Compensating for Wetland Losses Under the Clean Water Act
Compensating for Wetland Losses Under the Clean Water Act

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2001-11-06

Total Pages: 348

ISBN-13: 0309133025

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Recognizing the importance of wetland protection, the Bush administration in 1988 endorsed the goal of "no net loss" of wetlands. Specifically, it directed that filling of wetlands should be avoided, and minimized when it cannot be avoided. When filling is permitted, compensatory mitigation must be undertaken; that is, wetlands must be restored, created, enhanced, and, in exceptional cases, preserved, to replace the permitted loss of wetland area and function, such as water quality improvement within the watershed. After more than a dozen years, the national commitment to "no net loss" of wetlands has been evaluated. This new book explores the adequacy of science and technology for replacing wetland function and the effectiveness of the federal program of compensatory mitigation in accomplishing the nation's goal of clean water. It examines the regulatory framework for permitting wetland filling and requiring mitigation, compares the mitigation institutions that are in use, and addresses the problems that agencies face in ensuring sustainability of mitigated wetlands over the long term. Gleaning lessons from the mixed results of mitigation efforts to date, the book offers 10 practical guidelines for establishing and monitoring mitigated wetlands. It also recommends that federal, state, and local agencies undertake specific institutional reforms. This book will be important to anyone seeking a comprehensive understanding of the "no net loss" issue: policy makers, regulators, environmental scientists, educators, and wetland advocates.

Municipal Wastewater Treatment
Municipal Wastewater Treatment

Author: Andrew Stoddard

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2003-03-20

Total Pages: 672

ISBN-13: 0471463523

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A thorough analysis of public policy and the Clean Water Act'seffect on water quality in the U.S. Using water quality data and historical records from the past 60years, this book presents the measured impact of the 1972 CleanWater Act on domestic waterways-ecologically, politically, andeconomically. Municipal Wastewater Treatment supports thehypothesis that the Act's regulation of wastewater treatmentprocesses at publicly owned treatment works (POTW) and industrialfacilities has achieved significant success. The authors' case ispresented in: * Background information on the history of water pollution controland water quality management * Chapters addressing long-term trends in biochemical oxygen demandloadings from municipal wastewater plants and the "worst-case"dissolved oxygen levels in waterways downstream of point sourcesbefore and after the Clean Water Act * Nine case study assessments of long-term trends of pollutantloading water quality and environmental resources associated withPOTW discharges Using long-term trends in dissolved oxygen as the key indicator ofwater quality improvements, this book provides a detailedretrospective analysis of the effectiveness of the water pollutioncontrol policies and regulations of the 1972 Clean Water Act. Thesuccesses of the Act that have been achieved over the past 30 yearsare placed in the historical context of the "Great SanitaryAwakening" of the 19th century and changes in public policies forwater supply and water pollution control that have evolved duringthe 20th century to protect public health and the intrinsic valueof aquatic resources. Case study sites include the ConnecticutRiver, Hudson-Raritan Estuary, Delaware Estuary, Potomac Estuary,Upper Chattahoochee River, Ohio River, Upper Mississippi River, andWillamette River. Complete with end-of-chapter summaries and conclusions, MunicipalWastewater Treatment: Evaluating Improvements in National WaterQuality is an essential book for engineers, scientists, regulators,and consultants involved in water quality management and wastewatertreatment, as well as students of environmental engineering,environmental science, and public policy.

Long Island Sound
Long Island Sound

Author: James S. Latimer

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-11-22

Total Pages: 576

ISBN-13: 146146126X

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The U.S. Ocean Commission Report identified the need for regional ecosystem assessments to support coastal and ocean management. These assessments must provide greater understanding of physical and biological dynamics than assessments at global and national scales can provide but transcend state and local interests. This need and timeliness is apparent for Long Island Sound, where a multi-state regional restoration program is underway for America’s most urbanized estuary. Synthesis of the Long Island Sound ecosystem is needed to integrate knowledge across disciplines and provide insight into understanding and managing pressing issues, such as non-point sources of pollution, coastal development, global climatic change, and invasive species. Currently, there is a need for a comprehensive volume that summarizes the ecological and environmental dynamics and status of Long Island Sound and its myriad ecosystems. It has been 30 years since a comprehensive summary of Long Island Sound was prepared and 50 years since the pioneering work of Gordon Riley. Major advances in estuarine science are providing new insights into these systems, and yet, the condition of many estuaries is in decline in the face of continuing coastal development. There is an opportunity to lay a foundation for integrative coastal observing systems that truly provide the foundation for improved decision-making. This book will provide a key reference of our scientific understanding for work performed over the past three decades and guide future research and monitoring in a dynamic urbanized estuary.