Part 1: Report on :Major environmental episodes: Learning and preparing for future A survey to study...

7/28/2019 Part 1: Report on :Major environmental episodes: Learning and preparing for future A survey to study the solid w

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Final Report on

ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION

CONTROLPROJECT & ACTIVITY

By

Rohit Reddy 2010A1Ps398P

Mudit Chauhan 2010A1PS349P

Submitted to

Dr. A K Sharma

At

Birla Institute of Technology and Science

Pilani (Rajasthan) 333031


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We feel immense pleasure in presenting before you this end-term report on project andactivity undertaken by us under the course Environmental Pollution and Control.Part 1 of the report encompasses the project work. The topic chosen is RECENTENVIRONMENTAL EPISODES: LEARNING AND PREPARING FOR FUTUREkeeping in mind the basic theme of the course i.e. saving environment. Here we tried toexplore some major environmental disasters from past century and understand theirimpact on the environment. 6 events are chosen for this purpose namely, London smog,ozone layer depletion, Bhopal gas tragedy, Chernobyl nuclear disaster, Fukushimanuclear disaster and deepwater horizon oil spill. Attempt was made to choose one major

event each from air pollution, water pollution and nuclear disaster.

Each of these events is discussed in a comprehensive manner. The chronological orderfollowed in discussion is- introduction, causes, and effects, measures for containment andlearning and preparing for future. In last section for each event we have tried to discussthe lessons learnt from that particular event and lessons that still needed to be learnt.Each event is concluded by proposing the measures that are needed to be taken to preventoccurrence of such events in the future.Second part of this report discusses the activity we took up. Under this activity weconducted an online survey for understanding peoples awareness about solid wastemanagement. A questionnaire is designed covering wide array of topics on solid wastemanagement. People were asked in to fill the survey through forums like socialnetworking sites.The collected responses are analyzed and methods are suggested for improvements.Suitable graphs and tables are provided where ever necessaryWe hope you have good time reading this report and find it informational and useful.

Mudit & Rohit

PREFACE


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A comprehensive report always requires the goodwill, encouragement, guidance and supportof many people so we would like to start by thanking our Instructor for this course Dr. A KSharma for giving us opportunity of working on this project. His constant support andmentorship right from suggesting the topic till the completion of report is highly appreciated.

Also, we take this opportunity to thank Chemical engineering department, BITS Pilani forconducting a course like Environmental Pollution Control. The course is an excellent way

for undergraduate students like us to understand the basics of Environment protection

methodologies and arousing an interest to carry forward the topic of environmental protectionto higher studies.

We also express our deep sense of gratitude to Dr. Ishwar Bhatt, Librarian for allowingus to use the BITS library which was our major source of gathering information.Thanks to our families & friends for their encouragement and patience throughout the

period of preparation of this report.Thank you all

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT


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Figure No. Page No. Description

I-1 30 Causes of deepwater horizon oil spill

G-1 40 Categories of solid waste

G-2 41 Pie chart of modes of waste collection

G-3 41 Modes of solid waste disposal

G-4 41 Activities at individual level to help the cause of

solid waste management

LIST OF TABLES AND

FIGURES


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PART 1

PROJECT REPORT ON

RECENT ENVIRONMENTAL EPISODES:LEARNING AND PREPARING FOR

FUTURE


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KEYWORDS: Environmental disasters, London smog, Bhopal gas tragedy, Fukushima Daiichi nuclear

disaster, Chernobyl nuclear disaster, deepwater horizon oil spill

ABSTRACT: Human exploitation of the nature to fulfil his need has left it in a very bad shape. During

the continued phase of exploitation there were some incidents which left a wider impact than other

and made us think about where we went wrong. The nuclear disasters of Chernobyl and Fukushima

had proved again and again how unsafe the nuclear energy is what risks it poses in case of failure of

a nuclear power plant. There is therefore a need to completely shift away from nuclear energy and

focus on the development of cleaner sources of energy. Bhopal gas tragedy is the worst industrial

disaster in the history of humankind and made us realized what an improperly managed chemical

plant can led to. The deepwater horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico proved the lack of safety

culture among the oil and gas industries and left hundreds of square kilometre of sea covered with

oil damaging the marine ecosystem. Then there was the air pollution incident of London in early

1950's popularly known as the London smog which killed more than 12,000 people. It brought

immediate attention of the government on the excessive use of low grade coal that was taking place

at that time. The legislations helped in bringing down pollution levels to some extent at that time

but the rapid industrialisation taking place currently in countries like India and china has again

ignored the effects of air pollution.

Sadly we have failed to learn from these incidents, year after we keep on committing the same

mistakes. We are at this delicate phase if no immediate steps are taken the future of our

environment (and therefore us) would become very bleak.

ABSTRACT


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Humans are blessed with an excellent mind which has

INTRODUCTION helped us in growing from a nomad hunting animals in

Jungle to the one exploring Mars for water. Rapid growth

and industrialization brought with itself the increased

demand for resources. To fulfil this increased demand

humans exploited nature in every possible way. We

cleared forests after forests, burned fossil fuels, released

harmful chemicals into our water bodies etc. But all this

exploitation left our environment in a very bad state.

Today we live in world where air is not safe to breathe,

water not safe for drinking and land not good enough for

growing food. A world whose glaciers are melting, Itsprotective layer of ozone depleting and its bio-diversity

becoming endangered.

Now some of the incidents during this phase of

human exploitation of environment hold vital

importance. Our project report focuses on these

important environmental episodes of last century like

the Bhopal gas tragedy, Chernobyl nuclear disaster,Ozone layer depletion etc. Each of these incidents had

a huge impact on us and our environment and

provides us with an opportunity of understanding

where we went wrong and correcting those mistakes

in the future.

But sadly we have failed to do so, year after we keep

on committing the same mistakes. Recent incidents of

oil spill in Gulf of Mexico, the Fukushima daiichi

nuclear disaster proves that. We are at this delicate

phase if no immediate steps are taken the future of

our environment (and therefore us) would become

very bleak.


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WHAT HAPPENED

The Great Smog or Big Smoke was a severe air pollution event that affected London in

December 1952. A period of cold weather combined with anticyclone and windless

conditions, collected airborne pollutants mostly from the use of coal to form a thick layer of

smog over the city. It lasted from Friday 5th to Tuesday 9 December 1952, and then quickly

dispersed after a change in the weather. In the following weeks, medical reports estimated

that 4,000 had died prematurely and 100,000 more were made ill due to the smog's effects on

the human respiratory tract. More recent research suggests that the number of fatalities was

considerably higher at around 12,000.

It is considered the worst air pollution event in the history of the United Kingdom, and the

most significant in terms of its impact on environmental research, government regulation, and

public awareness of the relationship between air quality and health

WHAT CAUSED IT

The weather preceding and during the smog meant that Londoners had to burn more

coal than usual to keep warm. Post-war domestic coal tended to be of a relatively low-grade,sulphurous variety, which increased the amount of sulphur dioxide in the smoke.

There were also numerous coal fired power stations within the Greater London area

including Battersea, Bank side, and Kingston upon Thames, all of which added to the

pollution levels.

In addition there was pollution and smoke from vehicle exhausts particularly from

diesel-fuelled buses which had replaced the recently scrapped electric tram system and

from other industrial and commercial sources.

Prevailing winds had also blown heavily-polluted air across the English Channel from

industrial areas of Europe.

On Thursday 4 December 1952, an anticyclone settled over a windless London,

causing a temperature inversion with very cold, stagnant air trapped under a layer of warm

air. The resultant fog, mixed with chimney smoke, particulates (e.g. from vehicle exhausts)

and other pollutants (particularly sulphur dioxide) resulted to form a persistent smog

The absence of significant wind prevented its dispersal and allowed an unprecedented build

up of pollutants.

