Environmental Health and Protection Commons^™

A Survey Of Western United States Instream Flow Programs And The Policies That Protect A River's Ecosystem, Kyle Jackson

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

The Western United States can best be described as a vast, varying land, with the high plains to the east and the jagged horizons of Rockies to the west. However there is one common trait shared by these states: the lack of water resources. With the continued development of this land, the fact that water is scarce is becoming more real. This issue became more difficult to handle as the public became more aware that many competing uses existed for the finite resource, and those different uses were degrading the natural environments of the surface waters. With this realization instream …

Mitigation Under Section 404 Of The Clean Water Act: Where It Comes From, What It Means, Palmer Hough, Morgan Robertson

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

The requirement to mitigate impacts to wetlands and streams is a frequently misunderstood policy with a long and complicated history. We narrate the history of mitigation since the inception of the Clean Water Act Section 404 permit program in 1972, through struggles between the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Army Corps of Engineers, through the emerging importance of wetland conservation on the American political landscape, and through the rise of market-based approaches to environmental policy. Mitigation, as it is understood today, was not initially foreseen as a component of the Section 404 permitting program, but was adapted from …

Comparison Of The Fuel Needed To Transport Plastic Recyclables Verses Aluminum Recyclables From Yellowstone National Park, Melissa Dejonge

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

Research has provided no definitive answers on whether PET plastic bottles or aluminum cans are a more environmentally sustainable choice as soda containers. This paper researches the fuel used in recycling each of these materials from Yellowstone National Park to processing locations. The data is used to determine which of these alternatives use less fuel in this process. It was found that plastics use more fuel when transported from Yellowstone National Park to the processing center. Aluminum uses less fuel per ton to transport from Yellowstone to the processing center. The conclusions from this research may have implications on which …

New Book Chapter Reviewing Mojave Desert Revegetation Practices Is Forthcoming, Scott R. Abella

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

I was invited to write a chapter for a forthcoming book on Arid Environments to be published by Nova Science Publishers. This book is anticipated to appear in late 2008 or early 2009, and we will be able to provide additional details about the entire book at that time. I co-authored our chapter on revegetation with Alice Newton, Vegetation Manager at Lake Mead National Recreation Area. We systematically reviewed 23 published studies of planting or seeding native species in the Mojave Desert.

From Debate To Design: Issues In Clean Energy And Climate Change Law And Policy, Leslie Parker, Jennifer Ronk, Rachel Maxwell, Bradford Gentry, Marijn Wilder, James Cameron

Yale School of the Environment Publications Series

A report on the work of the REIL Network 2007-2008

Fire History And Forest Structural Change In The Spring Mountains, Scott R. Abella

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

Since early 2006 we have been working to develop a partnership with the Spring Mountains District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest to provide science support for understanding fire history and forest structural changes in support of ecologically based management strategies. We teamed up with the Ecological Restoration Institute (ERI) at Northern Arizona University and the University of Arizona Tree Ring Lab to deliver a workshop on March 6, 2008 at the interagency office in Las Vegas, Nevada. On September 16-18, we again teamed up with colleagues at ERI to conduct a preliminary field assessment of forest change at 10 sites …

Opportunities For New Collaborative Projects, Scott R. Abella, Jill E. Craig

Public Policy and Leadership Faculty Research

The Research Group is currently working in successful partnerships with Lake Mead National Recreation Area, BLM Las Vegas, Desert National Wildlife Refuge (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), Joshua Tree National Park, and in collaboration with the Ecological Restoration Institute, the U.S. Forest Service (Region 3).

Incorporating Results Of Avian Toxicity Tests Into A Model Of Annual Reproductive Success, Richard S. Bennett*, Matthew A. Etterson

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Modeling the effects of pesticide exposure on avian populations requires knowledge of how the pesticide changes survival and fecundity rates for the population. Although avian reproduction tests are the primary source of information on reproductive effects in the pesticide risk assessment process, current tests cannot provide a direct estimate of the effects of a pesticide on fecundity rates. We present a mathematical model that integrates information on specific types of effects from reproduction tests with information on avian life history parameters, the timing of pesticide applications, and the temporal pattern of pesticide exposure levels to estimate pesticide effects on annual …

Unlv Magazine, Gian Galassi, Vicki Smith, Erin O'Donnell, Lisa Shawcroft, Angela Sablan, Maria Phelan, Beth English, Eric Leake

