TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Engineering AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Environmental Engineering for the 21st Century: Addressing Grand Challenges SN - DO - 10.17226/25121 PY - 2019 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25121/environmental-engineering-for-the-21st-century-addressing-grand-challenges PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Engineering and Technology KW - Earth Sciences AB - Environmental engineers support the well-being of people and the planet in areas where the two intersect. Over the decades the field has improved countless lives through innovative systems for delivering water, treating waste, and preventing and remediating pollution in air, water, and soil. These achievements are a testament to the multidisciplinary, pragmatic, systems-oriented approach that characterizes environmental engineering. Environmental Engineering for the 21st Century: Addressing Grand Challenges outlines the crucial role for environmental engineers in this period of dramatic growth and change. The report identifies five pressing challenges of the 21st century that environmental engineers are uniquely poised to help advance: sustainably supply food, water, and energy; curb climate change and adapt to its impacts; design a future without pollution and waste; create efficient, healthy, resilient cities; and foster informed decisions and actions. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine A2 - Anne Frances Johnson A2 - Ellen Mantus TI - Closing the Loop on the Plastics Dilemma: Proceedings of a Workshop–in Brief DO - 10.17226/25647 PY - 2020 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25647/closing-the-loop-on-the-plastics-dilemma-proceedings-of-a PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - Plastics are used in various industries to produce lightweight, corrosion-resistant, durable materials, but many of the characteristics that make them valuable also make them environmentally unfriendly. Although some plastics can be recycled, the vast majority are simply discarded. The rapid proliferation of plastics in the environment has led to an urgent need to reimagine how plastics are created, used, and managed. The workshop Closing the Loop on the Plastics Dilemma, held in Washington, DC, on May 9-10, 2019, provided a venue for discussing opportunities to reduce the adverse environmental effects of plastics. Chemists, chemical engineers, and participants in related fields engaged in a rich discussion of approaches to improve plastics recycling and to promote the connection of product design with the end stages of the plastics life cycle. This brief proceedings summarizes the presentations and discussions that took place during the workshop. ER - TY - BOOK AU - Transportation Research Board AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine A2 - Landrum and Brown, Inc. A2 - Environmental Consulting Group, Inc. A2 - Primera Engineers, Ltd. A2 - Muller and Muller, Ltd. TI - Guidebook for Incorporating Sustainability into Traditional Airport Projects DO - 10.17226/22698 PY - 2012 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/22698/guidebook-for-incorporating-sustainability-into-traditional-airport-projects PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Transportation and Infrastructure AB - TRB’s Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP) Report 80: Guidebook for Incorporating Sustainability into Traditional Airport Projects describes sustainability and its potential benefits, and identifies different applications of sustainable initiatives in traditional airport construction and everyday maintenance projects.The printed version of the report includes a CD-ROM that includes an airport sustainability assessment tool (ASAT) that complements the guidebook and may be used to assist in identifying sustainability initiatives that might be most applicable to an airport project. Through case studies, the tool also allows users to obtain more information about specific strategies and learn about sustainability initiatives that have been implemented in other airports. The case studies are also available for download in PDF format.The CD-ROM is also available for download from TRB’s website in two formats, either as an Excel file or an ISO image.Download the Excel file here.Links to the ISO image and instructions for burning a CD-ROM from an ISO image are provided below.Help on Burning an .ISO CD-ROM ImageDownload the .ISO CD-ROM Image(Warning: This is a large file and may take some time to download using a high-speed connection.)CD-ROM Disclaimer - This software is offered as is, without warranty or promise of support of any kind either expressed or implied. Under no circumstance will the National Academy of Sciences or the Transportation Research Board (collectively "TRB") be liable for any loss or damage caused by the installation or operation of this product. TRB makes no representation or warranty of any kind, expressed or implied, in fact or in law, including without limitation, the warranty of merchantability or the warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, and shall not in any case be liable for any consequential or special damages. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - The Use of Title 42 Authority at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: A Letter Report DO - 10.17226/12901 PY - 2010 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12901/the-use-of-title-42-authority-at-the-us-environmental-protection-agency PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - At the request of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the present letter report evaluates the effectiveness of EPA's Title 42 program. Title 42 authority was granted to EPA for 5 years, from 2006 to 2011. As that period draws to a close, it was thought that a review of the current program would be appropriate. This letter report first provides some background information on the origin of EPA's Title 42 program and then more detailed information on the committee's task and its approach to the task, comments on implementation of the Title 42 program, and suggestions for strengthening the program. The report concludes with the committee's overall findings and recommendations. Although the Title 42 program at EPA is still evolving, the committee found that the agency has implemented the program appropriately. Most important, the Title 42 appointees have already had a favorable effect on EPA's scientific research even after such a short time since implementation of the program. A leading example is the development of the National Center for Computational Toxicology. