Master of Environmental Studies Capstone Projects

Comprehensive Stormwater Management Plans on University Campuses: Challenges and Opportunities

Steven R. Gillard — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:18:49 PST

Under the Clean Water Act, Philadelphia is required to reduce its Combined Sewer Overflow volume by 85% (PWD, 2009). Other cities have constructed massive underground storage tunnels to capture overflows, but the Philadelphia Water Department has proposed a plan that places a fee on impervious cover and relies heavily on green infrastructure. There is an opportunity for the University of Pennsylvania to become a model institution for stormwater management and also to save money on Philadelphia’s stormwater charge. Sporadic green infrastructure projects will have some effect, but in order to be as efficient as possible in meeting the two aforementioned goals, it is necessary to coordinate green infrastructure projects through a stormwater management plan. The University of Pennsylvania is in the process of developing such a plan. This study describes the current stormwater management efforts being made at the University of Pennsylvania and examines the efforts of other universities in developing their own stormwater management plans, with the goal of gleaning innovative practices that can be recreated at other universities. While it is too early to determine which stormwater plans have achieved long-term success, a survey given to nine universities reveals common themes between plans. A common framework for a campus stormwater management plan was found to take inventory of existing infrastructure and campus conditions, develop a list of acceptable best management practices, develop an educational and outreach component, and develop an operation and maintenance v schedule for green infrastructure technologies. The most innovative plan in the study belongs to the Georgia Institute of Technology, which creates an Eco-Commons corridor on the most ecologically sensitive parts of campus, in which development is severely limited. Stormwater goals are met by using a regional approach, as opposed to a project-by-project approach, increasing the flexibility of new development on campus. Villanova University has also developed an excellent BMP research park, which also serves as an outreach component. The University of Pennsylvania should develop a plan that considers emulating these innovative practices and adding them to the common framework.

The Recycling of Organics: Opportunities for Municipal Programs and a Case Study for Philadelphia

Emily Marie Bush — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:18:45 PST

In 2009, food waste in the United States comprised 14.1% of municipal solid waste, the third largest category after paper and yard trimmings. With food scraps and other organics dominating a large portion of the waste stream, cities across the United States and Canada are slowly adopting organics diversion programs as they learn of the feasibility and paybacks of these programs on a municipal scale. The first part of this capstone examines existing trends in the development and execution of organics programs, including a few precedent examples, as well as techniques to motivate participation among residents. The second portion of this capstone explores the benefits and drawbacks of three viable organics recycling scenarios currently available to municipalities. These options include: increasing the use of food waste disposers in kitchens, developing a community-based network of composting sites, and implementing a city-wide curbside collection program. While these programs can be applied to any city, the third portion of this capstone looks at data specific to Philadelphia because Greenworks Philadelphia, the city’s comprehensive sustainability plan, includes a goal to divert 70% of solid waste from landfills by 2015. In the end, these organics recycling options are all feasible within Philadelphia, or any municipality, and this capstone provides the foundation for a city to make an educated decision as to which program would best fit the needs of its residents.

Unionville Serpentine Barrens: Analyzing the Relationship Between Soil Profiles and Forest Succession Rate

Elizabeth Haegele — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:06:15 PST

The Unionville Serpentine Barrens are a part of Natural Lands Trust’s ChesLen Preserve in Unionville, Chester County, Pennsylvania. This area of the Preserve is underlain with serpentine rock (serpentinite), known for its high magnesium and low calcium content, which inhibit growth in most plants. However, certain plants are tolerant of these conditions, and a very few have evolved a set of traits that confine them almost exclusively to this soil.1 The Unionville Barrens exist today in large part because of disturbances such as corundum mining, wildfires, and grazing that have prohibited plant succession from grassland to forest. The Unionville Barrens are home to at least 15 plant species that are categorized as endangered, threatened, or rare.2 The inspection of a series of aerial photographs taken from 1937 to 2002 clearly shows the decline in area of serpentine grassland from 58.1 acres in 1937 to just 8.9 acres in 2002. In order to sustain the rare plant communities, the grassland must be conserved and, where possible, forested areas converted back to grassland. In order to prioritize grassland restoration areas to make the most efficient use of limited land management resources, it is necessary first to understand if, and how, the rate of succession from grassland to forest is associated with soil conditions or other measurable features of the landscape. This research analyzes the status of current plant communities and their associated soil depths and other characteristics as they relate to the aerial photographs. A grid of 105 points placed 65 meters apart was overlain on top of the Unionville Barrens restoration study area. Soil horizon depth and color, soil depth to bedrock, and surrounding plant communities were recorded at each of these points. Statistical and spatial analyses of these results determined that certain variables best retrospectively “predicted” the likelihood of a quick succession from grassland to woods, when examining this data against a chronosequence of aerial photographs from 1937 to 2010. It was assumed that areas that underwent rapid succession from grassland to woods would require too costly a disturbance regime to sustain the grasslands long-term. Therefore, the restoration priority areas will be selected based on areas where succession must have occurred recently, or where measurements indicated a slow succession rate.