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

Fundulus As The Premier Teleost Model In Environmental Biology: Opportunities For New Insights Using Genomics, Karen G. Burnett, Lisa J. Bain, William S. Baldwin, Gloria V. Callard, Sarah Cohen, Richard T. Di Giulio, David H. Evans, Marta Gómez-Chiarri, Mark E. Hahn, Cindi A. Hoover, Sibel I. Karchner, Fumi Katoh, Deborah L. Maclatchy, William S. Marshall, Joel N. Meyer, Diane E. Nacci, Marjorie F. Oleksiak, Bernard B. Rees, Thomas D. Singer, John J. Stegeman, David W. Towle, Peter A. Van Veld, Wolfgang K. Vogelbein, Andrew Whitehead, Richard N. Winn, Douglas L. Crawford

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

A strong foundation of basic and applied research documents that the estuarine fish Fundulus heteroclitus and related species are unique laboratory and field models for understanding how individuals and populations interact with their environment. In this paper we summarize an extensive body of work examining the adaptive responses of Fundulus species to environmental conditions, and describe how this research has contributed importantly to our understanding of physiology, gene regulation, toxicology, and ecological and evolutionary genetics of teleosts and other vertebrates. These explorations have reached a critical juncture at which advancement is hindered by the lack of genomic resources for these …

Inside Unlv, Diane Russell, Shane Bevell, Carol C. Harter, Cate Weeks, Mamie Peers, Regina Vaccari

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Unlv Magazine, Carol C. Harter, Joe Cockrell, Tony Allen, Regina Bacolas, Lori Bachand, Jennifer Lawson, Bret C. Birdsong, Steve Parker, Erin O'Donnell, Jennifer Robison

UNLV Magazine

No abstract provided.

Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant Nebraska, Bryant Burnett, Karla Asberry

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

The 19-square mile Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant is a former U.S. Army Armament, Munitions, and Chemical Command facility. On standby status since 1973, the operation leases land for agriculture, grazing, and wildlife management activities. The plant was built in 1942 to produce munitions and provide support functions during World War II. It has been in and out of production over the years. The plant consists of five main components: five major production areas where munitions were loaded, assembled, and packed; a fertilizer manufacturer; two major storage facilities; a sanitary landfill; and a burning ground where materials contaminated with explosives were …

Water Quality Trading: What Can We Learn From 10 Years Of Wetland Mitigation Banking?, Eric Raffini, Morgan Robertson

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

In 2003 the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued its Water Quality Trading Policy. Water quality trading allows facilities facing high pollution-control costs to meet their regulatory requirements by purchasing environmentally equivalent or superior pollution reductions from another source, often at a lower cost. The policy, which hopes to achieve "water quality and environmental benefits greater than would otherwise be achieved under more traditional regulatory approaches," established the ground rules for trading and encourages states, interstate agencies, and tribes to develop and implement water quality trading programs for nutrients, sediments, and other pollutants. The policy generated controversy among some stakeholder groups; …

Is Degradation A Major Problem In Semi-Desert Environments Of The Gobi Region In Southern Mongolia?, Karsten Wesche, Vroni Retzer

Erforschung biologischer Ressourcen der Mongolei / Exploration into the Biological Resources of Mongolia, ISSN 0440-1298

This paper tests predictions derived from the non-equilibrium theory of rangeland science. Data were collected in livestock enclosures situated in the relatively moist desert steppes of the Gobi Gurvan Saykhan region of southern Mongolia from 2000 to 2003. Plant community composition and species’ richness in enclosures showed clear differences between years, but these were equally strong in ungrazed controls. Thus, changes were mainly attributed to differences in precipitation between years as opposed to grazing, as no significant effects thereof were detected. This was also confirmed by data on above-ground standing biomass. This changed tremendously over the years, with differences between …

National Water Quality Inventory: Report To Congress 2004 Reporting Cycle

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Table of Contents

Section Page

List of Figures.............................................................................................................................iv List of Tables...............................................................................................................................iv List of Acronyms..........................................................................................................................v Executive Summary..........................................................................................................................1

I. Background...................................................................................................................5

About the Water Quality Assessment and TMDL Information Database (ATTAINS)..........................................................................................................................5

Assessing Water Quality................................................................................................................................7

II. Findings.......................................................................................................................13 Rivers and Streams...........................................................................................................................13 Lakes, Ponds, and Reservoirs.......................................................................................................................16

Bays and Estuaries.........................................................................................................................20 Other Waters..............................................................................................................................23 Coastal Resources.......................................................................................................................23

Great Lakes.....................................................................................................................24 Wetlands..........................................................................................................................24

III. Probability Surveys of Water Quality.......................................................................26

National Coastal Assessment....................................................................................26

The Wadeable Streams Assessment.......................................................................27

Survey of the Nation’s Lakes.......................................................................................29

National Rivers and Streams Assessment.............................................................30

National Wetland Condition Assessment...............................................................30

State-Scale Statistical Surveys..................................................................................31

South Carolina..............................................................................................................32 Indiana............................................................................................................................33 Florida.............................................................................................................................34 IV. Future Reporting......................................................................................................36

V. References………………………………………………………………………….37

Inside Unlv, Diane Russell, Betty Blodgett, Richard Jensen, Cate Weeks

Inside UNLV

No abstract provided.