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - River Basins and Coastal Systems Planning Within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers SN - DO - 10.17226/10970 PY - 2004 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10970/river-basins-and-coastal-systems-planning-within-the-us-army-corps-of-engineers PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) has played a large and important role in shaping water resources systems in the United States since Congress first tasked it in 1824 to improve navigation on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. Since then, rivers have been modified for navigation and flood control, harbors have been dredged for shipping, and coastlines are routinely fortified against erosion and beach loss. Recent decades have seen an overall decline in budgets for civil works project construction, yet the range of objectives for water resources projects has broadened as society places more value on environmental and recreational benefits. Thus, the Corps' portfolio of water resources projects has changed considerably. There is a reduced emphasis on traditional construction projects and an increased focus on maintenance and reoperation of existing projects such as locks, dams, and levees and on environmental restoration projects. An integrated approach to water resources planning at the scale of river basins and coastal systems is widely endorsed by the academic and engineering communities. The Corps' mission, expertise, and experience give it immense potential to alter the structure and functioning of the nation's waterways and coasts. As might be expected in a large and complex organization answering to a range of public and private demands, implementation of these new policies and objectives is neither consistent nor complete. River Basins and Coastal Systems Planning within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recommends improvements in the Corps' water resource project planning and review process. This report compares economic and environmental benefits and costs over a range of time and space scales, suggests multiple purpose formulation and evaluation methods, and recommends integration of water development plans with other projects in the region. ER - TY - BOOK TI - Environmental Remediation Contracting: Summary of a Symposium DO - 10.17226/20971 PY - 1994 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/20971/environmental-remediation-contracting-summary-of-a-symposium PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - KW - Environment and Environmental Studies ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Environmental Management Systems and ISO 14001: Federal Facilities Council Report No. 138 SN - DO - 10.17226/6481 PY - 1999 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/6481/environmental-management-systems-and-iso-14001-federal-facilities-council-report PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - In 1996, the Federal Facilities Council (FFC), which operates under the aegis of the National Research Council, established a standing committee on Environmental Engineering with the express purpose of providing a forum where federal environmental engineers and program managers could meet on a regular basis to exchange information about facilities-related environmental programs, policies, and issues. The committee members, like environmental program managers in other types of organizations, are increasingly concerned about achieving and demonstrating sound environmental performance by meeting the requirements of environmental regulations and limiting the impacts of their products or services on the environment. To foster communication and address concerns about EMSs, the FFC Standing Committee on Environmental Engineering hosted a one-day workshop on Environmental Management Systems and ISO 14001. The workshop was held April 9, 1998, at the National Academy of Sciences in Washington, D.C. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Engineering A2 - Peter Schulze TI - Engineering Within Ecological Constraints SN - DO - 10.17226/4919 PY - 1996 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/4919/engineering-within-ecological-constraints PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies KW - Earth Sciences AB - Engineering within Ecological Constraints presents a rare dialogue between engineers and environmental scientists as they consider the many technical as well as social and legal challenges of ecologically sensitive engineering. The volume looks at the concepts of scale, resilience, and chaos as they apply to the points where the ecological life support system of nature interacts with the technological life support system created by humankind. Among the questions addressed are: What are the implications of differences between ecological and engineering concepts of efficiency and stability? How can engineering solutions to immediate problems be made compatible with long-term ecological concerns? How can we transfer ecological principles to economic systems? The book also includes important case studies on such topics as water management in southern Florida and California and oil exploration in rain forests. From its conceptual discussions to the practical experience reflected in case studies, this volume will be important to policymakers, practitioners, researchers, educators, and students in the fields of engineering, environmental science, and environmental policy. