All posts by david waine

GEOB 270 Final Project Evaluation

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This final project was to develop a GIS analysis of the Agricultural Land Reserve in British Columbia. Our group was assigned the Central Kootenay sub-panel. We were tasked to evaluate the land content of the ALR to determine using geographical information systems what the actual content/quality of the ALR land is.

I believe my biggest contribution to the project was the sourcing and extraction of the necessary data to complete the project. I also did much of the analysis of the data to help complete the project. I would like to thank Kate Baranova for her excellent contribution to the project. Kate completed much of the analysis and put a large amount of work into developing the individual maps for the project. Without her help I believe the project would not have been completed at the same level of quality (visual and data quality) that it was.

We organized our group at the beginning based on the questions to be answered in the report. Who would source what data for what question and complete the analysis etc. However as the project continued we realized that much of the data was clumped together. So I began to extract the data and then other group members contributed to the analysis. We all worked on the final write up together to complete it on time.

I learned quite a bit about the ALR during this process. The biggest thing I noticed was how low the amount of land in the ALR that was actually productive to agriculture. Also how low the amount of land actually used for agriculture directly is. I think the greatest trick I learned was how to manage my layers and data withing ARC MAP. The naming of layers to better understand what processes had been completed etc. There was much data available publicly however several useful data sets were restricted in access. These data sets if publicly available would have been of benefit to our analysis.

GEOB 270 Professional Development

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During the last few months of Geob 270 I have learned many things in regards to Geographical Information Science. I believe the best of what I have learned is how to operate ARC GIS. This geographic information system is of great use to me as a geographer. Being able to navigate and harness this tool will benefit me in future studies and in my future career. I feel that my understanding of GIS has improved greatly and I am now able to share my knowledge much more eloquently.

Lab 5 GEOB 270

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Lab5

Report Memorandum

The proposed project is the construction of a ski resort in the Garabaldi Squamish region of British Columbia Canada. The proposed area is demarcated in the finished map (ProjectBoundary). My involvement in the project was to take the data available in regards to protected areas in the project area and show how much of the project area falls under protected status. Be it old growth forest, riparian buffers, ungulate winter ranges or red-listed species habitat.

During the analysis the data was collected from provincial databases which showed the areas protected for the entire province.

-Data was checked for map projections and all data was projected in the same manner.
-All data was clipped to the project area (so only areas within the project area shown)

-Elevation was divided between upper and lower elevations (below 555m)
-Streams and rivers were buffered by provincial standards for riparian areas. 50m for upper elevations and 100m for lower elevations.
-Red listed plant species habitats were selected and shown on the map.
-All protected areas were combined to show total protected area.
-All lower elevations were displayed using a crosshatched overlay on the map.
-Total areas for each protected area were calculated as a percent of total project area, both individually and combined.

In general I found 6.79% of area is protected old growth forest, 7.89% ungulate winter range, 24.8% red-listed species, and 30.13% riparian buffers. In total 55.4% of the project area is protected. Of the total project area 30.13% is below 555m in elevation.

In my opinion the two greatest environmental concerns are the riparian buffer zones and the red-listed species habitat. To mitigate impacts to these areas I would suggest building the resort on the upper elevations where red-listed species are not as prevalent and the riparian zones are fewer. Also using pre-existing road networks as much as possible during construction of the resort and during its operation could help mitigate the impacts as well.

I personally feel that this project should not go ahead with construction. I believe that since protected areas make up more than fifty percent of the project area any construction would have too large of an environmental impact.  In the memo I wrote did not recommend that the project should go ahead or not. I only wrote what could be done to potentially mitigate any impacts. I believe however that this project should not go ahead.

GEOG 310 Assignment 3 Governance

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Waste Water Governance

The topic being discussed in this assignment is the dumping of untreated sewage into the ocean off the coast of the Greater Victoria region in British Columbia, Canada. Currently municipal wastewater undergoes solely primary sewage treatment, screens that remove solids 6 mm or larger in size before being discharged offshore without any other treatment.  Currently those who have the power to make decisions regarding wastewater treatment in the region are municipal governments. The municipalities that make up the Capital Region and the residents who vote them to power are those who can determine the future of wastewater treatment in the region.

When we look at the state of regulations regarding water in general and waste water treatment specifically there are many different layers of regulation and responsibility. Firstly on an international/global level there are no current binding treaties or resolutions of which Canada is a party to. The sole international agreements are between Canada and the U.S.A. and relate to international waters and rivers that flow into the United States. The International Rivers Improvement Act and the International Boundary Waters Treaty Act. Neither of these acts deal directly with waste water discharge. (Government of Canada, n.d.) (Government of Canada, n.d.)