London Smog (1952)


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IMPACTS

1. Visibility

Although London was accustomed to thick fogs, this one was denser and longer lasting than

any previously seen. Visibility was reduced to a few yards making driving difficult orimpossible. Public transport ground to a haltapart from the London Undergroundand the

ambulance service stopped running, forcing the sick to make their own way to hospital. The

smog even seeped indoors, resulting in the cancellation or abandonment of concerts and film

screenings.

2. Health Impact

Initially, there was no great panic, as London was renowned for its fog. In the weeks that

followed, however, statistics compiled by medical services found that the fog had killed

4,000 people. Deaths in most cases were due to respiratory tract infections from hypoxia, and

due to mechanical obstruction of the air passages by pus arising from lung infections caused

by the smog.

ACTIONS TAKEN FOR CLEANUP

The death toll formed an important impetus to modern environmentalism, and it caused a

rethinking of air pollution, as the smog had demonstrated its lethal potential.

In response to the 1952 smog the Government passed various legislations to phase out coal

fire. Financial incentives were offered to householders to replace open coal fires with

alternatives, (such as installing gas fires) or for those who preferred, to burn coke instead (a

bi-product of town gas production) which produces minimal smoke.

1. The 1956 Clean Air Act

The Government could not ignore the Great London Smog and so the first Clean Air Act was

eventually introduced in 1956. This Act aimed to control domestic sources of smoke

pollution by introducing smokeless zones. In these areas, smokeless fuels had to be burnt.

The Clean Air Act focused on reducing smoke pollution but the measures taken actually

helped to reduce sulphur dioxide levels at the same time. The city grew noticeably cleaner

very quickly

2. The 1968 Clean Air Act: Tall Chimneys


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The Clean Air Act of 1968 brought in the basic principle for the use of tall chimneys for

industries burning coal, liquid or gaseous fuels. At the time of this legislation it was

recognised that smoke pollution could be controlled, but that sulphur dioxide removal was

generally impracticable. Hence, higher the chimney better is the dispersal of the air pollution.

Air pollution has decreased in many ways in London due to:

Domestic emissions reduced because of smoke control areas;

Electric and gas usage increased and the use of solid fuels decreased;

Cleaner coals were burnt which had lower sulphur content;

Use of tall chimney stacks on power stations;

Relocation of power stations to more rural areas;

Continued decline in heavy industry

. London today no longer suffers from killer fogs.

LESSONS STILL NEED TO BE LEARNT

When it comes to urban air pollution, it is anything but ended. Economic growth has left air

quality in many cities notoriously poor, putting millions upon millions of urban resident at

risk of death and severe health problems. Thought the awareness about air pollution has

increased, but the level of air pollution has itself not decreased. Today we face the dangers of

Global warming, ozone layer depletion etc. due to highest ever levels of CO2, NOx.

Following are the recent examples of cities reeling under severe air pollution.

In December 2012, some 60 years after Londons killer fog, Tehran was hit with whathas become an annually worsening smog eventpollution so thick this year that authorities

closed schools, universities, banks, and government offices in an attempt to decrease the

haze.

Air pollution in the Chinese capital Beijing has reached levels judged as hazardous to

human health. The air tastes of coal dust and car fumes, it was so thick you could see just a

few hundred metres in the city centre. The health impact is vast. Tens of thousands of

Chinese are reckoned to die each year because of foul air.


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Some of the reasons for recent increase in air pollution are:

1. Rapid industrialization at the cost of environment. Though new laws and technologies

have come up, but the small economic and political gains have made them of no use.

2. The increasing world population has led to an increase in energy demands. New andnew coal fed power plants came up to satisfy these demands.

3. Number of vehicles on road has increased exponentially over the last 50 years. They

now form the single largest source of pollutants like NOx, particulate matter etc.

4. New sources of pollution like nuclear facilities have come up.

Sixty years after the killer fog lifted in London, people are dying preventable deaths and

suffering life-changing illnesses, simply because they must breathe the air of the cities wherethey live.

PREPARING FOR FUTURE

Our knowledge of the health consequences of both local and global pollution is more detailed

and accurate than it has ever been. We are now in a position to make informed choices as a

society about what risks we will accept and how much were willing to pay to change them.

Some have argued that a dirty world is the unavoidable cost of economic growth. People who

have a vested interest in not changing the causes of pollution will too often use this claptrap

as an excuse for doing nothing and learning nothing.

1. Changing fuel use (switching to cleaner source of energy)

Coal fed power plants are the biggest source of green house gases like Carbon dioxide,

particulate matter etc. There is an immediate need to switch to cleaner and renewable source

of energy like solar, wind, hydro power, bio-fuels etc. This will not only control the level of

pollutants but also reduce our over dependence on dwindling resources of coal and petroleum

2. Controlling emissions from vehicles

Switching from petroleum based vehicles to hydrogen/bio-fuelpowered ones, Stricter

environmental regulations on emissions from vehicles, Increasing the engine efficiency.

3. Carbon capture and storage


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Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) consists of the capture of carbon dioxide (CO2) from

power plants and/or CO2-intensive industries such as refineries, cement, iron and steel, its

subsequent transport to a storage site, and finally its injection into a suitable underground

geological formation for the purposes of permanent storage. It is considered to be one of the

medium term 'bridging technologies' in the portfolio of available mitigation actions forstabilising concentrations of atmospheric CO2, the main greenhouse gas.

4. Improve the pollution-monitoring network.

Numerous sensors regularly collect data about air quality that can be sent to an EPA database

to determine if the air in a community meets national standards. Yet the instruments are

installed only in about 1,000 of the nations 3,141 counties, and budget cuts have forced

states to reduce the number of sensors or staff that maintain them and analyze the data.

Emerging science indicates that some areas with no monitoring face serious health risks,particularly poor neighbourhoods adjacent to highways or dirty industries. The EPA should

work with scientists and state officials to lower monitoring costs and expand the ability to

track pollutants.

5. Proper Enforcement of environmental laws

Since 1970 the Clean Air Act has driven the nations ability to curb air pollution. But rules

have eroded as political decisions have taken the place of scientific ones and as delay afterdelay in enforcing specific requirements have mounted until only costly lawsuits prompt

action. By restoring a commitment to science and law, the nation can make great strides

6. Controlling emissions from industries

Effective use of available technologies like liquid scrubbing, adsorption etc. to control the

stack emissions. Controlling the emissions at source is more effective than allowing it to

escape and then controlling it. Researchers should continue working on cleaner process

technologies with little or no emissions. Careful environmental analysis of effects of an

industry before it is set up in an particular area.

In order to reduce global air pollution, many environmental experts believe that all countries

across the world should have the same emissions standards. This way, air pollution can be

managed on a global level. Presently, a worldwide emissions standard has not been

established, though many are hopeful that this will change within the near future. The

developed countries should take up more responsibilities for reducing emission and an global

consensus should be reached for a better future of earth.


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REFRENCES

Research Papers

1. Davis, Devra L. "A look back at the London smog of 1952 and the half centurysince." Environmental Health Perspectives 110.12 (2002): A734.

2. Bell, Michelle L., Devra L. Davis, and Tony Fletcher. "A retrospective assessment of mortality fromthe London smog episode of 1952: the role of influenza and pollution." Environmental HealthPerspectives 112.1 (2004): 6.