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - CLEANER and NSF's Environmental Observatories SN - DO - 10.17226/11657 PY - 2006 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11657/cleaner-and-nsfs-environmental-observatories PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences ER - TY - BOOK TI - Restoring and Protecting Marine Habitat: The Role of Engineering and Technology SN - DO - 10.17226/2213 PY - 1994 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/2213/restoring-and-protecting-marine-habitat-the-role-of-engineering-and PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - Tremendous changes have occurred this century in the nation's coastal habitats, in the way society views them, and in the way they are managed. This volume offers a complete, highly readable assessment of how scientific knowledge and coastal engineering capabilities can be more effectively used to protect and restore marine habitat. It addresses traditional and innovative uses of technology to protect remaining natural marine habitats, to enhance or restore those that have been altered, and to create marine habitat from lands used for other purposes. The use of dredged materials as a vital resource in protection and restoration work is explored. The book also explores organizational, management, and regulatory barriers to using the best available technology and engineering practice. Specific options for improvements are offered in each area. ER - TY - BOOK TI - Engineers at Work DO - 10.17226/21030 PY - 1968 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/21030/engineers-at-work PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - KW - Industry and Labor ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Improving Water Quality in the Mississippi River Basin and Northern Gulf of Mexico: Strategies and Priorities DO - 10.17226/13029 PY - 2012 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13029/improving-water-quality-in-the-mississippi-river-basin-and-northern-gulf-of-mexico PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - Most water resources managers, scientists, and other experts would agree that nonpoint source pollution is a more pressing and challenging national water quality problem today than point source pollution. Nonpoint sources of pollutants include parking lots, farm fields, forests, or any source not from a discrete conveyance such as a pipe or canal. Of particular concern across the Mississippi River basin (MRB) are high levels of nutrient loadings--nitrogen and phosphorus--from both nonpoint and point sources that ultimately are discharged into the northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOM). Nutrients emanate from both point and nonpoint sources across the river basin, but the large majority of nutrient yields across the MRB are nonpoint in nature and are associated with agricultural activities, especially applications of nitrogen-based fertilizers and runoff from concentrated animal feeding operations. Improving Water Quality in the Mississippi River Basin and Northern Gulf of Mexico offers strategic advice and priorities for addressing MRB and NGOM water quality management and improvements. Although there is considerable uncertainty as to whether national water quality goals can be fully realized without some fundamental changes to the CWA, there is general agreement that significant progress can be made under existing statutory authority and budgetary processes. This book includes four sections identifying priority areas and offering recommendations to EPA and others regarding priority actions for Clean Water Act implementation across the Mississippi River basin. These sections are: USDA's Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative; Numeric Water Quality Criteria for the northern Gulf of Mexico; A Basinwide Strategy for Nutrient Management and Water Quality; and, Stronger Leadership and Collaboration. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Engineering in Society SN - DO - 10.17226/586 PY - 1985 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/586/engineering-in-society PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Engineering and Technology ER - TY - BOOK AU - Transportation Research Board AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Integrated Delivery of SHRP 2 Renewal Research Projects DO - 10.17226/22249 PY - 2014 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/22249/integrated-delivery-of-shrp-2-renewal-research-projects PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Transportation and Infrastructure AB - TRB’s second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) Renewal Project R31 has released a prepublication, non-edited version of a report titled Integrated Delivery of SHRP 2 Renewal Research Projects. This report documented the research performed under SHRP 2 Project R31, which originally had a goal to develop a tool to promote and support systematic and integrated application of the products developed in the Renewal research program. The development of the tool was not pursued, but this report details a tool development plan and visualized model of the tool for developing the tool in the future. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academy of Engineering A2 - Steve Olson TI - Engineering Responses to Climate Change: Proceedings of a Forum SN - DO - 10.17226/26458 PY - 2022 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26458/engineering-responses-to-climate-change-proceedings-of-a-forum PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Engineering and Technology KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - At the forum held during the 2021 annual meeting of the National Academy of Engineering, distinguished engineers gathered virtually to explore the roles that engineers can play in both mitigating and helping society adapt to climate change. Through a series of brief presentations and responses to questions from the moderator and the forum audience, the speakers discussed many of the issues at the forefront of climate-related engineering practice and policy today. This publication highlights the presentation and discussion of the event. