest, to
rest during migration and to roost over the winter. Eagles prefer to nest, rest and roost in cottonwood trees because they are sturdy enough to support large nests and are located in areas with plentiful food sources. To survive and reproduce, cottonwood trees require certain levels of soil moisture and nutrients, which historically were provided regularly by the Missouri River’s floods.

The symbol of our country and the only sea eagle native to North …

Dynamic Impact Testing Of Crt Wood Posts In A Rigid Sleeve, Steven W. Arens, Ronald K. Faller, John R. Rohde, Karla A. Polivka

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

Dynamic impact testing was performed on 152-mm x 203-mm (6-in. x 8-in.) CRT wood posts placed in a rigid sleeve at various angles. A total of nine bogie tests were performed with three tests each at 0, 90, and 45 degree rotation angles relative to the strong axis of bending. For each bogie test, the raw acceleration data was obtained from accelerometers and was filtered. Then, force-displacement and energy-displacement graphs were plotted. Based on the results, the properties and strengths of the CRT wood posts at the different impact angles were determined. The results of this study will be the …

Catfish Consumption As A Contributor To Elevated Pcb Levels In A Non-Hispanic Black Subpopulation, Max Weintraub, Linda S. Birnbaum

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

The human body burden of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) sharply declined after production was banned in the US in 1979. For the 10% of the US population that remains most exposed to PCBs, fish consumption is the primary source. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data indicates that the highest remaining PCB levels exist in a non-Hispanic black subpopulation. Our review suggests that catfish consumption may be a significant PCB source for the one million non-Hispanic black anglers who fish for catfish. In comparison to non-Hispanic white anglers, non-Hispanic black anglers consume more catfish, are more likely to eat the …

The History Of The Unl Water Center From 1964, Water Center, School Of Natural Resources

Nebraska Water Center: Administrative Materials

Water is an integral part of Nebraska’s economy and well being in a state that depends on an adequate supply for all uses, including agricultural, municipal, industrial, recreational and wildlife habitat.

Nebraska is fortunate with regard to its water supply, having tremendous groundwater reserves which are estimated to be in excess of two billion acrefeet (an acre-foot being enough water to cover one acre of land with a foot of water, or approximately 325,000 gallons), combined with an estimated annual precipitation of 86 million acre-feet and annual average surface water inflows of 1.7 million acre-feet, give the state adequate supplies …

Pavement Quality Indicators Study, Wayne Jensen Ph.D., Cody Kluver

Mid-America Transportation Center: Final Reports and Technical Briefs

The Nebraska Department of Roads (NDOR) conducts annual examinations of the Nebraska’s interstate and federal high-way pavements. During these examinations, numerous indicators of pavement quality are measured directly or are com-piled from parameters recorded by a vehicle passing over the pavement section. Parameters are documented and analyzed for each one-tenth mile segment. A number of pavement sections where innovative features have been incorporated were selected by the NDOR for comparison to nearby conventional pavement sections. This study used data recorded by the NDOR as well as field observations to develop a comparison between two pavement sections, one with innovative fea-tures …

Development Of A Research Roadmap Related To Safe And Reliable Transportation Of Ethanol In Pipelines, Raymond R. Fessler

United States Department of Transportation: Publications

Scope

Phase 1 Results Suggested Projects for Near Future

Phase 1 Results Other Recommendations

Phase 2 Results Roadmap of All Future Projects

Phase 2 Results Roadmap of All Future Projects (cont.)

Recommended Project 1: Safety of Transporting Blends Containing More than 10 Percent Ethanol

Recommended Project 3: Technical and Economic Feasibility of Preventing SCC Through Control of Oxygen

Recommended Project 4: Feasibility of Preventing SCC by Using Inhibitors

Recommended Project 5: Compatibility of Non-ferrous Metals with Ethanol

Recommended Project 6: Phenomenological Understanding of Ethanol SCC

Other Recommended Actions

Full Project Plan

Peer Review Report 2008

United States Department of Transportation: Publications

The purpose of this document is to report findings from the research peer reviews held May 1, May 6 and May 14, 2008 for PHMSA’s Pipeline Safety Research and Development Program. The findings and recommendations in this report derive from the scoring and comments collected from the peer review panelists.