Web Links

1.http://activehistory.ca/2012/12/londons-great-smog-60-years-on/

2. http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2013/02/lessons-we-havent-learned-londons-killer-

fog-1952/4660/
http://activehistory.ca/2012/12/londons-great-smog-60-years-on/http://activehistory.ca/2012/12/londons-great-smog-60-years-on/http://activehistory.ca/2012/12/londons-great-smog-60-years-on/http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2013/02/lessons-we-havent-learned-londons-killer-fog-1952/4660/http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2013/02/lessons-we-havent-learned-londons-killer-fog-1952/4660/http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2013/02/lessons-we-havent-learned-londons-killer-fog-1952/4660/http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2013/02/lessons-we-havent-learned-londons-killer-fog-1952/4660/http://www.theatlanticcities.com/politics/2013/02/lessons-we-havent-learned-londons-killer-fog-1952/4660/http://activehistory.ca/2012/12/londons-great-smog-60-years-on/


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WHAT HAPPENED

The Bhopal disaster, also referred to as the Bhopal gas tragedy, was a gas leak incident in

India considered the worlds worst industrial disaster. It occurred on the night of 23

December 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited(UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal,

Madhya Pradesh. Over 500,000 people were exposed to methyl isocyanate gas and other

chemicals. The toxic substance made its way in and around the shantytowns located near the

plant.The government of Madhya Pradesh confirmed a total of 3,787 deaths related to the gas

release. Others estimate 8,000 died within two weeks and another 8,000 or more have since

died from gas-related diseases.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Most of the safety systems were not functioning and many valves and lines were in poor

condition. In addition to this, several vent gas scrubbers had been out of service as well as the

steam boiler, intended to clean the pipes was non-operational. Other issue was that, Tank 610

contained 42 tons of MIC which was much more than what safety rules allowed. During the

night of 23 December 1984, water entered Tank E610 containing 42 tons of MIC. A run

away reaction started, which was accelerated by contaminants, high temperatures and other

factors. The reaction was sped up by the presence of iron from corroding non-stainless steelpipelines. The resulting exothermic reaction increased the temperature inside the tank to over

200 C (392 F) and raised the pressure. This forced the emergency venting of pressure from

the MIC holding tank, releasing a large volume of toxic gases. About 30 metric tons of

methyl isocyanate (MIC) escaped from the tank into the atmosphere in 45 to 60 minutes.

Factors leading to the magnitude of the gas leak mainly included problems such as; storing

MIC in large tanks and filling beyond recommended levels, poor maintenance after the plant

ceased MIC production at the end of 1984, failure of several safety systems due to poor

maintenance, and safety systems being switched off to save moneyincluding the MIC tank

refrigeration system which could have mitigated the disaster severity. The situation wasworsened by the mushrooming of slums in the vicinity of the plant, non-existent catastrophe

plans, and shortcomings in health care and socio-economic rehabilitation. Other factors

identified by the inquiry included: use of a more dangerous pesticide manufacturing method,

large-scale MIC storage, plant location close to a densely populated area, undersized safety

devices, and the dependence on manual operations. Plant management deficiencies were also

identifiedlack of skilled operators, reduction of safety management, insufficient

maintenance, and inadequate emergency action plans.

EFFECTS

BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY

(1986)


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The initial effects of exposure were coughing, vomiting, severe eye irritation and a feeling of

suffocation. People awakened by these symptoms fled away from the plant. Within a few

days, trees in the vicinity became barren, and 2,000 bloated animal carcasses had to be

disposed of. The acute symptoms were burning in the respiratory tract and eyes,

blepharospasm, breathlessness, stomach pains and vomiting. The causes of deaths werechoking, reflexogenic circulatorycollapse and pulmonary oedema. Findings during autopsies

revealed changes not only in the lungs but also, tubular necrosis of the kidneys fatty

degeneration of the liver and necrotising enteritis. The stillbirth rate increased by up to 300%

and neonatal mortality rate by around 200%.

STEPS TAKEN TO REDUCE THE DAMAGE

The company stressed the "immediate action" taken after the disaster and their continued

commitment to helping the victims. On 4 December, the day following the leak, UnionCarbide sent material aid and several international medical experts to assist the medical

facilities in Bhopal. The corporation established the Employees' Bhopal Relief Fund in

February 1985, which raised more than $5 million for immediate relief and according to

Union Carbide, in August 1987; they made an additional $4.6 million in humanitarian interim

relief available. A hospital was begun in October 1995 and was opened in 2001. The hospital

catered for the treatment of heart, lung and eye problems. They also developed a responsible

care system with other members of the chemical industry as a response to the Bhopal crisis,

which was designed to help prevent such an event in the future. The plant as a whole was

totally shutdown.


To prevent such events in the future Union carbide members along with other members of the

chemical industry developed a Responsible care system.

Responsible Care is a global, voluntary initiative developed autonomously by the chemical

industry for the chemical industry - it is run in 52 countries whose combined chemical

industries account for nearly 90% of global chemicals production. It stands for the chemicalindustry's desire to improve health, safety, and environmental performance.

The signatory chemical companies agree to commit themselves to improve their

performances in the fields of environmental protection, occupational safety and heal

protection, plant safety, product stewardship and logistics, as well as to continuously improve

the dialog with their neighbours and the public, independent from legal requirements.


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WHAT HAPPENED

The Chernobyl disaster was a catastrophic nuclear accident that occurred on 26 April

1986 at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine. The Chernobyl disaster is widely

considered to have been the worst nuclear power plant accident in history, and is one of only

two classified as a level 7 event on the International Nuclear Event Scale.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The accident occurred during an experiment scheduled to test a potential safety emergency

core cooling feature, which took place during a normal shutdown procedure. There was a

sudden and unexpected power surge, and when an emergency shutdown was attempted, an

exponentially larger spike in power output occurred, which led to a reactor vessel rupture and

a series of steam explosions. These events exposed the graphite moderator of the reactor to

air, causing it to ignite. The resulting fire sent a plume of highly radioactive fallout into the

atmosphere and over an extensive geographical area.

EFFECTS

Four hundred times more radioactive material was released than had been by the atomic

bombing of Hiroshima. Approximately 100,000 km of land was significantly contaminated

with fallout. In the aftermath of the accident, many people suffered from acute radiation

sickness (ARS), beta burns and thyroid cancers. The Chernobyl nuclear power plant is

located next to the Pripyat River, which feeds into the Dnieper reservoir system, one of the

largest surface water systems in Europe, which at the time supplied water to Kiev's 2.4

million residents, and was still in spring flood when the accident occurred. The radioactive

contamination of aquatic systems therefore became a major problem in the immediateaftermath of the accident. In the most affected areas of Ukraine, levels of radioactivity

(particularly from radionuclides 131I, 137Cs and 90Sr) in drinking water caused concern

during the weeks and months after the accident.

After the disaster, four square kilometres of pine forest directly downwind of the reactor

turned reddish-brown and died. Some animals in the worst-hit areas also died or stopped

reproducing. Most domestic animals were removed from the exclusion zone, but horses left 6

km (4 mi) from the power plant died when their thyroid glands were destroyed by radiation

doses of 150200 Sv. Some cattle on the same island died and those that survived were

stunted because of thyroid damage. The next generation appeared to be normal.

CHERNOBYL NUCLEAR

DISASTER (1986)


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Rain was purposely seeded over 10,000 km2 by the Soviet air force to remove radioactive

particles from clouds heading toward highly populated areas.

The worst of the radioactive debris was collected inside what was left of the reactor, much ofit shovelled in by liquidators wearing heavy protective gear. The reactor itself was covered

with bags of sand, lead and boric acid dropped from helicopters: some 5,000 metric tons of

material were dropped during the week that followed the accident.

The whole place was completely shut down. The Chernobyl reactor was enclosed in a large

concrete sarcophagus, which was built quickly to allow continuing operation of the other

reactors at the plant.

Some fuel remained in the reactors, most of it in each unit's cooling pond as well as some

material in a small spent fuel interim storage facility pond. In 1999 a contract was signed forconstruction of a radioactive waste management facility to store 25,000 used fuel assemblies

from reactor and other operational wastes. The contract included a processing facility able to

cut the RBMK fuel assemblies and to put the material in canisters, which were to be filled

with inert gas and welded shut. The canisters were to be transported to dry storage vaults,

where the fuel containers would be enclosed for up to 100 years. This facility, treating 2500

fuel assemblies per year, was the first of its kind for RBMK fuel.