On a federal level there is also very little government regulation. The only law regarding water quality is the Canada Water Act (Government of Canada, n.d.), this act is solely a binding agreement between Canadian Provinces and the federal government. Water is considered “owned” by provinces and is regulated by provinces directly. The federal government may make recommendations on water standards and quality but it is up to the provincial governments to act upon these recommendations at their discretion.

The bulk of regulation around waters in Canada is determined by provincial governments. In British Columbia waste water is regulated through The Municipal Wastewater Regulation. (Government of British Columbia, n.d.) This document sets out the general guidelines that all municipalities must follow in regards to the treatment and discharge of municipal waste water. The large majority of regulations deal with the discharge of effluent in ground areas. In our case study we are looking at effluent discharge into a marine environment, or water discharge. The regulations in this instance are quite different. The requirements for discharge depend on many factors. To mention a few, volume of discharge, type of discharge, length of discharge pipe, fecal coliform levels, location of discharge pipe, and the dilution zone, among many others. All these various factors must be taken into account by a municipality when discharging effluent into a marine environment. However within these boundaries the municipality (municipalities) have leeway in methods of discharge and treatment. Future acts and regulations may change the landscape of water treatment in British Columbia such as the Water Sustainability Act which comes into effect in early 2016. (Goverment of British Columbia, n.d.)

The municipalities in question have the final authority to make decisions regarding waste water discharge within the boundaries of provincial regulations. At the moment the problem seems to be that there is no consensus on whether or not Victoria’s treatment system (or lack thereof) false within regulations or not. As mentioned in previous assignments there are many who believe that current treatment methods are adequate, ie wastewater is sufficiently diluted etc. Others believe this to not be the case and that secondary and potentially tertiary treatment methods need to be implemented.

In regards to cultural conventions the norm has been to discharge the waste directly to the marine environment as has been happening for the past century. This action however has led to conflict and ill will with neighbouring Washington State. This is due to the fact that the state shares waters of the San Juan Islands which are quite near geographically to Victoria and its sewage outflow pipes. There have been arguments made (as explored in previous posts) that effluent may be contaminating waters in Washington State. This conflict has led to international pressure on Victoria to change its waste water treatment plan.

When looking at governmental policies in regards to wastewater management we can see two distinct levels of regulation. Provincial and Municipal. The regulations are available online in their entirety (as cited in this assignment) and are quite accessible. However the language present can be difficult to understand to the lay person. This can limit the accessibility of the information and its understanding. In regards to the case of Victoria the issue of governance are quite murky. As mentioned earlier there is much debate around the state of treatment and whether or not it falls within provincial regulations. Since this confusion and debate exists it is difficult to determine accountability and participation to a concrete extent in regards to Victoria’s waste water treatment standards. I believe that there is a lack of good governance in regards to this case. This is due to a large amount of confusion and lack of clear regulations.

When looking at the sum of regulations and governance in regards to Canadas waste water standards on all levels, federal, provincial, and municipal, there seems to be a lack of governance framework. There is very little federal oversight and standards on a federal level are lacking. This places the large amount of power in provincial hands, with different provinces having different policies. When dealing with water which is a fluid system, water flows across national, provincial, and municipal boundaries, a higher level of governance seems necessary. A clarification and standardization of practices and regulations at a federal level, in consultation with other neighbouring nations (United States in particular) would go a long way in clarifying the subject of waste water management. By creating a clear regulatory environment the wicked problem of Victoria’s waste water could be simplified and potentially solved.

Bibliography

Goverment of British Columbia. (n.d.). Water Sustainability Act. Retrieved from Goverment of Bristish Columbia: http://engage.gov.bc.ca/watersustainabilityact/

Government of British Columbia. (n.d.). Municipal Wastewater Regulation. Retrieved from British Columbia: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/environment/waste-management/sewage/municipal-wastewater-regulation

Government of Canada. (n.d.). Canada Water Act. Retrieved from Justice Laws: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/C-11/index.html

Government of Canada. (n.d.). International Boundary Waters Treaty Act. Retrieved from Justice Laws: http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/I-17/index.html

Government of Canada. (n.d.). International River Improvements Act. Retrieved from Justice Laws: http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/I-20/index.html

 

GEOB 270 Lab 4

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dataclass

Q8.  Different classification methods portray the same data differently as shown by the above maps. All these maps were made using the exact same data but using different classification methods. As a real estate agent I would use natural breaks because it clusters similarly priced areas in to classes. So all areas of similar housing costs are colored similar giving clients a good idea of housing costs at a glance. As a journalist I would use standard deviation because it clearly shows how far off the mean housing costs differ across Vancouver or Montreal. There are ethical implications yes, because by using different classification methods you can present the data in a manner which benefits the goals you are trying to achieve. Whatever that goal may be.

affordability

Affordability in this case describes the cost of a dwelling unit (median) normalized to the median income. So it shows how much income per census tract versus how much each dwelling unit costs. This is a better measure of affordability than housing cost alone because it shows how much income can be spent on housing per census tract.

