Polluted runoff has been widely recognized by environmental scientists and regulators as the single largest threat to water quality in the United States. Contractor training and certification are among the four main Best Management Practices that the Environmental Protection Agency recommends to assist contractors in complying with Phase II Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems requirements that regulate construction sites stormwater runoff. The focus of the study is the review of training requirements for construction activities and stormwater permitting requirements in the states of Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, and Tennessee. The review of the various training and certification requirements for the study states indicates the appropriateness and timeliness for the development and implementation of a model standard stormwater, erosion and sediment control training and certification program for contractors of construction sites of one acre or larger in Desoto County Mississippi to minimize stormwater pollution from construction sites.

The objective of this thesis is to investigate the initial allocation of pollution permits in a dynamic tradeable market. Tradeable pollution permit markets are an increasingly common method of environmental regulation and it is apparent that future schemes may have a number of repeated compliance periods. It is important to consider how and to what extent the dynamic allocation of pollution permits determines the market efficiency at the equilibrium. This objective is developed in three parts. First, Part I introduces the topic and sets out the current relationships that exist between the initial allocation of permits and market efficiency and finds strong links between the two. It is shown that markets with imperfect competition, transaction costs or multiple periods can result in links between the initial allocation and market efficiency. In Part II, a generalised model is created to investigate the optimality of dynamic permit allocations and finds the dynamic use of grandfathering (free allocation based on emissions information) permits is, in general, sub-optimal. It is argued that alternative dynamic mechanisms should be considered, such as auctions and other relative performance mechanisms. Part II is concluded by an investigation into the link between market efficiency, dynamic initial allocations and firms' lobbying over a permit allocation. Firms have the ability to determine their permit allocation by their choice of emissions and lobbying activity. It is shown that in some circumstances, lobbying activity may alter market efficiency and may result in reductions in social welfare. In Part III, an alternative dynamic allocation mechanism is considered, namely a rank-ordered contest, which can optimally allocate permits and simultaneously accomplish a predetermined secondary policy objective. The thesis concludes with a discussion of the policy implications and future work associated with this research.

Thesis (doctoral)--Universität, Freiburg, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. [613]-679) and index.

This dissertation research is the study of cultural resource management initiatives and the extent to which archaeological surveys and excavations include or exclude African Caribbean contemporary and historic communities, throughout these processes. Varying types of archaeological sites identified by archaeologists, along with community inclusionary measures are examined to determine as to the degree to which archaeological surveys and excavations are reflective of historic and contemporary African Caribbean communities. Data were collected through archival research, interviews and surveys and analyzed qualitatively to examine the degree to which stakeholders, particularly those who have been historically marginalized, have been incorporated into these processes. It was anticipated that changes in nationalistic identities and the emergence of an African Caribbean middle class would bring about a shift in the focus of cultural resource management initiatives, away from those associated with colonialist Europeans and Americans towards those associated with African Caribbean communities. A comprehensive examination of economic, political, social and cultural conditions provides the framework for an examination of historic and contemporary factors that have influenced the emergence of African Caribbean middle class communities. The data suggest that shifts in cultural resource management initiatives do occur as African Caribbean middle classes emerge from European colonialist societies. However, in some cases, the emergence of this middle class has been delayed. The data also suggest that archaeological surveys and excavations are still conducted without comprehensive community inclusionary measures or the inclusion of aspects of community based site significance. History, memory, and identity are key components of community-based concepts of tangible resources and as indicated in this study, differ greatly from resources as defined historically by colonialist and currently by archaeologists.

Universiẗat, Diss., 2005--Regensburg.