An area extending 19 miles (31 km) in all directions from the plant is known as the "zone of

alienation." It is largely uninhabited, except for a few residents who have refused to leave.

The area has largely reverted to forest. Even today, radiation levels are so high that theworkers responsible for rebuilding the sarcophagus are only allowed to work five hours a day

for one month before taking 15 days of rest. Ukrainian officials estimate the area will not be

safe for human life again for another 20,000 years.


The United Nations Development Programme was launched in 2003 a specific project called

the Chernobyl Recovery and Development Programme (CRDP) for the recovery of the

affected areas. The programme was initiated in February 2002 based on the recommendations

in the report on Human Consequences of the Chernobyl Nuclear Accident. The main goal of

the CRDP's activities is supporting the Government of Ukraine in mitigating long-term

social, economic, and ecological consequences of the Chernobyl catastrophe.

REFRENCES

Research papers


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1. Howard, John. "Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster." Encyclopedia of Quantitative Risk Analysis and

Assessment.

2. Robbins, Jacob. "Lessons from Chernobyl: the event, the aftermath fallout: radioactive, political,

social." Thyroid7.2 (1997): 189-192.

Web links

1.http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/Chernobyl-

Accident/#.UZEo_7VTCrA

2.http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/statements/2005/ebsp2005n008.html
http://www.iaea.org/newscenter/statements/2005/ebsp2005n008.htmlhttp://www.iaea.org/newscenter/statements/2005/ebsp2005n008.htmlhttp://www.iaea.org/newscenter/statements/2005/ebsp2005n008.htmlhttp://www.iaea.org/newscenter/statements/2005/ebsp2005n008.html


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WHAT HAPPENED

Ozone depletion describes two distinct but related phenomena observed since the late 1970s:

a steady decline of about 4% per decade in the total volume of ozone in Earth's stratosphere

(the ozone layer), and a much larger springtime decrease in stratospheric ozone over Earth's

Polar Regions. The latter phenomenon is referred to as the ozone hole. In addition to these

well-known stratospheric phenomena, there are also springtime polar tropospheric ozone

depletion events.

The details of polar ozone hole formation differ from that of mid-latitude thinning, but the

most important process in both is catalytic destruction of ozone by atomic halogens The main

source of these halogen atoms in the stratosphere is photo-dissociation of man-made

halocarbon refrigerants (CFCs, Freons, Halons). These compounds are transported into the

stratosphere after being emitted at the surface. Both types of ozone depletion were observed

to increase as emissions of halo-carbons increased.

CFCs and other contributor substances are referred to as ozone-depleting substances

(ODS). Since the ozone layer prevents most harmful UVB wavelengths (280315 nm) of

ultraviolet light (UV light) from passing through the Earths atmosphere, observed and

projected decreases in ozone have generated worldwide concern. The Montreal Protocol thatbans the production of CFCs, halons, and other ozone-depleting chemicals such as

carbon tetrachloride and trichloro-ethane.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Ozone is formed in the stratosphere when oxygen molecules photo-dissociate after absorbing

an ultraviolet photon whose wavelength is shorter than 240 nm. This converts a single O2

into two atomic oxygen radicals. The atomic oxygen radicals then combine withseparate

O2molecules to create two O3 molecules. These ozone molecules absorb UV light between

310 and 200 nm, following which ozone splits into a molecule of O2and an oxygen atom.

The oxygen atom then joins up with an oxygen molecule to regenerate ozone. This is a

continuing process that terminates when an oxygen atom "recombines" with an ozone

molecule to make two O2 molecules.

O + O3 2 O2

OZONE LAYER DEPLETION

(1970s)


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The overall amount of ozone in the stratosphere is determined by a balance between

photochemical production and recombination.

Ozone can be destroyed by a number of free radical catalysts, the most important of which

are the hydroxyl radical (OH), the nitric oxide radical (NO), atomic chlorine ion (Cl) and

atomic bromine ion (Br).

In the simplest example of such a cycle, a chlorine atom reacts with an ozone molecule,

taking an oxygen atom with it (forming ClO) and leaving a normal oxygen molecule. The

chlorine monoxide (i.e., the ClO) can react with a second molecule of ozone (i.e., O3) to

yield another chlorine atom and two molecules of oxygen. The chemical shorthand for these

gas-phase reactions is:

Cl + O3 ClO + O2: The chlorine atom changes an ozone molecule to ordinary

oxygen

ClO + O3 Cl + 2 O2: The ClO from the previous reaction destroys a second ozone

molecule and recreates the original chlorine atom, which can repeat the first reaction and

continue to destroy ozone. Cl-catalyzed ozone depletion can take place in the gas phase, but

it is dramatically enhanced in the presence of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs).

These polar stratospheric clouds (PSC) form during winter, in the extreme cold. Polar winters

are dark, consisting of 3 months without solar radiation (sunlight). The lack of sunlight

contributes to a decrease in temperature and the polar vortex traps and chills air.

Temperatures hover around or below 80 C. These low temperatures form cloud particles.

There are three types of PSC cloudsnitric acid tri-hydrate clouds, slowly cooling water-ice

clouds, and rapid cooling water-ice cloudsprovide surfaces for chemical reactions whose

products will, in the spring lead to ozone destruction.

The role of sunlight in ozone depletion is the reason why the Antarctic ozone depletion is

greatest during spring. During winter, even though PSCs are at their most abundant, there is

no light over the pole to drive chemical reactions. During the spring, however, the sun comes

out, providing energy to drive photochemical reactions and melt the polar stratospheric

clouds, releasing considerable ClO, which drives the hole mechanism. Further warming

temperatures near the end of spring break up the vortex around mid-December. As warm,ozone and NO2-rich air flows in from lower latitudes, the PSCs are destroyed, the enhanced

ozone depletion process shuts down, and the ozone hole closes.

Most of the ozone that is destroyed is in the lower stratosphere, in contrast to the much

smaller ozone depletion through homogeneous gas phase reactions, which occurs primarily in

the upper stratosphere.

EFFECTS

Ozone, while a minority constituent in Earth's atmosphere, is responsible for most of the

absorption of UVB radiation. The amount of UVB radiation that penetrates through the ozone


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layer decreases exponentially with the slant-path thickness and density of the layer.

Correspondingly, a decrease in atmospheric ozone is expected to give rise to significantly

increased levels of UVB near the surface. Ozone-driven phenolic formation in tree rings has

dated the start of ozone depletion in northern latitudes to the late 1700s. UV-215 and mor

energetic radiation is responsible for creation ozone in the ozone layer from O2 (regularoxygen). UV-215 through UV-280 increases as a result of reduction in stratospheric ozone,

but this is insufficient to do more than dissociate the single oxygen bond of ozone, and of

course disrupt DNA bonding.Ozone depletion would change all of the effects of UVB on

human health, both positive and negative. UVB (the higher energy UV radiation absorbed by

ozone) is generally accepted to be a contributory factor to skin cancer and to produce Vitamin

D. In addition, increased surface UV leads to increased tropospheric ozone, which is a health

risk to humans.

Studies are suggestive of an association between ocular cortical cataracts and UV-B

exposure. Vitamin D is produced in the skin by ultraviolet light. Thus, higher UV-B exposureraises human vitamin D in those deficient in it. Recent research (primarily since the Montreal

protocol), shows that many humans have less than optimal vitamin D levels.

An increase of UV radiation would be expected to affect crops. A number of economically

important species of plants, such as rice, depend on Cyanobacteria residing on their roots for

the retention of nitrogen. Cyanobacteria are sensitive to UV radiation and would be affected

by its increase.