The housing affordability categories are Severely Unaffordable, Seriously Unaffordable, Moderately Unaffordable, and Affordable. These classifications were produced by The NYU Urban Expansion Program which is a think tank and urban action center of the Stern School of Business at the New York University. I would call this group trustworthy because they are an academic group whose goals are to aid municipalities and urban areas in planning for their future urban expansion. I would say that affordability is a useful tool in determining livability but not the only one by far. It plays a role but other factors such as safety, healthcare, education, proximity to work and leisure etc play larger roles I would argue in determining livability of a location.

GEOB 270 Accomplishment Statement

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Lab 1
The purpose of Lab 1 was to introduce new users to ArcGIS and help them become familiar with the system. To give broad and general knowledge of how to use a GIS system.  This was to be accomplished by following a tutorial and using ArcGIS in a hands on manner. I believe that I accomplished this quite successfully. I am fully capable of getting data, checking it, modifying it, and using it in ArcGIS. Also at the end of Lab 1 I had a basic fundamental understanding of how to use ArcGIS.

Lab 2
In Lab 2 we began to work more in depth with ArcGIS and its systems. The purpose was to learn about projection systems, coordinate systems, and working with remote sensing date. This lab helped me to understand the various ways in which visual data can be displayed and manipulated in ArcGIS. At the completion of the lab I was able to create a visual comparison before and after of Mt St Helens. This lab provided me with the tools to turn data into something that can be used in analysis.

Lab 3
Lab 3 was a lesson in creating a functional product in GIS that can be used in analysis. We were to take data, and use it to help solve a problem. The problem of tsunami impacting Vancouver. The data was taken and combined in such a way that by the end of the lab a useful map was produced. This map accomplishes the basic tenant of GIS, to take data and combine/present it in such a way as to provide a tool for meaningful analysis.

GEOB 270 Lab 3

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Question 5

I was able to determine that roughly 8.25% of Vancouvers land area would be affected by a tsunami in this scenario. This was determined by calculating the total land area of Vancouver. Determined using the VancouverMask layer and using statistics to find the areas shape. Using the statistics on the affected areas layer I got the total area affected by the tsunami. Dividing these numbers got me the percentage of Vancouvers total land area affected.

Question 6

Schools Affected

Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design

Henry Hudson Elementary

False Creek Elementary

St Anthony of Padua

Ecole Rose des Vents

Healthcare Sites Affected

False Creek Residence

Villa Cathay Care Home

Yaletown House Society

I was able to determine the sites affected by selecting all the points of healthcare and education in Vancouver. Then using select by attribute, select by area. The area used to select the attributes was the affected landuse layer. I created a layer only using the points selected in the affected area. Opening the attribute table for these new layers I could see the names of each specific location.

mylab3

GEOG 310 Annotated Bibliography

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Assignment 2 GEOG 310

Annotated Bibliography Technology and Cost in relation to the sewage treatment problem of Victoria.

 

Zhang , XiaoHong et al. (2015). The comparison of performances of a sewage treatment system before and after implementing the cleaner production measure. Journal of Cleaner Production 91, 216-228

This article was found from the Journal of Cleaner Production. The basis of this article is to determine the performance of enacting cleaner production practices in a sewage treatment plant in Beijing, China. The study compares the efficiency of the plant before and after implementation of the practices. It determines the change in carbon/nitrogen ratios in the system and how phosphorus and nitrogen removal is affected through these changes. This studies scope is limited to pre-treatment, primary treatment, secondary treatment and sludge thickening so as to compare the performance changes before and after the cleaner production measure being implemented. This article is relevant to the wicked problem in Victoria due to being around the topic of sewage treatment. It evaluates how changes in processes can improve sewage processing quality and effectiveness which must be considered when evaluating potential solutions to Victoria’s sewage problem. This source is a peer reviewed journal with an impact factor of 3.59. Based on that information I believe this source to be trustworthy.

