The United States (US) Army became the first agency in the federal government to apply the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines to its sustainability program in 2007. It fully reported on 28 performance indicators and partially reported on another 12 in its first annual report. The second annual report for 2008 fully reported on 25 performance indicators and partially reported on 22. For each year, the US Army achieved the Global Reporting Initiative Administrative Level B for its sustainability program. The US Army has established sustainability as department policy, developed courses to indoctrinate senior leaders to the concept, and made a commitment to practicing sustainability. This report describes the evolution of sustainability as a multidimensional management paradigm in the US Army, identifies the Army Triple Bottom Line, and explores next steps, including the use of sustainability as a force multiplier in contingency operations.

Environmental Practice 12:59–65 (2010)

In cooperative modeling projects, a group of people work together to develop a model to better understand a complex system and explore consequences of various “what if” scenarios. This report describes a case study from New Mexico in which representatives from diverse organizations and institutions employed system dynamics–based cooperative modeling enhanced by computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) to design a model that could be used as a tool in making water management decisions. In this case, CSCW was necessitated by the geographically dispersed nature of the participating stakeholders. The case study reflects that, although it is no panacea, cooperative modeling can be a successful way to create a sense of community, even among geographically dispersed citizens and decision makers, to understand contentious and complex water management issues. The purpose of this article is to highlight lessons learned for applying cooperative modeling with CSCW to assist other practitioners and broaden possibilities for improved water management decisions.

Environmental Practice 12:316–327 (2010)

Federal agencies involved in response and recovery actions in the aftermath of disasters must comply with the various environmental planning laws, executive orders, and regulations, such as review under the National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act, Endangered Species Act, and Executive Order 11988: Floodplain Management. Many of these have provisions to address exigencies such as emergencies, disaster declarations, and related response and recovery actions. However, a careful reading of over 20 of these environmental planning requirements shows that the emergency provisions are not aligned and some may be very limited in scope. Experience within the Federal Emergency Management Agency shows that this patchwork of provisions can create inconsistencies and frustration during the recovery process of major disasters. This article provides a brief evaluation of these provisions, provides a discussion of the challenges in applying the various provisions, and encourages the start of a dialogue at the federal level by providing strategies to improve consistency among these provisions in light of the various ongoing efforts associated with recovery processes in the aftermath of disasters.

Environmental Practice 12:237–246 (2010)

Federally funded projects must comply with a suite of environmental federal regulations, including the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and the US Department of Transportation Act of 1966, which are addressed through the National Environmental Policy Act process. In this case study, we describe a Federal Highway Administration sidewalk improvement project implemented by the Georgia Department of Transportation in DeKalb County, Georgia, that used an innovative streamlined process under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 to evaluate and assess effects on historic resources and to comply with National Environmental Policy Act process. This project also represents a novel use of this Streamlined Section 106 Process, since it was used in a new sidewalk construction project that required right-of-way acquisition and easements as compared to previous projects where this streamlined process was used only in cases with existing sidewalks and no right-of-way acquisition. Additionally, we demonstrate how coordination under the National Environmental Policy Act addressed impacts on historic resources and resulted in the successful preservation of cultural resource features.

Environmental Practice 12:134–143 (2010)

Waste reduction is a policy objective being pursued around the world, and many jurisdictions are now considering bag fees as a targeted way to deal with an avoidable waste stream. Seattle City Government passed legislation in July 2008 that placed a $0.20 fee on paper or plastic bags given at the checkout stand of grocery stores, convenience stores, and drugstores. However, an opposition campaign collected enough signatures to send the measure to a public vote in August 2009, where it was turned down. Understanding the lessons learned from this and previous bag-fee legislation will be useful to interested governments. Governments must understand that disposable bags symbolize convenience to many, and many citizens are unaware of the true consequences of handling waste. I conclude that for this breed of policy to be successful, four components are necessary: public education on the issue and the environmental context of the policy; a provision to mitigate financial hardship that may arise from the fee on low-income communities; an alliance with grassroots activist organizations that can help bring the discussion to a wider audience and gain public support; and, finally, a consideration of the macroeconomic conditions.

Environmental Practice 12:66–75 (2010)

The courts are increasingly finding that National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents need to address climate change impacts—both the impact of the project on climate change and the impacts of climate change on the project. In the scientific arena, the year 2007 was pivotal in climate change because the Fourth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was issued. The IPCC report concluded that warming of the climate system is unequivocal and that this warming is primarily caused by increases in greenhouse gas concentrations. To address the issue and its impacts on a given project, policy, or program for a NEPA review, the analyst is presented with the difficulty of summarizing a massive amount of literature from the earth, biological, and physical sciences. This article provides a summary of the recent literature, addressing the IPCC report, the evidence for climate change, effects in different regions, NEPA implications, and mitigation strategies. NEPA reviews in the area of infrastructure in coastal regions and in the area of water supply will need special attention in light of climate change. All of this will make for much decision making under uncertainty, but ultimately NEPA documents and environmental decisions are likely to benefit from consideration of climate change because more resilient projects are likely to be approved, even if climate change is not as intense as some estimates. This article emphasizes NEPA-relevant events and is not intended to provide details on the current regulatory framework under other laws.

