No / By comparing the views of managers working at the interface of two consensus-oriented societies, Japan and the Netherlands, we show important differences between the consensus decision-making processes as seen by Japanese and Dutch managers. These differences relate to how complete the agreement of opinion should be in order to speak of consensus, with the Japanese managers demanding a more complete consensus than the Dutch. The processes and conditions that Japanese and Dutch managers see as leading to consensus also differ. Japanese consensus is based on a more ordered, sequential process than Dutch consensus. Our respondents differed deeply regarding the role of the hierarchy in their own and the others consensus processes, with both Japanese and Dutch managers seeing their own consensus process as less hierarchical. Our findings show that the concept of consensus is interpreted quite differently by Japanese and Dutch managers. This is an important warning for companies operating at the interface of these two societies. More in general our research illustrates the usefulness for international management research of detailed comparative studies focusing not on stark contrasts but on more subtle differences between management practices.

This thesis presents the results of exploratory sociological research designed to better understand how farmers select agricultural practices with the potential to effect water quality. The primary research methodology is a Rapid Rural Appraisal of thirty farms in five rural municipalities in Saskatchewan, Canada during the year 2000 growing season. The data establishes that a variety of economic, institutional, organizational, and social factors interact in dynamic ways to influence farmer resource management decisions and that the resulting agricultural practices have the potential for subtle and dramatic effects on water quality in Saskatchewan. Risk-mitigating farming methods known as Best Management Practices (BMPs) are interpreted by farmers in the field research as being both appropriate and problematic. Alternative initiatives and communication strategies are identified in the field data that offer support to production and productivity in the agriculture sector while also promoting water quality. The research suggests that measures such as providing accessible public water quality data, promoting water treatment for individual households, and educating rural women and youth about water quality issues may merit further investigation.

This thesis presents the results of exploratory sociological research designed to better understand how farmers select agricultural practices with the potential to effect water quality. The primary research methodology is a Rapid Rural Appraisal of thirty farms in five rural municipalities in Saskatchewan, Canada during the year 2000 growing season. The data establishes that a variety of economic, institutional, organizational, and social factors interact in dynamic ways to influence farmer resource management decisions and that the resulting agricultural practices have the potential for subtle and dramatic effects on water quality in Saskatchewan. Risk-mitigating farming methods known as Best Management Practices (BMPs) are interpreted by farmers in the field research as being both appropriate and problematic. Alternative initiatives and communication strategies are identified in the field data that offer support to production and productivity in the agriculture sector while also promoting water quality. The research suggests that measures such as providing accessible public water quality data, promoting water treatment for individual households, and educating rural women and youth about water quality issues may merit further investigation.

No description available.

A study was conducted in two sites: one at an electricity storage facility belonging to the Swaziland Electricity Board (SEB) and the other at a facility that belongs to its treated pole supplier, the Thonkwane wood creosote treatment plant. The drainage system of these sites leads to surface waters in rivers. This is a cause of concern since creosote contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are listed as priority pollutants by the US Environmental Protection Agency. They have toxic, mutagenic and carcinogenic effects and as a result they pose a threat to human life and the environment. No previous studies have been done on PAHs in Swaziland. The main objective of this study was to determine the impact of the SEB storage facility and the creosote treatment plant by investigating the extent of PAHs in surrounding environments (soil, sediments and surface waters). Preliminary studies were undertaken on the storage facility and the creosote treatment plant. No PAHs were detected from the pole storage facility; therefore the creosote wood treatment facility was selected as the ideal site at which to conduct the research. Soil samples were collected from depths 15 cm and 60 cm at points around the creosote plant, including effluent discharge points. The samples were extracted by solid-phase micro extraction (SPME) and analysed by GC/MS. The GC/MS, incorporating a solid phase micro extraction step, provided detection limits ranging from 0.12 μg/g to 20.08 μg/g. The pollution patterns in the study site were assessed using cluster analysis and principal component analysis. Most of the 16 US EPA-listed priority pollutants were detected from the creosote wood treatment facility. PAHs such as anthracene, fluorene, naphthalene and fluoranthene were dominant in all the sampling sites. The compounds occurred in very high concentrations (0.64, 0.46, 0.27 and 0.26 mg/kg respectively). These compounds are found in pure creosote as determined in the sample taken from the Thonkwane creosote tank site. The highest concentration of PAHs was observed in the soil samples taken next to the road site. The concentrations of the identified PAHs were above the acceptable minimal level allowed in soil by the US EPA and Swaziland Environment Authority (SEA). The levels of the PAHs are also above the recommended US EPA limit in soil, which is 0.1 mg/kg. The results indicated that significant soil pollution was taking place in some of the sampling sites. The top layer (0, 15 cm) contained many PAHs at high levels whilst the 60 cm layer had a lower number of PAHs which were also in low concentrations. This provided an indication that there is no downward movement of PAHs from the surface layer to underground layers. The potential exists for contamination of surface waters when there is runoff from the project area. This is a cause of concern, since both the creosote treatment plant and areas outside the facility are contaminated. Therefore, the site has to be cleaned up, preferably by using a phytoremediation technique. / Environmental Sciences / M. Sc. (Environmental Science)

