5th National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration

July 30, 2013, Chicago, IL

A Case for an Incremental Adaptive Management Approach to Ecosystem Restoration and Resiliency – Moving from Compliance-Driven Outputs to Stewardship-Driven Outcomes in the Mississippi River Basin

By: Patrick S. McGinnis, Senior Advisor, The Horinko Group

THG’s Senior Advisor for Water Resources, Pat McGinnis, was invited to participate in a panel at the 5th National Ecosystem Restoration Conference last month in Chicago.  The panel entitled, “Community Approaches Among Successful Regional Ecosystem Management Initiatives,” was moderated by colleague, Mark Gorman, Policy Analyst at the Northeast-Midwest Institute.  Due to an emergency dental procedure, Mr. McGinnis was forced to cancel his presentation, but has furnished his written remarks prepared in advance of the conference…

I want to begin by reflecting on a piece that appeared ten years ago published by the American Society of Ecology entitled, “Sustaining Healthy Freshwater Systems.”

The authors tell us in our pursuit of water for cities, farms, and industry, we are largely ignoring or at least failing to adequately protect the benefits of water that remains in-stream to sustain healthy aquatic ecosystems.

They offer three observations, which I believe are still relevant to ecosystem restoration considerations today –

• First, dynamic patterns of flow, within the natural range of variation will promote the integrity and sustainability of freshwater systems;

• Second, aquatic ecosystems require that sediments, chemical and nutrient inputs, and plant and animal populations fluctuate within natural ranges, neither experiencing excessive swings beyond their natural ranges nor being held at constant levels; and,

• Third, current piecemeal and consumption-oriented approaches to water policy cannot solve the problems confronting our increasingly degraded freshwater ecosystems.

To conclude, they leave us with six recommendations to begin more effectively addressing how water is viewed and managed –
1) Frame water management policies to explicitly incorporate freshwater ecosystem needs;

2) Define water resources to include watersheds, so that freshwaters are viewed within a landscape or ecosystem context;

3) Increase communication and education across disciplines to facilitate an integrated view of freshwater resources;

4) Increase restoration efforts using well-grounded ecological principles;

5) Maintain and protect remaining freshwater ecosystems that have high integrity; and,

6) Build recognition for society’s dependence on naturally functioning ecosystems.

I think their last recommendation to educate society regarding our dependence on healthy natural systems is still the one needing the most attention because, for me, it holds the most promise for informing a fact-based narrative on how we need to proceed.

These recommendations published in 2003 could have easily been published ten years earlier in 1993, and perhaps ten years before that.

So, here we are in 2013, some thirty years later, still struggling to make the socially relevant case for informed restoration and stewardship directed at achieving system resiliency.

As I look at where we are today, moving gradually from a top-down command and control model of governance and management to something perhaps not altogether bottom-up, I really have to wonder about our grassroots capacity.

Meanwhile the pursuit of green technology and a green economy may be shifting the popular case for greening to a business argument.  Revealing the business case for natural system resiliency may finally validate our dependence on natural systems.

For the remainder of my time, I want to reflect on where we’ve been, where we are, question a few assumptions that may still be holding us back, and offer a few recommendations on how we may make a greater impact.

My own lessons have been learned in the Mississippi River Basin, and I believe a number of programs and initiatives from the Mississippi Valley are instructive in how we may proceed.

Allow me to first pose a few questions for you to ponder as we proceed –

How do we strategically communicate the importance of resilient natural systems?

And, as we learn more about natural systems, how much attention must we as resource professionals also direct towards understanding people and communities so that we can reveal a socially-relevant context for restoration that people can and will embrace?

What are tangible results?

And, how do we proceed in a manner that not only achieves results, but utilizes those results to instruct and inform and make a clearer case for sustainable practices?

And, how do we de-mystify what is actually needed so that we can further empower the well intentioned?

As I reflect on where we have been, I know my own journey has been one of routinely challenging and testing old assumptions.  I think we have to continue to do so on several fronts.

Here are ten areas that I think are worthy of additional attention –

1) Local projects focused on improving local habitat serve a purpose, but we cannot let those efforts satisfy our desire to reclaim, rehabilitate, and to restore.  We need to better communicate the case for system-based processes to restore natural hydrology, reconnect floodplains, and improve water quality.

2) I often refer to compliance driven versus stewardship driven efforts.  My experience convinces me that too many outputs are compliance driven to offset or mitigate the negative impacts of some ‘higher’ use.  On the Mississippi River, navigation, flood control, agricultural production, industrial development, and urbanization have been the objective, while restoration too often has been reduced to the cost of doing business.  Stewarding the natural resources we depend on, and which livable communities are built on, can no longer be a cost of doing some other business.

I believe we need to change the narrative and reinterpret the programs and authorities we use to advance restoration to something more organic that is driven by a stewardship doctrine.

3) I also wonder how many restoration outputs are actually producing system outcomes.  Aggregating “one and off’ outputs and claiming some multiplier effect may be distracting us from moving to a truly integrated approach that incrementally tackles bigger challenges and produces outcomes not just outputs.

4) Ever since the signing of the floodplain management Executive Order in the late 1970s the overall effort has looked more like regulated floodplain development than floodplain management – again, compliance driven rather than stewardship driven.

National flood insurance reform is an indicator that we are becoming more aware of the social costs of floodplain development, but we still have a long ways to go.  This year many of us regionally are observing the 20th anniversary of the historic 1993 flood.  Here in the State of Illinois, since 1993, almost 4,000 repetitive loss structures have been purchased and the land converted to open space.  With that said, we still struggle to communicate and account for the externalized costs of floodplain encroachment.

We have federalized local flood protection, federalized flood insurance, and some federalized farm programs that are keeping too many of us in the 5% of the continental U.S. that is subject to recurrent flooding.  We have to look at all the costs associated with floodplain encroachment and make sure we aren’t incentivizing it.

5) Many are calling for improved river management.  However, in too many aquatic ecosystems, there simply is no river management period.  There are programs that influence a river’s condition, but most are not directed at comprehensive system management.

In the case of the Upper Mississippi River System, managing flows to support navigation or to attenuate flooding, while also attempting to augment shoreline vegetation with seasonal draw downs within the constraints of existing navigational pool regulation, does not somehow add up to management.

So, when we call for improved management, what I hope and believe we are really seeking is to actually begin management or stewardship.  We cannot simply push funds into existing programs that influence the river only to find that balanced river management does not enjoy the status and funding of other agency priorities and therefore remains a compliance driven afterthought or cost of pursuing some other purpose.

6) Turning attention to the grassroots or community level, living next to a river, gulf, bay, lake, or wetland has a direct and profound influence on nearby communities.  These communities tend to have a greater and more visceral sense of their place in the watershed.  These gateway communities can be a starting place to build a stewardship ethic in watersheds but they have to be engaged and their capacity to add value strengthened.

7) On the matter of community empowerment, community colleges are locally relevant and trusted institutions and can serve as portals into local communities.  Positioning community colleges to team with land grant universities in order to programmatically bring the benefits of land grants more deeply and beneficially into communities could prove timely and a new expression of extension that could better inform how we relate to natural systems.

