...Introduction Fortis Inc., a company with interests in various North American electric utilities, is proposing to build the Chalillo dam on the Macal River in Belize, Central America. The dam would contribute to the economic development of the country by meeting the increasing demand from industry and consumers for electricity. The company believes that the dam is the most feasible, reliable, and cheap supply of electricity. Environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs) oppose the project because of the destruction of wild animal and plant life and the adverse downstream impact, and allege that there are more viable and cost-effective sources. Through a strategic analysis of the issues surrounding the case, we will analyze each alternative to present the best possible recommendation to Fortis Inc. Issues The most prominent issue faced by Fortis Inc. with respect to the Chalillo project is the potential environmental effects. A number of groups are opposed to the project due to the location, on a river where a rare ecosystem exists. The project would build a dam on the river, regulating the flow of the river, preventing flooding and providing a more consistent source of water. While this certainly is a benefit to the individuals residing downstream of the proposed site, it does cause a disruption in the natural environmental cycle. The area that would be impacted was host to a rare and discrete floral floodplain habitat. The system relied on the seasonal flooding and...
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...vary greatly and can include reduced oxygenation, temperature, stratification potential, pollutant inflow, propensity for disease proliferation, nutrient capture, algal bloom potential and the release of toxicants from inundated sediments. Some water quality problems relate to activities within the catchment beyond the direct control of the proponent but which can cause water quality problems when compounded with the power station operations. Flooding of biomass, especially forests, results in underwater decay. In deep lakes that tend to stratify, colder de-oxygenated water at depths in the lake have in some cases released metals from the sediments e.g. methylmercury. Deep intakes can in some cases result in deoxygenated and hydrogen sulphide rich releases out of the power station tailrace into the downstream river system. Particularly high hydropower dams have in cases had problems with gas supersaturation resulting in fish deaths. In shallow lakes, water quality problems can under certain catchment conditions result from wind-induced sediment re-suspension, eutrophication and algal blooms. Water temperatures in the discharged water...
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...our everyday lives we rarely think of how we get our drinking water or where it even comes from. If we were to do a little research we would most likely come to the conclusion that it came from, or was in some part due to the use of a dam. Dams are part of everyday life and impact us in more ways than we can even express. First there are the general purposes we all think about: recreation (boating, swimming, etc.), drinking or water for irrigation, and possibly energy production better known as hydroelectric power generation. Yet there are many more active, passive, and even religious ways that dams effect the many cultures, whether effluent or poor; around the globe (Abraham). * Going back to ancient Rome there is mention of retaining and trapping water for public and civil uses. They created the first aqueducts not to far off from the systems many countries still use today to deliver their water for drinking and other public uses, such as filling fountains and using for mill power. It was said that no matter how much of a drought or shortage of water in Rome, the fountains were the last thing to be shut down (public drinking water, even water for the senate was shut off) were the public fountains, to show Rome’s great power and prestige in case of invasion, and for public image also. * Today we live in a much more complicated world. A world filled with people and a desperate need for water for agricultural needs, drinking water, big and small industry alike, and other...
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...writes the story of The Buffalo Creek Disaster, how a coal cleaning impoundment dam burst, killing 125 people injuring more than 1000 and causing over 4000 people to be homeless. Stern describes victims losing family members before their eyes, and the devastation caused by the flood. The writer also describes the causes of the disaster, and action he and his legal team team took on behalf of the victims, because it was, “the right thing [to do]” (21). This story tells how Stern and his colleagues worked as a team, made their way through the US legal system, and find justice for the victims. “One [Saturday] morning in February [26th] 1972… A coal company’s massive coal-refuse pile…collapsed without warning…killing 125 people mostly women and children” (Prologue). This horrible event captured the nation’s attention. Filmed news reports showed the black water rushing through the canyon that paralleled buffalo creek in the State of West Virginia. The high waters washed houses, people, telephone poles, rubbish, irreplaceable personal possessions and keepsakes away forever. Stearns an attorney, had helped with the civil rights struggle in the 1960’s and wanted to help the flood victims recover from the horrific disaster. Stearns law firm, Arnold & Potter, supported one partner each year take cases pro bono publico Cases-public interest cases. Stearns and his legal team took the case on. The dam that collapsed belonged to “The Buffalo Mining Company” who’s sole stock holder is...
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...FORTIS INC. AND CHLILLO DAM Introduction Fortis is the organization aimed at delivering the earnings towards their shareholders whereas continuing the quality services to the customers at a reasonable prices. They had the strategy of positive growth and disciplined strategy of acquisition for shareholder’s wealth increase. PEST Analysis PEST analysis is the political, economic, social and technologuical system that must be analysed in this study. This study is based upon the project of Fortis that was based upon the electricity and power generation through dam construction in the Belize country. Following points are summarizing the key issues and current situations at the time of dam construction in Fortis and Belize. Political Analysis Belize is the country that has democratic state and sovereign status of the country with a government working on the parliamentary principles. Parliament principles are based upon the west minister parliamentary system. Country has the membership in the British commonwealth of nations after its independence. Belize electricity limited has the operations in strong relation to the economy and government (Ansar, Flyvbjerg, Budzier, & Lunn, 2014). They have more than 53,000 customer’s serves and able to meet up the highest demands of the country including 44 megawatts from the diesel fired generation, Mollejon hydro plant and energy purchase from commission de electricidad. BEL has enhanced the corporate image in the various modes. Electricity...