Climate Change And Nebraska

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

The earth's climate is predicted to change because human activities are altering the chemical composition of the atmosphere through the buildup of greenhouse gases - primarily carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and chlorofluorocarbons. The heat-trapping property of these greenhouse gases is undisputed. Although there is uncertainty about exactly how and when the earth's climate will respond to enhanced concentrations of greenhouse gases, observations indicate that detectable changes are under way. There most likely will be increases in temperature and changes in precipitation, soil moisture, and sea level, which could have adverse effects on many ecological systems, as well as on …

Ecological Water Treatment System For Removal Of Phosphorus And Nitrogen From Polluted Water, Ray W. Drenner, Donald J. Day, Stacy J. Basham, J. Durward Smith, Susan I. Jensen

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

We propose that phosphorus and nitrogen can be removed from polluted water using an ecological water treatment system consisting of periphyton and fish. In the proposed system, polluted water flows through a series of vessels, and the nutrients are taken up by periphyton growing on porous screens. Algal-grazing fish feed on the periphyton and either assimilate or egest the nutrients in mucus-bound feces that settle from the water into a sediment trap. Both the fish and their feces can be harvested as nutrient sinks. In this study we examined the effects of an algal-grazing cichlid (Tilapia mossambica) and …

Environmental Changes In A Polluted Stream During Winter, Arden R. Gaufin, Clarence M. Tarzwell

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Year round studies of environmental conditions in Lytle Creek, a stream polluted with organic wastes, were initiated late in 1949, by the Biology Section of the Public Health Service's Environmental Health Center.2 Lytle Creek is a tributary of the Little Miami River which enters the Ohio River at Cincinnati. It is about 11 miles long, and has an average width and depth of 15 feet and 1 foot respectively, during normal summer flows. Widths range from 3 to 35 feet and depths from a few inches to a maximum of 6 feet. Surface runoff comprises the major portion of the …

Maine Waste Management : 20 Years Of Progress, Mark Sullivan

Maine Collection

Maine Waste Management : 20 Years of Progress

by Mark Sullivan

A publication of the Maine State Planning Office, August 1995.

Contents: An Achievement All Mainers Share / History / Accomplishments / Waste Reduction / Reuse / Recycling / Composting / Incineration & Waste-To-Energy / Land Disposal / Future Direction

Epa's Map Of Radon Zones Nebraska, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's, U.S. Geological Survey

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Sections 301 and 309 of the 1988 Indoor Radon Abatement Act (IRAA) direct EPA to identify areas of the United States that have the potential to produce elevated levels of radon. EPA, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the Association of. American State Geologists (AASG) have worked closely over the past several years to produce a series of maps and documents which address these directives. The EPA Map of Radon Zones is a compilation of that work and fulfills the requirements of sections 307 and 309 of IRAA. The Map of Radon" Zones identifies, on a county-by-county basis, areas' of …

Epa's Map Of Radon Zones, Nebraska, Sharon W. White, Lisa Ratcliff, Kirk Maconaughey, R. Thomas Peake, Dave Rowson, Steve Page, Linda C. S. Gundersen, R. Randall Schumann, James K. Otton, Doug Owen, Russell Dubiel, Kendell Dickinson, Sandra L. Szarzi

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Sections 307 and 309 of the 1988 Indoor Radon Abatement Act (IRAA) direct EPA to identify areas of the United States that have the potential to produce elevated levels of radon. EPA, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the Association of, American State Geologists (AASG) have worked closely over the past several years to produce a series of maps and documents which address these directives. The EPA Map of Radon Zones is a compilation of that work and fulfills the requirements of sections 307 and 309 of IRAA. The Map of Radon Zones identifies, on a county-by-county basis, areas of …

Threatened And Endanger Species Of Wetiands And Waterways In Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, And Nebraska, Ann Burruss

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Wetlands and waterways, including perennial and intermittent streams, creeks, and rivers, are habitats for many rare animal and plant species. Wetlands in many areas continue to decline in acreage and suffer adverse impacts from conversion and development. Waterways are also under pressure from channelization and leveeing.

