environmental policy exam 3

what is groundwater?

the water found underground in cracks and spaces in soil, sand and rock

groundwater is so readily available in alabama that many people depend on it for __________

drinking water

what are of alabama has less groundwater than other physiographic regions

piedmont

what are common sources of groundwater contaminant?

septic tanks, fertilizers, pesticides, landfills, radioactive waste disposal, unauthorized dumpsites, saltwater instrusions

what are underground storage tanks used for?

service stations, refineries and other industrial sites where gasoline, fuel oil and chemicals are used

what is the leading cause of groundwater contamination in alabama?

leaking underground storage tanks

what percent of soil contamination are leaking underground tanks responsible for?

90%

what is a challenge in cleaning up leaking storage tanks?

finding owners and funding cleanups

what are the new EPA and ADEM standards for?

to help reduce new leaks from underground storage tanks and detect them quickly

what is a pro of a septic tank system?

with proper installation and maintenance, there is no threat to water quality

what is a risk of failure in a septic tank system?

oil and powerful chemicals can kill bacteria in the system, hazardous waste impairs the system

what are some challenges in certain areas for septic tanks?

coastal areas have unfavorable soil, thin soils with impermeable underlying rock

what impact do pesticides have on groundwater?

there can be trace amounts in drinking water

what are sources of pesticide contamination?

direct runoff and infiltration

what are sources of nitrate contamination?

fertilizer run off, on-site residential septic tanks

what areas do excess nitrates contaminate?

shallow ground water

what is a specific health impact of nitrate contamination?

methemoglobinemia (blue baby disease)

why was waste burying introduced as a practice?

it began with understanding the spread of disease, organic waste is buried to prevent pathogen growth

what are environmental impacts of waste burial?

contamination due to close proximity to water table, rainfall creates leachate

what are federal RCRA requirements for landfills?

protective liners, leachate collection systems, monitoring of groundwater

what are some effects of illegal dumping?

threat to ground and surface water quality, spread of disease, limestone aquifers are susceptible, shallow aquifer damage

what is the UIC?

Underground Injection Control

why was the UIC developed?

it was developed under the safe drinking water act to prevent contamination of underground sources

what office permits septic tanks for alabama?

alabama department of public health

what group regulates any other type of subsurface liquid disposal through UIC program?

ADEM

how does UIC classify injection activities?

they separate the different types into five classes of disposal wells

when did alabama join the EPA pilot program?

1993

what does the EPA pilot program do?

focuses on prevention efforts in vulnerable areas

what specific laws were passed by the EPA pilot program?

alabama water pollution control act, hazardous waste management and minimization act

what are causes of runoff pollution?

ag activities

what are some nutrient pollution effects?

HABs and anoxic conditions in water

why is there such a problem with water pollution?

our systems are failing, pipes are not reliable

how many tonnes is the great pacific garbage patch?

100,000

75-86% of GPGP plastics comes from

fishing activities

what are environmental impacts of oil spills?

harm marine and freshwater ecosystems, results in ecological disruptions

what was deepwater horizon?

oil drilling rig off the gulf of mexico exploded and sank killing 11 workers

how long did oil flow from the deepwater horizon?

87 days

what was the largest settlement over environmental damage in US history?

deepwater horizon and BP, $20.8 billion

what was congresses response to the deepwater horizon oil spill?

to pass the RESTORE act in 2012

what was the Kingston TVA coal ash spill?

the failure of a structure to contain coal ash, 5.4 cubic yards of coal ash were released into swan pond embayment, spilling into the main emory river channel

summarize the elk river chemical spill

10,000 gallons of chemicals spilled, coal washing chemical (MCHM) leaked from freedom industries storage facility

what was the erin brockovich case?

she investigated health impacts of chromium wastewater spread in Hinkley CA

summarize the water crisis in flint michigan

switched from detroit system to flint river, water began to look and taste bad, 9,000 people supplied with lead contaminated water for 18 months

what disease outbreak was caused by the Flint water crisis?

legionnaires disease that killed 12 and sickened 87 people

what federal acts deal with soil contamination?

