Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2013, Environmental Sciences

This report summarizes my activities as a Community Relations Specialist for Loudoun Water, a public sewer and water service provider in Loudoun County, Virginia. During my internship, I gained valuable insights into the complexity of environmental management, the regulatory frameworks of the Safe Drinking Water Act and the Clean Water Act, and effective utility management. During my internship experience I worked on a variety of capital projects related to water supply, storage and distribution, and I produced the annual water quality report for the utility's drinking water customers.

Committee: Donna McCollum (Advisor); Thomas O. Crist (Committee Member); Mary Henry (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Science

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2014, Environmental Sciences

The following report summarizes my internship with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency Division of Surface Water. This internship served as a partial fulfillment of a Master of Environmental Science degree for the Institute for the Environment and Sustainability at Miami University. I completed my internship at the Southwest District Office in Dayton, Ohio. I assisted the division staff with conducting the Biological Water Quality Survey in the Stillwater River Watershed, located in southwestern Ohio. My core responsibilities for the internship included preparing for the survey, collecting water chemistry samples, and taking field water measurements. Results from the data collected will be used for regulatory and compliance purposes by the Ohio EPA.

Committee: William Renwick PhD (Advisor); Steven Elliott PhD (Committee Member); Suzanne Zazycki JD (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Science

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2014, Environmental Sciences

The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission (ORSANCO) was organized in 1948 to direct the coordination and action of water quality improvement within the Ohio River Basin (ORB). Numerous monitoring programs were developed to implement this intent, with focus on conducting biological assessments, assessing chemical and physical attributes of waterways, setting wastewater discharge standards, and promoting volunteer monitoring programs. During a 2013 field season internship, environmental specialists monitored ORB water sources through biological, water quality, and water resource programs. Results from these programs indicate the entire Ohio River "partially supports" fish consumption use, two-thirds of the Ohio River is "impaired" for contact recreation use support, rivers and streams should be evaluated on a national scale, and ORB water resources may be at risk from climate change effects. Observed trends will supply policy makers with information to make wise decisions that effectively manage, restore, and protect waters within the ORB.

Committee: Jonathan Levy Ph.D. (Advisor); Thomas Crist Ph.D. (Committee Member); Donna McCollum Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Biology; Chemistry; Environmental Science; Water Resource Management

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2006, Environmental Sciences

This report describes my internship with Carolina Wetland Services, Inc. in Charlotte, North Carolina beginning on August 31, 2004. Carolina Wetland Services, Inc. is a natural resource consulting firm whose goal is to provide its clients with environmental site assessments, stream/wetland delineations, and prepare regulatory documentation for State and Federal agencies. Since the primary focus of my internship was Navigable Waters of the U.S., defined by Section 404/401 of the Clean Water Act, this report summarizes principles of wetland/stream classification and delineation, as well as pre-construction notifications and Nationwide Permits. My responsibilities involved completing fieldwork and preparing technical documentation to both clients and regulatory agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and the North Carolina Division of Water Quality (NCDWQ). This internship provided me with applicable experience in the environmental consultation process and further developed my communication, technical writing, and problem solving skills.

Committee: R. Cummins (Advisor) Subjects: Environmental Sciences

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2013, Environmental Sciences

From this practicum project I gained leadership and data analysis experience through the application of the watershed approach for reducing water pollution in the Four Mile Creek watershed in southwestern Ohio and southeastern Indiana. I was the junior project manager for a team of graduate students developing a watershed inventory and I was directly responsible for meeting with the project manager to collaborate on management decisions; assisting the team through issues they encountered; developing standards for geographic information science (GISci) metadata and data management; evaluating the accuracy and quality of maps, text, and geospatial data; and proposing improvements to the report based on my evaluation. Independently, I explored long-term sediment and nutrient data by calculating daily stormflow and baseflow loading of ammonium, nitrate, soluble reactive phosphorus, and suspended sediments. This type of analysis is crucial to understanding the influences of seasonality and weather events on water quality.

