test 2 Flashcards
(139 cards)
1
Q
water
A
In Canada, water is very common
Lose sight of its value bc so common
Common property
• Abundant, cheap, clean – we do not value it
Value land much more than water
Ignore water – except when it gets in our way -> floods and droughts
2
Q
great lakes
A
Great lake = lake over 500 km2
250 great lakes worldwide
• Now prob 242 – bc lakes are shrinking, parts of world are losing it bc of droughts/ water pressure
1/3 in Canada
Laurentian Great Lakes
3
Q
laurentian great lakes
A
- Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie, Ontario
* Connected – takes a molecule of water 300 yrs to get from Superior to Atlantic ocean through the lake system
4
Q
Characteristics of the Great Lakes Basin
o Watershed
A
764 051 square km
5
Q
Characteristics of the Great Lakes Basin
o Shoreline
A
20 207 km
6850 miles in Ontario and Quebec
5270 miles in 8 US states
6
Q
Characteristics of the Great Lakes Basin
DRAINAGE
A
Pattern of drainage, water goes:
Lake Superior and Lake Michigan, east through Lake Huron, Lake St Clair, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, to the St Lawrence and Atlantic Ocean
7
Q
Characteristics of the Great Lakes Basin
THE GREAT LAKES
A
Contain 23 000 km3 of water
Area of 244 000 km2
Largest system of fresh, surface water on Earth
18-20% of world’s fresh water supply
8
Q
Characteristics of the Great Lakes Basin
OUTFLOW
A
How much water leaves the system
Less than 1% per year
• Therefore, pollutants that enter the system are retained in the system
9
Q
from west to east - order of lakes
A
Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario
10
Q
great lakes basin touches
A
Ontario, Quebec, NY, Penn, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota
11
Q
great lakes basin - majority of pop
A
o Lots of people in southern portion
living near Michigan – in Chicago, Illinois; and Detroit near Huron/Erie + US/Can border; Toronto near Ontario
12
Q
London vs chicago
A
o Thames river flows to Lake St Clair – we get our drinking water from Huron + Erie and give it back to St Clair – still gets to Basin
o Chicago used Michigan as place to get drinking water + store unfiltered sewage
Southern part of L. Michigan is pretty shallow, so not a lot of movement
When we take water out of lake/ ground, we could have unintended consequences to underground water system
13
Q
amount of water on earth
A
Salt water – 97.5%
Fresh water – 2.5%
Rivers, Lakes – 0.12%
Ground water – 30%
Polar regions + glaciers (as ice) – 69%
14
Q
how gr8 lakes formed - wisconsin period
A
Began 70 000 yrs ago
Ice picked up clay, sand, gravel, boulders
As ice moved, it shaped the landscape
Withdrew 14 000 and 15 000 yrs ago
Basically, left holes which filled with the melted ice -> making lakes
Massive meltwater = ancestral lakes
Clay, sand, gravel, and boulders formed hills, ridges, and moraines
15
Q
evolution of gr8 lakes system - shape evolved due to:
A
Shape of lakes evolved due to:
Retreat of glaciers (climate change)
Topography surrounding the lakes
Gradual tilting of the Earth’s crust
• Major factor since glaciers retreat
16
Q
ongoing evolution of gr8 lakes
A
o Crustal tilting
o Shore erosion
o Climate change
o Continue to alter shape + size of Great Lakes
17
Q
lake superior
A
o World’s largest fresh water lake by area
o Largest, deepest, + coldest of Great Lakes
o Could contain all othe Great Lakes (+ 3 Eries)
o Retention time = 191 yrs
o Forested, little agriculture
o Sparse population
18
Q
retention time
A
Measure based on volume of water in lake and mean rate of outflow
Whole gr8 lakes system has ~ 300 yr retention time
19
Q
lake michigan
A
Only lake entirely within US
99 yr retention time
Northern part is n colder, less developed upper Great Lakes
Sparsely populated except for Green Bay
Green Bay
One of most productive fisheries in the Great Lakes
World’s largest concentration of pulp and paper mills
Southern portion is in more temperate part
Among the most urbanized areas in the Great Lakes system
Contains Milwaukee and Chicago Metropolitan Areas
20
Q
first billion $ project that acc ddi it
A
- St Lawrence seaway was first billion-dollar project that finished on time + budget
21
Q
lake huron
A
o Includes Georgian Bay
o Home to 30 000 islands, including Manitoulin island