Lessons Learned from EPA's Climate Leaders Program: An Evaluation to Fortify Voluntary Environmental Initiatives

Vivian Futran — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 09:06:13 PST

A voluntary environmental program (VEP) called Climate Leaders was recently cancelled by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). To find out why and gather lessons learned, the program was examined using a three-pronged approach: 1) a meta-analysis of program evaluation theory literature, 2) a review of guides and external reports on Climate Leaders, and 3) interviews with former program participants and implementers. Findings reveal that environmental protection is best achieved by combining regulation with voluntary methods as they complement and buttress each other. Recommendations were compiled to help future VEPs minimize wasted resources and improve environmental conditions. These recommendations were vetted by industry, and ultimately contribute to a comprehensive “guiding framework” for the design, implementation, and evaluation of VEPs. Existing VEP models and evaluative tools still lack the perspective of several key disciplines, so additional program evaluations are necessary to capture all of the primary characteristics correlated with program success and complete the guiding framework.

The Practical Air Quality Planning and Self-Evaluation Guide for Biomass Projects

William Dunagan — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:08:33 PDT

The motivations of short-term and outsized profits lure many entrepreneurs to seek inclusion in the ever-growing biomass industry in Pennsylvania. This recent growth and the trend among those entrepreneurs that see their projects fail can be attributed mostly to the void of any useful guides on the biomass industry in Pennsylvania. This results in a lack of planning and confusing and contradictory information, which in turn results in a lack of useful information. In an effort to make more biomass projects successful, the research will result in a guide that will outline numerous environmental considerations for those entrepreneurs planning to start a business in the biomass industry. Often there is confusing and contradictory information about the biomass industry and exactly what the correct process is for obtaining all of the necessary air quality plan approvals and permitting needed for successful biomass projects. The primary focus of this guide will be to obtain a complete understanding of the various definitions of the biomass industry, outline the process and various steps of the air quality plan approval and permitting process and make recommendations for the implementation for successful projects. The criteria applied in evaluating the research included a practical review of the information obtained using professional working experience, a review and investigation of similar guides, textbooks and regulatory websites. The results of the research produced information about the biomass industry from all environmental media,but due to the longer time frames involved this guides main focus is in the air quality plan approval and permitting process. The results of the research produced information specifically in the areas of public support, funding opportunities, the relationships involving vendors, control devices, federal and state level particulate regulations, odor issues, opacity issues, fugitive emissions, stack testing, education, environmental permit management and pre-application meetings with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP). The results of the research also produced positive and negative results concerning why some biomass projects fail and why some succeed.

The Global Development of a CSS-Based Service and Technology Market with a Focus on the US, France, and China

Cameron Rolfe McQuale — Thu, 21 Apr 2011 11:26:11 PDT

Spatial Variation of Stable Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Ratios and C:N of Perennial Plant Species in the Steppe Grassland of Northern Mongolia

Robert Goldman — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 07:29:46 PST

Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios (δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N) and C:N are evaluated in individuals of three species (Festuca lenensis, Potentilla acaulis, and Pontentilla sericea) occurring across an elevation gradient along a south-facing slope. δ¹³C is a common proxy for water use efficiency (WUE) in plants, C:N is a proxy for nitrogen indicate variation in δ¹³C values (and hence WUE) that is significantly correlated with elevation (and thus water availability) in F. lenensis and P. acaulis, but show no such correlation in P. sericea. Variation in C:N (and thus NUE) is significantly correlated with elevation (and total soil nitrogen) in P. sericea only. That no species simultaneously increased bot WUE and NUE suggests a trade-off between the two. The apparent plasticity in WUE seen in F. lenesis and P. acaulis may explain their abundance along the slope, whereas P. sericea - which had the highest WUE - is significantly more abundant where soil moisture levels are low. δ¹⁵N results indicate variation in the isotope ratio that is significantly correlated with elevation in all three species. Locations higher on the slope, at the drier end of the aridity gradient, show higher levels of soil nitrate, a greater abundance of lichens and legumes, and decreased plant δ¹⁵N. These results are consistent with previous work showing strong topographic effects on local N-cycles, and also the potential that the upper slope is playing a crucial role in bringing nitrogen into the system.