 

Caporgno, M.P. et al. (2015). Biogas production from sewage sludge and microalgae co-digestion under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. Journal of Cleaner Production 75, 374-380

This article demonstrates the differences that substrates and temperatures can make on biogas production in biogas digesters in sewage treatment. The researchers look at two bacterium and how they perform when co-digested under mesophilic and thermophilic conditions. They then compare the differences in biogas production and percentage of methane produced. This study is relevant in that it addresses different regimes in biogas production that could increase productivity in a biogas digester. One potential system that may be incorporated in Victoria would include a digester to process sewage sludge instead of landfilling the bio-solids. This would also produce biogas which could be used to generate energy, waste to energy processing. This source comes from the same journal as the article previous.

 

Clarke, Bradley O. Smith, Stephen R. (2011). Review of ‘emerging’ organic contaminants in biosolids and assessment of international research priorities for the agricultural use of biosolids. Environment International 37 (11), 226-247

In this article the authors attempt to study the presence of organic compounds in biosolids resulting from waste water treatment. Many of these organic compounds may be harmful to human consumption. The reason behind this study is to determine if biosolids may be used in agricultural practices. They rank compounds based on their environmental persistence, human toxicity and any evidence of bioaccumulation in humans or the environment. The authors rank several chemicals in decreasing priority and evaluate each one based on international research available. This study is of significant importance because it helps inform stakeholders on the potential risks of letting untreated sewage flow into the environment. Also it may present an alternative to landfilling of biosolids if removed during secondary treatment, the biosolids could potentially be used in agricultural settings. This article was published in a peer reviewed journal Environment International with an impact factor of 5.66.

 

Brisolara. Fitzmorris, Kari. Qi, Yinan. (2015). Biosolids and Sludge Management. Water Environment Research 87(10), 1147-1166

This is a review of several articles present in the literature on biosolids and sludge management. The authors look at the literature available on waste treatment breaking them down by categories. The categories are, biosolids regulations and management issues; biosolids characteristics, quality and measurement including microconstituents and pathogens, sludge treatment technologies including pretreatment and sludge minimization, conditioning and dewatering, digestion, composting and innovative technologies; disposal and reuse including combustion/ incineration, land application and non- agricultural use; odor and air emissions; as well as energy issues. This provides an excellent review and summation of available peer reviewed literature on the subjects mentioned. All the information provided gives a broad over view of the best methods available for treatment and what could be potential applications for the situation in Victoria. This article was published by the journal Water Environment Research.

 

Wastewater treatment. (n.d.). Retrieved October 14, 2015, from http://www.fao.org/docrep/t0551e/t0551e05.htm#TopOfPage

This is an agency report produced by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. This report provides an overview of wastewater treatment processes. It explains the problems generated by waste and the general overview of conventional treatment processes.  The report delves into further detail of every step of conventional waste water treatment processes, primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment. Further it provides information on natural biological treatment processes. The report is an excellent overview of waste water treatment that can be used to educate stakeholders and increase information around the problem. The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations is an international organization belonging to the United Nations and such I consider it to be a trustworthy source of information.

 

Hopper, T. (2013, November 1). Is a $783M Victoria sewage plant necessary or the ‘largest boondoggle in Canadian history’? Retrieved October 14, 2015, from http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/is-a-783m-victoria-sewage-plant-necessary-or-the-largest-boondoggle-in-canadian-history

A news article published in 2013 from the National Post online. The article looks at those who support and those who oppose the construction of a sewage treatment plant in Victoria. The reason I have chosen this source is simply because it discusses the monetary cost associated with the construction of said plant. The article states an estimated cost of 783 million dollars Canadian. This would potentially increase tax rates for residents between 250-400 dollars per year. This is a relevant article in that it shows the potential monetary cost of building a treatment plant. The cost of technology must be taken into consideration when choosing a solution to Victoria’s sewage problem. Considering this is an editorial news piece I take the information presented with some doubt in mind. The author could potentially be biased.

 

Environment Canada. (2011). Human Activity and the Environment: Table 4.3 — Top ten substances released to water according tothe National Pollutant Release Inventory, 2009. Retrieved from Statistics Canada website: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/16-201-x/2012000/t014-eng.htm

This data table shows the amount of pollutants released into water according to an Environment Canada Report. The pollutants are listed in descending order from greatest amount. It presents the data in both total amount released in tonnes as well as what percentage of total pollutants released each pollutant makes up. This data is relevant as it provides data showing what chemicals and heavy metals are potentially released into the waters surrounding Victoria if no treatment of the sewage outflow takes place beyond the primary level. This data is provided by Environment Canada and as a government source I find it reputable and trustworthy.

