@BOOK{NAP author = "Transportation Research Board", title = "A Process for Setting, Managing, and Monitoring Environmental Windows for Dredging Projects: Special Report 262", abstract = "TRB Special Report 262: A Process for Setting, Managing, and Monitoring Environmental Windows for Dredging Projects concludes that scientific information about risks to resources and technical options for reducing those risks was not being systematically incorporated into the dredging process. The process itself is complex and time-consuming because of the numerous federal and state agencies and interest groups involved. The committee recommended use of a broad-based decisionmaking process designed to engage stakeholders more effectively and to improve the scientific and technical basis for the decisions made.\n\n\n\nEnvironmental windows are periods in which regulators have determined that the adverse impacts associated with dredging of waterways and disposal of the dredged materials can be reduced below critical thresholds, and dredging is therefore permitted. Conversely, seasonal restrictions are applied\u2014dredging and disposal activities are prohibited \u2014when the perceived increase in potential harm to aquatic resources is above critical thresholds. Since passage of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, resource agencies have requested environmental restrictions on dredging with increasing frequency. Today, more than 80 percent of federal contract dredging is subject to some type of restriction. At the request of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, TRB and the National Academies' Ocean Studies Board convened a committee to address concerns about the decision-making process for setting environmental windows. \n\n\n\nWindows are intuitively simple means of reducing risk to biological resources from stressors generated during dredging and disposal activities, including entrainment of fish eggs and larvae, resuspension of contaminated sediments, habitat loss, and collisions with marine animals. The use of windows as a management tool, however, can have significant cost implications for both the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the local sponsors of dredging projects, delay project deadlines, and increase risk to dredging personnel by shifting projects to periods of potentially inclement weather and sea states.Special Report 262 Summary", url = "https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11367/a-process-for-setting-managing-and-monitoring-environmental-windows-for-dredging-projects", year = 2002, publisher = "The National Academies Press", address = "Washington, DC" } @BOOK{NAP author = "Transportation Research Board and National Research Council", title = "Responding to Oil Spills in the U.S. Arctic Marine Environment", isbn = "978-0-309-29886-5", abstract = "U.S. Arctic waters north of the Bering Strait and west of the Canadian border encompass a vast area that is usually ice covered for much of the year, but is increasingly experiencing longer periods and larger areas of open water due to climate change. Sparsely inhabited with a wide variety of ecosystems found nowhere else, this region is vulnerable to damage from human activities. As oil and gas, shipping, and tourism activities increase, the possibilities of an oil spill also increase. How can we best prepare to respond to such an event in this challenging environment?\nResponding to Oil Spills in the U.S. Arctic Marine Environment reviews the current state of the science regarding oil spill response and environmental assessment in the Arctic region north of the Bering Strait, with emphasis on the potential impacts in U.S. waters. This report describes the unique ecosystems and environment of the Arctic and makes recommendations to provide an effective response effort in these challenging conditions. According to Responding to Oil Spills in the U.S. Arctic Marine Environment, a full range of proven oil spill response technologies is needed in order to minimize the impacts on people and sensitive ecosystems. This report identifies key oil spill research priorities, critical data and monitoring needs, mitigation strategies, and important operational and logistical issues.\nThe Arctic acts as an integrating, regulating, and mediating component of the physical, atmospheric and cryospheric systems that govern life on Earth. Not only does the Arctic serve as regulator of many of the Earth's large-scale systems and processes, but it is also an area where choices made have substantial impact on life and choices everywhere on planet Earth. This report's recommendations will assist environmentalists, industry, state and local policymakers, and anyone interested in the future of this special region to preserve and protect it from damaging oil spills.", url = "https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/18625/responding-to-oil-spills-in-the-us-arctic-marine-environment", year = 2014, publisher = "The National Academies Press", address = "Washington, DC" } @BOOK{NAP author = "Transportation Research Board and National Research Council", title = "Review of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Restructured Upper Mississippi River-Illinois Waterway Feasibility Study: Second Report", isbn = "978-0-309-09436-8", abstract = "For the past few years, the Corps has been working on what is known as the Restructured Upper Mississippi River-Illinois Waterway Feasibility Study, the heart of which is a multibillion-dollar proposal to double the length of up to a dozen locks on the river. The Research Council first reviewed the feasibility study in 2001 during controversies over the accuracy of models being used by the Corps to justify lock expansion based on increased demand for barge transportation.