A better understanding of these results, and how legume and lichen abundance will be affected by future increases in temperature and increases in grazing pressure, will help us predict the future plant community composition in the region. The future distribution of these important grazing species will be impacted by their physiological response to different soil moisture levels and the availability of soil nitrogen.

Combining DNA Barcoding and Macroinvertebrate Sampling to Assess Water Quality

Tanya Dapkey — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 07:29:44 PST

DNA barcoding (using a standardized sequence of the mitochondrial CO1 gene) was used to determine the aquatic insect species richness of two sites along White Clay Creek in Pennsylvania. Water quality assessment at the sites did not change from good (14.6, previous MAIS score 13.2) and fair (9.4, earlier MAIS 7.3), but barcoding increased the species richness and provided a much more detailed analysis by detecting cryptic species. Aquatic insect identifications by an amateur biologist and by expert taxonomists using traditional methods based on morphology were compared to DNA barcoding. The amateur biologist’s identifications were limited to order and family while expert taxonomists were able to identify 44 different species and DNA barcoding indicated 128 different species. 84% of the 1786 specimens that were submitted for barcoding generated a successful DNA sequence. DNA barcoding revealed the presence of more species than expert taxonomists identified as shown in the following listing of insect orders with comparison of numbers of species identified by expert taxonomists and DNA barcoding: Diptera (23 expert spp. and 128 barcoding spp.), Ephemeroptera (6 expert spp. and 16 barcoding spp.), Plecoptera (0 expert spp. and 6 barcoding spp), Trichoptera (9 expert spp. and 14 barcoding spp), and Coleoptera (6 expert spp. and 6 barcoding spp). Station 12 had an overall higher species richness and abundance of Chironomidae; Chironomids accounted for 63% of the specimens with 64 species. Chironomids made up only 30% of the specimens at Station 11 and EPT richness was higher. The increase in the abundance and species richness of Chironomidae at Station 12 supported the previous findings of a lower water quality than that occurring at Station 11. Barcoding, when combined with traditional aquatic macroinvertebrate sampling, provides the most accurate and cost effective method to determine the water quality of fresh water ecosystems.

Fish Production in Streams With and Without Natural Broan Trout Populations

Scott Weisinger — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 08:45:05 PST

Brown trout (Salmo trutta) have been introduced into the waterways throughout the United States, including Pennsylvania, since the 1800’s. They may have limited interactions with native fish species in regions where they do not reproduce successfully, but where they do concerns have arisen regarding the impact they have on native species. Are brown trout having a negative effect on the native fish? If so, could they be outcompeting the natives to the point of localized extirpation? This project compared fish communities, densities, biomass and production in two similar stretches of stream in the White Clay Creek, one known to hold brown trout (the East Branch) and the other without (the Middle Branch). Fish in each branch were collected in June and October 2009 using backpack electrofishing equipment to determine species composition and abundance, population densities and community diversity. Fish were aged using scales and further examination revealed biomass and production of the species present. The fish communities within the branches were stable between June and October (Jaccards index = 0.75 for both branches), but differed between branches (Jaccards index = 0.64 in June and 0.58 in October). The stream without brown trout showed much lower density, biomass, and production of most species, which went counter to our hypothesis that fish would show lower levels of these factors in the presence of brown trout. Only the common shiner and longnose dace showed effects in each of these categories while favoring the branch without brown trout over the branch with brown trout. Although the results do show a possible negative correlation between these species and the brown trout, our study design did not allow us to rule out other factors. Also, the fewer number of fish in the Middle Branch as compared to the East Branch leads us to believe that something may be wreaking havoc with the natural balance of this section (e.g. land-use changes, environmental stressors or climatic factors). Continued research regarding brown trout interactions on the East Branch and stream quality of the Middle Branch is highly recommended.

