The following proposed method of professional practice outlines a systematic approach for effectively and consistently addressing potential impacts to wetlands in environmental impact statements and other NEPA documents without unnecessary expenditures of time and effort. The practice involves a stepwise approach by which increasingly detailed and sophisticated analyses are conducted. At each step, the practice provides a mechanism for determining whether additional analysis at the next step is necessary. The initial steps involve conceptual analysis of the action and review of readily available standard data sources. They can usually be completed rapidly by general biologists and ecologists without necessarily requiring a site visit. The later steps require a site visit and detailed technical analyses and must be performed by experienced wetland scientists. The practice detailed in this article is proposed as an Accepted Method of Professional Practice by the NEPA Tools and Techniques Committee of the National Association of Environmental Professionals. Following publication and solicitation of public comments, the practice will be voted upon by the committee for final acceptance.

Freshwater in the United Kingdom constitutes a typical example of a supposedly abundant resource for which no system of sustainable use and management has been planned in the past Indeed, as H. Cook (The Protection and Conservation of Water Resources: A British Perspective, 1998) has shown, it has been a neglected area of concern compared with other areas of public policy. Recent droughts, problems of water pollution caused by excessive levels of nitrate and pesticides in groundwater, and acidification and pollution by heavy metals, as well as freshwater wildlife at risk, constitute important environmental problems. The management of water needs guidance, and this guidance needs to be very strongly ecologically based. However, this ecological information must also be integrated at the economic-policy level if water resources, which are fundamental for the survival of ecosystems, economies, and humans, are to be managed in a sustainable way in the long run. This paper presents a policy framework that is based on the reform of national accounts heavily relied on by policy makers, that uses “indicators of sustainability” (more and more viewed as the practical solution to operationalize the concept of sustainability), and that is oriented towards the pursuit of economic goals while respecting ecological constraints (“sustainability standards”). It is hoped that the construction of such a framework, based on the review of existing literature, can be a useful contribution to the sustainable management of water resources.

A study of the benthic invertebrates that inhabit three small streams draining into the Sasyk Reservoir located in southwestern Ukraine was made in the summer of 1995 to assess water quality of the streams. Biotic indices of water quality were compared to chemical analyses of water samples to determine the extent of agreement between biological and chemical water quality assessment. Results of the study indicated that water from the Kogilnik, Fontanka, and Drakula Rivers is highly saline, reflecting high rates of evaporation and leaching of salts from highly saline soils. Runoff from intense agricultural activity in the region enriches the water in ammonia and other forms of nitrogen. Among the chemical variables measured, total salinity appears to be most indicative of water quality. Total salinity in the Fontanka River (2600 mg per liter) was approximately 900 and 2300 mg per liter higher than that of the Kogilnik and Drakula Rivers, respectively. Similarly, the biotic indices obtained for the Fontanka River were lower than those for the other two rivers. The biotic indices suggest that water from all three rivers should not be used for direct human consumption without prior treatment. The use of benthic invertebrates for assessment of water quality is discussed.

Leaking underground storage tanks present threats to groundwater, aquatic resources, and drinking water quality. Beyond that, however, migrating contaminants present a range of threats to residential, commercial, and industrial structures as vapors move through soils and accumulate indoors. The most severe vapor impact threats are explosion and fire. A less dramatic effect is diminished health due to reduced air quality. This study is a preliminary analysis of the geophysical site characteristics that contribute to vapor impacts in Texas. Bivariate analysis is used to evaluate the strength of prediction of vapor impacts using soil characteristics, groundwater depth, distances to impacted structures, presence of free products, and rainfall amounts. Analysis indicates that tanks leaking gasoline products that phase separate in clayey soils with shallow water tables and that are near structures are more likely to generate vapor impacts after a heavy rain.

Benthic barriers and surface covers installed to control alligatorweed (Alternanthera philoxeroides) suppressed growth after five months in Cane Creek Lake, a water supply reservoir serving the towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro, North Carolina. By five months, no shoot biomass and few fibrous roots were detected below benthic barrier plots and only white and flaccid shoots and roots were detected below surface cover plots. Phenotypic differences were observed based on the varying duration of coverage. Surface cover and benthic barrier treatments that lasted from one to three months delayed flowering of alligatorweed by one month, while areas covered for four and five months did not flower at all. Shoot lengths were less for shaded treatments compared to control plots. Dissolved oxygen was lower and pH more acidic after one month coverage under benthic barriers. After two months, pH and dissolved oxygen recovered under benthic barriers to values near the control plots. Water chemistry in the surface cover and control plots were similar. Light penetration below benthic barriers and surface covers was blocked throughout the experiment, suggesting no deterioration of the materials occurred after five months placement in the lake. Application of light shading materials gave seasonal control of alligatorweed. Deployment and maintenance of surface covers and benthic barriers were similar and both methods are recommended for aquatic plant management of alligatorweed in Cane Creek Lake.

In our modern society, waste has become a necessary evil. And like sewage treatment, waste removal costs money. Fortunately, some waste materials are recycled. This paper identifies the economic value of removing and recycling waste materials. A statelevel model was developed, using Michigan data for the demonstration case. Specific volumes of some 14 major components of the waste stream as well as nine separate high-value recycled commodities were identified. Monetary values were derived for total waste removal and the high-value recycled materials. Michigan's waste stream was found to have an economic value of $1.73 billion per year, which equals $180/person/year. Of this total, municipal waste collection accounted for $1.07 billion per year and the high-value recycled materials accounted for the other $0.65 billion.