Environmental Practice 12:144–157 (2010)

With renewed emphasis on environmental protection and growing scholarly consensus on the need to move beyond the traditional command-and-control approach to environmental regulation, the “window” may be opening for significant changes in environmental policy in the United States. Much of the dialogue focuses on next-generation environmental policies that are cooperative instead of confrontational, comprehensive rather than fragmented, and flexible instead of rigid. This pending transition invariably raises questions about regulatory enforcement and, most notably, fears of regulatory capture. Accordingly, this article explores the discussion of next-generation environmental policies and their implications for environmental inspectors in the context of regulatory enforcement. The transition to next-generation policies is likely to have significant impacts on inspectors; however, I argue that concerns of regulatory capture are overstated, based on a survey of existing research on regulatory enforcement.

Environmental Practice 12:247–259 (2010)

Contemporary wastewater management requires greater engagement of the public for reasons beneficial to both the public and wastewater managers. Such engagement, however, is contingent upon the public's requisite knowledge of the wastewater system, and significant factors work against the public's ability or willingness to understand the system. Using data from four focus groups, and representative data from a survey of 803 households in a major urban wastewater system, this study measures residents' level of knowledge about the wastewater system. While a majority of respondents could accurately identify the sources of wastewater that enter the sewers and actually are treated, few could identify any other important aspects of the system or any actual problems it is currently facing. Their lack of knowledge implies their potential participation in wastewater management issues is limited, which in turn limits the wastewater managers' abilities to leverage public support or meet public preferences for the wastewater system. These results emphasize the need for wastewater managers to communicate with their communities in ways meaningful to them in order to reap the benefits of public engagement.

Environmental Practice 12:328–341 (2010)

A movement is needed for federal, state, and local agencies to integrate watershed planning into their daily transportation planning activities. The integration will provide a method for collecting, sharing, and analyzing watershed data (science) and provide a framework outlining appropriate strategies (policy) to more effectively balance transportation projects and enhance the environment.

Environmental Practice 12:158–167 (2010)

Our nation's built infrastructure—our water supply and wastewater treatment systems, roads and bridges, railroads, and energy production and delivery systems—needs repair and modernization. At the same time, our natural infrastructure—our forests, prairies, wetlands, streams, rivers, estuaries, and shorelines—are in even greater need of repair. Once restored, these natural infrastructures and ecosystems can address pressing national problems: the need to conserve energy, improve water quality and reduce coastal hypoxia, decrease flood damage, and address global warming.

Over the past century, both the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins have been economically and ecologically devastated by the establishment of self-sustaining populations of aquatic invasive species. In the Mississippi River basin, some of the most significant damage has been attributed to the presence of reproducing populations of Asian carp in the main waterway and its tributaries. The ability of this nonindigenous invasive fish to outcompete native fish for food and habitat has led to the widespread establishment of Asian carp in the Mississippi River, impacting the natural balance of the aquatic ecosystem. Stakeholders in the Great Lakes region are acutely aware of the destructive impacts that could result if Asian carp become established as self-sustaining populations in the Great Lakes ecosystem, and are particularly concerned with the risk of a potential interbasin exchange of Asian carp through the canals and waterways that connect the Great Lakes and Mississippi River watersheds. A regional consensus has been emerging that ecological separation is the primary long-term solution needed to minimize the potential of a future invasion. However, underlying economic, environmental, social, and political realities raise a complex set of issues that must be addressed in the course of enacting this solution. Through an examination of Asian carp life cycle and behavior, current Asian carp management and prevention efforts, and the implications surrounding the potential invasion of Asian carp, this report explores the multifaceted problems posed by this highly aggressive nonindigenous invader. It also discusses the fundamental reasons why permanent and equitable measures are needed to minimize the potential for an interbasin transfer of all aquatic invasive species for every life stage between the Great Lakes and Mississippi River basins.

Environmental Practice 12:342–356 (2010)

The National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) and other constituencies have advocated the development of core competency guidelines for environmental educational programs for many years. Despite the high level of interest, no consensus has emerged on program identity that could lead to their development. The lack of a clearly defined identity has threatened program legitimacy and raised concerns about how well these programs are preparing students for entry into the environmental profession. To address these concerns, the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors, a group of academic environmental program leaders operating under the auspices of the National Council for Science and the Environment, launched a study to learn more about extant program curricula and investigate the potential for reaching consensus on core competence areas. In this article, we review selected findings from the study to date and discuss their implications for the development of core competency criteria. Despite differing perspectives on curriculum design, our research indicates that programs share a common vision of program identity congruent with sustainability. A review of employer and employee surveys and reports from environmental professionals also point toward participation in and understanding of sustainability processes as increasingly important components of practice. Taken together, these findings indicate that sustainability could serve as an overarching paradigm to inform the development of core knowledge and skill competency recommendations for curriculum design.