Environmental and Human-Health Consequences of the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster in Belarus

Valerie Frankel — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 08:45:04 PST

On April 26, 1986, Unit 4 of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded, causing the most severe disaster ever to occur in the history of domestic nuclear-power production. That explosion spread both fission products of the normal operation of the reactor and unexpended uranium fuel across a large area. In total, ~14 EBq⁵ radioisotopes were released from the reactor, some of the most harmful being 1.8 EBq of ¹³¹I, 0.085 EBq of ¹³⁷Cs, 0.01 EBq of ⁹⁰Sr, and 0.003 EBq of plutonium (2003-2005 Chernobyl Forum 22). More than 200,000 km² of Europe received levels of ¹³⁷Cs in excess of 37 kBq/m²; and ~70% of this area was in the Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia (2003-2005 Chernobyl Forum Report 22). Of these 3 most affected countries, Belarus suffered the greatest level of ¹³⁷Cs, absorbing ~33.5% of the total amount emitted. Although Belarus was severely affected, the consequences of this event have not been well studied and a full accounting of the human-health and environmental effects has not been released for the country. This report reviews, analyzes, and combines key literature available to date to document the current state of knowledge upon which further research and appropriate management strategies can be initiated. The investigation finds that deposition was influenced by atmospheric winds and precipitation that caused radioactive rain to enter the country. ¹³⁷Cs and ⁹⁰Sr remained within the top 15 cm of the soils and livestock accumulated large doses of radiation that was transferred to foods. Gomel and Mogilev continue to produce milk that exceeds the Belarusian limit of 100 Bq/L, and several small farms have not been adequately remediated. 1.7 million ha of Belarusian forests and resources were contaminated, causing mutations, cytogenetic effects, and chromosomal aberrations in several organisms. But, radiation has decreased in both the Pripyat and Dnieper Rivers. ~134 emergency workers suffered from ARS; thyroid cancer and mental health have clearly increased following the accident and some studies have identified increases in non-thyroid cancer cases as-well.

Acid Mine Drainage Pollution in the West Branch Schuylkill and Upper Schuylkill River, Schuylkill County Pennsylvania: A Case Study and Recommendations for the Future

Tara Sadak — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 10:54:44 PST

Acid mine drainage (AMD) is a huge environmental problem in Luzerne and Schuylkill Counties due to the mining of anthracite coal in the region. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, through water quality data, has developed a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for all streams and rivers in the state. The West Branch Schuylkill River and the Upper Schuylkill River are two areas where AMD has had an effect on the water quality. For this study, I am using the data from PADEP to determine if the remediation actions have had an effect on the West Branch Schuylkill River and Upper Schuylkill River, or if it is too soon to tell. For both of these streams, data were collected by PADEP from 1996 through 2003; the data consist of the pH of the water, the concentration of iron, aluminum, and manganese expressed in milligrams per liter (mg/L), and the percent reduction needed to maintain good water quality standards. Through tables and graphs, the most affected sites along the rivers are made known, and these are the sites that are high priority for remediation. Recommendations are made for the sites along the rivers that are a high priority for remediation, mainly the mine discharges. If the sources of pollution are controlled, then future generations will not have to deal with the effects of AMD on the rivers and their environments.

Collaboratively Addressing the Growth of the Port Industry to Ensure Environmnetal Justice

Matthew T. Lee — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 10:54:43 PST

The activities involved in the operation of the U.S. ports industry provide an enormous boost to the local and national economy. At the same time, however, they can have profound adverse impacts on public health and the environment. Moreover, these impacts disproportionately affect local communities, many of which are poor and minority. Due to the Supreme Court’s limitations to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the fact that ports are one of the most poorly regulated sources of pollution in the U.S., the need for new strategies to address this environmental injustice is as important as ever. One of the most promising avenues to address this growth and its’ accompanied adverse impacts is the use of collaborative problem solving. Collaborative problem solving allows for greater investment on the part of the various participants involved in the program and, most importantly, achieves the dual objectives of allowing for both industry growth and improved environmental quality.