o Receives water flow from Superior AND Michigan
o 22 yr retention time
o Characterized by Cottage Country
Sandy shores of Lake Huron
Rocky shores of Georgian Bay
o Heavy recreational use
o Productive fisheries
o Saginaw River Basin is intensively farmed
o Flint and Saginaw Bay City Metropolitan Areas
22
Q
lake erie
A
o Exposed to greatest effects from urbanization and agriculture
Intensively farmed due to fertile soil
Lake Erie basin contains 17 Metropolitan areas w populations over 50 000
o Home to Point Pelee National Park – Canada’s most southern point on the mainland
o Shallowest lake – avg depth 19m
Warms rapidly in the spring and summer
Frequently freezes in the winter
o Shortest retention time = 2.6 yrs
o Dirtiest + gets dirtier over summer
23
Q
Lake ontario
A
Slightly smaller than Lake Erie in area, larger in volume
Much deeper than Lake Erie
Avg depth – 86 m
Retention time – 6 yrs
Niagara Falls on the west and Thousand Islands on the east
Major industrial areas – Hamilton, Toronto – on the north shore
US (south shore) is less urbanized and not intensively farmed
24
Q
who did more damage to gr8 lakes
A
canada
25
ice shove
ice from top of lake Erie pushed by wind and water onto the pathway
26
chicago river direction
They reversed direction of Chicago river
o Ppl dying of cholera
o The water they were drinking was really dirty
o Moved it south towards mississipi basin
27
non-persistent pollution
Degradable – damage is reversible
o Harmless in a sense
Can be broke down by chemical reactions or by natural bacteria into simple, non-polluting substances
28
eg of non persistent pollition
o Domestic sewage
o Fertilizer
o Some industrial wastes
29
biological productivity
+ 3 levels
amount of living material supported within a lake (how much life it can support, how much stuff is happening)
Least productive = oligotrophic
Intermediate productivity = mesotrophic
Most productive = eutrophic
30
eutrophication + oxygen depletion relationship
o Eutrophication leads to oxygen depletion
31
productivity determined by
Temperature
• Warmer = more biologically productive
Light
Depth – deeper = les light, more cold
Volume
• Spread nutrients around larger bodies takes longer
• More water = less productive in nutrients
Nutrients
• E.g. domestic sewage, fertilizers, etc
• Things that feed plant life
32
pre-settlement
It was oligotrophic (least productive/ least amount of living material in lake)
• Even lake erie
33
current condition
Temp of tributaries increased
• Temp of water increased bc we cleared around it
Amount of nutrients increased
• Threw in fertilizers, waste, phosphorus + nitrogen
• All these nutrients – so many that they stop breaking down
o Algae starts taking the nutrients and growing
Sources
34
eutrophication
Increase in nutrients = growth of plants
Plants die, settle, decomposes
Decomposition uses dissolved oxygen
35
biological oxygen demand (BOD)
Depletion of oxygen via decomposition of organic material
36
fertilizer run-off
```
o After the run-off, algae grows fast, using up lots of oxygen and blocking sunlight
o Aquatic plants begin to die
o Dead matter provides food for microbes
o Increases competition of oxygen
o Water becomes deoxygenated - fish die
```
37
Water becomes deoxygenated
Now you have live algae, then it starts to die
Since algae is using up all oxygen as it dies, you have all this dead fish
Lots of dead things on beaches, then birds
• Why 60s/70s we said Erie was dead – easy to see that something was wrong
• Had bulldozers taking it off because it was a health hazard + disgusting
38
Eutrophication and Oxygen Depletion – Lake Erie
o Shallow, warm, most productive lake (even tho oligarchic)
o Intense agricultural + urban development
o 1960s
o Public concern grew = new pollution laws
o 1972 – Canada and US signed the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
39
Eutrophication and Oxygen Depletion – Lake Erie
1972 – Canada and US signed the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
+ primary, secondary
Everyone who had sewage + was releasing it into lakes - had to bring it up to secondary sewage treatment; everything became phosphate free; more mindful of what’s in fertilizers
Primary – get chunks/ solids out, then go to landfill
Secondary – get rid of nutrients
40
Lorax lake erie
