Participatory Process and Sustainability Assessment Tools

1
Participatory Process and Sustainability
Assessment Tools in Suburban Stormwater
Management
B. Kirk1, A. Voinov2, H. Voinov1,2, T. White1, A.
Hackman1, B. Bowden1, A. McIntosh1, J. Todd1,2 1.
Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural
Resources, The University of Vermont 2. Gund
Institute for Ecological Economics, The
University of Vermont
Introduction
Stormwater LCA Applications
Methods
An Emerging Issue For nearly half a century
science has studied how suburban development is
transforming the undeveloped and rural landscape,
drastically altering hydrology and impairing our
lakes, rivers, and streams. Now, as stormwater
regulations tighten in response, scientists,
designers, citizens and regulators are faced with
the challenge of reducing the impact of existing
suburban neighborhoods effectively,
appropriately, and sustainably. The Redesigning
the American Neighborhood (RAN) Project The RAN
project was established to develop tools that
will allow stakeholders, regulators, and
researchers to visualize alternative future
environmental states that they imagine
collectively and then to optimize the mix of
interventions at various scales that will best
balance environmental and social, as well as
economic, criteria. RAN researchers are
currently focused on two existing suburban
communities in Chittenden County, Vermont
bisected by a tributary of the Potash Brook, a
303(d) designated stormwater impaired stream.
LCA Hypothesis Increasingly, stormwater
management is charged with treating stormwater to
a very high level of quality and a considerable
portion of this effort is to remove metals and
nutrients deposited from the atmosphere. Given
that the energy required to construct, operate,
and/or maintain these systems is likely to
contribute airborne pollutants, a life cycle
evaluation of stormwater management options may
provide valuable information in helping citizens
make stormwater decisions in the context of
sustainability.
A framework for participation was developed which
is currently being implemented at the BF/OCV
communities, employing tools not commonly used in
suburban stormwater management. From this
initial application, a streamlined model for
suburban participation is expected to emerge.
Participatory Framework
Process Tools
Objective 1
NOx Emissions
Shared Learning
Eutrophication Potential (and Acidification,
Global Climate Change, and Photo oxidation
potentials)
Participatory Mapping
Atmospheric N Deposition
Participatory Modeling
Participatory Design
Design Charettes
Participatory Evaluation
Objective 2
Life Cycle Analyses
Stormwater BMP
Community Decision Making
Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis
Neighborhood Catchment Area
LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT
N Runoff
Construction Energy
Trib 7 of Potash Brook
N Removal
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a method of
accounting the environmental impacts of a
product, service, or process over the course of
its life cycle, including processes related to
material extraction manufacturing transport
and operation, maintenance, reuse, and disposal.

• Stormwater Management Life Cycle Comparisons
• Comparison of BMPs traditional detention to
  bio-retention
• Comparison of BMP scales household, street,
  neighborhood, watershed
• Comparison of BMP management household,
  neighborhood association, municipal utility

LCA Process
Goal and Scope Definition
Oak Creek Village
Butler Farms
Ongoing Discussion
RAN Hypothesis The most appropriate stormwater
solutions for existing neighborhoods will emerge
from active participation in the development of a
community stormwater management plan.
Life Cycle Inventory
Life Cycle Impact Assessment

• In a recent report the National Decentralized
  Water Resources Capacity Development Project
  concluded that LCA adds important information to
  the discussion when considering the
  sustainability of water treatment strategies, but
  how exactly is lifecycle information used in the
  community?
• Can the use of LCA in a participatory process
  encourage systems thinking and appreciation for
  long term and global sustainability outside of
  stormwater management?
• Beyond community level decision-making, what role
  could LCA play in the development of state and
  regional stormwater management regulation and
  policy?

Interpretation
Objectives

• General Impact Categories
• Energy use
• Material use
• Land use
• Releases to air
• Releases to water
• Releases to soil
• Waste (e.g. landfill)

• To identify and apply methods to engage suburban
  citizens in understanding their impacts,
  envisioning alternate futures, and choosing
  appropriate stormwater solutions.
• To identify and apply methods which compare the
  non-monetary costs and benefits to better
  understand the broader implications of choosing
  among best management practices (BMPs) and
  responsible management entities (RMEs).

Figure courtesy of www.ecodesignguide.dk
Barton Kirk M.S. Natural Resources
Program University of Vermont Burlington, VT
05405 [phone] bekirk_at_uvm.edu
Redesigning the American Neighborhood Project
THE RUBENSTEIN SCHOOL of Environment and Natural
Resources