Community Managed Water Projects and Poverty Reduction: A Case Study from Guatemala

Sarah Martiny — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 08:33:22 PST

This paper will discuss poverty and quality of life indicators such as income, education, access to water, water quality, health and community participation, in relation to two community managed water projects in the rural communities of Piedad II and Colonia Belen, located in the western region of Guatemala. Both projects were part of the United Nations Development Program's Small Grants Program's Community Water Initiative. A household survey was developed and given to women project beneficiaries in the summer of 2007 in order to gather data on the above indicators. At the time of this study, the project had already been completed in Colonia Belen, but was still under construction in Piedad II. The two communities are distinct, with Colonia Belen being smaller, more isolated, significantly poorer, and its access to water is much more limited in comparison to Piedad II. Data gathered in Colonia Belen is very uniform as all households are affected by the remote location and limited natural and economic resources of the region. Despite the high project costs in Colonia Belen (US$344.47 per person, more than half the cost of the project in Piedad II of US$115.02 per person), recipients may be willing to pay more because of greater tangible and perceived benefits, such as an average of 110 minutes of time saved by each person collecting water every day, in contrast to the 55 minutes saved by those collecting water in Piedad II. Even though Colonia Belen had access to sufficient amounts of potable water as a result of the new project, they were only consuming 33 liters of water per person per day, as opposed to those living in Piedad II who were consuming 186 liters of water per person per day before the project was completed. This paper concludes with a brief analysis of the costs and benefits of each project, recommendations for each project and the Community Water Initiative program in general, and a discussion of the relationship between different indicators of poverty.

This Land is Our Land: Raising Awareness of Contemporary U.S. Environmental and Social Justice Issues through Folksong

Joshua Marcus Greenberg — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 08:33:20 PST

The purpose of this project is to increase awareness of the current environmental and social injustices occurring in the United States. Through music and grassroots storytelling, the histories and struggles of communities and individuals who are living directly under such unjust conditions will be shared with various constituencies of the public who has little or no knowledge of, or is not in direct relationship to, these conditions. This transference of information and exchange of ideas will occur through the following: the production of an audio recording of song-stories and first-person narratives from the participants, a folk music performance tour including information sessions, as well as a website to document the project and provide supplemental information and links.

By raising consciousness of these environmental justice issues within a larger portion of the population, the chance for social change through action is increased. The use of music as a tool for conveying ideas of protest and change, both transferring and transforming culture, can be seen in all of the major movements of American history; including the Civil Rights movement, the Anti-War movement, the Populist Farmer’s movement, the rise of the American Unions, the American Student movement, and the Feminist movement. This project aims to utilize the proven successes of social justice through grassroots organizing and musical activism towards our future social and environmental equality.

Mapping Electricity Use on the University of Pennsylvania Campus

Shani Arbel — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 08:33:19 PST

The goal of this Capstone project was to create a mechanism for identifying buildings of irregularly high electricity use as targets for financial investment in electricity efficiency measures that would best serve the University of Pennsylvania from an economic and environmental standpoint. This mechanism was created by integrating electricity use data from Penn facilities and electricity supplier PECO into a GIS model of the Penn campus to track trends in building electricity use. The analysis of campus electricity trends was accomplished by Page | 4 creating baselines of average electricity use and comparing each building to these baselines to target outliers. Five buildings of atypically high electricity use were targeted to receive comprehensive building audits: Rosenthal, Lewis Hall, Levy Dental, Schattner Center, and the Old Chemistry Wing. A number of recommendations are also made to the University to further develop this project in the future including maintaining the currency and accuracy of the electricity use data within the GIS framework and increasing the frequency with which individual campus buildings are metered for their electricity use.

Energy Efficiency Projects in Pennsylvania Small Businesses

Joseph J. Lavin — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 15:23:26 PST

Energy efficiency will be an important contributor to reduction of greenhouse gases (GHGs) and will help reduce America’s dependence on energy from the Middle East. The Pennsylvania Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Environment Management Assistance Program (EMAP) makes energy efficiency project recommendations to clients who request assistance. EMAP strives to become more effective in their recommendations. Based on EMAP data from August 2007 to December 2008, they want to determine if there is a relationship between a project recommendation and its implementation.

The literature has examined results of other voluntary energy efficiency programs – Industrial Assessment Centers, Green Light, and Energy Star. Many projects were not implemented in spite of having a positive economic effect on the respective businesses. This phenomenon is called the energy efficiency paradox. Are these market failures of imperfect information, bounded rationality, or the principal-agent problem?

Chi-squared testing was used to assess whether dependency exists between various categories of a project and the decision to implement or not. The hypothesis developed from early results and confirmed by testing is: Grant money to small businesses in Pennsylvania is the single biggest factor in the decision to implement energy efficiency projects.

