Title: Personal Observations of Environmental Engineering at the U'S' Environmental Protection Agency on th
1Personal Observations of Environmental
Engineering at the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agencyon the Occasion of Rensselaers 50th
Anniversary Environmental Engineering Colloquium
- K. Jack Kooyoomjian, Ph.D.
- RPI Class of 1974
2EPA IMPLEMENTATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION
- Creating A Law Requires an Act of Congress and
Agreement by the President of the U.S. Events
Issues Create Such Legislation - The Agency Operates in a Fishbowl Its A Very
Public Process - Creating A Regulation Implements the Legislation
- The Whole Process Creates a Need for Technical
Staff/Support - Must Study Understand Issues
- Stakeholder Public Involvement
- Develop Federal Register Notices of Proposed
Final Rules - Prepare Technical Background Docs, Preamble,
Public Docket, etc. - Effluent Guidelines Example
- Superfund RCRA Regulatory Support Examples
-
3ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION
- 1899 Rivers and Harbors Act (Hazards to
Navigation Commerce) - 1947 Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act - 1948 Water Pollution Control Act (PL 80-845)
- 1955 Clean Air Act
- 1965 Shoreline Erosion Protection Act
- 1965 Solid Waste Disposal Act
- 1965 Water Quality Act (PL 89-234)
- 1966 Clean Waters Restoration Act (PL 89-753)
- 1969/70 National Environmental Policy Act
- Signed into Law Jan 1,1970
- EPA is created as well as NOAA
and CEQ - 1970 Pollution Prevention Packaging Act
4ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION
- 1970 Resource Recovery Act
- 1970 Water Quality Improvement Act (PL 91-224)
- 1971 Lead-Based Paint Poisoning Prevention Act
- 1972 Coastal Zone Management Act
- 1972 Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries
Act - 1972 Ocean Dumping Act
- 1972 Water Pollution Control Act (PL 92-500)
- 1973 Endangered Species Act
- 1974 Safe Drinking Water Act
- 1974 Shoreline Erosion Control Demonstration Act
1975 Hazardous Materials Transportation Act
5Environmental Legislation
- 1976 Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
- 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (PL 94-469)
- 1977 Clean Water Act (PL 95-217) Its Amendments
- 1977 Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act
- 1978 Environmental Research, Development, and
Demonstration - Authorization Act (ERDDAA, 42 USC
4365) - 1978 Uranium Mill-Tailings Radiation Control Act
- 1978 Asbestos School Hazard Detection and Control
Act - 1980 Comprehensive Environmental Response,
Compensation, and Liability Act - 1982 Nuclear Waste Policy Act
- 1984 Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act
6ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION
- 1986 Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act
- 1986 Emergency Planning and Community Right to
Know Act - 1987 Water Quality Act (PL 100-4)
- 1988 Indoor Radon Abatement Act
- 1988 Lead Contamination Control Act
- 1988 Medical Waste Tracking Act
- 1988 Ocean Dumping Ban Act
- 1988 Shore Protection Act
- 1990 National Environmental Education Act
- 1990 Oil Pollution Control Act
- 1990 Pollution Prevention Act others, and
- 2002 Homeland Security Act
7PRESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE ORDERS
- Presidential Executive Orders Overlay the Process
see examples - Indian Tribal Governments
below - Marine Protected Areas
- To Protect Migrating Birds
- Regulations That Significantly Affect Energy
Supply, Distribution and Use - Federal Workforce, Transportation
- Greening the Government Transportation
Efficiency - Greening the Government thru Leadership in
Environmental Management - Environmental Review of Trade Agreements
- Developing Promoting Bio-based Bioengineering
- Greening the Government thru Efficiency
Management
8PRESIDENTIAL EXECUTIVE ORDERS
- Greening the Government thru Waste Prevention,
Recycling Federal Acquisition - Coral Reef Protection
- Protection of Children from Environmental Health
Risks Safety Risks (Exec Order 13045 April
1997) - Energy Efficiency Waste Conservation at Federal
Facilities (Exec Order 12902, March 1994) - Federal Actions to Address Environmental Justice
in Minority Populations and Low-Income
Populations (Exec Order 12898, Feb 1994) - Federal Use of Alternative Fueled Cars (Exec
Order 13101, Nov. 1993) - Presidential Executive Orders Can Have Been
Issued Recalled, Depending on Administration
Policy
9CEQ Regs Implementing NEPA
- NEPA of 1969 as amended (Pub. L. 91-190, 42 USC
4321-4347, Jan 1, 1970, as amended by Pub. L.
94-54, July 3, 1975, ) - Environmental Impact Statement
- NEPA Agency Planning
- Commenting
- Pre-Decision Referrals to the Council of Proposed
Federal Actions Determined to be Environmental - Agency Compliance with NEPA
10State/Local Government Role in Environmental
Programs
- States Administrate Many Environmental Statutes
Regulations - State Laws, Administrative Rules, Regulations,
Codes Statutes - Standards Cannot be Less Restrictive than the
Federal Government, but May be More Restrictive - Localities Administer Ordinances, Codes
Statutes, Comprehensive Plan Process - States Localities Deal With All Manner of
Issues e.g., Agriculture, Air Pollution Air
Quality, Acid Deposition, Dams, Ecosystem
Management, Endangered Species, Energy
Conservation, Environmental Conservation,
Environmental Remediation, Environmental
Treaties, Fisheries Conservation Management,
Environmental Health, Hazardous Waste Management,
Land-Use, Municipal Landfills, Natural Resource
Management, Non-Point Sources, Public Health,
RCRA Implementation Compliance, Solid Waste
Management, Smart-Growth, Storm-Water
Management, Suburban Sprawl, Sustainability,
Superfund Site Cleanups, Transportation Issues,
Water, Wildlife Management many others.