In The Lorax – he says “I hear things are just as bad in Lake Erie”
Wrote it in 1971
By 1991, Random House said that since Lake Erie had fixed up, so they took out the Lake Erie line because it wasn’t true in 1991
41
erie - early 1990s
– it’s clean, less non-persistent
But then zebra mussel arrived & we stopped monitoring/ caring
42
We release untreated sewage into lake
Because it’s connected to storm drains – goes into sewer, mixes, goes to sewage treatment plant, then goes in lake
In London, when it rains a lot, it all gets to sewage treatment plant
Sewage treatment partly treats it or doesn’t even treat it and sends it into lake
43
walkerton
had water contamination
| o E coli outbreak in 2000
44
pathogens
Pathogen – a specific causative agent of disease or a morbid condition
Waterborne disease
Bacterial
Viral
Parasitic diseases
Chlorine added to drinking water
Also a risk from direct body contact
45
- Lake Erie revisited – toxic algae
o Algae blooms are once again a problem in Lake Erie
o Now the algae is toxic!
o Drinking water systems have been affected
46
toledo, ohio
had no water – water supply was contaminated by algae bloom in Lake Erie
Green could be seen in space
New type of algae – a specific toxic type – can’t drink, shower, wash dishes, use
Maybe because of new stuff farmers are using
• Maybe the zebra mussels try to eat the algae and only spit out the toxic part bc they don’t want it
2014 – high concentration where intake for Toledo’s filtration plant
• Plant could not deal with it, so had to wait for algae to dissipate
47
algae messing w canadian water
Happens a lot in Canada
A lot in native reserves up North
In Saskatchewan, they flew people out
In walkerton, e coli outbreak – ppl sick, some died
Their water comes from wells
Some of their wells were too close to agricultural runoff (animal waste)
48
persistent pollutants
o Degrade slowly or can’t be broken down at all
o Most rapidly growing type
o Remain in the environment for years or longer
o Damage is irreversible or reparable over decades or centuries
49
eg persistent pollutants
```
o Pesticides (DDT, dieldrin)
o Petroleum and petroleum products
o PCBs, dioxins, polyaromatic hydrocarbons
o Radioactive materials
o Metals – leads, mercury, cadmium
```
50
toxic contaminants
o Problem since 1940s
o Organic chemical and heavy metals that = acutely toxic in small amounts
o Injurious through long term exposure in minute concentrations
o Cancer, birth defects, genetic mutations
o Bio-magnification
o Fish consumption – exposure of humans to toxic substances
51
bio-magnfication
Bioaccumulation of toxic substances as they are passed up the food chain
52
why cant we eat fish in lake ontario
- We can’t eat fish in Lake Ontario because they are too toxic
53
other types of pollution
o Warm water – thermal pollution
o Floating debris, garbage
o Physical pollution which interferes mainly with usability and aesthetics
54
chemicals of emerging concern
o Pharmaceuticals
o Endocrine disrupters
o Personal care products
55
emerging contaminants quote
o "Emerging contaminants" can be broadly defined as any synthetic or naturally occurring chemical or any microorganism that is not commonly monitored in the environment but has the potential to enter the environment and cause known or suspected adverse ecological and(or) human health effects. In some cases, release of emerging chemical or microbial contaminants to the environment has likely occurred for a long time, but may not have been recognized until new detection methods were developed. In other cases, synthesis of new chemicals or changes in use and disposal of existing chemicals can create new sources of emerging contaminants
56
guide to eating ontario sport fish
o Published by provincial government
o Tells you how much of what fish is safe to eat and highlights sensitive groups (preg women, women of child-bearing age – toxic passes to fetus, kids, native – fish is staple for them)
o Don’t eat organs of fish – the organs keep the most toxic parts
o Fish consumption advisories are for us
57
some weird stuff happ
- Saw feminization in fish – male fish starting to look more like the women
- Rivers caught of fire – flammable rivers bc of what we were dumping
58
habitat + biodiversity
Southern Ontario habitat significantly altered by Europeans
```
How?