Along the length of the Mississippi Valley, nine community colleges are working with land grants and the American Association of Community Colleges to scope out how they may better address challenges like workforce training, green technology, deployment of STEM initiatives, and advancing jobs initiatives.  In this particular instance, the river is revealed as an organizing principle for regional economic recovery and guiding sustainable development.

In too many places, regional and local development still suffers a lack of a planned-for approach.  Many small and mid-sized communities are not equipped or resourced to do effective planning.  In many places, planning staffs are being eliminated.  This same lack of planning capacity confounds stewardship of our natural resources and communities.  We still respond too often in a knee-jerk fashion to new development that promises jobs and local tax revenue, without thoughtfully considering the externalized costs.

8) Staying with the empowerment theme, I want to mention the power of an incremental approach as a learning tool and its link to adaptive management.  Too often, when I chat with colleagues regarding adaptive management, the discussion goes directly to the design and delivery of new projects instead of beginning with more effective management or stewardship of the existing condition and footprint.

In most of our freshwater ecosystems, we are dealing with a built-out environment.  The path ahead needs to be informed by our best science.  Adaptive management can make a place at the table for scientists in day-to-day operations, while also fostering relationships between research scientists, resource managers, and program managers.

An incremental approach also allows the swelling number of well-intentioned local and regional stakeholders to build capacity and learn how to do things beyond agreeing or disagreeing.  Learning to “do” is empowering.  Public involvement that engages, but does not inform, tends to see initiatives lose steam.  Well-intentioned will never replace well informed.  An incremental approach that applies adaptive management principles and processes allows all participants and those affected to learn along the way.

One area I believe we could demonstrate adaptive management early, and within existing authority on the Upper Mississippi River, is on federally managed public lands within the riparian corridor.

Recently, the Corps, in cooperation with other federal, state, and NGO partners, developed a Systemic Forest Stewardship Plan for the Upper Mississippi River that I believe presents a model for an inter-jurisdictional, inter-organizational approach to regional resource master planning to demonstrate, communicate, and guide stewardship of riparian lands in a planned-for incremental fashion.  This effort to integrate management on federal lands could then be integrated with conservation practices on adjacent private lands guided by compatible resource objectives arrived at by shared reach planning.

9) There is also the matter of low impact development, urban storm water management and nutrient management across rural landscapes.  No matter how much habitat we reclaim or improve, without water quality and water availability or supply squarely addressed as a priority driver, we may be reclaiming a house of cards.

The Chesapeake Bay experience in moving toward BMPs, TMDL allocations, and buffer management can offer many lessons learned to those of us here in the Midwest.

10) Lastly, I want to mention environmental education and what the next generation of environmental curricula might look like.  Giving students a systems context and appreciation of natural systems needs to become a part of our formal educational experience.  I believe students understanding the role, not simply the chemistry of biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen), can be an important foundation to their understanding of open and closed systems, and how resiliency is governed by process and replenishment.  As we embrace and promote STEM, hopefully we can utilize our natural systems as living classrooms to foster an in-context experience and connection to our natural resources.

Before I conclude, I want to quickly mention a few initiatives that are now underway in the Mississippi River Basin, that I believe hold great promise and are worth your attention.

• Northeast-Midwest Institute administers the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative (MRCTI), which is bringing the Mayors of waterside communities, large and small, together along the length of the river to create an informed voice for the river. Currently 57 mayors are participating.  This effort is spot on in my view.

• The Mississippi River Community College Consortium is launching a nine-school consortium to reposition community colleges along the Mississippi River corridor to more strategically address basin issues by revealing the linkage between the ecology and economy of the corridor in a more socially relevant and actionable way.

• The Illinois Green Economy Network (IGEN) is a statewide effort here in Illinois involving over 40 community colleges that have committed themselves to advancing green careers, green campuses, green curriculum, and green communities in their service areas.

• The National Great Rivers Research and Education Center (NGREC), established in 2001, is a freshwater research collaborative involving the University of Illinois, Illinois Natural History Survey, and Lewis & Clark Community College.  The program is studying the ecology of great rivers, while also attempting to call attention to water resource challenges.  Through aggressive outreach and technology transfer, NGRREC is better informing our water resource narrative with a fact-based dialogue.  Two years ago, the partners dedicated a 32,000 square foot, LEED Platinum Field Station, adjacent to the Mississippi River between the confluences of the Illinois and Missouri Rivers.  This institution is repositioning the State of Illinois to play a greater role as an emerging water research and technology hub.  In two weeks, NGRREC will enter into an MOU with the Mississippi River Commission to further advance collaboration with the Corps on several fronts.  One initiative that NGRREC and University of Illinois are involved in is called GREON and consists of a network of lightweight pontoon platform supported real time water quality and meteorological sampling and recording units being deployed at locations on the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers.

• The Mississippi River Xchange (MRX) is another NGRREC initiative that involves a multi-state educational endeavor to give high school students a greater comprehension of their relationship to water, their local river reach, and a larger system context.  The immediate objective of the program is to deliver a comprehensive STEM-based river education program to high school students along the Mississippi River corridor.

• As a cost-saving measure to reduce treatment costs and contain water rates, a number of private water companies and utilities are stepping up to bring more awareness to source protection and source control.  Some of these same companies are involved in buffer management and watershed management districts in other watersheds.   The Systemic Forest Management Plan for the Upper Mississippi River that I previously mentioned could have a complementary impact guiding an adaptive management approach to steward riparian buffers along the Upper Mississippi River.

Anyway, these are just a few efforts I see gaining traction.

To close, it seems to me that we have actually been on an incremental, but disconnected journey.  We need a course correction, an actionable foothold, and a better narrative to make real headway.  We need to become much more strategic in our thinking, our communications, and linking results to outcomes.  We need to push ourselves at a time when many are hunkering down due to budget constraints, an uncertain economy, and uncertain regulatory environment.

I think we have a lot of the right dots.  Perhaps, we simply need to strategically connect and communicate those dots, pursuing them incrementally.

Most of all, we need to begin today.

Excerpt from: Contaminated Sediments – How Do We Strike the Proper Balance?

By: Richard Fox, Vice President/Principal Scientist, Natural Resource Technology, Inc.

August 2013

Contaminated sediment projects represent some of our country’s largest environmental sites in terms of size, complexity, and cost due to several factors including:

• Transport of contaminants during and after discharge to the water body;
• Persistence of hydrophobic contaminants (i.e., those that do not dissolve in water);
• Transfer of contaminants through the food chain; and,
• A high degree of uncertainty as to how contaminants move through the food chain.

USEPA and state environmental agencies (Agencies) are increasingly focused on reducing potential risk through remediating contaminated sediment sites around the country.  Large programs such as USEPA Great Lakes National Program Office’s (GLNPO) Great Lakes Legacy Act (GLLA) are dedicated to addressing contaminated sediments.  Although the GLLA is focused on specific sites in the Great Lakes, the issue of contaminated sediments is nationwide.

Many larger sites have been remediated or are currently being remediated (e.g., Lower Fox River (WI), Hudson River (NY), Duwamish River (WA)).  For others a Record of Decision (ROD) prescribing the site remedy has been or will soon be issued through USEPA’s Superfund Program (e.g., Passaic River (NJ), Lower Willamette (OR), Gowanus Canal (NY)).