Environmental Practice 12:76–86 (2010)

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulations stipulate that when an agency opts to have a private contractor prepare an environmental impact statement, contractor selection should be conducted in such a way as to avoid conflicts of interest (COIs) that might adversely affect the integrity of the NEPA process. The goal is to ensure an unbiased, credible, and defensible environmental impact statement that supports public and transparent decision making. The contractor is responsible for executing a COI disclosure statement prepared by the agency, stating that the contractor has “no financial or other interest” in the outcome of the project. Because determining freedom from COIs after the fact may be difficult, private NEPA contractors should proactively collect information that supports a broad COI analysis of all aspects of their business models, taking into consideration requirements from other regulations that may govern a specific contractor/agency relationship.

Environmental Practice 12:168–174 (2010)

Sustainability, the global buzzword of the 2000s, is a vague and ambiguous term from an environmental consultant's perspective. The concept is just too large to incorporate in its entirety when designing, advising, and managing ecological and environmental projects at the local level. One concept I do admire and fully understand is “Think Globally, Act Locally.” It's a mantra that many people can relate to and appreciate. It makes the unreachable—achievable. So to incorporate sustainability into environmental consulting, it needs to be broken down to an understandable and usable level—the local level and how it relates to consulting.

Because green infrastructure used for urban storm-water management also serves larger ecosystem services functions (such as providing habitat, recharging aquifers, and minimizing erosion), proponents of these management strategies tend also to value these ancillary functions in making a case for their use when compared to conventional urban storm-water collection and detention approaches. Recent research, however, suggests that green infrastructure strategies are cost-effective when compared to conventional storm-water management approaches, even when evaluated in terms of their direct costs and savings over their useful lives. Problems with using more indirect methods of valuation include unnecessary complexity, analytical asymmetry, and distributional distortions. A case can therefore be made that assessing only the direct economic savings of green infrastructure over conventional storm-water infrastructure may be more persuasive for public policy purposes than valuing the more speculative indirect benefits in cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses of green compared to conventional storm-water management strategies.

Environmental Practice 12:357–365 (2010)

In Environmental Practice 12(2), I discussed the mistakes in the Council on Environmental Quality's (CEQ's) regulations. In this second installment, I discuss the gaps in CEQ's regulations. Should the CEQ's regulations once again be considered for revision or reform or amendment, I suggest these mistakes and gaps as candidates for a starting place.

Recent events in the media (December 2009) have led me to prepare a long overdue essay on how we advance scientifically and administratively. The particular event in mind is the release of e-mails among top climatologists which hint at a less-than-perfect system of deduction from data to theory. This was accentuated by later retractions of rather grandiose statements that the Himalayan Glaciers were melting. Administratively, reliance on theory can have a dramatic affect on management actions, grants, proposed regulations, and a myriad of other results coming as ripples on the pond of knowledge.

Under Section 1609 of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (hereafter referred to as the Recovery Act) federal agencies are required to devote adequate resources to ensuring that applicable environmental reviews carried out under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) are completed expeditiously by using the shortest existing, applicable process allowed by the law. With this requirement, Congress expressed the clear intent that agencies must still comply with NEPA, but that they should do so in a streamlined fashion within NEPA's existing legal framework. Section 1609 also requires the president to submit quarterly reports to Congress [specifically, the United States (US) Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the US House of Representative Committee on Natural Resources] on the NEPA compliance status of projects and activities funded by the Recovery Act. The president has delegated this responsibility to the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). Remarkably, this is the first time in NEPA's 40-year history that federal agencies are required to account for their progress systematically in complying with NEPA. As of this writing, the CEQ had transmitted four such reports to Congress on May 18, August 3, and November 2, 2009, and January 1, 2010. These reports are based on detailed filings that each federal agency made to the CEQ. This article summarizes and assesses the first year of NEPA compliance for Recovery Act funding. It reveals the number of each type of NEPA document that federal agencies have prepared, highlights examples of what federal agencies are doing to streamline NEPA compliance, and discusses how the Recovery Act reporting may have wider influences on NEPA practices in general.

The United States Army is concerned that its installations face multiple resource issues, including water security. Critical water issues include supply, cost, and quality. Strategies are needed to mitigate any adverse affects. To develop these strategies, information was gathered from national watershed screenings and regional water budgets, including supply and demand data from regions containing Army installations. The information was then used to develop installation water-demand projections that look beyond the boundaries of an installation and out 30 years into the future to identify the potential for water scarcity. Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Fort Bliss, Texas–New Mexico, were used as specific examples to illustrate the critical role that water plays in the future of Army installations. Fort Bragg is not likely to have water availability issues out to 2030, because it will be accessing municipal water supplies. Fort Bliss will likely face water availability issues because the aquifer from which it draws its potable water is being used by more and more other parties.

Environmental Practice 12:366–376 (2010)