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine TI - Review of the Inland Estimated Recovery System Potential (ERSP) Prototype Calculator SN - DO - 10.17226/26649 PY - 2022 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26649/review-of-the-inland-estimated-recovery-system-potential-ersp-prototype-calculator PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - In the wake of major oil spills, including the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989 and Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010, the United States developed tools for calculating the clean-up capability of oil spill response equipment. These tools, while useful for open-water spills, had limited applicability in nearshore and inland environments, leading the U.S. Coast Guard and partners to develop a new, inland Estimated Recovery System Potential (ERSP) calculator for oil recovery. The present review evaluates the inland ERSP calculator and accompanying documentation. While acknowledging the complexities associated with developing such a calculator for inland environments, the report recommends changes to the methodologies used and the software developed to better meet user needs. The calculator should be modified to more clearly establish the scope of its capabilities, so users understand the limitations on data they can input as well as what the calculator outputs tell them about the recovery potential of selected clean-up equipment. The calculator should also undergo thorough third-party validation and verification as well as quality assurance testing, to ensure it operates as intended. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Innovations in Ground Water and Soil Cleanup: From Concept to Commercialization SN - DO - 10.17226/5781 PY - 1997 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/5781/innovations-in-ground-water-and-soil-cleanup-from-concept-to PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - Most books on ground water and soil cleanup address only the technologies themselves—not why new technologies are or are not developed. Innovations in Ground Water and Soil Cleanup takes a holistic approach to the entire field, addressing both the sluggish commercial development of ground water and soil cleanup technologies and the attributes of specific technologies. It warns that, despite cleanup expenditures of nearly $10 billion a year, the technologies remain rudimentary. This engaging book focuses on the failure of regulatory policy to link cleanup with the financial interests of the company responsible for the contamination. The committee explores why the market for remediation technology is uniquely lacking in economic drivers and why demand for innovation has been so much weaker than predicted. The volume explores how to evaluate the performance of cleanup technologies from the points of view of the public, regulators, cleanup entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders. The committee discusses approaches to standardizing performance testing, so that choosing a technology for a given site can be more timely and less contentious. Following up on Alternatives for Ground Water Cleanup (NRC, 1994), this sequel presents the state of the art in the cleanup of various types of ground water and soil contaminants. Strategies for making valid cost comparisons also are reviewed. ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - Groundwater and Soil Cleanup: Improving Management of Persistent Contaminants SN - DO - 10.17226/9615 PY - 1999 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9615/groundwater-and-soil-cleanup-improving-management-of-persistent-contaminants PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Environment and Environmental Studies AB - This book presents a comprehensive, up-to-date review of technologies for cleaning up contaminants in groundwater and soil. It provides a special focus on three classes of contaminants that have proven very difficult to treat once released to the subsurface: metals, radionuclides, and dense nonaqueous-phase liquids such as chlorinated solvents. Groundwater and Soil Cleanup was commissioned by the Department of Energy (DOE) as part of its program to clean up contamination in the nuclear weapons production complex. In addition to a review of remediation technologies, the book describes new trends in regulation of contaminated sites and assesses DOE's program for developing new subsurface cleanup technologies. ER - TY - BOOK TI - Survey on the Use of Standard Forms 254 and 255 for Architect-Engineer Qualifications DO - 10.17226/9145 PY - 1996 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/9145/survey-on-the-use-of-standard-forms-254-and-255-for-architect-engineer-qualifications PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English ER - TY - BOOK AU - National Research Council TI - National Water Resources Challenges Facing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers SN - DO - 10.17226/13136 PY - 2011 UR - https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/13136/national-water-resources-challenges-facing-the-us-army-corps-of-engineers PB - The National Academies Press CY - Washington, DC LA - English KW - Earth Sciences AB - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) is responsible for construction, operations, and maintenance of much of the nation's water resources infrastructure. This infrastructure includes flood control levees, multi-purpose dams, locks, navigation channels, port and harbor facilities, and beach protection infrastructure. The Corps of Engineers also regulates the dredging and filling of wetlands subject to federal jurisdictions. Along with its programs for flood damage reduction and support of commercial navigation, ecosystem restoration was added as a primary Corps mission area in 1996. The National Research Council (NRC) Committee on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Water Resources Science, Engineering, and Planning was convened by the NRC at the request of the Corps of Engineers to provide independent advice to the Corps on an array of strategic and planning issues. National Water Resources Challenges Facing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers surveys the key water resources challenges facing the Corps, the limits of what might be expected today from the Corps, and future prospects for the agency. This report presents several findings, but no recommendations, to the Corps of Engineers based on initial investigations and discussions with Corps leadership. National Water Resources Challenges Facing the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers can serve as a foundational resource for the Corps of Engineers, U.S. Congress, federal agencies, and Corps project co-sponsors, among others. ER -