Clear cutting and forestry
Agriculture
Dams
Urbanization
```
Result – vast changes in plant & animal populations
59
biodiversity
o Refers to both the number of species and genetic diversity within populations of each species
o Some species have become extinct
o Many more are threatened
o Some species have recovered to some degree
60
heritage rank
G1 – critically imperiled
• 1 – element is entirely within Basin
G2 – imperiled
• 2 – more than 50% and/ or best examples within Basin
G3 – rare
• 3 – 10-50% within Basin
G4 – apparently secure
• 4 – less than 10% within Basin
61
what is a non-native species
Any animal or plant found outside its normal range is said to be a non-native species
When a non-native (or non-indigenous) species is able to reproduce and maintain a population in an introduced environment, it is said to be “naturalized”
62
non-native species breakdown - numebrs
At least 163 non-native aquatic species have been introduced into the Great Lakes over the last 200 yrs
Close to 60% of all introduced species are plants
40% are fish and invertebrates
```
Total breakdown of non-native species
Fish – 20%
Invertebrates – 21%
Algae – 12%
Plants – 47%
```
63
non native vs invasive
Non-native – doesn’t spread + take over
Not supposed to be there, but doesn’t harm
E.g. A cute tree
Invasive
Spreads + harms
E.g. zebra mussels, carps
64
Introduction of exotic species can change aquatic and terrestrial habitats
Complex communities are disrupted – can result in loss of biodiversity
Can also result in economic costs – i.e. fisheries, infrastructure, etc.
65
- Aquatic invasive species - characteristics:
```
o Few natural predators
o Adaptable
o Reproduce quickly
o Thrive in disturbed systems
o Compete for food and habitat
```
66
how do invasive species get here
```
o Ballast water
o Canals and changes to waterways
o Intentionally introduced
o Accidentally introduced
Escapes from fish farm, think it’s a nice plant
and you want it
o Climate change
```
67
ballast water how it works
Tanking of water from one part of world and emptying it into Great Lakes
At source port – cargo unloaded, ship takes in ballast water
During voyage – after cargo hold is emptied, ballast tanks are full
At destination port – as new cargo is picked up by ship, ballast water is expelled
On return trip – with full cargo hold, ballast tanks are nearly empty
68
- Sea lamprey,
Sea lampreys probably entered the Great Lakes through shipping canals of the northeastern U.S. connecting Lake Ontario and Lake Erie to the Atlantic Ocean
However, some scientists contended that these fish were first introduced to the Great Lakes and its tributaries by anglers as bait
69
wolves in yellowstone park
In Yellowstone park, lots of deer, then some wolves arrived
They fixed deer population + deer started to fear certain parts
So certain parts that deer had ruined fixed up again
Beavers + birds came in – better ecosystem
Less erosion from rivers – bc regenerating forest stabilized banks = stabilized course of rivers
70
diversity & resilience relationship
Diversity is resilience
Can withstand impact, react + cope w changes in environment
71
chicago water flow sytem
They reversed Chicago water flow/ river system from Lake Michigan to Mississippi river basin
Raw sewage + industrial waste into Chicago river -> ended up in Lake Michigan, which they used for drinking water
Dug channel that send all waste west into Mississippi and ultimately into gulf of Mexico
Canal was great for shipping + industry, but bad bc a highway for invasive species
72
fish farms - midwest
o Set them up but then lots of fish create lots of natural waste
o Asian carp like eating the waste – so put them into the fish farm
o Rained a lot in southern US = flooded fish farms and fish escaped
o Carp escaped into Mississippi river and started moving up
73
carp - electric barrier
Put an electric barrier to stop carp from getting into great lakes
o In 2017, found carp beyond electric barrier
o Carps are an invasive species that told us they were coming
74
4 pathways of pollution
o Atmospheric deposition
o Contaminated sediments
o Groundwater movement
o Surface runoff
75
atmospheric deposition
o Toxic chemicals carried long distances
o Difficult to control
o Falls where it wants to, might mix w precipitations
76
e.g, of atmospheric deposition
Acid rain – caused acidification of ecosystems + lakes
• Killed fish, trees, ecosystems
• Problem of the late 80s
• A lot to do w smoke stacks & sulphur coming out of smoke stacks
• US + Canada found problem and decided to regulate it
Smog
• Every summer we get smog, sometimes in winter
Particulate matter
77
contaminated sediments - before regulation
Stuff at bottom of lakes, rivers, streams, harbours
Pre-regulation high levels of contamination in sediments
Before regulating:
Dumped into bodies of water
If in river, it slows down when it joins the lake – stops moving as fast, so drops the contaminants
78
contaminated sediments - trying to remove it
Try to get contaminated sediments out
Can be stirred up, resuspended, redistributed
- Dredging – trying to scoop it out of water, but then the movement mixes up all sand + everything in the water
• Don’t do this anymore
- Large ships – they push water and move bottom of lake around
- Storms – move bottom level
- Biotic disturbance
Removal is difficult
Disposal – appropriate dumping areas?
