Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
5
Planning of the selected RM and RR measure for generic or site-specific appli-
cation includes (1) the engineering plans of technology implementation; (2) the
technological and environmental monitoring plan; and (3) the targeted criteria;
6
During the implementation of the RR measure or technology, continuous moni-
toring or repeated assessments are necessary in order to control the effect of the
measure and implement corrective actions if necessary;
7
After finalizing the reduction of risk, the resulting situation (problems caused by
the production and use of chemical substances as well as contaminated environ-
ment and wastes containing hazardous agents or substances) should be evaluated
based on the monitoring data obtained during RR. This final evaluation charac-
terizes the problem or the site in the same context as the detailed assessment, but
in this final phase the characteristics are mostly described by quantitative values,
available as monitoring data i.e. a time series of data.
The context of the problem managed can be the following:
-
The
local
environment
and
socio-economic
characteristics
of
the
local
communities;
-
The watershed-scale environment and the relevant community;
-
A larger region, such as a country, Europe or the globe and the socio-economic
issues in the country, in Europe or on the entire earth.
If the scale of the managed problem increases/grows, the assessment methods
become increasingly generic, i.e., the conclusions are accompanied with greater uncer-
tainties. In such a case even if the conclusion is true for the country, the region, or
the globe, it may be less valid for a small locality. If the assessment concerns a smaller
locality and exhibits high uncertainties at local level, extrapolation from these results
to larger areas results in greater uncertainties with growing distance from the loca-
tion. Assessment of a larger area can comprise the sum of individual local assessments,
but this approach requires a large amount of locally acquired data and complex data
handling and processing.
The impact of the RR technology can be evaluated by continuously monitoring
the technological parameters (air flux, water flux, contaminant flux, materials and
additives used, energy used, water, depleted renewable resources, etc.) and the rele-
vant environmental parameters (contaminant concentration and its reduction, adverse
effects such as toxicity and its reduction, emission from the technology into the atmo-
sphere, waters and soils, as well as noise, vibration and smell). If the RR measure is a
provision such as a restriction or ban, and no remedial or preventive technology has
been applied, the changes in the environmental quality parameters can be observed and
recorded. In this case the impact of the alternative measure should also be evaluated.
If alternative materials or industrial technologies are implemented as a manage-
ment option, a completely new ERM scheme should be established to identify the
technological, environmental, economic, and social consequences of the alternatively
produced or used chemical substance or applied industrial technology. Selection of the
new option is mainly based on predictions from experience obtained elsewhere or, in
the case of an innovative technology, from limited experience in contrast to the formerly
applied one, whose disadvantages are known. One of the dilemmas of risk manage-
ment is comparing what is hardly comparable, i.e. the well-known, thoroughly tested
Search WWH ::




Custom Search