\nMore than 100 million tons of cargo--half of it grain destined for international markets, the other half goods such as construction materials, coal, and chemicals--are shipped along the navigation system each year. The locks, which along with dams allow barges to traverse uneven river depths, were originally designed for \"tows\" of barges up to 600 feet long, but the length of a typical tow has increased, forcing the Corps to look for ways to relieve congestion.\n\nThe book finds the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has made good progress in broadening its proposed plan for navigation improvements on the Upper Mississippi River-Illinois Waterway system to give greater consideration to ecological restoration. However, the plan still does not provide sufficient economic justification for expanding locks on the rivers because of flaws in the models the Corps used to predict demand for barge transportation. Little attention is paid to inexpensive, nonstructural navigation improvements that could help better manage existing levels of barge traffic. \nThe revised plan has been usefully expanded to include many creative and potentially useful ecosystem restoration measures. These measures, however, should be more firmly grounded in river science principles and more broadly consider ways the river's ecology might affect or be affected by navigation, recreation and other uses. \n", url = "https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11109/review-of-the-us-army-corps-of-engineers-restructured-upper-mississippi-river-illinois-waterway-feasibility-study", year = 2004, publisher = "The National Academies Press", address = "Washington, DC" } @BOOK{NAP author = "Transportation Research Board and National Research Council", title = "Review of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Restructured Upper Mississippi-Illinois River Waterway Feasibility Study", isbn = "978-0-309-09133-6", abstract = "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a long history of managing navigation, floods, and other water-related issues on the Upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. A recent chapter in that history is the problem of waterway congestion at several locks on the lower portion of the Upper Mississippi River. The Corps has studied this problem and its possible solutions since the late 1980s, producing a draft feasibility study in 2000 and an interim report on a restructured feasibility study in 2002. A committee was convened to review and provide advice on the most recent phase of the Corps' analytical efforts.", url = "https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10873/review-of-the-us-army-corps-of-engineers-restructured-upper-mississippi-illinois-river-waterway-feasibility-study", year = 2004, publisher = "The National Academies Press", address = "Washington, DC" } @BOOK{NAP author = "Transportation Research Board and National Research Council", title = "Water Resources Planning for the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway", isbn = "978-0-309-09945-5", abstract = "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently completed its feasibility study for the Upper Mississippi River-Ilinois Waterway, which was one of the agency's longest and most complicated studies in its history. The first two reports from this WSTB committee reviewed analytical aspects of the Corps feasibility study. Water Resources Planning for the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway considers the broader issue of managing the multiple resources of the Upper Mississippi River and Illinois Waterway, especially with regard to several, recently-issued NRC reports on Corps of Engineers planning procedures. The report finds that a key issue regarding planning decisions on these river systems is the ambiguity related to several different pieces of legislation and acts that govern river management, and thus recommends that the administration and Congress clarify the federal intent for managing this river and waterway system. The report recommends an independent, retrospective reivew of the experience with a federal inter-agency Principals Group, which was convened to provide guidance to the Corps study. It is also recommended that the Corps strive to incorporate flexible, adaptive management principles through its entire water planning program, including operations of the lock and dam system.", url = "https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11444/water-resources-planning-for-the-upper-mississippi-river-and-illinois-waterway", year = 2005, publisher = "The National Academies Press", address = "Washington, DC" } @BOOK{NAP author = "Transportation Research Board and National Research Council", title = "Polar Icebreakers in a Changing World: An Assessment of U.S. Needs", isbn = "978-0-309-10321-3", abstract = "The United States has enduring national and strategic interests in the polar regions, including citizens living above the Arctic circle and three year-round scientific stations in the Antarctic. Polar icebreaking ships are needed to access both regions. Over the past several decades, the U.S. government has supported a fleet of four icebreakers\u2014three multi-mission U.S. Coast Guard ships (the POLAR SEA, POLAR STAR, and HEALY) and the National Science Foundation's PALMER, which is dedicated solely to scientific