Department of Transportation (DOT) Operating Agencies (OA) are required to develop and execute a systematic process for peer reviews and for all influential and highly influential information that the OA plans to disseminate in the foreseeable future.

Through the Information Quality Act, Congress directed the Office of Management and Budget …

Did State Regulation Of Power Plants Cause An Increase In Pollution Exportation?, Allen S. Bellas, Ian Large

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

The 1970 Clean Air Act divided responsibility for achievement of air quality standards between the EPA and states. It is widely believed that, as a result, state-regulated sources received taller stacks, but analysis suggests that this is not true.

Acute Respiratory Health Effects Of Air Pollution On Children With Asthma In Us Inner Cities, George T. O'Connor, Lucas Neas, Benjamin Vaughn, Meyer Kattan, Herman Mitchell, Ellen F. Crain, Richard Evans, Iii, Rebecca Gruchalla, Wayne Morgan, James Stout, G. Kenneth Adams, Morton Lippmann

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Background: Children with asthma in inner-city communities may be particularly vulnerable to adverse effects of air pollution because of their airways disease and exposure to relatively high levels of motor vehicle emissions.

Objective: To investigate the association between fluctuations in outdoor air pollution and asthma morbidity among inner-city children with asthma.

Methods: We analyzed data from 861 children with persistent asthma in 7 US urban communities who performed 2-week periods of twice-daily pulmonary function testing every 6 months for 2 years. Asthma symptom data were collected every 2 months. Daily pollution measurements were obtained from the Aerometric Information Retrieval System. …

Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms: Chapter 9: Causes, Prevention, And Mitigation Workgroup Report, Paul Berger, Justin Brooks, Terence Evens, Christopher Gobler, Jennifer Graham, James Hyde, Dawn Karner, Dennis (Kevin) O'Shea, Valerie Paul, Hans Paerl, Michael Piehler, Barry Rosen, Mary Santelmann, Pat Tester, Judy Westrick

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) are estimated to have evolved 3.5 billion years ago, at which time they began to add oxygen to the existing anaerobic atmosphere, actually changing the chemistry of the planet and allowing new life forms to evolve. These ubiquitous microbes are capable of tolerating desiccation, hypersalinity, hyperthermal conditions, and high ultraviolet radiation, often for extensive periods of time. Recently, cyanobacteria have responded to human alterations of aquatic environments, most notably nutrient-enhanced primary production, or eutrophication. In fact, cyanobacterial blooms are now viewed as widespread indicators of freshwater, brackish and marine eutrophication.

Due to the complex interactions between physical …

Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms: Chapter 20: Analytical Methods Workgroup Report, Armah De La Cruz, Parke Rublee, James Hungerford, Paul Zimba, Steven Wilhelm, Jussi Meriluoto, Kathy Echols, Michael Meyer, Gerard Stelma, Rosemonde Mandeville, Linda Lawton, Kaarina Sivonen, Ambrose Furey

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

The topic of exposure assessment overlaps with other topic areas of this workshop. It includes considerations of establishment of long term monitoring and event response, sampling protocols, development and standardization of organism and toxin assays, funding mechanisms, and public outreach. The development of a coordinated infrastructure (funding, human resources, and facilities, materials and equipment) is key to successfully addressing the threat posed by CHABs.
The establishment of validated standardized protocols to detect cyanobacteria and cyanotoxins is of considerable importance given the increased occurrence of CHABs worldwide. Standardized methods are needed for studies assessing occurrence, monitoring and toxicity studies which are …

Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms: Chapter 18: Determining Important Parameters Related To Cyanobacterial Alkaloid Toxin Exposure, Adam Love

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

The United States is faced with having to address critical issues that have not been addressed in the past, as recent security interests have placed new and more pressing demands on the assessment of risk from exposure to potential threats resulting from deliberate contamination. Such assessments are the basis for decisions about future research priorities, actions taken to prevent intentional contaminant releases, and developing detailed plans for response if such an event was to occur. High fidelity assessments are based on robust knowledge of the numerous parameters that can be used to predict the fate, transport, persistence, and toxicity for …

Nitrogen In The Environment: Chapter 10. Nitrogen Effects On Coastal Marine Ecosystems, J.R. Kelly