This study has two major components. First, a series of databases was developed that includes animals and plant species that are wetland or waterway dependent and found in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, or Nebraska. The databases allow ready access to detailed information on each species and probable locations within each state. The plant and animal …

Alternative Usages Of Wetlands Other Than Conventional Farming In Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, And Nebraska, Ellen Leventhal, Hubert H. Humphrey

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Conversion of wetlands in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska into agricultural dry lands in the past several decades has occurred as a means to obtain profit from what landowners would otherwise consider unprofitable land. This activity has resulted in substantial losses of wetlands valued for their unique ability to mitigate flood and storm damage, control erosion, discharge and recharge groundwater, improve water quality, and support a wide diversity of fish, wildlife, and vegetation.

Utilizing fish, wildlife, and vegetation from wetlands for profit is a way for wetland owners to recognize the value their wetlands add to their property. Landowners then …

Loss Of Biological Diversity: A Global Crisis Requiring International Solutions: A Report To The National Science Board, Craig Call Black, Perry L. Adkisson, Gardner Mallard Brown, Rita Rossi Colwell, Charles E. Hess, James B. Holderman, K. June Lindstedt-Siva, William A. Nierenberg, Peter Hamilton Raven, Theodore M. Smith, Edward O. Wilson, W. Franklin Harris

Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology: Library Materials

Executive Summary

Biological diversity refers to the variety and variability among living organisms and the ecological complexes in which they occur. Diversity can be defined as the number of different items and their relative frequency. For biological diversity, these items are organized at many levels, ranging from complete ecosystems to the chemical structures that are the molecular basis of heredity. Thus, the term encompasses different ecosystems, species, genes, and their relative abundance (OTA, 1987).

There is an ongoing, unprecedented loss of the variety as well as absolute numbers of organisms-from the smallest microorganism to the largest and most spectacular of …

State Water Quality Standards Summary: Nebraska, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

This publication was prepared by Battelle under contract to the U,S. Environmental Protection Agency (Contract 68-03-3534). Secondary information sources were used to compile data presented in this document. Each State was given an opportunity to review and provide comments on a draft of this information document. In no event shall either the United States or Battelle have any responsibility or liability for any use, misuse, or reliance upon the information contained herein, nor does either warrant or otherwise represent in any way .the accuracy, adequacy, efficacy, or applicability of the contents hereof.

The reader should consult the water quality standards …

Epa Profile Of Environmental Quality Nebraska, Kathleen Q. Camin

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri, which make up EPA Region VII, are among the leading corn and wheat producing States in the Nation_ These States also produce a significant share of the soybean, grain sorghum, fat cattle, and finished hogs that are supplied to American and foreign markets.

Although the States in Region VII can best be characterized as rural, 65 percent of their nearly 12 million people live in urban areas. In Nebraska, metropolitan areas such as Omaha 4 have environmental problems resulting from major industrial operations, municipal services, transportation, and energy production. Metropolitan areas, however, do not have …

Distribution Of Phytoplankton In Nebraska Lakes, F. A. Morris, M. K. Morris, W. D. Taylor, L. R. Williams, S. C. Hern, V. W. Lambou

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

Protection of the environment requires effective regulatory actions which are based on ssound technical and scientific information. This information must include the quantitative description and linking of pollutant sources, transport mechanisms, interactions, and resulting effects on man and his environment. Because of the complexities involved, assessment of specific pollutants in the environment requires a total systems approach which transcends the media of air, water, and land. The Environmental Monitoring and Support Laboratory-Las Vegas contributes to the formation and enhancement of a sound monitoring data base for exposure assessment through programs designed to:

• develop and optimize systems and strategies for monitoring …

Distribution Of Phytoplankton In Nebraska Lakes, F. A. Morris, M. M. Morris, W. D. Taylor, L. R. Williams, S. C. Hern, V. W. Lambou

United States Environmental Protection Agency: Publications

The National Eutrophication Survey was initiated in 1972 in response to an Administration commitment to investigate the nationwide threat of accelerated eutrophication to freshwater lakes and reservoirs. The Survey was designed to develop, in conjunction with State environmental agencies, information on nutrient sources, concentrations, and impact on selected freshwater lakes as a basis for formulating comprehensive and coordinated national, regional, and State management practices relating to point source discharge reduction and nonpoint source pollution abatement in lake watershed.

The Survey collected physical, chemical, and biological data from 815 lakes and reservoirs throughout the contiguous United States. To date, the Survey …