CERCLA, RCRA, TSCA, FIFRA, RCA

what does TSCA do?

addresses the production, importation, use and disposal of specific chemicals including polychlorinated biphenyls etc.

what does FIFRA do?

rules that all pesticides distributed or sold in the US must be registered by EPA

what does RCA do?

appraises the status and trends of soil and water, evaluates current and needed programs, develops a national soil and water conservation program

what does the pollution prevention act (P2) do?

reduces amount of any hazardous substances entering any waste stream

what are health risks of heavy metal contamination?

neurological damage

list organic pollutants

PCBs, PAHs, pesticides

three steps of soil remediation

soil tested by qualified soil testers, trained removalists undertake removal, contaminated soil is processed externally

methods of soil remediation

stabilization techniques, oxidation methods, chemical agents, electrokinetic remediation

what are soil stabilization techniques?

use chemical agents to limit contaminants and decrease their movement in the soil

what are soil oxidation methods?

converts harmful substances into safer forms

what are soil chemical agents?

they are employed to treat contaminated soil and reduce environmental hazards

what is soil electrokinetic remeditaion?

two electrodes are inserted into the ground and create and electric field, low density waves make particles mobile and the contaminants get transported towards the electrons and pumped out of the soil

what is bioremediation?

it employs microorganisms to break down and eliminate pollutants in soil and water

what is in-situ bioremediation?

it treats contaminated soil in place by stimulating the activity of existing microbes or adding nutrients

what is ex-situ bioremediation?

it involves removing the contaminated soil and treating it in a separate location often with bioreactors

what is phytoremediation?

it utilizes plants to extract, stabilize or detoxify soil contaminants

how does climate influence soil fertility?

it affects moisture and temperature which are essential for plant growth

how does topography impact fertile soil?

it affects drainage and erosion which can enhance or reduce soil fertility

how do land management practices affect soil fertility?

crop rotation and fertilization are vital

what soil properties affect soil fertility?

texture, structure and mineral content

what are some methods to improve soil fertility?

organic matter, biochar, green manuring, mixed cropping and mulching

what are some important reasons for soil conservation?

ecosystem services, biodiversity support, food security, nutrient cycling

what is land use planning?

where all stakeholders work together to approve major projects to ensure social needs and environmental concerns are considered and balanced

why is land use planning important?

helps anticipate future, mitigate risks, promotes better use, helps public health

what are soil sensors?

they provide real time data on soil conditions and enable farmers to make informed decisions

what do the taxa teams do for SWAP?

they meet and decide on rankings for all species

what specific sustainable initiatives is auburn university taking?

stormwater management, recycling

who was the first municipality in alabama to introduce curbside recycling?

auburn!

what is environmental sustainability?

seeks to reduce environmental harm while ensuring enough food is produced for all of us

what is economic viability?

backs local economies and guarantees fair wages for farmers

what global issues are addressed by sustainable ag?

food security, climate change, biodiversity loss

what is a main challenge in ag sustainability?

water scarcity and availability

what percent of water withdrawals is ag responsible for?

70%

what is the USDA small watershed program?

prevents damage from erosion, furthers conservation, lowers use of land

what is the main indicator or biotic integrity?

fish and macroinvertebrates

what is organic farming?

food grown and processed using no synthetic fertilizers or pesticides

what is the National Organic Program (NOP)?

a USDA marketing program that sets marketing standards for organic foods

what is the purpose of the organic foods production act of 1990?

it requires the secretary of agriculture to establish a national list of allowed and prohibited substances

what are the benefits of organic farming?

maintain soil, lower environmental health risks, fine-tune farming practices

what is agroforestry?

the integration of trees into farming

what is the purpose of permaculture?

to focus on sustainable agricultural practices that imitate natural ecosystems

what is the leading cause of groundwater contamination in alabama?

underground storage tanks

what is the primary cause of the dead zone in the gulf of mexico?

nutrients from agriculture runoff via the mississippi river basin

true or false: most of the waste in the great pacific garbage patch is from fishing

true

true or false: BP was solely responsible for the deepwater horizon oil spill in 2010

false

true or false: septic systems, if installed, used, and maintained properly, pose little to no threat to water quality

true

true or false: many people in alabama depend on groundwater for their drinking water because it is so readily available in most parts of the state.

true

which of the following is NOT part of the integrated pest management four-tiered approach

broadcast spray a test patch of cropland if pests are observed

true or false: precision agriculture is a useful tool for improving water conservation by teaching farmers how much water to apply and when and where to apply it

true

true or false: globally, agriculture is the largest consumer of water

true

true or false: air pollution, particularly nitrogen dioxide, can negatively affect agriculture productivity

true