Where will you put it, where will people allow it, where are people okay with it
79
Contaminated sediment in Great Lakes Areas of Concerns
o US contaminated – 59.3 million cubic metres
o Canada contaminated – 34.2 million cubic metres
o US remediated – 1.4 million cubic metres
o Canada remediated – 0.08 million cubic metres
80
groundwater movement
o Like a lot of places – we buried our garbage
o Should be a question mark
o Water slowly passes through the ground and picks up dissolved materials that have been buried or soaked into the ground
81
problem of burying garbage in the past
No reporting mechanism saying what, where we dumped stuff
Unknown effects of garbage – could be some next toxins
82
if you have a well ...
you must get it tested for non-persistent and persistent pollutants
83
love canal
– canal in US, let’s build a canal btwn L. Ontario & L. Erie
Decided they didn’t need the canal
They had an empty hole, so dumped trash into it
People started getting gas in their basements
People were dying, getting cancer
To stop people from living above this buried garbage - remediated by venting – release toxins into air
84
hydrologic cycle
– the water cycle – like that extensive one from gr9 science with transpiration, etc
85
surface runoff
Urban and agricultural sources contribute to toxins such as salt, asbestos, cadmium, lead, oils, and greases
When rains, if it hits green areas – certain amount just absorbs into ground
Extra goes into ground water
If land is saturated, paved over, etc – water keeps going and picks up everything as it goes
E.g. we use salt to melt the ice – rain will pick up that salt, and will wash away into rivers, lakes, etc.
86
sanitary vs storm sewers
| - how they end up contaminating lakes
Sanitary sewers – water + stuff from our houses
Storm sewers – rain + everything that goes in storm grates
These two are often combined then go to sewage treatment facility – supposed to be treated, then released into water
Sewage treatment plant designed to deal w human waste, not deal w toxic contaminants
Might not get treated, then gets dumped into water untreated/ partly treated
87
point sources
Direct discharges
Specific owners – easily sampled – regulation is very successful
Need to say to gov – get a permit + sample your water
Say I’m releasing x,y,z in this controlled amount
E.g. pipes
88
pollution control
Point sources
Once identified & regulated, pollution control mechanisms work really well
1972 – said we will treat our sewage – have regulatory method in place to not let ppl release untreated water
Non-point sources
Difficult to control
Other avenues – public education, voluntary action, and pollution prevention
89
pollution prevention
Eliminating pollutants before they are produced
Rare + really hard – lots of work, momentum, power behind it
How?