Committee: Adam Berland PhD (Advisor); William Renwick PhD (Committee Member); Donna McCollum PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Science

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2017, Environmental Sciences

The overall mission of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency's Division of Surface Water is to ensure compliance with the Clean Water Act by restoring and maintaining the ecological integrity of Ohio's rivers, streams, and wetlands through biological monitoring, permitting, enforcing laws, and enhancing scientific methodology. Within the Division of Surface Water, the Wetland Ecology Group conducts wetland research and develops biocriteria and water quality standards for Ohio wetlands. This report provides a brief description of my duties as a Wetland Assessment Intern with the Wetland Ecology Group during the 2015 and 2016 field seasons. It also provides a more in depth summary of one project that involved visiting 10 natural riparian forests, collecting vegetation and soil data, and conducting a preliminary analysis of this data to help develop performance standards for stream mitigation projects. The standards may be incorporated into the Ohio EPA's Section 401 stream mitigation requirements in the future.

Committee: Suzanne Zazycki (Advisor); Sarah Dumyahn (Committee Member); Hays Cummins (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Science

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2014, Environmental Sciences

Through the Master of Environmental Science program with the Institute for the Environment and Sustainability (IES) and my time as an intern with the environmental consulting firm, Parsons Corporation, I have gained a significant amount of knowledge and experience for work within the environmental consulting field. I now have a clear understanding of the environmental laws and regulations that are relevant to the permitting process for pipeline construction projects. I am capable of conducting low-flow groundwater sampling projects. I have gained experience with wetland mitigation and wetland delineation, and I have found a niche within this industry. Through the courses offered in the IES program, I was able to gain the skills necessary to be successful in the consulting field. This program taught me the importance of stakeholder input, clear communication and teamwork, and has led me to a bright future in the consulting industry.

Committee: Vincent Hand PhD (Advisor); Jason Rech PhD (Committee Member); Richard Munson PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Health; Environmental Law; Environmental Science

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2014, Agricultural, Environmental and Developmental Economics

We examine questions of land use by analyzing the underlying land market and uncovering intended and unintended outcomes of regulations. Understanding land use patterns is a fundamental component for examining the linkages between urbanization and environmental outcomes. Different types of land use are largely determined by the interactions between proximity to urban area, land prices, and public policies. In the first essay, we explore how a specific set of smart growth land use regulations impact land use patterns. Land developer's responses to regulations can be varied and unanticipated. We develop and test a model of developer behavior in response to spatially and temporarily varying development moratoria that occur as a result of the Smart Growth initiative in Maryland. We utilize a rich dataset with a nonlinear moratoria policy variable that varies temporally and spatially which enables us to identify the anticipatory decisions by developers in the time periods leading up to a moratoria. Additionally, we are able to identify a heterogeneous spatial spillover effect that results from developers choosing to build houses in the outskirts of the county when moratoria occur, while substituting away from locations that fall within designated growth areas. A localized land price index is constructed to control for temporal variation in spatially correlated unobservables. From this model we are able to offer an additional explanation for the urban sprawl observed in this region, as an outcome of development behavior responses to moratoria in overcrowded schools. In our second essay, we explore the environmental tradeoffs of land use regulations. Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA) regulates the “waters of the United States” to minimize degradation of wetlands. In 1985 the definition of the US waters under Section 404 was expanded in an effort to specifically reduce environmental damage caused by new residential developments. This study analyzes a suburban (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Elena Irwin Ph.D. (Advisor) Subjects: Environmental Economics

MCP, University of Cincinnati, 2005, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Community Planning

This study evaluates legislative changes to Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and how these changes may impact “isolated” wetlands in Hamilton County, Ohio. This study considers current land use and makes assumptions about how the wetlands will be impacted given the current land use in relation to state law and permitting processes. This case is based on the January 2001, U.S. Supreme Court decision, Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) v. United States Army Corps of Engineers. The decision eliminates federal protection of “isolated” wetlands under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act (CWA). The wetlands were formerly protected by the migratory bird rule. The permitting and review process is now administered by the States. The objective of this study is to understand how changes to the Clean Water Act may impact “isolated” wetlands in Ohio. The study is exploratory in nature and will focuses on parts of Hamilton County, OH. The author considers the permitting process administered by the Ohio EPA and makes predictions about how wetlands may have been if the legislation was never changed, and how the wetlands may now be affected because of this change. The author then makes recommendations on how to better protect the most at risk and valuable “isolated” wetlands in Hamilton County. The author draws on resources from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), the United States Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), the United States Geologic Services (USGS), the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OHEPA), the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), the State of Ohio Legislature (Legislature), the Ohio Revised Code (ORC), the Hamilton County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD), and the Cincinnati Area Graphics Information Systems (CAGIS) to make these predictions. By considering examples in Hamilton County, the author provides a framework for analysis of other wetlands in Ohio with similar criteria and potential threats.