Many large sediment projects become mired in opposition while resources are unnecessarily expended.  An article titled “Accelerating Progress at Contaminated Sediment Sites: Moving from Guidance to Practice” (Bridges et al., 2011) does an excellent job of framing the key issues.  The paper lists the following five steps to accelerate the process:

Action 1: Development of a detailed and explicit project vision and accompanying objective, achievable short-term goals and long-term goals, and metrics of remedy success at the outset of a project, with refinement occurring as needed throughout the duration of the project;

Action 2: Strategically engage stakeholders in a more direct and meaningful process;

Action 3: Optimize risk reduction, risk management processes, and remedy selection addressing two important elements: a) the deliberate use of early action remedies, where appropriate, to accelerate risk reductions, and b) the systematic and sequential development of a suite of actions applicable to the ultimate remedy, starting with monitored natural recovery (MNR) and adding engineering actions as needed to satisfy the project’s objectives;

Action 4: An incentive process that encourages and rewards risk reduction; and,

Action 5: Pursuit of sediment remediation projects as a public-private collaborative enterprise.

All five actions are important and if implemented will very likely realize accelerated sediment cleanups.  Though all of these actions can accelerate site cleanups, Actions 3-5 will likely not occur without Actions 1 and 2.  This article focuses on the first two of the five recommended actions.

Why do we get stuck?  The Agencies are trying to reduce risk – risk to human health and the environment.  However, Agencies often select remedies that may not be the best remedy to reduce risk.  Industries or responsible parties (RPs) are usually forced to remediate their site and seek to do it at the least cost.  At most contaminated sediment sites, Agencies prefer dredging to remove contaminants, while RPs prefer monitored natural recovery (MNR), adding amendments to reduce bioavailability, or capping.  They are typically at odds.

The GLLA Program has not experienced the delays that typically plague other sediment remediation sites.  GLLA has completed remediation at 14 sediment sites and has many others at various stages moving toward remediation.  However, the GLLA is limited to specific areas in the Great Lakes and is not available across the country.

The GLLA Program is a cooperative endeavor where the Federal Government actually contributes significant funding to the project.  It is much easier for RPs and Agencies to come to agreement when both parties are aligned (they both have an interest in creating a win-win remediation scenario), particularly with a funding cap and a clear understanding of how much both are paying.  The success of this program in aligning interests of Agencies and RPs forces us to ask:

• How do we accomplish sediment remediation in a timely manner for sites not in the GLLA?
• Is GLLA a model for future sediment remediation projects?

Many practitioners believe the GLLA model should be applied at locations outside the Great Lakes.  However, in the current political climate it is unlikely a broader cost-sharing program will be created.  Clearly, we have learned from the GLLA Program that projects move to remediation faster and achieve better results when interests are aligned.

Typically, sites are remediated using dredging or removal, capping, adding amendments to in situ sediments to reduce bioavailability (more recently), MNR, or a combination of these.  There are advantages and limitations to each of these technologies.  The table below provides a high-level comparison of the advantages and limitations to these technologies.

TECHNOLOGY	ADVANTAGES	LIMITATIONS
Dredging	Removes contamination; permanent; precise	Most expensive; disrupts habitat; leaves residuals
Capping	Less expensive than dredging; provides immediate barrier to contaminants; less destructive to habitat and can enhance natural habitat	Contaminants remain and must be monitored for a long time; caps have failed; decreases navigation depth
Adding amendments such as activated carbon	Less expensive than capping; reduces bioavailability; less disruption	Contaminants remain in place; must monitor long term to ensure contaminants not available
Monitored Natural Recovery (MNR)	Least expensive; no disruption to habitat	No action to accelerate risk reduction; it may not work

 

CREATING THE VISION FOR YOUR SITE

In 2011, Bridges et al. stated, “The primary objective of an optimized risk management process is to focus the project, from the very beginning, on developing and implementing solutions for managing risks posed by the site.”  How do we strike this balance?  USEPA has coined a term “smart from the start” to describe how a holistic consideration of a site vision can lead to better sampling of the site.  Here the term “smart from the start” broadens this concept to mean a holistic approach to understand, compromise, and communicate a site vision to find alignment and create a win-win remediation scenario.  The “smart from the start” steps include:

• Creating the vision for your site
• Aligning the site vision with the Agencies
• Building the relationship to align vision and goals
• Creating win-win

Based on this, implementing Actions 1 and 2 (i.e., site vision along with clear, meaningful communication with stakeholders; Bridges et al., 2011) are important first steps to create alignment between Agencies and RPS.  These actions are more effective if done early in the process before risk-based remedy decisions are made and dollars are spent.

Regardless of whether a site has been studied extensively or is “new” with a paucity of data, it is important to create a conceptual site model (CSM) that shows the current site information.  The CSM can be an illustration or table showing contaminant transport and exposure pathways for important receptors (e.g., humans, birds, fish).  The CSM is important from a technical perspective because risk determination is very complex and fraught with uncertainty.  Small changes in basic assumptions can lead to significant increases in sediment volumes requiring remediation that increase the costs.  The CSM is also the first step to determine the vision for the site and helps keep focus on risk management.  Below is an example CSM courtesy of the Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council (ITRC):

Action 1 offered by Bridges et al. (2011) recommends, “development of a detailed and explicit project vision and accompanying objective, achievable short-term goals and long-term goals, and metrics of remedy success at the outset of a project, with refinement occurring as needed throughout the duration of the project,” as the first of five actions for accelerating cleanups at contaminated sediment sites.  Site vision can be viewed as taking the current CSM to the future CSM.

The vision for a site is a mental picture that takes the current site into a better future.  Considerations for creating a site vision include:

• Potential future use for the site and nearby
• Planned activities for the waterbody
• Navigation concerns (both current and future)
• Ability to redevelop, sell, or donate the site after remediation
• Opportunities to create land from a waterbody

Developing a vision upfront is critical because different remedial technologies for contaminated sediments can enhance or limit future site use.  An RP that has started along the process of performing the remedial investigation (RI), feasibility study (FS), remedial design, and remedial action without a vision usually only asks, “How can we minimize the cost of the remedy?”  A much better question is, “How can we use ‘smart from the start’ to create a win for us and a win for the Agencies?”  If the site vision is aligned early in the process, a win-win situation is more attainable.

Being “smart from the start” (where we consider the end game, understand the Agencies’ and RP’s perspectives, and find alignment) is the opportunity to balance risk reduction achieved and cost (i.e., risk management).  This is only achieved when there is a common understanding, respect between parties, and a true effort to attain shared goals.  “Smart from the start” is as much psychological as technical.

Part of the site vision is the need for a high-level understanding of potential remedy costs relative to risk reduction.  This is done by estimating the areas and volumes of contaminated sediments to a variety of potential cleanup concentrations or levels (CULs).  These estimated volumes can help establish general cost ranges along with the potential risk reduction to provide an overall perspective of sensitivities to changes in the program.  It is also important to understand the feasibility of remedial technologies at a site.  Dredging is difficult under certain conditions (e.g., if contaminated sediments overlie a rocky substrate).  Capping is difficult under other conditions (e.g., if there are navigation concerns or the potential for ice scour of the cap).  Experienced personnel are best to assist with these analyses, especially if there are significant data gaps in understanding the breadth of contamination and potential risk.