Sustainable Built Environments Senior Capstone Project / During Tucson rainstorms, many roads and neighborhoods experience high levels of flooding on the city’s street networks. This phenomenon creates unsafe road conditions, damage to the road infrastructure, and excessive urban stormwater runoff that is potentially polluted. The vast quantities of impervious surfaces in the urban landscape impede the rainwater’s ability to infiltrate the ground, thus resulting in increased volumes of runoff during a rainstorm. Stormwater management is used by municipalities and communities to address the previously mentioned adverse impacts of stormwater runoff. Various techniques and strategies used in stormwater management include, low impact development (LID), green infrastructure, and better site design (BSD) strategies implemented during design stages to reduce stormwater runoff levels. In addition, local governments can establish stormwater utilities and policies in order to help address and better manage the issue of stormwater runoff within urban areas. The primary research questions of this study will include: What are the most effective best management practices and techniques to address urban runoff? What combination of best management practices and government policies will be the more effective in addressing Tucson’s urban runoff problem? Accordingly, this study will examine a variety of policies and techniques to address stormwater runoff, and then, based on this information, provide a suggestion of the best practices and techniques that may be feasible for implementation in Tucson.

Sustainable Built Environments Senior Capstone Project / During Tucson rainstorms, many roads and neighborhoods experience high levels of flooding on the city’s street networks. This phenomenon creates unsafe road conditions, damage to the road infrastructure, and excessive urban stormwater runoff that is potentially polluted. The vast quantities of impervious surfaces in the urban landscape impede the rainwater’s ability to infiltrate the ground, thus resulting in increased volumes of runoff during a rainstorm. Stormwater management is used by municipalities and communities to address the previously mentioned adverse impacts of stormwater runoff. Various techniques and strategies used in stormwater management include, low impact development (LID), green infrastructure, and better site design (BSD) strategies implemented during design stages to reduce stormwater runoff levels. In addition, local governments can establish stormwater utilities and policies in order to help address and better manage the issue of stormwater runoff within urban areas. The primary research questions of this study will include: What are the most effective best management practices and techniques to address urban runoff? What combination of best management practices and government policies will be the more effective in addressing Tucson’s urban runoff problem? Accordingly, this study will examine a variety of policies and techniques to address stormwater runoff, and then, based on this information, provide a suggestion of the best practices and techniques that may be feasible for implementation in Tucson.

Increasing urbanization is often accompanied by problematic changes in watershed hydrology. Decreasing surface permeability can lead to increased overland flow volumes, which may spread surficial contaminants and increase the strain on municipal stormwater infrastructure. This study examines a mixed-use property in the Proctor Creek watershed in Atlanta, Georgia, to better understand how land-management practices influence soil overland flow potential. Field saturated hydraulic conductivity (Kfs) measurements were collected from soils 1) subjected to compaction, 2) in urban agricultural use, and 3) under common lawn maintenance. Mean values were 9.1E-7 cm/s, 2.2E-4 cm/s, and 9.0E-6 cm/s respectively. Measurements were collected in-situ with the use of the Aardvark constant-head permeameter. Statistical analyses indicated a substantial difference in Kfs based on land-management practices and that urban farming can increase soil Kfs and limit overland flow. Additional analysis revealed no significant difference in grain-size distributions suggesting land-management practices controlled Kfs, not soil texture.