Committee: David Edelman (Advisor) Subjects: Urban and Regional Planning

Master of Science (MS), Ohio University, 2010, Environmental Studies (Arts and Sciences)

The efficiency of vegetated biofilters to mitigate highway stormwater runoff was assessed utilizing two constructed biofilters and applying simulated stormwater runoff with high and low concentrations of metals at varying slopes. In this study the efficiency of vegetated biofilters was determined, the contaminant removal mechanisms and the soil fractions that retained the metals. Results from these tests concluded that the vegetated biofilters were very efficient in mitigating highway stormwater runoff, with percent removals ranging from 92.5% - 99.0% for the high concentration tests and 31.3% - 91.2% for the low concentration tests. Metals were predominantly removed by adsorption to the suspended solids added to the influent, settling within the bed, and then further taken up by the leaves and roots. Chemical fractionation results indicated that the majority of the metals were concentrated in the Fe-Mn oxide and organic fractions of the soil, indicating that future remobilization of these metals was unlikely, because metals bound to these fractions are strongly retained.

Committee: Guy Riefler PhD (Advisor); Jared DeForest PhD (Committee Member); Glen Jackson PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Science

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2004, Botany

Recognition is growing that social systems are not external to ecosystems, but are a significant part of an integrated social-ecological system. This research developed an integrated analytic approach by incorporating broadly-accepted theory and models of policy decision processes (Advocacy Coalition Framework and Adaptive Cycle Framework) and knowledge processes (Knowledge Cycle), with models of ecosystem functioning. The usefulness of the integrated framework and models was evaluated through application to a social-ecological policy process for the Mill Creek (Cincinnati,OH). In this case, there is a clear social goal with a measurable ecological endpoint (achieve an Index of Biotic Integrity value of 40, if attainable), and a mandated method to achieve the goal (by lowering pollutant loads into the stream). The question asked in this case is: (1) were the available data and knowledge adequate; (2) were the models and knowledge “used” by the decisionmaker adequate; and (3) was the policy process adequate to produce outputs sufficient to attain the social goal? The decisionmaker's data, when incorporated into an ecological model, were found adequate to predict the water quality response to various levels of pollutant reduction. The data supported a conclusion that attainment of the water quality standard (“attainment”) through the proposed TMDL elements was unlikely. Analysis of the knowledge and models “used” by the decisionmaker supported a conclusion that the knowledge search was not comprehensive and the decision support model does not predict water quality goals. However, the knowledge cited or included in policy documents was sufficient to know that attainment was unlikely through the pollutant loads proposed in the policy output. Predictions about the policy processes, use of knowledge and adequacy of outcomes were consistent with empirical findings derived from citation analysis and content analysis of relevant documents. The conclusion is that attainment i (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Orie Loucks (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Public Administration, University of Akron, 2006, Public Administration

Historically, water pollution abatement policies are relatively new in the United States. Early efforts focused on maintaining the well-being of our nation's waterways for economic purposes. However, a series of events occurred in the 1950s and 1960s that moved our nation towards environmental policies that sought to balance economic and welfare concerns, resulting in the Clean Water Act. Initially, the Clean Water Act focused on reducing point sources of water pollution. It quickly became apparent that these efforts did not meet the goals of the Clean Water Act. As such, the national government increasingly concentrated on the role nonpoint sources of pollution played in the continued impairment of our nation' water systems. This focus, while necessary, often leaves much of the implementation process of national nonpoint source pollution policies in the hands of the states, which has frustrated our ability to successfully abate nonpoint pollutants.

Committee: Raymond Cox III (Advisor) Subjects:

Master of Environmental Science, Miami University, 2013, Environmental Sciences

The complexity of environmental regulation has created a need for experts in the environmental field to help those who are subject to environmental laws meet ever more rigorous standards and maintain compliance. Private environmental consultants are professionals who must be knowledgeable about environmental science and familiar with the regulatory process in order to bridge the gap between regulation and reality. This report discusses the role of an environmental consultant conducting work related to the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for both private and public clients. Other topics discussed are the subjectivity inherent in assessment of natural resources and the need for experience, the existence of ethical dilemmas, and the appropriateness of advocacy in the environmental consulting field. Several case studies are included that describe specific projects completed during the internship.

Committee: David Prytherch Ph.D. (Advisor); Bill Renwick Ph.D. (Committee Member); Sandra Woy-Hazelton Ph.D. (Committee Member) Subjects: Environmental Management; Environmental Science