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author | rekado <rekado@elephly.net> | 2013-05-09 18:19:53 +0800 |
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committer | rekado <rekado@elephly.net> | 2013-05-09 18:19:53 +0800 |
commit | 0b3878b50946ea9c76e0a69542f0b4764dad8f61 (patch) | |
tree | 1a456a5ff4f829914347eaf5800b14c251a5cd93 | |
parent | 434110e0b138cc3e68ef7bf99426d3a36fb46969 (diff) |
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-rw-r--r-- | assignment2/references.bib | 21 | ||||
-rw-r--r-- | assignment2/significance.tex | 118 |
2 files changed, 86 insertions, 53 deletions
diff --git a/assignment2/references.bib b/assignment2/references.bib index 0588447..f4294d6 100644 --- a/assignment2/references.bib +++ b/assignment2/references.bib @@ -89,6 +89,27 @@ number={ME 1109} } +@techreport{npsfm-guide, + title={National policy statement for freshwater management 2011: implementation guide}, + author={{Ministry for the Environment}}, + year={2011}, + publisher={Wellington: {Ministry for the Environment}}, + number={ME 1077} +} + +@article {nrwqn, + author = {Davies-Colley, Robert J. and Smith, David G. and Ward, Robert C. and Bryers, Graham G. and McBride, Graham B. and Quinn, John M. and Scarsbrook, Mike R.}, + title = {Twenty Years of {N}ew {Z}ealand's National Rivers Water Quality Network: Benefits of Careful Design and Consistent Operation1}, + journal = {JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association}, + volume = {47}, + number = {4}, + publisher = {Blackwell Publishing Ltd}, + issn = {1752-1688}, + url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00554.x}, + doi = {10.1111/j.1752-1688.2011.00554.x}, + pages = {750--771}, + year = {2011}, +} diff --git a/assignment2/significance.tex b/assignment2/significance.tex index fa41258..4a99e26 100644 --- a/assignment2/significance.tex +++ b/assignment2/significance.tex @@ -37,66 +37,78 @@ re-litigated'', resulting in ``decision-making processes [that] are litigious, resource-consuming and create uncertainty'' \parencite[p. 18][]{freshwater-reform}. -Since the National Policy Statement for Freshwater -Management \parencite{2011TODO} the ``national values of fresh water'' -have been made explicit, but their postulation does not give rise to a -guideline by which the significance of activities affecting these -values could be determined. For example, the statement made in the -NPSFM that water is valued for ``cleaning, dilution and disposal of -waste'' conflicts with the statement about respecting water's -intrinsic values such as ``the natural conditions of fresh water, free -from biological or chemical alterations resulting from human -activity'' \parencite{2011TODO}. Resolving this ambiguity, the NPSFM -intends a limits-based regime to be established where regional -councils are expected to collaborate with the community to translate -individual values and freshwater objectives into enforcable limits for -individual waterbodies \parencite[][p. 14]{npsfm-guide}. - - -- freshwater reform: collaborative approach to planning - - talk about drawbacks mentioned in \textcite{lawrence-approach} - \begin{quote} - The collaborative approach is viewed as too quickly equating - public concerns and issues with impact significance, at the expense of - other sources of insight and knowledge. - \end{quote} - -- significance decisions must be made on a sound information base, -which rarely exists - - - +Since the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management (2011) +the ``national values of fresh water'' have been made explicit, but +their postulation does not give rise to a guideline by which the +significance of activities affecting these values could be +determined. For example, the statement made in the NPSFM that water is +valued for ``cleaning, dilution and disposal of waste'' conflicts with +the statement about respecting water's intrinsic values such as ``the +natural conditions of fresh water, free from biological or chemical +alterations resulting from human activity'' \parencite{nps}. +Resolving this ambiguity, the NPSFM intends a limits-based regime to +be established where regional councils are expected to collaborate +with the community to translate individual values and freshwater +objectives into enforcable limits for individual +waterbodies \parencite[][p. 14]{npsfm-guide}. The implementation and +enforcement of this National Policy Statement---and pending its +implementation, decisions relating to the significance of project +impacts on the environment---crucially depend on a sound information +base derived from regular monitoring. The National River Water +Quality Network enables the measurement of various water quality +indicators (e.g. temperature, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, nutrients +etc.) at 77 sites and has been used to measure nation-wide water +quality trends \parencite{nrwqn}. In total there are about 600 +monitoring sites \parencite{water-quality}. + +%According to the \emph{Environment New Zealand 2007} report ... % say something about water quality trends? + +Following a limits-based approach and with the help of a monitoring +network, it would be practical to impose absolute limits for a variety +of water health indicators. Whether a residual impact on the physical +environment is significant or not then is a matter of setting measured +water trends against the expected level of the impacts of a proposed +activity. + +In the case of the planned dairy factory, the significance of the +impact of discharging warm water into the river not only depends on +the absolute value of the temperature difference between wastewater +and river water, but also on the cumulative temperature increase due +to human activity reflected in the mean temperature of the affected +body of water. Case studies can be used to estimate the magnitude of +the impact. If the limit on water temperature would be exceeded by the +plant's wastewaster discharge, the impact would be rated as +significant and in need of mitigation to avoid significant effects on +the aquatic ecosystem. The same approach is applicable for any impact +that affects quantifiable environmental properties, such as the +release of organic and inorganic compunds, or the contamination with +residual antibiotics and pesticides. According to the description, +the river is already used as a sink for the wastewater of another +dairy factory; dairy farming is said to have expanded in this area, +indicating that the inflow of organic and inorganic components from +farm effluent and non-point sources has also increased. It is likely +that under these circumstances, the cumulative impacts of wastewater +discharge would be deemed significant. (third part of lawrence): important to assess significance of *positive effects* to see if they are worth the negative impacts. +- positive effects can be quantified, but it is not clear how to weigh + potential economic benefits against expected negative impacts on the + biophysical environment without imposing market norms on intrinsic + ecosystem values. + +- other impacts cannot easily be quanitifed +% - talk about drawbacks mentioned in \textcite{lawrence-approach} +% \begin{quote} +% The collaborative approach is viewed as too quickly equating +% public concerns and issues with impact significance, at the expense of +% other sources of insight and knowledge. +% \end{quote} -\subsection{} - significant impacts: - likelihood - - effects that affect sensitive parameters - - - -WASTEWATER - -temperature: - - According to the project description, an existing dairy factory - discharges wastewater that is two degrees warmer than the river - water. If the planned factory has a comparable wastewater output, the - water may have to be treated before discharge to avoid significant - effects on the aquatic ecosystem. - -organic/inorganic compounds: -contamination with antibiotics / pesticides: - - According to the description, the river is already used as a sink for - the wastewater of another dairy factory; dairy farming is said to have - expanded in this area, indicating that the inflow of organic and - inorganic components from farm effluent and non-point sources has also - increased. Under these circumstances, the cumulative effects of - wastewater discharge must be addressed. + - effects that affect sensitive parameters
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