Changing production processes
Opting for environmentally-friendly alternatives
Banning the production, extractions, and use
• E.g. banning chemicals
Chlorofluorocarbons were everywhere and made hole in ozone layer - got together decided to ban to save earth
Banned asbestos, PCPs
90
international joint commission
o Established by 1909 Boundary Waters Treaty
o 6 members – 3 American, 3 Canadian
o Prevents and resolves disputes
o An “uncommonly good” treaty
91
1909 boundary waters treaty
o Signed Jan 11, 1909, Washington DC
o Niagara Falls one of two disputes specifically mentioned in the Treaty
o First environmental treaty of its kind
o 8000 km of boundary
40% fresh water
134 shared rivers + lakes
o 100 disputes resolved in 100 yrs
o Complete equality between the 2 countries
o 1972 new responsibilities assigned under Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement
92
role of international joint commission
Recognition that each country is affected by the other’s actions
Provides way to cooperate in management of water to protect them for benefit of today’s citizens and future generations
93
3 key roles of international joint commission
o Respecting competing interests
o Investigating water pollution
o Investigating air pollution
94
key agreements
1972 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA)
1978 GLWQA
1987 GLWQA
2012 GLWQA
95
1972 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA)
Lake Erie
Phosphorous loadings
Deal w build-up of algae – lake erie is dead
• Worked – as we stopped adding non-persistent, it fixed up
Lake Erie
Phosphorous loadings
Deal w build-up of algae – lake erie is dead
• Worked – as we stopped adding non-persistent, it fixed up
96
1978 GLWQA
Toxic contaminants – try to do what they did before and stopped adding toxic contaminants
Reduced by 90%
Goal - Virtual elimination/ zero discharge
97
1987 GLWQA
AOCs and RAPs
• Areas of concerns and remedial action plans
Wasn’t working – because they were persistent contaminants
98
2012 GLWQA
Reaffirming all of the above
99
ecosystem approach
Systemic, geographically comprehensive, inclusive of humans
Recognition of interrelated and interdependent factors
More than one course of action
o Comprehensive & interdisciplinary
Was used in 1978 GLWQA bc just regulation alone was not working
100
david suzuki - time to change - quote
o Think in a way that matches the natural environment
“Everywhere the imprint of human beings has been stamped on the land in mathematical precision that pays no attention to geographic and biological realities. We act as if our political subdivisions of the land are meaningful and fail to observe the realities of ‘bio-regions’ ecosystems and watershed to which living things have evolved and fit”
101
ecosystem approach is systemic
o Interaction among physical, chemical, and biological components
o Uses biological indicators to monitor water quality and changes in the ecosystem
102
- Ecosystem Approach is Geographically Comprehensive
o Includes land, air, and water
| o Recognizes the impact of atmospheric deposition and land uses on water quality
103
- Ecosystem Approach is Inclusive of Humans
o Recognizes social, economic, technical, and political variables that affect how humans use natural resources
o Human culture, changing lifestyles and attitudes must be considered
104
- Ecosystem Approach is a departure from
Focus on localized pollution
Management of separate components of the ecosystem in isolation
Planning that neglects the profound influences of land uses on water quality
105
traditional vs ecosystem vs integrated approach
Traditional – environment, community, economy all separate
Ecosystem – environment, community, economy all intersect (venn diagram) with health at center
Integrated approach – economic, social, ecological
106
ecosystem approach - 1978
A framework for decision-making that compels managers and planners to:
Cooperate
Devise integrated strategies
107
remedial action plans
1985 – 43 Areas of Concern (AOCs)
1987 – Remedial Action Plans (RAPs)
RAPs to restore beneficial uses within the AOCs
Identify the responsibility and timeframe for implementing remedial and preventative actions
Adopting the ecosystem approach
Consulting the public
108
imparied beneficial use
change in chemical, physical, or biological integrity of the Great Lakes system sufficient to cause any of the following:
- long list of 14 things, basically like beach closing, loss of wildlife/ habitat, restrictions on fish consumption
109
RAPs - 28 yrs later
```
7 AOCs delisted
Collingwood – first to get delisted
Severn Sound
Wheatley Harbour
Oswego (US)
Deer Lake (US)
White Lake (US)