ENGAGING THE AGENCIES TO UNDERSTAND THEIR VISION OF THE SITE

It is critical to engage Agency personnel and demonstrate a willingness to work with them.  The goal is to create mutual trust which thereby, allows for more open and meaningful dialog.  Trust allows for discussion of ideas that might otherwise be thrown out without due consideration.

It is ideal to engage Agency personnel around a vision for the site.  Site vision is becoming increasingly more important and will likely be more of a driver for compelling Agencies to take action on sites.  Further, consideration of site vision will become increasingly more important and represents a prime opportunity to engage the Agency personnel to build relationships.  Attaining agreement on the site vision may be the most significant impediment to executing a contaminated sediment project that meets the goals of both the Agencies and RPs.

Site vision discussions should include potential for leveraging activities in the area that are being conducted or are planned to be conducted.  This is a time to establish a cooperative relationship, and hopefully a partnership.  It is important to keep early discussions at a high level to avoid forcing one’s agenda.  There is a tendency in early negotiations and discussions to try to push for less expensive remedial technologies.  This should be resisted.  There is much more to be gained when an RP makes every attempt to understand, agree to, and then blend the vision of the Agencies into a remedial approach.

The Great Lake Commission has recognized the value of developing a site vision and recently held a workshop titled “Creating Vibrant Coastal Communities: Techniques, Tools, and Resources to Advanced Placemaking in Waterfront Areas” was recently held in Muskegon, Michigan.  This workshop focused on an integrated approach to waterfront redevelopment that includes sediment remediation.

BUILDING THE RELATIONSHIP TO ALIGN VISION AND GOALS

Why are relationships so important?  When perspectives are exchanged in a trust-filled environment, there is more consideration of ideas before taking positions on issues.  This is because in a trusting environment motives are rarely questioned.  Conversely, (and unfortunately, typically) motives behind ideas are questioned when there is distrust.  Relationship building provides the opportunity to change the basis of understanding.  While there is rarely agreement on all issues, merely modifying ones views to consider the perspective of the others will help bridge that gap.

Action 2 offered by Bridges et al. (2011) recommends, “Strategically engage stakeholders in a more direct and meaningful process.”  This is because engagement builds trust, provides perspective, and offers opportunities to adapt ideas and thoughts.  Agencies are the most important stakeholders to engage first, but other stakeholders can be engaged to offer opportunities to create win-win remediation scenarios.  Example opportunities that can be leveraged to create win-win remediation scenarios include:

• Shoreline access for the public
• Public amenities (e.g., parks, boat launches)
• Redevelopment for residential or commercial purposes

CREATING WIN-WIN

Environmental negotiations, in particular those specifically related to contaminated sediment sites, are locked in on the “mythical fixed pie” (Bazeman, 2003).  The negotiation paradigm of the “mythical fixed pie” is that the “pie” is finite and in order for one party to gain more, the other party must give something up.  Recall that at most contaminated sediment sites the Agencies prefer dredging to remove contaminants, while RPs prefer MNR, adding amendments, or capping.  The mythical fixed pie is capping (or MNR or adding amendments) versus dredging; remove contaminants at a high cost or leave them in place at a lower cost.  If Agency personnel allow MNR, adding amendments, or capping they are losing some of the pie.  If the RPs are not allowed MNR, adding amendments, or capping they are losing pie.

Such negotiations are based on win-lose rather than win-win.  There are opportunities to expand the pie and create win-win scenarios.  As mentioned above, trust between Agencies and RPs is the first step to expanding the pie and for achieving the win-win.

The second step is to agree to or at least understand the Agencies’ site vision.  Remedial options can then be discussed based on the site visions rather than on cost alone.  When there is trust and a site vision, the pie is not fixed and win-win can be attained.

As an example, proposing to install caps versus dredging will be better received by Agency personnel if both trust and a site vision (e.g., where shallowing or enhancement to natural habitat is desired) are present.  Conversely, when capping is proposed without a site vision that supports the benefits of capping, Agency personnel usually feel that the RPs are merely trying to propose a less expensive remedy that leaves contamination in place.

Another way to gain trust is to propose remedy components that are desired by the other party.  When dredging is proposed by RPs, Agency personnel are more likely to trust that RPs are not just seeking the lowest cost remedy.  Dredging can strategically be used to target areas of highest contamination or to remove sediments that inhibit navigation.

GETTING TO AN ACCEPTABLE ENDPOINT

The overall goal of risk management is to reduce risk to acceptable levels at the least cost.  Of course the goal is to also limit the overall liability.  Liability includes the cost of the assessment, remediation, monitoring the effectiveness of the remedy, and potentially maintaining the remedy if contamination is left behind untreated (i.e., tailing liability). It is critical to understand that many contaminated sediment remedies have tailing liability that lasts beyond completion of the project remedy.  Under Superfund, one could argue all remedies have tailing liability because of the need to monitor the effectiveness of the remedy.  However, if sediments are capped in place, amended with organic carbon to reduce bioavailability, or subject to MNR, tailing liability can be far more significant.

The conundrum is that less expensive remedies typically come with more tailing liability.  It is classic “pay me now or pay me later.”  Further, the larger the site the more difficult and expensive it is to remove or treat all contamination, as river dynamics tend to redistribute contamination over larger areas.

With consideration to overall liability, combination remedies (i.e., use of multiple technologies) often afford the greatest opportunity to expand the pie and create “win-win” scenarios.  Combination remedies, by their nature, balance the tensions between parties because they allow both parties to attain wins.

An example combination remedy is being constructed on the Lower Fox River in Wisconsin.  The remedial action level is 1 ppm.  There are approximately 7.25 million cubic yards of sediments that must be remediated.  Approximately 70% of the mass of PCBs will be removed from the river using hydraulic dredging.  The rest of the sediments (approximately 3.25 million cubic yards) will be capped or covered with sand.  This remedy strikes a balance between the Agencies’ preferences for removal of PCBs with the RPs preferences for lower cost.  The combination remedy was arrived at through many meetings between the RPs and the Agencies and their Oversight Team.  The meetings focused on the site vision and risk reduction.  These meetings were conducted while there was a ROD in place that called for dredging all sediments but allowed for a “contingent remedy” of capping if capping could be shown to be as effective as and less expensive than dredging.  The combination remedy required an Amended ROD.  The fact that the Agencies were willing to amend the ROD shows the success of the processes of visioning the site and creating trust through meaningful and open dialog between the parties.  This truly was a win-win.

Finally, there have been a few projects recently where the RPs have opted for dredging all contaminated sediment out in order to create a situation with no tailing liability.  These projects have been conducted under a removal action and later receive a “No Action” decision in the ROD.  These types of projects are easier to come up with a win-win but the greatest opportunities exist when the project is conceived of from the beginning.  A balance must be struck to ensure that the remedy is complete enough for the Agency to agree to a situation where the remediation is complete.  This requires openness and trust.

The final piece to all of this is to align the site vision, remedy selection, and tailing liability with overall risk reduction.  If communication has led to trust, it is possible to agree to a win-win remedy where both parties are satisfied.

REFERENCES

Bridges, T.S., S.C. Nadeau, and M.C. McCulloch. 2011. “Accelerating Progress at Contaminated Sediment Sites: Moving from Guidance to Practice”. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management; Volume 8, Number 2: pp. 331-338.