Ozone depletion and Global warming go hand in hand. The same CO2 radiative forcing that

produces global warming is expected to cool the stratosphere. This cooling, in turn, isexpected to produce a relative increase in ozone (O3) depletion in polar area and the

frequency of ozone holes. Conversely, ozone depletion represents a radiative forcing of the

climate system. There are two opposing effects: Reduced ozone causes the stratosphere to

absorb less solar radiation, thus cooling the stratosphere while warming the troposphere; the

resulting colder stratosphere emits less long-wave radiation downward, thus cooling the

troposphere. Overall, the cooling dominates and results in stratospheric O3 losses.


The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer is an international treaty

designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances

believed to be responsible for ozone depletion. The treaty was opened for signature on

September 16, 1987, and entered into force on January 1, 1989. Since then, it has undergone

seven revisions, in 1990 (London), 1991 (Nairobi), 1992 (Copenhagen), 1993 (Bangkok),

1995 (Vienna), 1997 (Montreal), and 1999 (Beijing). It is believed that if the international

agreement is adhered to, the ozone layer is expected to recover by 2050. Due to its

widespread adoption and implementation it has been hailed as an example of exceptional

international co-operation.


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Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) Phase-out Management Plan

The stated purpose of the treaty is that the signatory states "Recognizing that worldwide

emissions of certain substances, including ST, can significantly deplete and otherwise modify

the ozone layer in a manner that is likely to result in adverse effects on human health and the

environment, ... Determined to protect the ozone layer by taking precautionary measures to

control equitably total global emissions of substances that deplete it, with the ultimate

objective of their elimination on the basis of developments in scientific knowledge ...

Acknowledging that special provision, including ST is required to meet the needs of

developing countries..."

Under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, especiallyExecutive Committee (ExCom) 53/37 and ExCom 54/39, Parties to this Protocol agreed to set

year 2013 as the time to freeze the consumption and production of HCFCs. They also agreed

to start reducing its consumption and production in 2015. The time of freezing and reducing

HCFCs is then known as 2013/2015.

The HCFCs are transitional CFCs replacements, used as refrigerants, solvents, blowing

agents for plastic foam manufacture, and fire extinguishers.

HFCs replaced chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydro chlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) that

were phased out under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.HFCs pose no harm to the ozone layer because, unlike CFCs and HCFCs, they do not contain

chlorine that depletes the ozone layer. But it has been established that HFCs are not

innocuous either. They are super-greenhouse gases with an extremely high global warming

potential. This means they are capable of trapping enormous amounts of infrared radiations in

the atmosphere and can cause a greenhouse effect a thousand times stronger than carbon

dioxide.

It has been four years since the issue of bringing HFCs under the Protocols ambit was raised.

Developed countries say that since the rise in the emission of super-greenhouse gases is a

consequence of the phasing out of CFCs and HCFCs under the Montreal Protocol, the same

agreement should monitor them. Developing countries like India, China and Brazil, however,

say that the emission and regulation of greenhouse gases fall under the purview of the United

Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and HFCs already figure in

the basket of six greenhouse gases under the Kyoto Protocol. Developed countries following

the Kyoto Protocol report their HFC emission data to UNFCCC; parties to the Montreal

Protocol have no such obligation.

REFERENCE

Books


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1.Parson, Edward A. Protecting the ozone layer: Science and strategy. Oxford: Oxford

University Press, 2003.

2. Andersen, Stephen O., K. Madhava Sarma, and Lani Sinclair. Protecting the ozone layer:

the United Nations history. Earthscan, 2002.

Research paper

1. Dameris, M., et al. "Assessment of the future development of the ozone layer."Geophysical

research letters 25.19 (1998): 3579-3582.


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WHAT HAPPENED

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster was a series of equipment failures nuclear meltdowns

and releases of radioactive materials at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, following the

earthquake and tsunami on 11 March 2011. It is the largest nuclear disaster since the

Chernobyl disaster of 1986 and only the second disaster (along with Chernobyl) to measure

Level 7 on the International Nuclear Scale Event.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The plant comprises six separate Boiling Water Reactors. At the time of the quake, Reactor 4

had been de-fuelled while 5 and 6 were in cold shutdown for planned maintenance.

Immediately after the earthquake, the remaining reactors 13 shut down automatically and

emergency generators came online to power electronics and coolant systems.

However, the tsunami following the earthquake quickly flooded the low-lying rooms in

which the emergency generators were housed. The flooded generators failed, cutting power to

the critical pumps that must continuously circulate coolant water through a nuclear reactor for

several days in order to keep it from melting down after being shut down. As the pumps

stopped, the reactors overheated due to the normal high radioactive Decay heat produced in

the first few days after nuclear reactor shutdown.

At this point, only prompt flooding of the reactors with seawater could have cooled the

reactors quickly enough to prevent meltdown. Salt water flooding was delayed because it

would ruin the costly reactors permanently. Flooding with seawater was finally commenced

only after the government ordered that seawater be used and at this point it was already too

late to prevent meltdown.

In the high heat and pressure of the reactors, a reaction between the nuclear fuel metal

cladding, and the water surrounding them, produced explosive hydrogen gas. As workers

struggled to cool and shut down the reactors, several Hydrogen air chemical explosions

occurred. It is estimated that the hot cladding-water reaction in each reactor produced 800 to

1000 kilograms of hydrogen gas, which was vented out of the Reactor pressure vessel, and

mixed with the ambient air, eventually reaching explosive concentration limits in units 1 and

3, and due to piping connections between unit 3 and 4, unit 4 also filled with hydrogen, with

the Hydrogen air explosions occurring at the top of each unit.

FUKUSHIMA DAIICHI

NUCLEAR DISASTER

(2010)


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A 2012 report in The Economist said: "The reactors at Fukushima were of an old design. The

risks they faced had not been well analysed. The operating company was poorly regulated

and did not know what was going on. The operators made mistakes. The representatives of

the safety inspectorate fled. Some of the equipment failed. The establishment repeatedly

played down the risks and suppressed information about the movement of the radioactiveplume, so some people were evacuated from more lightly to more heavily contaminated

places".

EFFECTS

Radioactive material has been released from the Fukushima containment vessels as the result

of deliberate venting to reduce gaseous pressure, deliberate discharge of coolant water into

the sea, and accidental or uncontrolled events. Concerns about the possibility of a large scale

release of radioactivity resulted in 20 km exclusion zone being set up around the power plant

and people within the 2030 km zone being advised to stay indoors. The Fukushima accident

has led to trace amounts of radiation, including Iodine-131, caesium-134 and caesium-137,

being observed around the world (New York State, Alaska, Hawaii, Oregon, California,

Montreal, and Austria). Small amounts of radioactive isotopes have also been released into

the Pacific Ocean.

There were no casualties caused by radiation exposure, approximately 25,000 died due to the

earthquake and tsunami. Predicted future cancer deaths due to accumulated radiation

exposures in the population living near Fukushima are predicted to be extremely low to none.

Area crops the year of the disaster (2011) were too contaminated for consumption and were

banned by the government. Current crops are safe for human consumption; Cabbage in the

area tested at 9 Bcq/kg, a fraction of 500 Bcq/kg radiation limit, and below the level found in

other prefectures. Soil contamination has proven to be superficial. Food now shows normal

radiation levels below the levels high enough to endanger human health.

The potential negative health effects of the Fukushima nuclear disaster include Thyroid

abnormalities, infertility and an increased risk of cancer. One study conducted by a research

team in Fukushima, Japan found that more than a third (36%) of children in Fukushima has

abnormal growths in their Thyroid glands. Furthermore, a WHO report found that there is a

slightly higher risk of developing certain cancers for people in the area worst affected by theaccident. This includes a 70% higher risk of developing thyroid cancer for new-born babies

(due to the low baseline rates of thyroid cancer, a small absolute increase in risks results in a

large relative increase), a 7% higher risk of leukaemia in males exposed as infants, a 6%

higher risk of breast cancer in females exposed as infants and a 4% higher risk of developing

solid cancers for females. An increase in infertility has also been feared.