Presque Ile (US)
```
2 AOCs are still in recovery stage
Spanish harbour
Jackfish bay
110
prof summer jobs after 2nd yr
– sept 7, 1990 published report
Wrote report to international joint commission about remedial action plan and what they had done so far
Gale was the lady who helped Collingwood fix up
Stopped sending those reports in 2003 – 15 yrs ago
111
implementing RAPs - key challenges
```
o Securing resources
o Identifying accountability and responsibility
o Defining restoration targets
o Setting priorities
o Monitoring recovery
```
112
other legislation + commitments
Canada Ontario Great Lakes Agreement 2012
The Great Lakes – St Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement
The Great Lakes – St Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact
113
gr8 lakes state of environment T/F
| IMPROVEMENT OVER TIME
o Same as above – timeline
114
gr8 lakes state of environment T/F
| OVERALL LOADINGS HAVE BEEN REDUCED
o True – but they are increasing again
115
gr8 lakes state of environment T/F
| LEVEL OF TOXICITY CONTINUES TO DECLINE
o False – levelled off and increasing
116
gr8 lakes state of environment T/F
| END-OF-PIPE Is UNDER CONTROL
o False – point source discharges increasing
117
gr8 lakes state of environment T/F
| NON-POINT SOURCES BEING REGULATED
o True – but there is little information
118
Pollution in Great Lakes rising despite clean-up effort, study says
Industrial releases of toxic materials took off from 1998 to 2002
Despite decades of effort cleaning up the Great Lakes, industrial discharges of water pollutants into the lakes are rising
Pollutants increased 21% between 1998 and 2002
23% at US companies
13% at Canadian companies
Finding is unexpected
Billions of dollars have been spent trying to clean up the environment
119
We have not solved the water-pollution problem”
o Reasons are not clear
| o First comprehensive look at industrial pollution trends in the Great Lakes region in about a decade
120
Top 10 facilities – releases to water – Ontario
```
o 1 – Toronto – Ashbridges Bay treatment plant
o 2 – Ottawa
o 3 – Hamilton
o 4 – Toronto – Humber treatment plant
o 5 – Toronto – highland creek treatment
o 6 – Ontario Clean water agency
o 7 – Inco limited
o 8 – Windsor
o 9 – London
o 10 – Guelph
```
Cities + industries pollute
- in releases to water - cities pollute more
121
- Top 10 facilities – releases to air – Ontario
```
o 1 – Ontario power generation (Nanticoke)
o 2 – Bowater pulp & paper Canada
o 3 – Bayer inc
o 4 – Ontario power generation (Lambton)
o 5 – Inco limited
o 6 – Ontario power generation (Lakeview)
o 7 – General motors of Canada
o 8 – Canadian general tower
o 9 – Lake Erie Steel company
o 10 – Weyerhaeuser company
```
- we dont have coal generation anymore tho
- this one is more industry + ontario power
122
pollution watch 2006 data
Ontario ranks 1st in Canada for air releases of toxic pollutants
Ontario ranks 1 for air releases of carcinogens
Ontario ranks 1 for air releases of toxic pollutants associated w reproductive and developmental effects
123
Pollution watch 2010 report of Great Lakes Water Quality
285 million kg of pollutants were released into the water from NPRI and TRI facilities in the Great Lakes-St Lawrence River basin in 2007
Approx 75 million kg of pollutants were released into the air from matched NPRI and TRI facilities
On a per facility basis, Canadian NPRI facilities emitted to the air, on average, almost 3x more known carcinogens and more than twice the reproductive/developmental toxins than U.S. TRI facilities
124
disappearing male - girls vs boys
First Nations reserve near Sarnia, more girls born than boys – 2:1
Surrounded by Ontario’s chemical industry
Chemicals released by permit + by accident
1st evidence of lack of male live births in humans
½ as many boys born as girls – should be 50/50
Drop noticed in 1990s – not really publicized until 2005
Small sample size – small group of ppl
125
disappearing male - sperm count
Sperm count decreased 50% in 50 yrs
Increased testicular abnormality
Increased reproductive health
Difficulty with conception
Impact on live male births
Increase in male birth defects related to reproductive system
126
disappearing male - male babies more vulnerable to chemicals
WHO standards:
85% sperm abnormal
Less than half of his father’s
Decreased sperm count moved down
Reproductive problems later in life + risk of cancer
Unborn children at greatest risk
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disappearing male - femalization of species
Fertilization of species – secondary sexual characteristics
We’ve known this since 1970s about fish, aquatic organisms, mammals
Why not humans?