 

2011 Municipal Water Use Report – Municipal Water Use 2009 Statistics. (2011). Retrieved October 14, 2015, from https://www.ec.gc.ca/doc/publications/eau-water/COM1454/survey8-eng.htm

The tables presented in this report show the percentage of municipalities across Canada that treat wastewater and at what level, primary, secondary, tertiary. These tables are relevant because it shows that Victoria is not the only location with solely primary sewage treatment. Many locations in Canada are only served by primary sewage treatment systems. The data presented here can help determine whether technology is necessary beyond that which is already deployed and whether the costs associated with that technology is necessary.

GEOB 270 Lab 2

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When dealing with various data sources and files you must always make sure your data is compatible. So all the units should be the same and your coordinate and projection systems should be the same across all files as well. This makes sure that once your various layers and data files are collected into one map the entire collection works together to make a concise and legible map that serves its defined purpose. The following steps are necessary to ensure this happens. First you would check to make sure all the data files were on the same coordinate systems/ projections. If not you must make them so. Next you would make sure all units were matching, ie all in meters or all in kilometers for linear data, all degrees for angular data etc.

Remotely sensed landsat data is extremely useful for geographic analysis. It allows one to view a large area at once. It also contains various color layers that can be adjusted to highlight different changes in the landscape. The timescales of landsat data is also useful. Since the seventies lansat data has been collected in steady intervals. This allows us to see the change in landscapes over short time scales as well as long scales.

The Poop Scoop, Victoria’s Sewage Problem (or not)

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Raw Sewage Dumping from Victoria B.C.

Since 1915 the Capital Regional District (Victoria and surroundings) has been dumping raw sewage into Ross Bay. Roughly 6.7 million kilograms of solids annually (GORDON, 2014) are pumped out along long flow pipes and discharged into the ocean. The problem of sewage treatment (or lack thereof) in Victoria is a very complex problem and does classify as a wicked problem. There are multiple sides and stakeholders to the issue. Not only does this affect the residents of the Capital Region, but also potentially residents of the San Juan Islands in Washington State (Meissner, 2014). This brings an international aspect to the problem (it transcends political/regional boundaries). Within the region there are various stakeholders as well. Residents of the communities in the region cannot agree on where to build a treatment plant, what kind of treatment plant, or even if a treatment plant is necessary. Experts as well disagree on the necessity of a plant, some claim evidence is lacking to justify the expenditure of nearly a billion dollars. They claim that the depth of the outflow pipes and the contents of the outflow are dispersed harmlessly into the ocean (Responsible Sewage Treatment Victoria, 2014). Others cite E-coli measurements higher than is recommended for healthy waters. Various levels of government are also involved. New standards created by the federal government also create a push for a plant. The stakeholders are many and varied. Information on the problem is also difficult to obtain and is often controversial. Gathering new data would be expensive and the existing studies are few and contradictory. Construction of a new treatment plant would possibly cost upwards of 700 million Canadian dollars. (Hopper, 2013) This would raise taxes for local residents by 200 to 400 dollars annually. (Hopper, 2013) This further divides residents on the issue. All of these factors and others combine to move what seems to be a simple problem, dumping waste, with a simple solution, build a modern treatment plant, into a wicked problem.

 

The mind map I have developed is a conceptual layout to help me formulate the problem. My main links off the central problem of sewage dumping are, Stakeholders, Environmental Costs, Future Plans, Marine Environment, and Reasons. I consider these to be the main aspects of the problem I need to focus on and expand to help define the wicked problem. Each of these sub headings are further broken down into more detailed levels. Within Stakeholders I look at the different stakeholders I can initially imagine as well as various divisions and levels that exist within them. For example the varying levels of governments involved. One major heading I believe to be important is Future Plans. Whether or not a treatment plant needs to be built, who will pay for it, where will it be built, etc.

 

Sewage Dumping

Bibliography

GORDON, K. P. (2014, June). Focus Online. Retrieved from Focus Online: http://focusonline.ca/?q=node/735

Hopper, T. (2013, November 1). National Post. Retrieved from National Post: http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/is-a-783m-victoria-sewage-plant-necessary-or-the-largest-boondoggle-in-canadian-history

Meissner, D. (2014, June 11). The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from The Globe and Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/victoria-sewer-dispute-hits-the-fan-as-washington-state-urges-bc-intervene/article19131685/

Responsible Sewage Treatment Victoria. (2014). Responsible Sewage Treatment Victoria. Retrieved from Responsible Sewage Treatment Victoria: http://www.rstv.ca/is-victoria-dumping-raw-sewage/