Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
serious adverse impact of DCR discharge to the Great Lakes. As discussed in
detail in Chapter 5 (Section 5.3.4) the presence of the DCR in the lake's soft
mud could create an optimum habitat for the invasive and destructive mus-
sels. Working with the TAC studies, associated methods were designed to test
the hypothesis of increase in mussel density and distribution. As discussed in
Chapter 5 (Section 5.3.4) the studies provided the information needed to predict
impacts and for the USCG to make an informed decision based on a hard look
at the impacts. Because of their active involvement throughout the process, the
TAC understood the impacts and supported the USCG's decision.
The Boston Harbor Cleanup EIS (Sections 5.3.5 and 10.1) represents a much
more complex technical scoping and TAC example that is not strictly techni-
cal. At a projected $3 billion, the cleanup was one of the largest single-site
public works projects in the United States, and as such, it drew significant
public attention, including creating an issue in the 1988 presidential elec-
tion between Democratic nominee Massachusetts Governor Dukakis and
Republican nominee Vice President George H.W. Bush. Because of all the
attention, magnitude of the project (up to 3.5 million cubic meters of waste
water a day) and the court ordered and monitored process, all of the pres-
tigious academic institutions in New England felt they had to weigh in
and provide the benefit of all their wisdom. Thus periodic TAC meetings
were held with the environmental impact analysis team and frequently
with the press in attendance. These sessions were held at critical junctions
of the investigation, with top scientists and engineers from Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Rhode Island Graduate School
of Oceanography, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, and other renowned
institutions sitting around the table. Meetings were held during impact
hypothesis formulation, study design, method selection, results interpre-
tation, and recommendations. Each representative felt they had to make
a contribution, and one that demonstrated their extensive knowledge and
experience. The technical scoping process produced an extensive investiga-
tion program utilizing sometimes the most advanced methodology, even if
common sense sometimes indicated the magnitude and probability of the
impact did not warrant extensive investigation. The result was a wealth of
information and data, some more useful than others. But the most important
result was a final EIS and selected proposed action that had the full support
and endorsement of a respected scientific and engineering assemblage that
fostered public support, ultimately approved funding, and implementation
of what proved to be a very effective and expedient Boston Harbor cleanup.
Both the technical and social scoping contingents are important in the
public outreach process. After a lengthy and detailed discussion of the mul-
timillion dollar scientific investigation proposed for the AJ Mine EIS (see
Section 10.3 for a description of the AJ Mine EIS), one of the indigenous
people, with cultural resources and subsistence requirements potentially
affected, inquired at a public meeting, “What are you doing for those of
us who don't worship at the altar of science?” The commenter was right on
Search WWH ::
Custom Search