Bazeman, M.X. “Mythical Fixed Pie”. Harvard Business Publishing Newsletters; 3 pages. November 1, 2003. Prod. #: N0311A-PDF-ENG.

Excerpt from: Fostering Dialogue at the WEC Roundtable on Sustainable Engineering

By: THG

The World Environment Center held a roundtable event from June 10-11 in Washington, DC, entitled Preparing the Next Generation of Engineering Students to Implement Sustainable Development: A Dialogue with Engineering School Thought Leaders and Business Executives.

THG’s President Marianne Horinko moderated a panel discussion during the event focused around the question: What skills do global companies want their new hires to possess?  The panel featured executives from The Dow Chemical Company, Royal Dutch Shell, and CH2M Hill sharing experiences on the qualities that their companies seek in new employees and the training they undergo as related to sustainability.

Panelists emphasized the importance of teamwork and the ability to collaborate across disciplines and areas of expertise.  They expressed that while new hires must possess the standard capabilities of numerical analysis and quantitative thinking, individuals who are creative, expressive, and strong communicators stand out and contribute most to the company’s ability to incorporate sustainable values into everyday work.

Sustainability for many companies entails a certain way of thinking about problems and solutions.  This requires a systems approach, taking a circular, non-linear, view of a product lifecycle or engineering project, considering uncertainty and imagining unintended consequences.  It requires that employees ask the right questions—often different and innovative questions.  The panel discussed how these skills might be cultivated before employees are brought in, either through university programs emphasizing interdisciplinary teaching and relying on sustainability-based case studies, through co-ops and internship experiences, or otherwise.

The discussion thoroughly covered many facets of the central question, and the session fostered a rich and thought–provoking dialogue between the audience, the moderator, and the panelists.

Insider Account of the 2013 Brownfields Conference Panel —

ASTM Greener Cleanup and Other Tools: Who Can Use Them and How

By: THG

At this year’s Brownfields Conference, held from May 15-17 in Atlanta, GA, one panel discussion entitled, ASTM Greener Cleanup and Other Tools : Who Can Use Them and How, featured panelist Marianne Horinko, President of The Horinko Group, representing the Sustainable Remediation Forum (SURF).  The panel explored the new cleanup standard that aims to provide a systematic process for reducing the environmental footprint of contaminated site cleanups.  The session, moderated by Deborah Goldblum of U.S. EPA Region 3, featured speakers with various experiences creating, implementing, or advocating for the standard.

Mathy Stanislaus, EPA’s Assistant Administrator for the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, gave a special introduction to lead off the session.  He gave a bit of background on the new principles and emphasized two keys aspects: first, that the principles were designed to be implemented in conjunction with existing regulatory frameworks, and second, they are designed to reduce environmental footprint while moving the cleanup process forward.  Stanislaus’ support for these principles, which provide a systematic evaluation tool for greening cleanups rigorously, was echoed throughout the discussion.

John Simon of Gnarus Advisors followed with a comprehensive overview of the standards.  He emphasized that the standards are intended to provide a process and technical direction for reducing the footprint of cleanups while maintaining flexibility for different cleanup stages and sites.  Their development, which began in 2009, followed the rigorous ASTM process and involved a broad array of stakeholders.  The standards uphold a transparent and documented process and are intended to serve as an incentive for greener cleanups.  The backbone of the standard is a robust list of over 180 Best Management Practices (BMPs) for cleanups.  The four-part process includes an opportunity assessment of feasible BMPs, prioritization of BMPs that will have the greatest impact on footprint reduction, selection and implementation of BMPs, and finally, the reporting on the cleanup and the sustainable approach to it.  Quantitative evaluation of this process is possible and encouraged for analyzing footprint and measuring performance of the BMPs applied.  As of now, the standards are used on a voluntary basis, but Simon notes that the hope is that regulatory enticement and policy will develop around the standards.

Stephanie Fiorenza, representing BP North America, Inc., a current voluntary user of the standard, spoke next.  Fiorenza remarked that BP ran a pilot test of the standards on a service station site using the qualitative BMP list.  After assessment, prioritization and selection phases, they implemented 15 BMPs.  Fiorenza recommended that the guide be used during remedy design to minimize the footprint and emphasized its usefulness across regulatory programs.  BP plans to use the quantitative approach on a larger test site in the next phase as well as complete the reporting components.  This experience with the standards in practice was favorable.

Speaking from the state perspective, Heather Nifong, Illinois EPA, likewise touted the advantages of the new standards.  She highlighted a few key reasons why these standards serve to mitigate the resource intensiveness of state cleanup programs: uniform process works across regulatory programs, carefully vetted BMPs, reporting and transparency encourage self-implementation, and therefore do not require state regulatory review.  Though states have the option of not adopting the standards, Nifong predicted that states will embrace them and offered various ways to incentivize their use including expedited review, discounts or rebates on fees, or recognition programs for standard users.  This panelist noted that though the BMPs individually may be minor changes, in aggregate, the standards could have a major impact.

The next panelist, Carlos Pachon of U.S. EPA Headquarters, highlighted the momentum from industry, consultants, engineers and other parties to create these principles.  The development and long evolution of the standards involved extensive work with many related regulatory programs and various regions, resulting in a strong base of support throughout the Agency.  Pachon too emphasized the importance of transparency and publicly available documentation that the standards require.  At this phase, he noted, continuing to spread information about the standards and their availability is essential.  With widespread use, the standards have the potential to facilitate a common language for sustainable cleanups.

The final panelist, Marianne Horinko, focused on the growing support for sustainable cleanups, as well as the need to widely advocate for and apply these greener cleanup standards.  She has witnessed green remediation principles being embraced by a global audience as nascent cleanup programs are developed in other countries.  The new cleanup standards and others like them focus on efficiency in cost, minimizing cleanup time, and reducing environmental footprint, and therefore are a fundamental tool for serving communities in need.

Furthermore, the standards are rigorous and do not allow for “greenwashing,” but still emphasize quick and sustainable cleanups.  They provide value to constituents that can be demonstrated through metrics and transparent reporting, and they allow industry and consultants and all those involved with cleanups to do more with less and accomplish cleanup goals in a more sustainable manner.  SURF will certainly play a role in amplifying these efforts and spreading these principles with the hope that they become a second nature part of the cleanup process.

The session concluded with an informative round of questions and discussion.  This notably touched on the best way to demonstrate the usefulness of the principles and information sharing regarding case studies and pilot tests.  There is an abundance of information available on the web via EPA’s site for green remediation (which will publish the list of BMPs later this summer), SURF website, and ITRC’s website.  Case studies will become more readily available as the standards are implemented and reports published.  Equally, if not more convincing than such case studies, is the common sense implicit in the standards themselves.  The standards provide guidance for users to consistently approach cleanups that are quicker, cheaper, and greener.

 

Hydraulic Fracturing – Outlook for the Next Four Years

Remarks by Marianne Horinko, President, THG
WWEMA 40th Annual Washington Forum | Washington, DC| April 24, 2013

Building on THG’s landmark 2012 report, Hydraulic Fracturing: Guidebook on the Current and Future Environmental, Regulatory, and Legal Challenges, Marianne Horinko recently presented at the Water & Wastewater Equipment Manufactures Association’s 40th Annual Washington Forum to discuss the environmental challenges hydraulic fracturing presents, the state of regulation and litigation governing its practice, and opportunities for technology providers in finding safe solutions for reducing its environmental impact.