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Throughout the 20th century, a rapidly growing human population increased the global circulation of nitrogen (N). In the United States and elsewhere, human populations and activities have been disproportionately distributed towards coastlines, leading to markedly increased N inputs to coastal receiving waters. Nitrogen inputs to coastal waters come from the land, from the sea, and from the air; because of these multiple sources and the complexity of the N cycle, confident estimates of total N loading to coastal systems are not routine. Ecological problems from increasing inputs of N to coastal waters are well known and arise from stimulation of …

Evaluation Of Rigid Hazards Placed In The Zone Of Intrusion, Mitchell J. Wiebelhaus, Ronald K. Faller, Dean L. Sicking, Karla A. Polivka, John R. Rohde, Robert W. Bielenberg, James C. Holloway, John D. Reid

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Water Balance Analysis For A Nebraska Sand Hills Wetland Mitigation Site, Kyle Hoagland, F. Edwin Harvey, Timothy Arkebauer, Wyatt R. Webster

Nebraska Department of Transportation: Research Reports

No abstract provided.

Assimilating Remote Sensing-Based Et Into Swap Model For Improved Estimation Of Hydrological Predictions, Baburao Kamble, Ayse Kilic

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Faculty Publications

An agro-hydrological simulation model is useful for agriculture monitoring and Remote Sensing provides useful information over large area. Combining both information by data assimilation is used in agro-hydrological modeling and predictions, where multiple remotely sensed data, ground measurement data and model forecast routinely combined in operational mapping procedures. Remote sensing cannot observe input parameters of agro-hydrological models directly. A method to estimate input parameters of such model from Remote Sensing using data assimilation has been proposed by Ines [2002] using the SWAP (Soil, Water, Atmosphere and Plant) model. A Genetic Algorithm (GA) loaded stochastic physically based soil-water-atmosphere-plant model (SWAP) was …

Missouri River Recovery Program Keeping Recovery On Track: Annual Report

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

Each calendar year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers produces a report to document the progress of the Missouri River Recovery Program (MRRP). The Annual Report describes the team’s success in meeting the requirements laid out in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2000 Biological Opinion, amended in 2003, 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.

This fact sheet will highlight MRRP efforts in 2008, including new projects, program successes and areas for improvement.

Missouri River Recovery Program: Emergent Sandbar Habitat Program

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

States, cities and individuals benefit greatly from a healthy and thriving Missouri River. Maintaining a healthy river, including protecting species that live along the river, is a top priority for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Congress.

The survival of the endangered least tern and threatened piping plover is crucial to maintaining a thriving ecosystem on the Missouri River. While both shorebirds nest elsewhere as well, the sandbars of the Missouri River and reservoir shorelines are important to their overall survival. In 2002, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated areas along much of the Missouri River …

Missouri River Recovery Program: Using The Best Available Science: Monitoring Program

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

There is a growing body of information surrounding the manner in which a healthy
river system, such as the Missouri River, functions naturally. As we work towards mitigation, recovery and ultimately restoration, an extensive science program has been implemented so that our actions can be assessed and adjusted as we move towards meeting Missouri River Recovery Program (MRRP) goals.

Missouri River Recovery Program: Finding The Right Balance: Sediment Management

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

The goal of the Missouri River Recovery Program (MRRP) is to create a sustainable ecosystem for the river’s native species while protecting and maintaining the Corps’ congressionally-authorized project purposes. Many of the river’s uses – such as habitat, agriculture, municipal water use, flood protection, navigation and hydropower – can be threatened by imbalanced sediment distribution in sections of the Missouri River and its tributaries.

Missouri River Recovery Program: The Perils Of The Pallid Sturgeon

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District

The pallid sturgeon is native to the Yellowstone River, Missouri River, middle and lower Mississippi River, and the lower segments of their major tributaries. It is a bottom-dwelling fish that lives in large, turbid, freeflowing rivers. The pallid sturgeon has poor vision and relies on its highly sensitive barbels to locate food. Individuals can live up to 70 years, and females do not reproduce until they are 15 to 20 years old.

Historical records indicate that the pallid sturgeon was never a common species, but it has experienced significant declines in distribution and abundance over the last 75 years. During …