Presentation is loading. Please wait.

Presentation is loading. Please wait.

Shifting to New Technology in an Old Regulatory World.

Similar presentations


Presentation on theme: "Shifting to New Technology in an Old Regulatory World."— Presentation transcript:

1 Shifting to New Technology in an Old Regulatory World

2 Two Controlling Factors in Technology Advance  The S-Curve Phenomena  The Scientific Hubris Conundrum

3 The S-Curve

4 Waste Water Treatment Technology Advance

5 Primary Treatment Removal Efficiency  90-95% settleable solids  40-60% suspended solids  30-40% Biological Oxygen Demand  18% Nutrients removal

6 Secondary Treatment Removal Efficiency  70% Biological Oxygen Demand  75% Chemical Oxygen Demand  1% Nutrients removal

7 Tertiary Treatment Removal Efficiency  30 – 75% Nutrients removal  Massively Expensive  Difficult to operate

8 Cost-Efficient Alternatives to Tertiary Treatment Will require Reassessment of the Pollution Control Mentality

9 EPA Standards reflect a static assumption about “Assimilative Capacity”

10 It is possible to increase assimilative capacity

11 Shift to a Diatom Ecology Nutrients Oxygen released Blooms Death Diatoms Blue-Green Zooplankton Oxygen consumed Dead Zone

12 What nutrients do algae need? Diatoms Blue-Green Nitrogen Phosphorus Nitrogen Phosphorus Silicon Iron Others

13 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.”

14 To Accomplish a Paradigm Shift to a New Technology  Research, test and demand use of the new paradigm

15 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


Download ppt "Shifting to New Technology in an Old Regulatory World."

Similar presentations


Ads by Google