Since the formation of The Horinko Group in 2008, my team has been closely tracking many energy sectors and considering their economic viability, energy security, and environmental impact.  Before I delve too far into hydraulic fracturing and the related environmental, regulatory and legal challenges, I believe it is important to describe the energy landscape as a whole, while sharing some key facts and insights that I’ve gained along the way.

Renewable energy is undoubtedly an important sector and one which we would, of course, like to see succeed.  In 2012, wind, solar, geothermal, and hydropower accounted for almost 15% of energy production in the United States.  Each suffers from intermittency and location issues, as well as extensive capital requirements.  Mixed public-private investment might ameliorate these roadblocks.

Biofuel production has been on the rise since the establishment of the first renewable fuel standard (RFS) in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.  The RFS program has since been expanded, and at the same time, biofuels have become the subject of the “food versus fuel” debate.  Biofuels are still necessitated by the RFS program and Clean Air Act regulations that require the use of reformulated gasoline, so their development continues.

Nuclear energy production has also been on the rise since 2005.  Concerns associated with waste disposal and safety, especially following the Fukushima disaster, has brought into question the future of its growth.

Petroleum continues to be central to our country’s energy resources.  Despite challenges, domestic crude oil production has risen steadily since 2009 and this Administration has committed to safe and responsible expansion of crude oil production.  New fuel economy standards, coupled with new production technologies, have resulted in a rise in domestic oil reserves.  The course of offshore oil production was altered and its future became more uncertain following the BP oil spill.

Shale and tight oil, two additional forms of domestic hydrocarbons, are accessed using the same technologies used in natural gas extraction.  Tight oil development has contributed to the reversal of more than two decades of declining U.S. oil reserves.  Both shale and tight oil represent a growing role for domestically produced hydrocarbons in meeting our nation’s energy demands.

This brings us to the primary focus of today’s discussion – natural gas.  Natural gas production, especially shale gas, has seen a significant rise in recent years with the improvement of directional drilling and hydraulic fracturing technologies.  The Energy Information Administration has estimated that U.S. natural gas reserve volumes are equivalent to a 93-year supply at current consumption rates.

Increased shale gas production and the extraordinarily low prices of natural gas that this production has brought about have had enormous economic impacts – job growth, decreased reliance on costly liquefied natural gas imports, and enabling LNG exports.  Industries and homeowners stand to gain from the lowered cost and increased price stability.

Given the growth and expected future impacts of natural gas, The Horinko Group conducted a study this past fall to look at the current environmental, regulatory, and legal issues tied to hydraulic fracturing.

Environmental impacts and health issues associated with shale gas are still being investigated.  There are unintended consequences in every step of the process to the air, water, and climate.  With regards to water, potential groundwater contamination has received the most public attention, but wastewater management, and water withdrawal volumes may be more notable concerns.

Turning the focus to the regulatory landscape, it is clear that rapid growth in the natural gas industry (estimates suggest that 11,400 new wells are being drilled each year) makes pragmatic regulation, permitting, and enforcement difficult.  The U.S. is gradually working to resolve this.

Natural gas development activities fall under a host of federal state and local regulations, but are for the most part regulated at the state level.  This framework opens the door for inconsistencies in the level of environmental protection across different states.  This is true of water withdrawal limits, recycled water usage standards, and wastewater management requirements.  Each of these components of the gas extraction process is regulated at the state level.  Therefore, operations in different states vary in their degree of protectiveness of the surrounding water resources.

There has been some federal activity to address these discrepancies.  In October 2011, EPA initiated a rulemaking process to address wastewater concerns from shale gas development when water is disposed of via treatment facilities.  New standards are expected to be published for comment in 2014.  EPA has also been investigating the impact of hydraulic fracturing on drinking water sources in a multi-year study.  These results are also due out in 2014.

With regard to the legal landscape, litigation has escalated concerning aquifer contamination, disposal of wastewater, and property rights.  Many of these cases allege a causal connection between hydraulic fracturing and water contamination.  Thus far, the majority of these cases has reached settlement agreements or has been dismissed.  Emerging scientific evidence is informing decision-making where specific regulations are absent, and the legal precedent is certainly still developing.

Our study concludes that the economic potential that the development of U.S. natural gas supply holds is undeniable.  Unconventional reserves have led to job creation, decreased energy costs, reduced dependence on foreign resources, and if exported, could come to bear on the balance of trade and improve our nation’s international negotiating position.  It is also generally agreed upon that natural gas for electricity generation is a cleaner burning fuel, with fewer air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions, than coal power.

The risks of these practices, however, are yet to be fully known.  The lack of concrete information has led to public distrust, restrictive regulation, litigation, and, in some cases, outright bans.  For these results to be avoided, and for protective practices to become widespread, industry must be proactive in self-regulation and sensitive to concerns.

In particular, focus must be placed on finding and implementing innovative methods or technologies for minimizing impact on water resources and reusing wastewater generated.  Advanced water treatment technologies have emerged and recycling of drilling water is taking place on some sites.However, not much has changed, as it is often more cost effective for drillers to continue using traditional wastewater disposal methods or employ the least expensive treatment methods.  There exists an opportunity for technology manufacturers to innovate around these issues, partner with industry players, conduct pilot projects, and develop solutions that can be scaled across this rapidly growing industry.

Given the promise of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling and their proven contributions to our nation’s energy supply, these technologies must be explored with a renewed commitment to safe, environmentally sound development.

Addressing the Middle East Water Crisis — One Rain Drop at a Time

By: Brendan McGinnis, President, Water Resources Action Project

Global Understanding Convention | Monmouth University | April 9, 2013

Introduction

My name is Brendan McGinnis, in addition to helping found The Horinko Group, an environmental consulting firm based in Washington, DC, I’m President of the Water Resources Action Project, or WRAP as we have come to know it, which I will be discussing today.  Before I get started, I would like to personally extend my warm thanks to Dr. Saliba Sarsar, who continues to graciously share his time and insights to WRAP, serving on the group’s Board.  I would also like to express my gratitude to him for the invitation to present today — it is truly an honor and an opportunity that I don’t overlook.

Middle East — Water Conflict

Before I provide a brief history of the group and it’s efforts, let’s start with a snapshot of what the water conflict looks like in the Middle East.  More specifically, I’m going to focus on the bordering regions of Israel, Palestine, and Jordan — the initial focus of WRAP’s efforts.  This region is one of growing population that is already dealing with dire water shortage problems.  All three of these bordering countries rely on a shrinking and polluted Jordan River, and adding to this problem, the number of rainy days continues to decrease each year.  So, as you can imagine, freshwater is a precious resource for this region and its people.

Some are looking to desalination to provide the additional water that these people will need, removing salt from the waters of the Mediterranean and Dead Sea, so it can be used for drinking, agriculture, toilet flushing, washing, showering — all things we often take for granted.  Desal will certainly play a role, but it’s an expensive, energy intensive process that has a host of near-term challenges and limitations.

