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Published byCandice Willes Modified over 10 years ago
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Shifting to New Technology in an Old Regulatory World
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Two Controlling Factors in Technology Advance The S-Curve Phenomena The Scientific Hubris Conundrum
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The S-Curve
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Waste Water Treatment Technology Advance
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Primary Treatment Removal Efficiency 90-95% settleable solids 40-60% suspended solids 30-40% Biological Oxygen Demand 18% Nutrients removal
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Secondary Treatment Removal Efficiency 70% Biological Oxygen Demand 75% Chemical Oxygen Demand 1% Nutrients removal
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Tertiary Treatment Removal Efficiency 30 – 75% Nutrients removal Massively Expensive Difficult to operate
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Cost-Efficient Alternatives to Tertiary Treatment Will require Reassessment of the Pollution Control Mentality
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EPA Standards reflect a static assumption about “Assimilative Capacity”
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It is possible to increase assimilative capacity
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Shift to a Diatom Ecology Nutrients Oxygen released Blooms Death Diatoms Blue-Green Zooplankton Oxygen consumed Dead Zone
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What nutrients do algae need? Diatoms Blue-Green Nitrogen Phosphorus Nitrogen Phosphorus Silicon Iron Others
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The Alternative to Tertiary Treatment “Rather than considering treatment procedures which remove the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus from a sewage discharge July 31, 1980 one might consider the addition, if feasible, of silica in quantity at the discharge site to alter the receiving waters to a diatom population and a consequent fertile and productive region.”
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To Accomplish a Paradigm Shift to a New Technology Research, test and demand use of the new paradigm
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Contact Information: David W. Schnare, Esq. Ph.D. General Counsel Energy & Environment Legal Institute 722 12 th St. NW (4 th Floor) Washington, D.C. 20005 www.eelegal.org Schnare@eelegal.org 571-243-7975
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