Headwater stream systems are important components of the overall hydrologic system. Forestry best management practices (BMP) are effective at minimizing non point source pollution from forest harvesting activities. Streamside management zones (SMZ) are one BMP used to protect surface water quality by maintaining shade near streams, filtering runoff, and minimizing soil disturbance near streams. An evaluation of BMP effectiveness on the watershed scale was conducted at the University of Kentucky’s Robinson Forest. Six watersheds were harvested using a two-age deferment harvest with one of three SMZ configurations applied to each watershed. Two unharvested watersheds served as controls. Treatment 1 was based on the current Kentucky Forest Practice Guidelines for Water Quality Management and included a 16.8 m SMZ with 50% canopy retention for perennial streams, a 7.6 m SMZ with no canopy retention for intermittent streams, and no SMZ or canopy retention for ephemeral streams with unimproved crossings. Treatment 2 also included a 16.8 m perennial SMZ but increased canopy retention to 100%, as well as a 7.6 m intermittent SMZ with 25% canopy retention, and retention of channel bank trees and use of improved crossings for ephemeral streams. Treatment 3 required a 33.5 m perennial SMZ with 100% canopy retention, a 16.8 intermittent SMZ with 25% canopy retention, and a 7.6 m ephemeral SMZ with retention of channel bank trees and use of improved crossings. Total suspended solids (TSS) concentration and turbidity was measured in storm samples in perennial and ephemeral streams, and in non-storm samples in perennial and intermittent streams. Nitrate-N, ammonium-N, and dissolved oxygen concentrations were also measured in non-storm samples in perennial and intermittent streams. Temperature and water level were recorded every 15 minutes for the duration of the study. Results showed that treatment 3 was able to maintain TSS concentrations and turbidity levels similar to those measured in unharvested control watersheds. Increases in nitrate-N and mean daily temperature were measured for all treatments. Ammonium-N and dissolved oxygen concentrations were not different from unharvested control watersheds for any treatment. Storm hydrograph separation did not result in consistent changes post-harvest for any treatment.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Timothy Keane / Kansas City’s outdated sewer system is presently incapable of capturing and treating the increased runoff volumes in Turkey Creek Basin during rainstorm events. As a result, 2.66 billion gallons of untreated sewer system overflow is released annually into the Kansas River and nearby properties. In 2002, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a civil action requiring the City of Kansas City, Missouri, to take appropriate and necessary actions needed to prevent or minimize the discharge of untreated sewage. In response, the City of Kansas City adopted a comprehensive Overflow Control Plan intended to reduce sewer system overflow volumes in Turkey Creek Basin by 85% at a cost of approximately $244 million. Initially, the City of Kansas City seriously considered implementing stormwater best management practices (BMPs) in place of sewer system improvements. Stormwater BMPs infiltrate, filter, store, and evaporate stormwater runoff close to its source, preventing stormwater runoff from reaching the sewer system. Subsequently, many BMPs were eliminated from the Overflow Control Plan and replaced with conventional sewer system technologies because of performance concerns. However, the Overflow Control Plan acknowledged that BMPs located on private property would indirectly benefit Kansas City’s stormwater management strategy. Using geographic information system (GIS) analysis, suitability maps were generated for twelve different BMPs to determine suitable locations in Turkey Creek Basin for reducing stormwater runoff. Analysis concluded that the most effective strategy for sustainable stormwater management would be to locate BMPs at higher elevations within the watershed to prevent upland runoff from flooding sewer system pipes at lower elevations. Areas having the highest suitability are located primarily on residential land, implying that Kansas City could benefit most from encouraging its residents to equip their properties with site-appropriate BMPs. This can be achieved through educational initiatives, policy adoption, and homeowner incentives. Therefore, policies and incentives targeting Kansas City’s residents should be implemented to reduce sewer overflow volumes and prevent future costly improvements to Kansas City’s sewer system.