A nuclear emergency was declared by the government of Japan on 11 March 2011. The

Japanese government initially set in place a 4 step evacuation process; a prohibited access


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area out to 3 km from the plant, an on alert area 320 km from the plant, and an evacuation

prepared area 2030 km from the plant. These evacuation areas were based on radioactivity

levels above 20 mSv. On day one of the disaster nearly 134,000 people who lived between 3

20 km from the plant were evacuated. 4 days later an additional 354,000 who lived between

2030 km from the plant were evacuated. Measurements taken by the Japanese government3050 km from the plant showed caesium-137 levels high enough to cause concern, leading

the government to ban the sale of food grown in the area. Tokyo officials temporarily

recommended that tap water should not be used to prepare food for infants.

On 10 April 2011, Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) began using remote-controlled,

unmanned heavy equipment to remove debris from around Nuclear Reactors 14.On 21

December 2011, the Japanese government released a roadmap for the clean-up activities,

which predicted that the full clean-up will take 40 years, though Toshiba claims to be able to

open up the reactor and finish decommissioning in 10 years.

In October 2011, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda said the government might have

to spend 1 trillion yen ($13 billion) to clean up vast areas contaminated by radiation from the

Fukushima nuclear disaster. Hydrothermal blasting is one of several techniques being

considered to be included in the effort to clean up radioactivity from Fukushima from as

much land as possible. This technique will be able to strip out 80 to 95% of the caesium from

contaminated soil and other materials. Caesium-137 (30 year half-life) is the major health

concern in Fukushima. The aim is to get annual exposure from the contaminated environment

down to 1 (mSv) above background. The most contaminated area where radiation doses are

greater than 50 mSv/year must remain off limits.

The big challenge is disposing of the Caesium-enriched ash that would end up in the

atmosphere from burning all of the vegetation and litter layers of the forest ground, In order

for the incineration to go on successfully without releasing too many harmful toxic

substances into the atmosphere, a modified incinerator was created. Using several types of

methods and HEPA filters, the scientist were able to protect the release of caesium into the

atmosphere after the contaminants had been incinerated. These materials incinerated include

wood ash, which came from Evergreen trees and deciduous trees, household garbage ash, and

also sludge ash. After incineration, the ash had to be disposed of properly and

decontaminated of its caesium contents.

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE

By March 2012, one year after the disaster, all but two of Japan's nuclear reactors had been

shut down; some were damaged by the quake and tsunami. The government asked major

companies to reduce power consumption by 15%, and some shifted their weekends to

weekdays to even out power demand. Environmental activists at a 2011 United Nations

meeting in Bangkok used the Fukushima disaster as an example to promote accelerated use of

renewable energy.


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One result of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster could be renewed public support for the

commercialization of renewable energy technologies. In August 2011, the Japanese

Government passed a bill to subsidize electricity from renewable energy sources. As of

September 2011, Japan plans to build a pilot Floating wind farm, with six 2-megawatt

turbines, off the coast.

After the evaluation phase is complete in 2016, "Japan plans to build as many as 80 floating

wind turbines off Fukushima by 2020." In 2012, Naoto Kan said the Fukushima disaster

made it clear to him that "Japan needs to dramatically reduce its dependence on nuclear

power, which supplied 30% of its electricity before the crisis, and has turned him into a

believer of renewable energy". Sales of solar cells in Japan rose 30.7% to 1,296 megawatts in

2011, helped by a government scheme to promote renewable energy. The facility is expected

to have a capacity of 150 megawatts of solar panels a year, could go online as soon as 2013.

Prime Minister Noda and the Japanese government announced a dramatic change of direction

in energy policy, promising to make the country nuclear-free by the 2030s. There will be no

new construction of nuclear power plants, a 40-year lifetime limit on existing nuclear plants,

and any further nuclear plant restarts will need to meet tough safety standards of the new

independent regulatory authority. The new approach to meeting energy needs will also

involve investing $500 billion over 20 years to commercialize the use of renewable energy

sources such as wind power and solar power.

REFRENCES

Research papers

1. Braun, Matthias. "The Fukushima Daiichi Incident." PEPA4-G, AREVANP GmbH

(2011).

2. Suzuki, Tatsujiro. "The Fukushima Nuclear Accident: Lessons learned (so far) and

possible implications." Proceedings of the the 59th Pugwash Conference on Science and

World Affairs. Dorothy Hodgkin: Berlin. 2011.

Web links

1. http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Safety-and-Security/Safety-of-Plants/Fukushima-

Accident-2011/

2.http://www.ibtimes.com/japan-embarks-long-journey-renewables-based-energy-

independence-worlds-largest-wind-farm-project


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WHAT HAPPENED

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill was an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico off the US cost on a

well operated by BP. It is considered largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the

petroleum industry. 4.9 million barrels of oil was discharged in to the sea. The spill directly

impacted 180,000 km2 of ocean. 11 people died due to the blowout. It had a Wide impact on

marine ecosystem.

TIMELINE

I. Transocean rig, Deepwater horizon exploded and caught fire on April 20, 2010.

II. A second explosion on 22 April causes deepwater horizon to sink

III. Officials discovered that oil is seeping at a rate of 42,000 gallons a day

IV. Oil started to wash over shore by 6th of May.

CAUSES

6 major causes for the incident are explained below in the graphic(I-1):

DEEPWATER HORIZON

OIL SPILL

(2010)


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The causes of failures can be summed up as:

Breach of safety standards

Overworked crew

Lack of proper contingency measures

Lack of coordination among the stakeholders i.e. BP, Schlumberger & Macondo.

Lack of a single decision making authority.

EFFECTS OF THE OIL SPILL

1.Environmental

It led to petroleum toxicity, oxygen depletion.

Damage to Beaches, Marshlands and Fragile Marine Ecosystems.

Killed fish and other marine organisms and destroyed their natural habitat.

Addition of dispersant Corexit increased the dangers.

2. Health

Chemical poisoning

Increased occurrences of certain diseases like asthma in surrounding areas.

3.Economic

Compensation : In cases with irreparable or very long-term damage, compensation

for lost income and damage to property

Direct costs : Includes the loss of the oil

Clean-up cost : Cleaning up spilled oil is very expensive

STEPS FOR CLEAN-UP

1. Containment: it included deploying many miles of containment boom to block oil

from reaching marsh, mangrove & other ecologically sensitive areas

2. Use of Corexit as dispersant

3. Use of Oil eating microbes

4. Removal: 3 basic approaches for removing the oil from the water were: burning the

oil, filtering offshore, and collecting for later processing.

LESSONS THAT NEEDS TO BE LEARNT


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There had been instances of big oil spill like Exxon Valdez in past but we never learnt any

lessons from it and allowed a sad incident like deepwater horizon to happen. It is an incident

which should have never happened in first place and proper preparedness and actions could

have prevented the amount of damage even if it happened. The public, government, and the

oil and gas industry need to understand what went wrong so they can pursue the changesrequired to prevent such devastating accidents from recurring. Mentioned below are some of

the measures that should be adopted

1. Making safety the biggest priority for any industrial process

There is absence of adequate Safety Culture in the Offshore U.S. Oil & Gas

Industry.

Inadequacies in federal standards

Overworked crew, inadequate safety escort vessels, and a single hulled tanker

have been cited among the causes of the accident

Decreasing safety-related research and development

2. Industry Self-Policing as a Supplement to Government Regulation

Industry self-policing is not a substitute for government but serves as an

important supplement to government oversight

3. Industrys Responsibilities for Containment and Response

Large-scale rescue, response, and containment capabilities need to be developed

and demonstrated.

