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The article focuses on the strategies to prevent pollution caused by medical waste. It is informed that each year healthcare industry produces two million tons of medical waste mostly of PVC plastics which are used in medical devices. The health care industry is now concerned about the dangerous effects of the medical waste. To curb the growing pollution, it is setting new standards and regulations to provide community health in environmental friendly ways. New "green" hospitals are being established and the best management practices for the disposal of drugs are being followed. The Medical Waste Tracking Act, a federal law has been enacted that required the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop a program to reduce the medical waste.

Discusses the "Greenscapes" model for installing functional landscapes and storm water control measures using engineered soils in site design. Influences of urban development and the resulting decline in soil quality on both air and water quality throughout the U.S.; Role of organic matter in soil; Benefits of Low Impact Development.

The effects of cattle grazing on stream stability have been well documented for the western portion of the U.S., but are lacking for the east. Stream and riparian damage resulting from grazing can include alterations in watershed hydrology, changes to stream morphology, soil compaction and erosion, destruction of vegetation, and water quality impairments. However, few studies have examined the successes of best management practices (BMPs) for mitigating these effects. The objective of this project was to assess the ability of two common BMPs to reduce streambank erosion along a central Kentucky stream. The project site consisted of two replications of three treatments: (1) an alternate water source and a fenced riparian area to exclude cattle from the stream except at a 3.7 m wide stream ford, (2) an alternate water source with free stream access, and (3)free stream access without an alternate water source (i.e., control). Fifty permanent cross-sections were established throughout the project site. Each cross-section was surveyed monthly from April 2002 until November 2003. Results from the project indicated that the incorporation of an alternate water source and/or fenced riparian area did not significantly alter stream cross-sectional area over the treatment reaches. Rather than exhibiting a global effect, cattle activity resulted in streambank erosion in localized areas. As for the riparian exclosures, changes in cross-sectional area varied by location, indicating that localized site differences influenced the processes of aggradation and/or erosion. Hence, riparian recovery within the exclosures from pretreatment grazing practices may require decades, or even intervention (i.e., stream restoration), before a substantial reduction in streambank erosion is noted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With best management practices (BMPs) being used increasingly to control agricultural pollutant losses to surface waters, establishing the environmental effectiveness of these practices has become important. Additionally; cost implications of establishing and maintaining environmentally effective BMPs are often a crucial factor in selecting and adopting BMPs. This article considers both water quality and economic concerns and presents a methodology developed for determining cost-effective farm- or watershed-level scenarios through optimization. This optimization technique uniquely, incorporates three existing tools: a genetic algorithm (GA), a watershed-level nonpoint-source model (Soil and Water Assessment Tool, SWAT), and a BMP tool. The GA combines initial pollutant loadings from SWAT with literature-based pollution reduction efficiencies from the BMP tool and with BMP costs to determine cost-effective watershed scenarios. The methodology was successfully applied to a 300 ha farm within the Cannonsville Reservoir watershed, a phosphorus (P) restricted reservoir within New York City's water supply system. An average reduction in dissolved P of 60% over the lifetime of the BMPs was set as the pollutant target. A baseline scenario was established to represent practices on the farm before BMP implementation. The most cost-effective scenario for the farm, under the presented methodology, achieved a cost-effectiveness of 0.6 kg dissolved P reduction per dollar spent per year. Additionally, the methodology determined alternative scenarios for the farm, which met the pollution reduction criterion cost-effectively. The methodology, as developed, is extendable to multi-farm or watershed-level evaluations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the spread of Somali piracy incidents, the elements of piracy and approval of a 2009 mandate by the United Nations Security Council to conduct anti-piracy operations in international waters and territorial seas. Topics covered include the success of the concentration of naval forces, cooperation of countries in the acceptance of captured pirates for trial and development of best management practices by the shipping industry.

The article discusses the benefits of stormwater master planning in U.S. schools. Topics include the recognition by scientists that pollutants carried by stormwater runoff endanger waterways, the function of stormwater master planning to outline investment for stormwater infrastructures, and the step in stormwater master planning of selecting the right combination of best management practices (BMPs).

The article presents an update on several public health studies and research in the U.S. as of October 2014. Topics of the studies include the lifelong health effects of family incarceration on children, the low-income residents' exposure to dangerous household air pollution caused by burning solid fuels indoors and the influence of a family's history of mental health care on African Americans' decision to seek mental health treatment.

The article focuses on the use of electronic payments system to increase operational efficiencies in colleges and universities which are facing budgetary constraints and also to increase their cost efficiency and environmental sustainability of their management practices. The issuance of paper checks for supplier, vendor and contractor payments result in large amount of money. It suggests that institutions should switch to automated electronic processes to reduce costs and improve efficiency.

The article focuses on the automation of knowledge management in public-sector organizations. It says that a readily available organizational memory enhances productivity and supports best management practices. It mentions several advantages of the automated knowledge management to organizations which include avoiding embarrassing relationship mistakes, saving time in managing contact list details, and strengthening relationships with stakeholders.

The article reports that researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University are developing a software program intended to make it easier to select a best management practice (BMP) when seeking control of the storm-water runoff associated with urban development. The new software program is known as the Analytical Hierarchy Process Optimization Tool for Best Management Practice Selection, which can be used to compare advantages of various BMPs. The new development will also be of help in optimizing the spatial location of BMPs at sites that require the implementation of a single BMP or within a watershed where a number of BMPs are to be implemented.

Focuses on a study conducted by the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Stormwater Center which compares a variety of so-called storm-water best management practices (BPM) under identical conditions indicating that low-impact development (LID) approaches generally remove the highest levels of key contaminants. Remarks from Robert Roseen, the director of the UNH Stormwater Center; Information on how the BPM were evaluated; Description of the more innovative LID approaches.

Looks at the phases of construction to see where different Best Management Practices (BMP) work best. Information on BMP for controlling storm water sediment runoff; Factors that contribute greatly to surface water pollution; Cost of the National Environmental Pollutant Discharge System-friendly drainage system; Importance of material and configuration when choosing drain donuts.

Discusses the impact of nonpoint source pollution on environmental quality in Wisconsin. Plan of the University of Wisconsin to research ways of controlling agricultural runoff; Statement issued by Representative Alvin Ott; Funding crisis of the state.

The article discusses several best management practices for natural resource conservation. It mentions Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) as one practice for new building construction applied at the Chicago Park District. It cites another practice like the constructed wetlands at Oakwoods Nature Preserve in Findlay, Ohio. It also cites soil moisture irrigation assessment as a strategy to maintain the level of soil moisture.

The article reports on the decision of the American Dental Association (ADA) to update its best management practices for the disposal of dental amalgam waste in order to include the use of separators. It explains that separators are devices installed in dental office plumbing which are used to collect and eliminate 95% of solid waste particles before they enter the sewer system. It says that the addition of separators to practices would raise the amount of captured amalgam to 95%.

The article discusses the author's experience in helping the environment through proper management of his car. The author recalls that his original intention is to disprove the claims of the green gurus on the things people should do with their car to help the environment that will also reduce gas bill. He narrates how he takes care of his car, improves his driving habits and limits his short but expensive trips. Then, he finds out that his gas consumption reduces and his health improves.