Scientific and Technical Information in Environmental Decision

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School

Northern Virginia Community College *

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Course

245

Subject

Electrical Engineering

Date

Dec 6, 2023

Type

pdf

Pages

1

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Report
EVPP 361 Introduction to Environmental Policy Scientific and Technical Information in Environmental Decision-Making What are the challenges concerning the use of scientific and technical information in each example? Example #1 Environmental groups seek to prevent an agricultural operation from withdrawing additional water from an aquifer. Geologists and hydrologists find the water is available. Ecologists and wildlife biologists show that withdrawal will harm nearby stream biota. Sociologists and economists conclude that new farms revitalize an economically depressed area. Example #2 A community group and a resort developer are in conflict over short- and long-term traffic impacts of a new golf course. The developer believes enough studies have been done. The community believes more are required. Example #3 In a conflict over the construction and routing of new transmission lines, an electric company cannot avoid bringing their lines through certain residential areas. Credible evidence is presented on both sides about electro-magnetic frequencies as a cancer cause. Example #4 Proponents and opponents are engaged in a dispute over improvements to a highway that is statistically safe but perceived to be dangerous. Numbers suggest that although the highway has a high proportion of dramatic accidents, the overall accident rate remains low. Citizen groups have taken out ads calling for expensive improvements. The city has appeared on talk shows arguing that the proposed improvements are expensive and will not make a difference. Example #5 After several cases of “Mad Cow Disease”, policymakers determine that there is a need to create regulations on the beef industry. Theories about the origins and transmission of the disease exist but there is almost no research available to inform the regulatory process.
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