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The Division The Academies
Subtopic: Water and Soil Cleanup
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Reports: Academies' Findings

The division produces 60-70 reports per year. These reports are unique, authoritative expert evaluations. Each report is produced by a committee of experts selected by the Academy to address a particular statement of task and is subject to a rigorous, independent peer review. The experts who volunteer their time participating on study committees are vetted to make sure that the committee has the range of expertise needed to address the task, that they have a balance of perspectives, and to identify and eliminate members with conflicts of interest. All reports undergo a rigorous, independent peer review to assure that the statement of task has been addressed, that conclusions are adequately supported, and that all important issues raised by the reviewers are addressed. Thus, while the reports represent views of the committee, they also are endorsed by the Academy.

Reports

Showing results 1 - 5 of 36

Fort Detrick's Area B has been used for disposal of chemical, biological, and radiological material, storage of explosives, and research activities. The groundwater of Area B was contaminated by perchloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), which leaked from storage drums buried in Area B. Members of the public who live near Fort Detrick in Frederick County, Maryland, are concerned that the contaminated groundwater might have affecte... More >>
The unprecedented magnitude of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill presents significant challenges for oil spill responders and those tasked with assessing the impacts of the spill. Evaluating changes to ecosystem services—the benefits people receive from natural resources and processes—caused by the oil spill could expand the potential to capture and value the full breadth of impacts to the ecosystem and the public. This report assesse... More >>
Recovery of the Chesapeake Bay from the ecosystem disruption caused by excess nutrient and sediment inputs, primarily from agriculture, urban runoff, wastewater, and air pollution, will require profound changes in the management of resources in the Bay watershed. In recent years, the Chesapeake Bay Program has enhanced accountability of its partner states, for example by establishing two-year milestones for progress. However, numerous challenge... More >>
This report offers advice and priorities to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on improving water quality in the Mississippi River basin and Northern Gulf of Mexico—including how to better manage and monitor nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus. Most nutrient pollution across the river basin comes from diffuse, hard-to-trace sources known as nonpoint sources—for example, the majority of nitrogen and phosphorus loadings come fro... More >>
A better understanding of the processes of sediment transport, erosion, and deposition in the Missouri River will be useful in furthering river management objectives, such as protection of endangered species and development of water quality standards, a new report from the National Research Council finds. Historically, the flow of sediment in the Missouri River has been just as important as the flow of water for a variety of river processes. Th... More >>
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