11Environmental Protection Agency
- A Decentralized Organization 10 Regions, Labs
Field Offices - Stove Pipe Legislation Still Does Heavily Drive
Programs - Work With the States in Implementation of
Programs (e.g., RCRA Permitting, NPDES Permits,
Wetlands issues, etc.) is Essential - Other Agencies, Dept., Commissions are Involved
e.g., CDC, HDS, DOD (includes U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers), DOE, DOI, NIH, NRC, NIST, USDA, etc. - Need for More Integrated Cross-Media
Problem-Solving and Issue Management, as Risk
Assessment/Risk Management Coordination - Emphasis on Risk Reduction, Harmonization,
Integrated Risk, Benchmarking Sustainability - Since 9/11, More Emphasis on Homeland Security
Issues (Water Supply, Wastewater Treatment
Plants, Information Security, Web Access, etc)
12SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD
- Established by Congress in 1978 by the
Environmental Research, Development, and
Demonstration Authorization Act (ERDDAA, 42 USC
4365) - Emphasis on Providing the Administrator the
U.S. Congress with outside, independent advice on
scientific, engineering , economics social
science issues that impact the technical basis
for EPA positions, regulations, research plans,
etc. - Since Its Inception, the SAB has Published over
600 Reports, Commentaries, Advisories,
Consultations, etc. - Among Many of the SAB Messages is that
Ecosystem Health is as Important as Public
Health, More Attention Needs to be Paid to
Cross-Media Issues, and Integrated Risk
Assessment is Difficult to Achieve, but is to be
Encouraged.
13SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD
- The Board (Currently around 35 members)
- Standing Committees Include DWC, EPEC, EEAC, EEC,
EHC/IHEC, RAC, Separately Chartered CASAC
COUNCIL (totals around 100) - Many Ad Hoc Panels (Includes Approx. 300)
- (e. g. Childrens Health, Regulatory
Environmental Models, Second Generation Model,
etc.) -
- For SAB Reports, Meetings, etc. go to
www.epa.gov/sab
14Fresh Water Institute Beginnings
- 1965- 1975 Time-Frame
- Gull Bay on East Side of Lake George (Town of
Putnam) leased from Mr. Harold Strang (RPI
Trustee VP GE, Retired) - Dr. Richard Folsom, President of RPI
- Dr. Clayton Dohrenwend, Provost of RPI
- Obtained NY State Science Technology Foundation
Grant to purchase Specialty Laboratory Equipment - Research Theme was discussed with endorsed by
Dr. C. Mervin Palmer, Dr. Cornelius Weber Mr.
Kenneth Mackenthun of the US PHS/ FWPCA - RPIs Proposal for the FWI was taken to Wash., DC
and received funding through US DOIs OWRR US
PHS FWPCA (later FWQA the pre-US EPA
Organization)
15Fresh Water Institute Beginnings
- Multi-Disciplinary, multi-institutional Proposal
to US National Committee of the International
Biological Program (IBP) - Lake George was Selected as a Study Site in the
Eastern Deciduous Forest Biome (EDFB) within the
US IBP - Management for the EDFB resided with the Oak
Ridge National Lab, with Dr. Stanley I. Auerbach
as the Biome Director - The US IBP Received Multi-Year Funding from NSFs
Ecosystem Analysis Division - Many Graduate Students were supported by the FWI,
not only at RPI, but also at other district-area
universities
16Fresh Water Institute Beginnings
- Dr. Alfred E. Emerson. Noted Pioneering (retired)
Ecologist from the University of Chicago was
Honorary Advisor to the IBP Research at Lake
George, where he Resided - Mr. David M. Darrin Visited Gull Bay Lab
become benefactor (and later Mrs. Peggy Darrin)
for the Lake George Water Research Center
(LGWRC), later named the Fresh Water Institute,
which continues today - Dr. Ruth Patrick (noted Limnologist) President
of the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences
visited the FWI favorably received its mission - An Endowment was Obtained for the FWI from the
UPS Foundation (formerly the 1907 Foundation),
and continues today. UPS Funded Workshops at
Lake George with Acadame, Govt Industry.
These Workshops were hosted by Dr. Emil. Mrak,
Chancellor Emeritus, UC Davis
17THANKS TO PROF. KILCAWLEY THOSE THAT FOLLOWED,
THOSE THAT CONTINUE THE LEGACY, ENVIRONMENTAL
ENGINEERING AT RPI HAS A LEGENDARY, NOBLE
COMMENDABLE PAST, AS WELL AS A BRIGHT
SUSTAINABLE FUTURE !
18Identification of Future Problem, Initiating
Event, or Public Policy Mandate
RISK MANAGEMENT
Formulate the Problem
Define Risk Management Objectives
RISK ASSESSMENT
Identify and Evaluate Risk Management Options
Dose-Response Assessment
- Public Health Considerations
- Statutory/Legal Considerations
- Social Factors
- Economic Factors
- Political Considerations
Risk Management Decision
Risk Characterization
Hazard Identification
Implement Decision
Exposure Assessment
Develop Environmental Indicators
Measure Environmental and Public Health
Improvement
Reduced Environmental and/or Public Health Risk