4. Develop options for guarding against, and mitigating the impact of, oil spills associated

with offshore drilling

5. Increasing the role of agencies like API in setting the standards for industries.


Currently oil fuels more than half of our energy needs. So In short term drilling in deepwater

horizon cannot be abandoned but steps should be taken to do it safely.

In the long term there is a need for a balanced energy policy which covers following points

Requiring energy-efficient automobiles to reduce fuel use, and promoting

energy-efficient transit alternatives;

Promoting the development of clean and domestically produced alternative fuels

or sources of power for transportation.

Managing the inherent risks of domestic production of oil and gasincluding

from offshore areaswhile considering the short- and long-term availability of

these fuels


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Requiring safe operations to protect human health

Protecting the natural environment, including steps to limit climate change.

Policy

Promoting Congressional Engagement to Ensure Responsible Offshore Drilling

REFRENCES

Research paper

1. National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Spill and Offshore Drilling (US), Bob

Graham, and William Kane Reilly. Deep Water: The Gulf Oil Disaster and the Future of

Offshore Drilling: Report to the President. The Commission, 2011.

2.Crone, Timothy J., and Maya Tolstoy. Magnitude of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil leak.

Science 330.6004 (2010): 634-634.

Web Links

1.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special_reports/oil_disaster/

2.http://www.nola.com/news/gulf-oil-

spill/index.ssf/2013/02/graphic_shows_how_bps_deepwate.html

3.http://environment.about.com/od/petroleum/a/oil_spills_and_environment.htm


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PART 2

ACTIVITY REPORT ON

SURVEY FOR ANALYZING PEOPLES

AWARENESS ABOUT SOLID WASTE

MANAGEMENT


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KEYWORDS: Solid waste management, Source segregation

ABSTRACT: Solid waste refers to the common garbage and trash that we throw away along

with other forms of municipal waste like construction wastes. The current situation of solid

waste management in the urban areas of India is very bad. With the volume of waste set to

double in next 5 years, the role of people and their awareness become s very important if we

have to manage the solid waste effectively. To check people awareness about SWM a survey

was conducted. A questionnaire covering wide array of question regarding the basics of solid

waste, people's satisfaction of collection methodology and frequency, modes of waste

disposal & activities that can be followed at individual levels to help the cause of SWM were

asked. A total of 24 responses were collected. Results largely proved the people's

dissatisfaction with the management policies of their cities and their lack of awareness about

issues regarding solid waste management.

ABSTRACT


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INTRODUCTION

Solid waste is a generic term used to describe the things we throw away. It includes things we

commonly describe as garbage, refuse and trash. Various sub-categories that come under theclassification of solid waste are:

1. Municipal (domestic/commercial/institutional)

2. Industrial waste

3. Construction and demolition waste

4. Medical & other hazardous waste

5. Sewage treatment residue

As long as humans have been living in settled communities, solid waste, or garbage, has been

an issue, and modern societies generate far more solid waste than early humans ever did.Solid Waste management is thecollection,transport,processingor disposal, managing and

monitoring ofwastematerials. An effective solid waste management policy is very important

for any municipal corporation to see that the solid waste in its city is properly taken care of.

There are 3 major objectives of any good solid waste management program:

1. To remove discarded materials from inhabited places in a timely manner

2. To dispose of these discarded materials in a manner that is environmentally friendly

3. Recycling, reusing whatever possible (like newspapers, glass bottles) and recovering energy

from waste if possible.

Sadly the situation of solid waste management in the urban centres of India is very bad.Various studies reveal that about 90% of MSW is disposed of unscientificallyin open dumps and landfills, creating problems to public health and the environment. With

the volume of waste generated set to double in next 5 years the role of people become very

important in addition to the local authorities. Peoples awareness about activities like source

segregation, source reduction, recycling, composting etc. can mean a big difference in overall

waste management scenario.

AIM

To conduct an online survey to study peoples awareness about the solid waste

management practices in their cities.

Analyze the peoples responses, finding the areas where improvements are possible

and suggesting methods on how these improvements can be brought about.

POINTS TO BE COVERED

Do people understand the meaning and types of solid wastes?

Finding what kind of solid wastes are generated in residential areas?

Finding what is the waste collection methodology adopted in different cities?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_collectionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_collectionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_collectionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_treatmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_treatmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_treatmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wastehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wastehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wastehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wastehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_treatmenthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste_collection


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Asking people about whether they are satisfied with the scenario of solid waste

management (including collection methodology, frequency of waste collection etc.) in

India in general and their city in particular.

Do people understand the different methods like land filling, composting, incineration

etc. which are followed for disposing wastes? How many cities have waste to energy conversion power plant?

Are people aware of the concepts of source segregation and source reduction?

Do people realize the importance of recycling, reusing and composting of organic

wastes?

Finding activities that the people are currently following at individual or community

level to help the cause of solid waste management.

METHODOLOGY

1. Designing a questionnaire for people which cover all the above mentioned points andputting it up on the internet through Google form.

2. Using forums like social networking sites etc for collecting peoples responses

3. Analyzingpeoples response. Finding the areas of improvements and coming up with

methods to bring out these improvements.

4. Sending people who took part in the survey, the information about its results and

things they can do to help in effective management of solid waste.

THE QUESTIONNAIRE

Online survey can be found out athttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lUbkR_TwYFBg1QjHMVtPT4Qan2F16QcHJF50OsoQnO

8/edit

Following questions were asked:-

1. Choose your cities classification

Tire 1 (Delhi, Mumbai etc.)

Tire 2 (Lucknow, Patna etc.)

Tire 3(Remaining)

2. Do you understand the meaning of solid waste?

Yes

No

3. Which among the following are solid waste sub-category?

(More than 1 correct)

Municipal waste (domestic/commercial/institutional)

Industrial waste

Nuclear waste
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lUbkR_TwYFBg1QjHMVtPT4Qan2F16QcHJF50OsoQnO8/edithttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lUbkR_TwYFBg1QjHMVtPT4Qan2F16QcHJF50OsoQnO8/edithttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lUbkR_TwYFBg1QjHMVtPT4Qan2F16QcHJF50OsoQnO8/edithttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lUbkR_TwYFBg1QjHMVtPT4Qan2F16QcHJF50OsoQnO8/edithttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lUbkR_TwYFBg1QjHMVtPT4Qan2F16QcHJF50OsoQnO8/edit


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Construction and demolition

Medical waste

4. Please list some of the common types of solid wastes generated from your homes

5. Solid waste management is of the primary responsibility of Municipal Corporation in

any city. Do you feel your city is doing enough in terms of proper solid waste

management right from waste collection to disposal?

Yes

No

6. What is the collection methodology adopted in your city?Door to door pick-up

Curb side pick-up (common dumpster where you empty your waste)

No fixed method

Other:

7. Is the frequency of waste collection satisfactory in your city?

Yes

No

8. Which among these is a possible solid waste disposal method?

(More than one correct)

Land-fill

Recycling

Composting

Incineration/Pyrolysis (burning waste to recover energy)

9. Does your city have a waste to energy conversion plant?

Yes

No

Don't know

10. Which of the following is the best way for disposing organic solid waste (eg. kitchen

waste)?


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Composting (to produce manure)

Land-fill

Incineration

Other:

11. Are you aware of the terms 'Source segregation' & 'Source reduction'?

Yes

No

12. Which of the following activities can be adopted at individual level to help the cause

of solid waste management?

More than one correct

Source segregation (separate bins for biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes)

Composting (of organic waste)

Recycle (selling waste paper, bottles to kabariwalla)

Reuse

Other:

13. Pick out the activities that you follow in your daily life to reduce the problem of solid

waste management?

Carry your own cloth or jute bag when you go shopping.