Legislated renewable portfolio standards (RPSs) may not be the key to ensure forecast energy demands are met. States without a legislated RPS and with efficient permitting procedures were found to have approved and issued 28.57% more permits on average than those with a legislated RPS. Assessment models to make informed decisions about the need and effect of legislated RPSs do not exist. Decision makers and policy creators need to use empirical data and a viable model to resolve the debate over a nationally legislated RPS. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine if relationships between the independent variables of RPS and insolation levels and the dependent variable of the percentage of permits approved would prove to be a viable model. The research population was 68 cities in the United States, of which 55 were used in this study. The return on investment economic decision model provided the theoretical framework for this study and the model generated. The output of multiple regression analysis indicated a weak to medium positive relationship among the variables. None of these relationships were statistically significant at the 0.05 level. A model using site specific data might yield significant results and be useful for determining which solar energy projects to pursue and where to implement them without Federal or State mandated RPSs. A viable model would bring about efficiency gains in the permitting process and effectiveness gains in promoting installations of solar energy-based systems. Research leading to the development of a viable model would benefit society by encouraging the development of sustainable energy sources and helping to meet forecast energy demands.

<p>Emission permit markets are being actively implemented as a regulatory method to control various types of pollution in the United States because of the potential efficiency improvements they offer. In Canada, regulators have been more cautious, frequently citing concern that proposed Canadian markets are expected to be thin and/or dominated by a single firm. In these circumstances, such a firm could manipulate prices to reduce its own emission control costs while increasing the total cost of pollution control across the market. Such activity might also cause emission permit markets to be viewed as unviable on efficiency and equity grounds. This thesis investigates the potential problems such markets might experience if one firm (or a group of firms) has the ability to manipulate market prices to their advantage. Given the lack of empirical data, experimental economic methods are used in an attempt to determine whether it is reasonable to assume violations of the basic competitive market assumptions should be expected to seriously undermine the efficiency benefits emission permit markets offer in a controlled setting.</p> <p>The experiments reported here show that in double auction markets with one dominant firm and a number of fringe firms, strategic manipulation occurs repeatedly in the laboratory. The dominant firm uses emission permits in a socially inefficient manner in order to reduce its costs, increase its profits and exclude rivals in downstream product markets. Far from finding increased market efficiency and decreased cost of pollution control, this study confirms that implementing permit markets when there are firms with market power may decrease efficiency. The resultant loss in gains from trade could also reduce the political viability of emission trading programs.</p> / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The focus of this report and the study for which it was written involves two specific types of user charges: Building permit fees are fees that cover the cost of administering the document (the building permit) and the cost of inspecting the construction for which the permit was issued. This report examines the issues, both legal and procedural, surrounding regulatory fees and their effects on building fees within the City of San Bernardino. As elements of the larger study, various smaller studies such as time and motion studies of the building inspector's activities and fully Burdened Hourly Rate Study were completed.

A favourable environment is without any doubt a necessary condition of human existence. Its state is negatively affected by various human activities. The state is thus forced to intervene and ensure its protection, using various means. The aim of my thesis is to describe and analyse the financial and legal tools used in environmental protection and suggest possible improvements. The thesis consists of two chapters. Chapter one, containing seven subchapters, mainly explores the general characteristics of financial and legal tools used in the field of environmental protection. Subchapter one defines the term of financial and legal tools of the environmental protection. Subchapter two examines the influencing of financial and legal tools. Subchapter three describes the externalities and their relation to environmental protection. The fourth subchapter outlines the functions of financial and legal tools of environmental protection. The fifth subchapter deals with their categorization. Subchapter six outlines the advantages and disadvantages of financial and legal tools. Subchapter seven presents the financial and legal tools used by the European Union. Chapter two focuses on individual types of financial and legal tools and their current legislation. This chapter is divided into four subchapters. The...

Subject matter of the diploma thesis is a crisis on the market for secondary raw materials. The crisis was observed in the end of 2008 and in beginning of 2009. The diploma thesis is deal with current situation on the market for recycling and identifying its specifics. First, it is focused on the European Packaging Waste Directive institutional framework of the market for recycling. Consequently it is discussed how successful is implemented Directive in each European Union member country. The second chapter is about the market for recycling and about the recent crisis. In the third chapter we discover causes and consequences in connection with the collapse and we will confront with specialists through the interviews. In the last part of the diploma thesis is suggested original solution.