Lack of Water — The Impact

Where does this leave us?  Well, the issues I just touched on continue to intensify and the resulting impacts worsen —

Drinking water is scarce, whatever remains, if anything, is used for toilet flushing and hand washing.  Whether an office building, home, or school — each is permitted only so much water each day for drinking and other uses.  If they run out, they run out — the tap doesn’t continue to flow.

These people are left with two options, wait until the next delivery of water or simply use less.  Best case scenario — a tanker trunk actually shows up in a reasonable timeframe.  And, even if it does, you are left purchasing drinking water at an exorbitant rate.

This kind of scenario regularly plays out in the remote, rural areas of East Jerusalem bordering the Palestinian territories, as well as much of the West Bank.

During my last visit to the region in November of last year, this was certainly the case at a number of schools we visited.  We have seen that school populations are impacted the most.  Why?  Because you have a large population of young students, centralized on a small site.  And, even though some will have an appreciation of how scarce this resource really is, conservation will always be an issue when dealing with children.

As you can imagine, it can be difficult to focus on learning when you’re thirsty, when the restrooms are temporarily closed, when they are dirty because there is only enough water to clean them twice a year.  Yes, twice a year, at the beginning and end of the school year.  Factor in that you will likely not have enough water to wash your hands, and you have a serious hygiene problem.

This all leads to a greater dependency on municipal water that in this area is quite limited, often unreliable, and can constitute a very significant portion of a school, or household’s, overall budget.

All of these pressures, and the countless ones that I haven’t touched on – no water for agriculture, gardening, washing dishes, washing clothes, the list goes on and on – all result in growing tension between these bordering countries, with a people from a variety of backgrounds and beliefs, all competing for the same, dwindling resource.

Where Do We Go From Here — WRAP

Where do we go from here?  A question without a definitive answer that initially brought our group together in early 2009, a handful of concerned environmental and legal professionals from diverse political, ethnic, and religious backgrounds, all wanting to make a difference in this region of the world, not later — now.

That same year, we form a 501(c)(3), volunteer,non-profit called the Water Resources Action Project.  I stress the word, volunteer.  No one is paid, no one.  Not knowing early on exactly where and how our group would be able to make the greatest difference, we kept our mission and vision flexible enough to let us figure it out along the way.

Our mission – to improve the quality of life for underserved communities in the Middle East through greater water stewardship, and, I will stress – while operating with strict political and religious neutrality.

Our hope – that by easing the growing water conflict and educating individuals and institutions at the grassroots level on the value and interconnectedness of water, we can foster a greater awareness and appreciation for human health and the environment.

What Difference Can We Make — Now

After a few visits to the region, ongoing dialogue with these struggling people, and canvassing the organizations currently working in this area, we identified a number of immediate opportunities –

The most precious resource of this arid region will forever be water — not oil, but water.  And, during an ever-shrinking timeframe of the year, typically November through April, freshwater falls from the sky, much of it soaks into the dry land, where it eventually finds its way into the Mediterranean and Dead Sea.

A rather simple technology, at a relatively low cost, that we have found is effective in capturing, storing, and using this rainwater, are two primary types of collection systems — rain barrels and cisterns.

With respect to the rain barrel system, it’s pretty straight-forward — there is a collection unit that is placed on the roof of a house or building, the unit collects the rainwater as it falls, the rainwater runs through a gutter system, by way of gravity, to the ground level, where it is then stored in a number of large, plastic barrels.  This water does not meet drinking water standards, but it can be used for a range of other needs, typically toilet flushing and hand washing.  A small pump transfers the water from the storage barrels through a set of plastic tubing to selected toilets and faucets.

A cistern system is a bit more complicated and costly, due to the excavation and concrete required.  This system is placed in the ground and a concrete storage tank is poured that can hold a great deal more water than a rain barrel system.  A similar type of pump is then used to pump the water from the cistern to its intended use.  A cistern is typically used in the West Bank.  Due to the very infrequent rainfall in this particular area, you want to capture and store as much as possible, which the cistern permits.

Following a number of visits to schools in the area, we found that 85% of a school’s total water usage is from flushing toilets.  We also determined that these rain collection systems could supply 70% of a school’s total water needs during its nine months of operation.

Taking these scattered pieces of information collected from our visits, discussions, research, and relationships, the path forward became clearer.  Emphasizing a “results–only” approach, we would begin actively sponsoring and constructing rainwater collection systems within underprivileged schools of neglected areas that lack reliable, safe water.

In order to do so, we would need local, trusted partners, working on the ground with a proven track record of “getting things done.”  And, thankfully, we found the right fit.  In January 2011, WRAP entered into a memorandum of understanding with Friends of the Earth Middle East (FoEME).  FoEME continues to be an invaluable resource for WRAP, assisting to identify candidate schools, licensed engineers for constructing the systems, and in-school partners.

With all the necessary pieces now in place, we were able to complete the installation stage of our pilot project in a matter of weeks.

WRAP’s Progress — Pilot Project

The Sur Baher Girls School in East Jerusalem was selected as WRAP’s pilot school based on a number of criteria, the most critical being — it’s located in an underprivileged area, in an outlying region of Israel bordering Palestine; serves 800 Arab girls (grades 1–12); the school’s municipal source of water is costly and unreliable; the principal, teachers, maintenance workers were all enthusiastic to have this rain barrel collection system installed, and each were committed to working with the children to understand the purpose of the system, the value of water, and the impact that each student’s individual actions have on the surrounding environment and their neighbors.

The rain barrel collection system was completed in February 2011, servicing one of the school’s two restrooms.  Contributions that each WRAP member pledged to donate on an annual basis funded it.  We made certain that any project we implemented budgeted for no less than three years of routine maintenance and a part-time Project Educator, working in-school with the children five hours per week.

I was fortunate to attend the dedication of the system on May 19, 2011 with the school’s leadership and students.  Also participating was Naomi Sur, Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem.

Monthly reporting following the 2011 and 2012 rainy seasons shows that WRAP’s havesting system at Sur Baher has collected over 130,000 Liters, accounting for nearly half of the water used by the school during this timeframe.

As a result, we have reduced the school’s dependence on the municipal system, the amount of limited resources allocated to its water bills, and improved the children’s understanding of water’s importance and conserving it — knowledge the we found was carried home with the students and transferred to parents, siblings, and neighbors.

Before describing our second project, it’s worth noting (actually, it’s a key differentiating factor) that we don’t simply move onto the next school.  We are committed to staying connected to each school that we establish a relationship with.  We stay fully committed to each school, its leadership, and its children.  We visit these schools during our annual trips to the region, and remain closely connected to each.

WRAP’s Progress — Second Project

Our second project was also completed in February of this year — a rain barrel collection system at the Afaq School for the Learning Disabled, also located in East Jerusalem.

The system services 300 Arab boys with special needs.  The project, which includes three years of maintenance and education, was funded by WRAP’s annual membership dues, as well as a $4,000 commitment by Only Green Environmental Center.

Monthly reporting following the 2012 rainy season shows that WRAP’s havesting system at Al Afaq has collected nearly 50,000 Liters, used for the school’s toilet flushing and community garden.

