Sustainable Geoenvironmental Engineering Practice - Sustainable Practices in Geoenvironmental Engineering - page 502

to better manage the geoenvironmental natural renewable and nonrenewable resources.
Again, the absence of discussion relating to the direct primary sources of stressors such
as the decision-makers responsible for the upstream and downstream industries, means
that this topic can only provide the geoenvironmental perspective on results of the main
impacts resulting from these stressors. The oceans and the coastal marine environments
are also signiicant resource bases, and are essential components of the life support for the
human population and must not be neglected.
Outside of the calamitous natural events in the very recent years, in the form of earth-
quakes, hurricanes, landslides, loods, etc., that have caused death and severe distress
to countless numbers of unfortunate humans, it is seen that contamination of air, land,
and water resources is the greatest anthropogenic threat to the human population and
the geoenvironment. The various discards, spills, and loss of materials (chemicals, etc.)
and discharge of wastes, either in liquid form or as solids, are common to all types of
human activities within (a) the built urban environment, (b) mineral and hydrocarbon
exploitation, (c) agricultural ecosystem, and (d) industries. Some of these activities include
wastewater discharges, use of nonrenewable resources as energy input and also as raw
materials for the industries, injection wells, leachates from landills and surface stockpiles,
open dumps, illegal dumping, underground storage tanks, pipelines, train accidents, irri-
gation practices, gaseous and noxious particulate airborne emissions, production wells,
hydraulic fracking, use of pesticides and herbicides, urban runoff, mining activities, etc.
These pose signiicant threats to the land environment and the receiving waters, and to the
inhabitants of these environments.
The degree of environmental impact due to contaminants in a contaminated ground
site is dependent on (a) the nature and distribution of the contaminants, (b) the vari-
ous physical, geological and environmental features of the site, and (c) existent land use.
Through management and education, the sources of contamination must be controlled to
maintain water quality and supply for future generations. Environmental management
including various remediation and impact assessment and avoidance tools have been
developed that technology can develop such as the development of renewable resources
replacements for the nonrenewable resources that are being depleted. Mitigation and
management of contaminants in the subsoil should seek to reduce and eliminate the pres-
ence of contaminants in the soil. Engineering the natural attenuation capability of soils,
through enhancements of the attenuation capability with geochemical, biological, and
nutrient aids will provide greater management options. Considerable attention needs to
be paid to many of these issues by researchers, policy makers, and other professionals to
alleviate the stresses to the geosphere and seek sustainability and innovative and non-
conventional ways are needed for society to live in harmony with the environment now
and in the future.
References
Akai, J., Nomura, N., Matsushita, S., Kudo, H., Haruo Fukuhara, H., Matsuoka, S., and Matsumoto,
J. (2013), Mineralogical and geomicrobial examination of soil contamination by radioactive Cs
due to 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident, Physics and Chemistry of the Earth ,
58-60, 57-67.
Applegate, D., Degner, M., Deschamp, J., and Haverl, S. (2005), Highly reined, Civil Engineering ,
75(6):44-49.