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disappeaering male - chemical stats
90 000 chemical compounds created
o Most never tested for human health impacts
80 000 chemicals in use
o 85% never tested for human health impact
o These chemicals interact in environment in unknown ways
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disappearing male - Pthalates
o Soft plastic (baby toys, hospital equipment)
o Personal care products
o Known endocrine disruptors
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disappearing male - Bisphenol-A
o Hard plastic (baby bottles, containers, can linings)
o Poly carbonate
o First investigated as synthetic estrogen
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disappering male - chemicals accumulting in body
Persistent toxic contaminants
Benzene, dioxins, etc
“old” chemicals
Endocrine disruptors
Mimic hormones or disrupt hormones (block)
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Chemicals of emerging concern
Personal care products
Cosmetics
Pharmaceuticals
Microbeads
Flame-retardants
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Impacts are permanent!
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disappearing male - chemicals r everywhere
Chemicals interact in the environment, in the human body
Aren’t tested for human health impact, esp not on developing mammals
- Use grown mammals to predict health outcome on babies
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disappearing male - chemicals have transformed the world
Make modern life possible
Plastics, pesticides
We encounter chemicals everyday – they are everywhere
Exposure is a fact of life
Chemicals look clean, feel clean, smell clean – perception problem
Chemicals are innocent until proven guilty – burden of proof is too high
Chemicals are proprietary
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disappearing male - these r unintended consequences
There were no studies, no regulations
Industry + government largely silent on issue (no warnings issued)
No news is good news
Failure of regulatory system
Data collection
Regulation
Information
Alternative science – industry
“educating” the public > the regulators
Public outcry seems most effective way to spur action
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for RAPs to be successful, they must
○ be cleanup- and prevention-driven, and not document-driven
○ make existing programs and statutes work
○ cut through bureaucracy
○ elevate the priority of local issues
○ ensure strong community-based planning processes
○ streamline the critical path to use restoration
○ be an affirming process
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keeping remedial actions plans on target
Gail Krantzberg
With the assistance of governments, residents in most AOCs formed an advisory council/committee to work with federal/state/provincial technical and scientific experts
Committees had reps from diverse educational backgrounds; involved community
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sustainaboloity as balanced relationship - keeping RAPs on target
Sustainability can be defined as a balanced relationship between the dynamic human economic systems and the dynamic, but generally slowerchanging ecological systems in which:
1) human life can continue indefinitely
2) people can flourish
3) cultures can develop, but within bounds such that human activities do not destroy the diversity, complexity, and function of the ecological life-support system
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keeping RAPs on target - major successes
Major successes include Collingwood Harbour and Severn Sound in Ontario, where conditions have improved to the point that these locations are no longer considered to be Areas of Concern
Collingwood harbour delisted in 1994 - first place to do this
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9 steps - how they delisted collingwood
1) Leadership - Engage local leaders who are committed to their community and can affect change
2) Consensus on Goals - Articulate clear and meaningful goals early in the process to unite the team
i. This gives the group the means to overcome conflicts and obstacles during the development and implementation of the plan
3) Quantifiable Endpoints - Specifying, to the extent possible, quantifiable endpoints or delisting targets that signify success and the achievement of the goals allows the group to recognize progress, prioritize actions, and reach consensus on delisting
4) Ownership - The formulators of the plan are the owners of the plan
i. Ownership means that when agreeing to the plan, each member overtly recognizes and takes responsibility for the resource implications for its stakeholder group
ii. Ownership results in pride in delivery, which sustains the process
5) Respect - Trust and respect, derived from a common purpose and reliability, strengthened the group’s credibility and ability to solve challenges as a team
6) Incentives - The incentives for achieving the shared goal can differ among the participants and must be respected
i. It is not important that different stakeholders extracted different benefits by meeting the shared goals
7) Quality of Life - Recognition that the local economy and quality of life is inextricably bound to environmental excellence provides an impenetrable shield to the current economic-environment dialectic
8) Measure Success - As partners from numerous sectors see the RAP participants are making incremental progress in restoring beneficial uses, more volunteers ask to participate and join in the successes
9) Leadership and Focus - Find a strong leader and stay focused on the task at hand