WRAP’s Progress — Next Project

WRAP is close to breaking ground on its third project, a cistern system at the Battir Girls High School, located near Bethlehem in Battir, a Palestinian village.  Visited and vetted through WRAP, this school has 120 female students in three grades.  We intend to work closely with the school’s leadership to provide the environmental education program and routine maintenance for no less than three years.

Water delivery is unreliable and costly.  The bathrooms are cleaned twice during the school year.  The principal that we met with is a very dedicated individual that is fostering a positive environment for his students.

This project consists of a cistern collection system, a $25,000 budget that includes three years education and maintenance.  Immediate benefits include continued usage of cleanrestrooms throughout the entire school year, with water available for hand washing, ability to have summer camp, and a community garden.

Once this project is fully funded and complete, a number of additional schools with similar needs have already been identified.  Considering WRAP’s next trip to the region is in the coming weeks, I can ensure you that this list will continue to grow.

Lessons Learned — Carrying It Forward

What have we learned thus far?  For a young organization, a number of lessons have been learned along our brief journey —

• Fully committed leaders from the school, community, and local partners are critical.  If there is not a shared vision of what is trying to be accomplished, real progress will not take hold.
• Strong, parallel educational component is a must.  The installation of a rain harvesting system will result in its own direct benefits to the school and its students, but a full understanding of the interconnected, and often unperceived, impacts of collecting and conserving water to the surrounding community and environment cannotbe overlooked.
• Detailed, transparent criteria and process for screening and selecting projects is important to continue the validity and neutrality of our efforts, particularly in a region with sensitivities between bordering nations.
• Proven contractors, routine system maintenance, and protective measures from vandalism are all critical elements to ensure the ongoing performance and longevity of any project.
• Continued follow-up on projects, data collection, and reporting can never be underestimated — each validates the importance and impact of the project, not only to the school and its surrounding community, but also to our membership, donors, and ability to raise funds.
• It’s important to identify the end game and create a roadmap to get there — absent this, it’s very easy to lose focus and succumb to distractions.

Why WRAP?

Why WRAP?

Most non–profits have paid staff with benefits, expenses, and travel costs covered.

Most non-profits have marketing programs that spend donor funds on coffee mugs, pretty calendars, mass mailings, member services, etc.  Many start small, but over time become their own bureaucracies.

What’s makes WRAP different?

WRAP directs all contributions towards its projects — every penny of every dollar.

No overheard, no pass through, no bureaucracy, no executive salaries, no nonsense.

All WRAP leadership, members and staff are volunteers, devoting their time and resources toward putting real results on the ground.  When we show up at a project site overseas, it’s on our dime, not the donor, and not some grant.

We have trusted, grassroots partners in place prepared to leverage their knowledge and resources towards these efforts.

We have licensed engineers standing by to install these systems.

We have a parallel curriculum established and a project educator lined up to administer the educational program.

If You’re Wondering — How Can I Help?

Let me first say, my primary objective of today’s presentation was simply to make you aware of how little it takes to make a very big difference.  This effort has been one of the most rewarding, worthwhile, and satisfying experiences that I’ve had working with a non-profit organization.

You can spread the good word.  Become more aware of these issues, educate others, seek out your own solutions, and of course, let others know about WRAP.

We welcome your feedback, and I’m not just saying this.  I want to hear from you.  Let me know how I can improve this message, further leverage resources, and connect with others making a difference in this region.

And finally, our volunteers make a difference by being the difference.  If you believe this is the right time for you to get involved, then join us in our effort to bring clean water to people routinely deprived of it — not later, now.

We are in the midst of organizing student-led groups responsible for “owning a project.”  This means that you are in charge of working with WRAP to select the rain harvesting project in the Middle East, communicating with the contractor to design the construction plans and budget, help fundraise towards the effort, manage all aspects along the way from breaking ground to finished completion, coordinating the environmental curriculum, reporting, and maintenance, and most important, organizing a trip to the region to visit the completed project and witness first-hand the impact you have made on these children and the surrounding community.

If you’re interested, please don’t hesitate to contact me or at info@wrapdc.org and visit our website at www.wrapdc.org for additional info on our group.

Thank you and stay in touch!

Download a PDF copy of the presentation.

Profiles in Leadership Series

David Lloyd, Director, Office of Brownfields and Land Revitalization, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

March 25, 2013

This series outlines the experience, ideas, and advice learned over considerable time devoted to environmental progress in our nation. Our third column features David Lloyd, Director, Office of Brownfields and Revitalization, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

The Road to EPA

David Lloyd began his career in private law practice in Nevada, where he grew up. He decided that he would return to Washington, DC where he attended law school and was able to obtain a position in EPA’s Office of General Counsel. Formerly a real estate attorney in private practice, he knew he would need grounding in environmental issues and was open-minded towards a public-sector practice of law.

David found that he really enjoyed working for EPA. At the time, the Agency was building new offices and laboratories in the Research Triangle Park, Northern Virginia, Denver, Colorado, and Michigan. The Office of General Counsel enjoyed a very strong relationship with its client as these new buildings were developed.

David counts the green building, LEED-certified offices at the EPA laboratories, regional office in December, and Potomac Yards as accomplishments, as well as collaborating with so many great people along the way.

Learnings

David found that he underestimated the skill level and strong work ethic of EPA employees. He had wrongly assumed that they would be less motivated than private sector employees.

He also learned that the web of relationships between the federal government, states, communities, other executive branch agencies, and Congress was essential. You can’t be successful without these alliances. He had incorrectly thought that just becoming a subject matter expert was enough. These relationships are essential.

Finally, he learned how much of a positive impact the federal government can have when engaged in the right way. Its problem-solving attitude can accomplish almost any goal.

Issues Going Forward

The critical issue facing the Brownfields program at present is working to ensure our available funding is as available and effective as possible in light of constrained budgets and increasing demand. This sequester is causing a serious examination of how best to be problem-solvers at the state and local level, given these limitations.

Some programs are based strictly on the stated directive of a statute or regulation. However, programs like Brownfields must be creative, flexible and helpful in order to garner and maintain the public and Congress’ support.

The government also needs to continue to work at succession planning and workforce development. Finding nonmonetary things that employees would be attracted to, such as flexible schedules and commuting options, will help build and retain the workforce of the future.

State and Federal Relationships

The Brownfields program views the states and tribal governments as essential. Without the state and tribal response programs, there is no mechanism to supervise cleanups to ensure they are complete and protective of the environment and public health and, as such, they are the backbone of the Brownfields program. The federal program is critically important and has been very successful, but we need to continue to recognize the immense contributions of states and tribes to this success. The involvement of states, tribes, local governments, and nonprofit organizations working with the private sector under the Federal Brownfield statutory umbrella is the reason brownfields cleanup and redevelopment has expanded so widely and rapidly.

Advice to Stakeholders

David has three pieces of advice to stakeholders looking at a property for cleanup and redevelopment.

First, engage the affected people in the community to find out what they really need and want from the redeveloped property.

Second, reach out as early as possible to the Brownfields staff in the EPA regional office and with the state or tribal environmental programs. Let them work with you to avoid liability issues, assist with developers, and aid with financing.

Third, always keep the end goal in mind, of cleaning and redeveloping property for the benefit of the affected community.

Problems arise when developers don’t attract capital, have angry neighbors, and don’t involve the appropriate environmental programs.