Introduction to Special Series: Measurement and Analysis of the Potential Long Term Impact of Pulp and Paper Mill Effluent on Receiving Waters

摘要

Knowledge of the current condition of a waterway and watershed, as well as a clear understanding of the changes, if any, that result from human interaction with these environments-including effluent discharges from industry-is a basic requirement for developing effective environmental management strategies. Among the many lessons learned in the United States after more than 40 y of environmental regulation stemming from Earth Day and the founding of the US Environmental Protection Agency in 1970 is a proper monitoring strategy. A proper monitoring strategy for waterways is crucial to generating useful environmental and ecological data and achieving the environmental management goals set by particular industries, government agencies, and other stakeholders. Monitoring programs that have vague objectives, unspecific indicators and inadequate sampling designs have been shown consistently to provide little useful information upon which to regulate human impact on the environment. Incomplete knowledge of current conditions coupled with poor monitoring strategies invariably wastes limited stakeholder resources and leads to inadequate water quality management and ecological protection strategies.