As far as possible try to sell all the recyclable items (newspapers, plastic/glass bottles)

that are not required to the Kabariwala.

Segregate the waste in the housekeep two garbage bins and see to it that the

biodegradable and the non-biodegradable is put into separate bins and dispose off separately

Dig a compost pit in your garden and put all the biodegradables into it

Say no to all plastic bags as far as possible

See to it that all garbage is thrown into the municipal bin as the collection is generally

done from there

14. Do you feel that situation of solid waste management in India is very bad and lot

needs to be done?

Yes

No

15. Are you interested in receiving the results of this survey and methods to improve the

waste management at your level? If yes, please provide your email address.(Optional)


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RESPONSES

So far 22 responses have been recorded. Following is the link where summary of these

responses can be found:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lUbkR_TwYFBg1QjHMVtPT4Qan2F16QcHJF50OsoQnO

8/viewanalytics

Summary

1. Out of the 22 people who responded to this poll, 7 belonged to tire 1 cities, 10 to tier 2

cities and 5 to the tire 3 cities.

2. Majority of people (91%) understood the meaning of solid waste.

3. Following was the response when people were asked to choose solid waste categories from

the 5 options;

Municipal waste, Industrial waste, Construction & Demolition waste, Medical waste

(correct)

Nuclear waste (incorrect)

(G-1)

4. Following things were identified by people as solid waste

packaging, plastic items, paper, cardboard, waste food, plastics, paper dust, kitchen wasteetc... Kitchen Waste, Used up furniture, Clothes, Raddi, Metals Food waste, plastics,

newspapers, cardboard, batteries Kitchen wet waste Paper, plastic covers Mostly Organic

Waste (like peels of fruits dust etc. kitchen waste, papers, plastics, metals, glass containers ,

ceramics plastic covers paper Packaging garbage banana peels, wrappers, sewage, old

gadgets wastes from electronic goods, plastic, scrap etc

5. 16 of the 20 people (80%) were not satisfied with the current state of solid waste

management in their city.

6. Door to door was the most followed collection methodology (52%), followed by curb-sidepickup (33%).
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lUbkR_TwYFBg1QjHMVtPT4Qan2F16QcHJF50OsoQnO8/viewanalyticshttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lUbkR_TwYFBg1QjHMVtPT4Qan2F16QcHJF50OsoQnO8/viewanalyticshttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lUbkR_TwYFBg1QjHMVtPT4Qan2F16QcHJF50OsoQnO8/viewanalyticshttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lUbkR_TwYFBg1QjHMVtPT4Qan2F16QcHJF50OsoQnO8/viewanalyticshttps://docs.google.com/forms/d/1lUbkR_TwYFBg1QjHMVtPT4Qan2F16QcHJF50OsoQnO8/viewanalytics


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. (G-2)

7. 51% of the people claimed that the frequency of waste collection in their city was

satisfactory.

8. Following was the response of people to the question of choosing the possible solid waste

management methodology (all options are correct).

. (G-3)

9. Only 4 cities had a waste to energy conversion power plant .Majority of cities did not have

one (48%). Sadly 33% of people had no knowledge of this thing and couldnt give an answer.

10. 19 (90%) of the people got the answer correct for the question of best disposal method

for organic solid waste i.e. Composting.

11. Only 12 people (55%) are aware of the term Source segregation.

12. Following is the response of the people when they were asked to choose activities which

can be adopted at individual level to help the cause of proper solid waste management.

(G-4)

13.

Carry your own cloth or jute bag when you go shopping - 17


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As far as possible try to sell all the recyclable items (newspapers, plastic/glass bottles)

that are not required to the Kabariwalla - 18

Segregate the waste in the housekeep two garbage bins and see to it that the

biodegradable and the non-biodegradable is put into separate bins and dispose of

separately - 6 Dig a compost pit in your garden and put all the biodegradables into it - 5

Say no to all plastic bags as far as possible - 15

See to it that all garbage is thrown into the municipal bin as the collection is generally

done from there - 15

14. Almost everyone was of the opininon that the situation of solid waste mangemnt in India

is very bad and lots need to be done.

OBSERVATIONS

Majority of people are aware of the term solid waste.

People are somewhat unsure about the classification of solid waste as many people

wrongly classified nuclear waste as solid waste.

People are not satisfied with the current scenario of solid waste management in their

cities (including collection methodology frequency etc).

Door to door collection is most popular in Indian cities.

Majority of cities do not have a waste to energy conversion power plant

Sadly half the people are not aware of the term source segregation and sourcereduction.

Most of the solid waste is unscientifically disposed off in land-fills in India. Though

people are aware of other methods like incineration, composting etc. but they are not

followed.

Condition s of land-fills is very bad.

People are of composting as method for disposing off organic waste

Recycling (paper/cans through kabariwallas) is the e most popular activity among

Indians when asked to choose activities they follow to help cause of solid waste

management at individual level. Composting came last. Everyone is of the opinion that situation of solid waste management in India is very

bad and lots needs to be done.

CONCLUSION / SUGGESTIONS

Increasing peoples awareness about source segregation & and activities like

composting, recycling.

Improving the overall collection methodology

Partnership with private sector to help this cause of solid waste management.


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Setting up of waste to energy conversion plants

Proper segregation of waste to separate out organic component, recyclable,

components which can be used as fuel

Stricter regulations with proper implementations on the use of plastics. Encouraging activities like setting composting pit among small communities

(through subsidies etc.)

Improving the conditions of landfills.

Learning from success stories of Coimbatore, Kanpur.

REFRENCES

Books

1. Davis, Mackenzie Leo. "Solid Waste Management."Introduction to Environmental

Engineering. 3rd ed. New Delhi: WCB McGraw-Hill, 2009. Page 11.1-1.3.

2. Wilson, David Gordon.Handbook of Solid Waste Management. New York: Van Nostrand

Reinhold, 1977.

Research Papers

1.Bajaj, Amrita. "Solid Waste Management in India." Solid Waste Management: Present and

Future Challenges (2010): 105.

2.Gupta, Shuchi, et al. "Solid waste management in India: options and

opportunities."Resources, Conservation and Recycling24.2 (1998): 137-154.

Web Links

1.http://www.urbanindia.nic.in/publicinfo/swm/swm_manual.htm

2.http://www.indianexpress.com/news/wonders-of-waste-disposal-in-kanpur/978894/

3.http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/coimbatore-corporations-initiative-for-

effective-waste-management/article4543946.ece
http://www.urbanindia.nic.in/publicinfo/swm/swm_manual.htmhttp://www.urbanindia.nic.in/publicinfo/swm/swm_manual.htmhttp://www.urbanindia.nic.in/publicinfo/swm/swm_manual.htmhttp://www.indianexpress.com/news/wonders-of-waste-disposal-in-kanpur/978894/http://www.indianexpress.com/news/wonders-of-waste-disposal-in-kanpur/978894/http://www.indianexpress.com/news/wonders-of-waste-disposal-in-kanpur/978894/http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/coimbatore-corporations-initiative-for-effective-waste-management/article4543946.ecehttp://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/coimbatore-corporations-initiative-for-effective-waste-management/article4543946.ecehttp://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/coimbatore-corporations-initiative-for-effective-waste-management/article4543946.ecehttp://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/coimbatore-corporations-initiative-for-effective-waste-management/article4543946.ecehttp://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/coimbatore-corporations-initiative-for-effective-waste-management/article4543946.ecehttp://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Coimbatore/coimbatore-corporations-initiative-for-effective-waste-management/article4543946.ecehttp://www.indianexpress.com/news/wonders-of-waste-disposal-in-kanpur/978894/http://www.urbanindia.nic.in/publicinfo/swm/swm_manual.htm

Part 1: Report on :Major environmental episodes: Learning and preparing for future A survey to study...

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