China January 2012 Talk

1. Samuel H. Sage1, Hongbin Gao1 and Ping He2
Atlantic States Legal Foundation1 (ASLF)
and International Fund for China’s Environment2 (IFCE)
January 2012

2.  ASLF
◦ Established in 1982 to provide affordable legal,
technical and organizational assistance as a way to
effectively remediate threats to the natural and built
environment.
 IFCE
◦ Founded in 1996 by a group of scientists and
professionals concerned with China’s environmental
problems, IFCE aims to ensure a healthy global
environment and continued economic development
by helping China solve its environmental problems.

3. Urban Sprawl
Urbanization
http://www.flickr.com/photos/crouch/2075385806/
http://neutradesign.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/urban-
sprawl-in-united-states-eden-prairie-aerial-florida.jpg

5. Lupinus perennis Lupinus polyphyllus
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lupinus_pol
mons/5/51/Mainelupin.jpg
yphyllus.JPG

6. http://steelinterstate.org/topics/preserving-our-landscape
The construction of the wall between Mexico and the US border may
cause disappearance of 11 animal species with the interruption of their
migration routes

7.  Channelization
 Filling wetlands
 Diversion through
turbine and dams
 Withdrawal for Harbor Brook, Unchannelized
agriculture, industry
and human
consumption
 Indirect changes by
cutting down trees
Harbor Brook, Channelized

8.  Contaminated discharge from industrial and
municipal uses
 Runoff and erosion
 Air-deposition
 CSO
http://steelinterstate.org/topics/preserving-our-landscape
Unauthorized Industrial Discharge
(unidentified location)

9. Onondaga Lake, Syracuse, New York, USA

10.  1884 Solvay Process Co. opens its doors: begins
making soda ash on southwestern shore
 1896 Sewers built in city, backyard privies banned.
Sewage flows directly into creeks
 1897 Whitefish disappears from Onondaga Lake

11.  1901 Ice harvesting banned for health reasons
 1907 NYS Attorney General threatens legal action
against SPC for dumping waste to lake; SPC agrees to
keep wastes on land
 1917 SPC begins production of chlorine. Also begins
producing organic chemicals (benzene, toluene,
xylenes, chlorobenzenes)
 1920 SPC merges with other industries to form Allied
Chemical & Dye Co.

12.  1955-60 County establishes Metropolitan sewer
district and constructs new primary sewage treatment
plant
 1970 Mercury is discovered in lake fishery. Fishing is
banned and Allied is sued by NYS Attorney General
 1972 Congress passed Clean Water Act

13.  1975 Crucible Steel starts new wastewater treatment
plant
 1979 Allied sells chlorine production facility to LCP
Corp.
 1979 Metro plant begins secondary treatment
 1981 Metro plant begins phosphorus removal
 1986 Allied shuts down

14.  1988 Atlantic States sues county for wastewater
violations; NYS joins suit.
 1988 LCP is fined; closes plant.
 1989 County agrees to settlement.
 1989 NYS sues Allied & LCP for natural resource
damages; leads to Consent Order in 1992
 1994 Onondaga Lake named Superfund site

15.  First passed in 1972 and subsequently
amended
 Section 505 allows for citizens to enforce the
law

16.  1988, ASLF brings a lawsuit against
Onondaga County for violations of their
permit to discharge to Onondaga Lake
 1989, lawsuit settled
 1997, the settlement was renegotiated and
amended
 2009, further renegotiation requires green
infrastructure

17.  Green Infrastructure
◦ Porous Pavement ◦ Stormwater planters
◦ Rain Gardens ◦ Cisterns
◦ Vegetated curb extensions ◦ Vegetated roofs
◦ Tree trenches
Green Water Street Design, Syracuse, New York, USA
Go to http://savetherain.us/ for more information

18.  Gray Infrastructure:
◦ Commitment to 88.7% annual volume capture in Gray
Infrastructure by 2013
 Green Infrastructure:
◦ Commitment to an additional 6.3% annual volume capture in
Green Infrastructure commencing immediately in 2009,
resulting in 95% total annual volume capture by 2018
Go to http://savetherain.us/ for more information

19.  Benefit to Water Quality
◦ Selected Gray Projects maximize storage for advanced
treatment at Metro
◦ By managing stormwater before it gets into the
Combined Sewer System,
◦ Green Infrastructure eliminates pollutants at the source
and reduces discharge volumes to the creek and lake
◦ Also reduces flooding and erosion

20.  Create Habitat and preserve biodiversity
 Improve air quality
 Improve neighborhood aesthetics
 Create jobs and job training programs
 Increase property values
 Enhance community health and vitality

21.  Non-Point science and monitoring method
 Integrated planning efforts: incorporating
water quality, habitat creation and urban
revitalization goals in planning process