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Renewing Natural Processes in An Urban Area — An American Perspective

Renewing Natural Processes in An Urban Area — An American Perspective. Samuel H. Sage 1 , Hongbin Gao 1 and Ping He 2 Atlantic States Legal Foundation 1 (ASLF) and International Fund for China’s Environment 2 (IFCE) January 2012. About 2 Organizations. ASLF

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Renewing Natural Processes in An Urban Area — An American Perspective

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  1. Renewing Natural Processes in An Urban Area— An American Perspective Samuel H. Sage1, Hongbin Gao1 and Ping He2 Atlantic States Legal Foundation1 (ASLF) and International Fund for China’s Environment2 (IFCE) January 2012

  2. About 2 Organizations • 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. Destruction of Natural Systems by Urbanization 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

  4. Destruction of Biodiversity in Urban Areas: Aquatic and Terrestrial

  5. Replacement of Natives with Exotics and Invasives Lupinus perennis Lupinus polyphyllus http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/51/Mainelupin.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Lupinus_polyphyllus.JPG

  6. Habitat Interruption: Fragmentation and Migration Routes Disruption 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. General Discussion of Urban Water Resource Issues • Channelization • Filling wetlands • Diversion through turbine and dams • Withdrawal for agriculture, industry and human consumption • Indirect changes by cutting down trees Harbor Brook, Unchannelized Harbor Brook, Channelized

  8. General Discussion of Urban Water Resource Issues (Con,t) • 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. Syracuse and Onondaga Lake Introduction Onondaga Lake, Syracuse, New York, USA

  10. Key Dates in Onondaga Lake History • 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. Key Dates in Onondaga Lake History • 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. Key Dates in Onondaga Lake History • 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 • 1972Congress passed Clean Water Act

  13. Key Dates in Onondaga Lake History • 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. Key Dates in Onondaga Lake History • 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. US Water and Waste Laws and Citizen’s Roles— Clean Water Act • First passed in 1972 and subsequently amended • Section 505 allows for citizens to enforce the law

  16. Onondaga Lake Enforcement • 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. Recent Switch to “Green” or Natural Systems • Green Infrastructure • Porous Pavement • Rain Gardens • Vegetated curb extensions • Tree trenches • Stormwater planters • Cisterns • Vegetated roofs Green Water Street Design, Syracuse, New York, USA Go to http://savetherain.us/ for more information

  18. Recent Switch to “Green” or Natural Systems— A Balanced Green-Gray Approach • 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. A Balanced Green-Gray Approach • 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. Side Benefits of Green • 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. Further Needs • Non-Point science and monitoring method • Integrated planning efforts: incorporating water quality, habitat creation and urban revitalization goals in planning process

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