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geo 2011 > test 2 > Flashcards

test 2 Flashcards

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

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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
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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

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4
Q

Characteristics of the Great Lakes Basin

o Watershed

A

 764 051 square km

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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

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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

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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

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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

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9
Q

from west to east - order of lakes

A

Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, Ontario

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10
Q

great lakes basin touches

A

Ontario, Quebec, NY, Penn, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota

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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

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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

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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%

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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

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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
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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

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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

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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

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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

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20
Q

first billion $ project that acc ddi it

A
  • St Lawrence seaway was first billion-dollar project that finished on time + budget
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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

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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

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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

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24
Q

who did more damage to gr8 lakes

A

canada

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25
Q

ice shove

A

ice from top of lake Erie pushed by wind and water onto the pathway

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26
Q

chicago river direction

A

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

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27
Q

non-persistent pollution

A

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

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28
Q

eg of non persistent pollition

A

o Domestic sewage
o Fertilizer
o Some industrial wastes

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29
Q

biological productivity

+ 3 levels

A

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

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30
Q

eutrophication + oxygen depletion relationship

A

o Eutrophication leads to oxygen depletion

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31
Q

productivity determined by

A

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

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32
Q

pre-settlement

A

 It was oligotrophic (least productive/ least amount of living material in lake)
• Even lake erie

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33
Q

current condition

A

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

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34
Q

eutrophication

A

 Increase in nutrients = growth of plants
 Plants die, settle, decomposes
 Decomposition uses dissolved oxygen

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35
Q

biological oxygen demand (BOD)

A

 Depletion of oxygen via decomposition of organic material

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36
Q

fertilizer run-off

A 
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
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37
Q

Water becomes deoxygenated

A

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

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38
Q

Eutrophication and Oxygen Depletion – Lake Erie

A

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

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39
Q

Eutrophication and Oxygen Depletion – Lake Erie

1972 – Canada and US signed the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement

+ primary, secondary

A

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

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40
Q

Lorax lake erie

A

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

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41
Q

erie - early 1990s

A

– it’s clean, less non-persistent

But then zebra mussel arrived & we stopped monitoring/ caring

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42
Q

We release untreated sewage into lake

A

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

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43
Q

walkerton

A

had water contamination

o E coli outbreak in 2000

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44
Q

pathogens

A

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

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45
Q
  • Lake Erie revisited – toxic algae
A

o Algae blooms are once again a problem in Lake Erie
o Now the algae is toxic!
o Drinking water systems have been affected

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46
Q

toledo, ohio

A

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

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47
Q

algae messing w canadian water

A

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)

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48
Q

persistent pollutants

A

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

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49
Q

eg persistent pollutants

A 
o	Pesticides (DDT, dieldrin)
o	Petroleum and petroleum products
o	PCBs, dioxins, polyaromatic hydrocarbons
o	Radioactive materials
o	Metals – leads, mercury, cadmium
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50
Q

toxic contaminants

A

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

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51
Q

bio-magnfication

A

 Bioaccumulation of toxic substances as they are passed up the food chain

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52
Q

why cant we eat fish in lake ontario

A
  • We can’t eat fish in Lake Ontario because they are too toxic
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53
Q

other types of pollution

A

o Warm water – thermal pollution
o Floating debris, garbage
o Physical pollution which interferes mainly with usability and aesthetics

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54
Q

chemicals of emerging concern

A

o Pharmaceuticals
o Endocrine disrupters
o Personal care products

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55
Q

emerging contaminants quote

A

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

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56
Q

guide to eating ontario sport fish

A

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
Q

some weird stuff happ

A
  • 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
Q

habitat + biodiversity

A

Southern Ontario habitat significantly altered by Europeans

How?
	Clear cutting and forestry
	Agriculture
	Dams
	Urbanization

Result – vast changes in plant & animal populations

59
Q

biodiversity

A

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
Q

heritage rank

A

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
Q

what is a non-native species

A

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
Q

non-native species breakdown - numebrs

A

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
Q

non native vs invasive

A

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
Q

Introduction of exotic species can change aquatic and terrestrial habitats

A

Complex communities are disrupted – can result in loss of biodiversity

Can also result in economic costs – i.e. fisheries, infrastructure, etc.

65
Q
  • Aquatic invasive species - characteristics:
A 
o	Few natural predators
o	Adaptable
o	Reproduce quickly
o	Thrive in disturbed systems
o	Compete for food and habitat
66
Q

how do invasive species get here

A 
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
Q

ballast water how it works

A

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
Q
  • Sea lamprey,
A

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
Q

wolves in yellowstone park

A

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
Q

diversity & resilience relationship

A

Diversity is resilience

Can withstand impact, react + cope w changes in environment

71
Q

chicago water flow sytem

A

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
Q

fish farms - midwest

A

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
Q

carp - electric barrier

A

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
Q

4 pathways of pollution

A

o Atmospheric deposition
o Contaminated sediments
o Groundwater movement
o Surface runoff

75
Q

atmospheric deposition

A

o Toxic chemicals carried long distances
o Difficult to control
o Falls where it wants to, might mix w precipitations

76
Q

e.g, of atmospheric deposition

A

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
Q

contaminated sediments - before regulation

A

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
Q

contaminated sediments - trying to remove it

A

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
Q

Contaminated sediment in Great Lakes Areas of Concerns

A

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
Q

groundwater movement

A

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
Q

problem of burying garbage in the past

A

No reporting mechanism saying what, where we dumped stuff

Unknown effects of garbage – could be some next toxins

82
Q

if you have a well …

A

you must get it tested for non-persistent and persistent pollutants

83
Q

love canal

A

– 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
Q

hydrologic cycle

A

– the water cycle – like that extensive one from gr9 science with transpiration, etc