Analysis of data supports the conclusions from an earlier survey by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh with small businesses in western Pennsylvania during 1976/77 (Doctors, Fahey, & Patton, 1978). The biggest obstacles to energy efficiency investments are lack of capital and the perception that the potential energy savings were not worth the effort.

Building a Sustainable Business Community in Cherry Hill, NJ

Tony Tancini — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 15:23:25 PST

The planet's ability to provide ecological services will depend on whether sustainable design is integrated into the fabric of how humanity interacts with the natural world. In the business context, companies moving towards sustainability consider their current needs and those of the future when developing their business models. A sustainable business model will ensure the profitability, social, and ecological value of the company. While there is growing interest in developing sustainable business models, small to mid-sized companies have struggled with implementing this operational system due to a lack of resources. As sustainable business practices grow, these companies can look towards several large businesses for models. In addition, there are a growing number of governmental agencies and NGOs that teach sustainable design. One such entity is Sustainable Cherry Hill, an NGO located in Cherry Hill, NJ that engages local business leaders and helps them integrate sustainable design into everyday business practices. This project developed the sustainability template for Sustainable Cherry Hill which will also be incorporated into Cherry Hill Township's efforts to build a sustainable business community. The project analyzes several business models of sustainable design and instructional programs that teach others how to move towards sustainability. The result is a template that will help the South Jersey business community become more energy efficient, conserve water, reduce waste and decrease toxins and pollutants.

A Study of the Irregation Water Pricing System in China

Xizi Wang — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 15:23:24 PST

Feeding 22% of the world’s population with 6% of the renewable water resource, China is undoubtedly facing severe water scarcity. Since agriculture uses most of the water in China, it is important to discuss whether irrigation water is well controlled.

China is currently using a mix of volumetric-based, area-based and quota allotment water pricing systems. For irrigation use, water pricing varies in different provinces and the pattern turns out to be somewhat random. This capstone is based on existing information of the eight Yellow River Basin provinces. It studies current water price systems and irrigation situation in the provinces and independently provides thoughts and recommendations on a proper irrigation water pricing system that fits China.

Every Drop Counts: Short Stories on Global Water and Sanitation Issues

Nalat Phanit — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 15:23:23 PST

Educating young adults (ages 10-16) in the United States on global water and sanitation issues requires using various resources. Lectures loaded with facts and figures are not engaging enough for young students. A tool for hooking young students‟ curiosity on an environmental topic is through stories. Once they show interest to the issues and formulate emotional responses as well as critical thoughts, facts and figures would become more tangible. This creative project includes short stories that were based on interviews from water professionals, volunteers, and those who experienced water burdens in their childhood. Young readers are encouraged to think critically while reading the stories through the questions asked. These stories serve to grab young students‟ attention to global water issues and to inspire them to volunteer in their communities or in organizations. These stories are best used in conjunction with lessons or lectures on environmental advocacy, policy, and studies dealing with water and sanitation issues.

Understanding Pennsylvania's Underground Storage Tank Regulations; A Guidance Document for Storage Tank Owners and Operators

Julie Baniewicz — Tue, 02 Nov 2010 08:16:38 PDT

This capstone project is a proactive approach to addressing a problem observed in many underground storage tank facilities; owners and operator failure to understand the Pennsylvania state regulations. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) enacted the Storage Tank and Spill Prevention Act in 1989. Now, twenty years later, government regulators are still struggling to achieve a high rate of compliance at storage tank facilities. Most of the non-compliant storage tank facilities in question are gas stations. Some of the factors contributing to the non-compliance are: limited understanding of the English language; complexity of the regulations; constant evolution of the regulations; and the ignorance of responsibility and consequences. In many cases, these impediments lead to an apathetic attitude toward the requirements. I have created a plain-language guidance document that explains storage tank systems and key regulations. My goal is to have the document published by the PA DEP so that it may be handed out to the regulated community. Over the next few years, Pennsylvania will be implementing a federally mandated operator training. This document would be a great complement to the training goals of the federal and state government agencies. In addition, achieving compliance at underground storage tank facilities is of great importance for protecting our groundwater supplies. Pennsylvania has had over 14,000 releases of regulated substances from storage tanks since 1989. Groundwater is an extremely valuable resource for drinking water purposes as well as for the natural environment. My document will assist storage take owners and operators in understanding the regulations, which will lead to a greater level of compliance with the regulations, and fewer release incidents.