research. Today, the POLAR STAR and the POLAR SEA are at the end of their service lives, and a lack of funds and no plans for an extension of the program has put U.S. icebreaking capability at risk. This report concludes that the United States should continue to support its interests in the Arctic and Antarctic for multiple missions, including maintaining leadership in polar science. The report recommends that the United States immediately program, budget, design, and construct two new polar icebreakers to be operated by the U.S. Coast Guard. The POLAR SEA should remain mission capable and the POLAR STAR should remain available for reactivation until the new polar icebreakers enter service. The U.S. Coast Guard should be provided sufficient operations and maintenance budget to support an increased, regular, and influential presence in the Arctic, with support from other agencies. The report also calls for a Presidential Decision Directive to clearly align agency responsibilities and budgetary authorities.", url = "https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11753/polar-icebreakers-in-a-changing-world-an-assessment-of-us", year = 2007, publisher = "The National Academies Press", address = "Washington, DC" } @BOOK{NAP author = "Transportation Research Board and National Research Council", title = "Inland Navigation System Planning: The Upper Mississippi River-Illinois Waterway", isbn = "978-0-309-07405-6", abstract = "In 1988, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began an investigation of the benefits and costs of extending several locks on the lower portion of the Upper Mississippi River-Illinois Waterway (UMR-IWW) in order to relieve increasing waterway congestion, particularly for grain moving to New Orleans for export. With passage of the Flood Control Act of 1936, Congress required that the Corps conduct a benefit-cost analysis as part of its water resources project planning; Congress will fund water resources projects only if a project's benefits exceed its costs. As economic analysis generally, and benefit-cost analysis in particular, has become more sophisticated, and as environmental and social considerations and analysis have become more important, Corps planning studies have grown in size and complexity. The difficulty in commensurating market and nonmarket costs and benefits also presents the Corps with a significant challenge. The Corps' analysis of the UMR-IWW has extended over a decade, has cost roughly $50 million, and has involved consultations with other federal agencies, state conservation agencies, and local citizens. The analysis has included many consultants and has produced dozens of reports.In February 2000, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) requested that the National Academies review the Corps' final feasibility report. After discussions and negotiations with DOD, in April 2000 the National Academies launched this review and appointed an expert committee to carry it out.", url = "https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10072/inland-navigation-system-planning-the-upper-mississippi-river-illinois-waterway", year = 2001, publisher = "The National Academies Press", address = "Washington, DC" } @BOOK{NAP author = "Transportation Research Board and National Research Council", title = "Advancing Aeronautical Safety: A Review of NASA's Aviation Safety-Related Research Programs", isbn = "978-0-309-15793-3", abstract = "Advancing the state of aviation safety is a central mission of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Congress requested this review of NASA's aviation safety-related research programs, seeking an assessment of whether the programs have well-defined, prioritized, and appropriate research objectives; whether resources have been allocated appropriately among these objectives; whether the programs are well coordinated with the safety research programs of the Federal Aviation Administration; and whether suitable mechanisms are in place for transitioning the research results into operational technologies and procedures and certification activities in a timely manner. \n\nAdvancing Aeronautical Safety contains findings and recommendations with respect to each of the main aspects of the review sought by Congress. These findings indicate that NASA's aeronautics research enterprise has made, and continues to make, valuable contributions to aviation system safety but it is falling short and needs improvement in some key respects.", url = "https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/12950/advancing-aeronautical-safety-a-review-of-nasas-aviation-safety-related", year = 2010, publisher = "The National Academies Press", address = "Washington, DC" } @BOOK{NAP author = "Transportation Research Board and National Research Council", title = "Where the Weather Meets the Road: A Research Agenda for Improving Road Weather Services", isbn = "978-0-309-09136-7", abstract = "Weather has broad and significant effects on the roadway environment. Snow, rain, fog, ice, freezing rain, and other weather conditions can impair the ability of drivers to operate their vehicles safely, significantly reduce roadway capacity, and dramatically increase travel times. Multiple roadway activities, from roadway maintenance and construction to shipping, transit, and police operations, are directly affected by inclement weather. \nSome road weather information is available to users currently, however a disconnect remains between current research and operations, and additional research could yield important safety and economic improvements