85
Q

surface runoff

A

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
Q

sanitary vs storm sewers

- how they end up contaminating lakes

A

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
Q

point sources

A

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
Q

pollution control

A

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
Q

pollution prevention

A

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
Q

international joint commission

A

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
Q

1909 boundary waters treaty

A

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
Q

role of international joint commission

A

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
Q

3 key roles of international joint commission

A

o Respecting competing interests
o Investigating water pollution
o Investigating air pollution

94
Q

key agreements

A

1972 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA)

1978 GLWQA

1987 GLWQA

2012 GLWQA

95
Q

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

A

 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
Q

1978 GLWQA

A

Toxic contaminants – try to do what they did before and stopped adding toxic contaminants

Reduced by 90%

Goal - Virtual elimination/ zero discharge

97
Q

1987 GLWQA

A

AOCs and RAPs
• Areas of concerns and remedial action plans

Wasn’t working – because they were persistent contaminants

98
Q

2012 GLWQA

A

 Reaffirming all of the above

99
Q

ecosystem approach

A

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
Q

david suzuki - time to change - quote

A

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
Q

ecosystem approach is systemic

A

o Interaction among physical, chemical, and biological components
o Uses biological indicators to monitor water quality and changes in the ecosystem

102
Q
  • Ecosystem Approach is Geographically Comprehensive
A

o Includes land, air, and water

o Recognizes the impact of atmospheric deposition and land uses on water quality

103
Q
  • Ecosystem Approach is Inclusive of Humans
A

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
Q
  • Ecosystem Approach is a departure from
A

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
Q

traditional vs ecosystem vs integrated approach

A

Traditional – environment, community, economy all separate

Ecosystem – environment, community, economy all intersect (venn diagram) with health at center

Integrated approach – economic, social, ecological

106
Q

ecosystem approach - 1978

A

A framework for decision-making that compels managers and planners to:
 Cooperate
 Devise integrated strategies

107
Q

remedial action plans

A

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
Q

imparied beneficial use

A

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
Q

RAPs - 28 yrs later

A 
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
Q

prof summer jobs after 2nd yr

A

– 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
Q

implementing RAPs - key challenges

A 
o	Securing resources
o	Identifying accountability and responsibility
o	Defining restoration targets 
o	Setting priorities
o	Monitoring recovery
112
Q

other legislation + commitments

A

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
Q

gr8 lakes state of environment T/F

IMPROVEMENT OVER TIME

A

o Same as above – timeline

114
Q

gr8 lakes state of environment T/F

OVERALL LOADINGS HAVE BEEN REDUCED

A

o True – but they are increasing again

115
Q

gr8 lakes state of environment T/F

LEVEL OF TOXICITY CONTINUES TO DECLINE

A

o False – levelled off and increasing

116
Q

gr8 lakes state of environment T/F

END-OF-PIPE Is UNDER CONTROL

A

o False – point source discharges increasing

117
Q

gr8 lakes state of environment T/F

NON-POINT SOURCES BEING REGULATED

A

o True – but there is little information

118
Q

Pollution in Great Lakes rising despite clean-up effort, study says

A

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
Q

We have not solved the water-pollution problem”

A

o Reasons are not clear

o First comprehensive look at industrial pollution trends in the Great Lakes region in about a decade

120
Q

Top 10 facilities – releases to water – Ontario

A 
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
Q
  • Top 10 facilities – releases to air – Ontario
A 
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
Q

pollution watch 2006 data

A

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
Q

Pollution watch 2010 report of Great Lakes Water Quality

A

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
Q

disappearing male - girls vs boys

A

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
Q

disappearing male - sperm count

A

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
Q

disappearing male - male babies more vulnerable to chemicals

A

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

127
Q

disappearing male - femalization of species

A

Fertilization of species – secondary sexual characteristics

We’ve known this since 1970s about fish, aquatic organisms, mammals

Why not humans?

128
Q

disappeaering male - chemical stats

A

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

129
Q

disappearing male - Pthalates

A

o Soft plastic (baby toys, hospital equipment)
o Personal care products
o Known endocrine disruptors

130
Q

disappearing male - Bisphenol-A

A

o Hard plastic (baby bottles, containers, can linings)
o Poly carbonate
o First investigated as synthetic estrogen

131
Q

disappering male - chemicals accumulting in body

A

Persistent toxic contaminants
 Benzene, dioxins, etc
 “old” chemicals

Endocrine disruptors
 Mimic hormones or disrupt hormones (block)

Chemicals of emerging concern
	Personal care products
	Cosmetics
	Pharmaceuticals
	Microbeads
	Flame-retardants

Impacts are permanent!

132
Q

disappearing male - chemicals r everywhere

A

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

133
Q

disappearing male - chemicals have transformed the world

A

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

134
Q

disappearing male - these r unintended consequences

A

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

135
Q

for RAPs to be successful, they must

A

○ 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

136
Q

keeping remedial actions plans on target

A

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

137
Q

sustainaboloity as balanced relationship - keeping RAPs on target

A

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

138
Q

keeping RAPs on target - major successes

A

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

139
Q

9 steps - how they delisted collingwood

A

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

geo 2011 (2 decks)

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