for roadway users. Meteorology, roadway technology, and vehicle systems have evolved to the point where users could be provided with better road weather information through modern information technologies. The combination of these technologies has the potential to significantly increase the efficiency of roadway operations, road capacity, and road safety. Where the Weather Meets the Road provides a roadmap for moving these concepts to reality. ", url = "https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/10893/where-the-weather-meets-the-road-a-research-agenda-for", year = 2004, publisher = "The National Academies Press", address = "Washington, DC" } @BOOK{NAP author = "Transportation Research Board and National Research Council", title = "Polar Icebreaker Roles and U.S. Future Needs: A Preliminary Assessment", isbn = "978-0-309-10069-4", url = "https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/11525/polar-icebreaker-roles-and-us-future-needs-a-preliminary-assessment", year = 2005, publisher = "The National Academies Press", address = "Washington, DC" } @BOOK{NAP author = "Transportation Research Board and National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine", title = "Corrosion of Buried Steel at New and In-Service Infrastructure", isbn = "978-0-309-69267-0", abstract = "Steel is a common component of U.S. infrastructure, but that steel can corrode when buried in soil, rock, or fill. Steel corrosion is estimated to cost the United States 3-4 percent of its gross domestic product every year, and it can lead to infrastructure failure, loss of lives, property, disruption of energy and transportation systems, and damage to the environment. Although the mechanisms of steel corrosion are well understood, limited data on subsurface corrosion and the inability to measure corrosivity directly make accurate corrosion prediction through modeling a challenge. When hazardous levels of corrosion does occur, it is difficult to determine whether the cause was related to site selection, engineering decisions, changes in subsurface conditions, or a combination of these factors.\nThis report explores the state of knowledge and technical issues regarding the corrosion of steel used for earth applications (e.g., for ground stabilization, pipelines, and infrastructure foundations) in unconsolidated earth or rock in different geologic settings. The report summarizes mechanisms of steel corrosion, assesses the state of practice for characterizing factors in the subsurface environment that influence corrosion and corrosion rates, and assesses the efficacy and uncertainties associated with quantitative, field, and laboratory methods for predicting corrosion. \nThe industries and experts most involved with managing buried steel should collaborate to improve multidisciplinary understanding of the processes that drive buried steel corrosion. Developing a common lexicon related to buried steel corrosion, generating new data on corrosion through collaborative long-term experiments, sharing and managing data, and developing new data analytical techniques to inform infrastructure design, construction, and management decisions are key. Industries, experts, and regulators should collaboratively develop decision support systems that guide site characterization and help manage risk. These systems and new data should undergird a common clearinghouse for data on corrosion of buried steel, which will ultimately inform better and more efficient management of buried steel infrastructure, and protect safety and the environment.", url = "https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26686/corrosion-of-buried-steel-at-new-and-in-service-infrastructure", year = 2023, publisher = "The National Academies Press", address = "Washington, DC" } @BOOK{NAP author = "Transportation Research Board and National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine and National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine", title = "Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States: Technology, Policy, and Societal Dimensions", isbn = "978-0-309-68281-7", abstract = "Addressing climate change is essential and possible, and it offers a host of benefits - from better public health to new economic opportunities. The United States has a historic opportunity to lead the way in decarbonization by transforming its current energy system to one with net-zero emissions of carbon dioxide. Recent legislation has set the nation on the path to reach its goal of net zero by 2050 in order to avoid the worst consequences of climate change. However, even if implemented as designed, current policy will get the United States only part of the way to its net-zero goal.\nAccelerating Decarbonization in the United States provides a comprehensive set of actionable recommendations to help policymakers achieve a just and equitable energy transition over the next decade and beyond, including policy, technology, and societal dimensions. This report addresses federal and subnational policy needs to overcome implementation barriers and gaps with a focus on energy justice, workforce development, public health, and public engagement. The report also presents a suite of recommendations for the electricity, transportation, built environment, industrial, fossil fuels, land use, and finance sectors. ", url = "https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/25931/accelerating-decarbonization-in-the-united-states-technology-policy-and-societal", year = 2023, publisher = "The National Academies Press", address = "Washington, DC" }