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...on a long term basis like dams to be constructed on the rivers in the Northern Gujarat. The project would bring about many positive changes like increased in irrigation and productivity but one issue persisted. This issue was of great importance as it was concerned with the famous Bhavnath temple falling in the middle of the reservoir. After a lot of discussion and negotiation, assurance was given to safeguard the interests of the people. The government later proposed an increase in the dimension of dam because of higher promised returns, but this would lead to submerging the temple. This caused resistance and hence the negotiations failed. Situation Analysis In 1947 after independence the government directed all their plans towards all – round economic development of the country. The country was economically very weak at the time of independence. The Bombay province understood the importance of agriculture and thus decided to build earthen dams across the rivers of Lokmata and Sadmata to increase the economic conditions of the country. In order to go ahead with the project the government had to rehabilitate the people getting affected and also the temple would be lost and so the only solution was to relocate the temple and its deities. This was opposed by the natives and locals even after negotiations about relocating and preserving the temple. The dam was to be built in the order to provide irrigation to the agricultural fields. The series of dam to be built in Northern Gujarat...
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...Company opened Mine No.5 at the almost the top of the Buffalo hallow. The dumping of sludge from this mine was happening at the mouth of the middle fork. It functioned just like a dam and was viewed like one without much thought. When the Buffalo Mining Company took over Lorada, they began dumpling sludge behind the first “dam” at the middle fork stream. In 1967, the old dam proved problematic when it failed however there was no considerable damage. The coal mining company did not take the threat seriously as it continued to pile waste. In 1970, when Pittson coal took over, the danger exponentially increased as a third dam was constructed behind the first two which completely blocked the streams by a network of sledge dams. In the last week of February 1972, ponds/streams behind the first dam started to rise. These ponds had millions of tons of sludgy material at the bottom that acted as quick sand. The rain and snow pounding along with routinely 500,00 gallons water inflow from the Pittson Coal Company cleansing plant lead a to dramatic increase in water levels. Only on February 25th, officials first questioned the stability of the dams. The dams had no drainage system installed or any pressure release mechanisms. Also, although the state had citied the Pittson Coal Company subsequent to the 1st dam failure, there company had taken to...
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...THE HISTORY OF NGO'S IN INDIA The changing face of volunteering in India 26 September 2006 by Patralekha Chatterjee Stepping carefully around the pits and mounds, four men approached the only source of light to be seen - a small kerosene lantern burning inside a mud and grass hut. There were four residents inside - a couple and their two children, 10 and eight. They dug the pits, cut the rock and hauled it to the trucks, all without salary. They were bonded labourers, bonded for life and for generations to the owner of the pit because some ancestor sometime had borrowed money and had been unable to pay it back. Two of the four men who visited the hut that night in 1985 were from a nongovernmental organization called Bandhua Mukti Morcha (Bonded Labour Liberation Front). The other two were journalists brought by the NGO to prove that bonded labour - a form of slavery - did exist right in the nation's capital. After the visit, the men from the NGO went to the police station to lodge a complaint, because bonded labour is illegal in India, and so is child labour in a profession as hazardous as this. The complaints, and the articles written by the journalists after the visit, were part of the NGO campaign to make the government implement the law. Every day, different NGOs all over India are doing things like this. Sometime it may be taking a sample of water from a well that has been polluted by a nearby factory, getting the water analysed and then filing a "public interest petition"...
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...easement gives one person the right to enter land belonging to another and make a limited use of it, without taking anything away. (p. 255). Easements on property are obtained one of two different ways. The easement can be obtained by grant or reservation. In the case study Carvin v. Arkansas Power and Light, the flood easements obtained by AP&L were obtained by both methods. The flood easements gave AP&L the permission to ckear the properties of trees, brush and other obstructions and to submerge in water. AP&L recorded the easements, and anyone who purchased any of the lakeside property was aware of the flood easements. In May of 1990 heavy rains fell in the area, so reaching up to ten inches which casued the highest levels ever recorded. In order to avoid flooding Lake Hamilton AP&L decided to open the Carpenter dam gates. By opening the dam, Lake Catherine flooded and caused up to twenty-five feet of water to rise in some areas which caused extensive damage to many houses and flood water rose to roof levels in many areas. Dozens of landowners sued as they felt AP&L were negligent in opening one dam gate and not opening another one and for not notifying the owners that they were planning on opening the dams. AP&L stated there was no time to notify anyone as they had a duty to move quickly and to protect a wider area of residents that would have been affected by the flooding from the rains. The homeowners were well aware of the easements on their property...
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...Case Study 4 CARVIN vs. ARKANSA POWER AND LIGHT, 14 F.3d 399, 1993 U.S. Court of Appeals for Eighth Circuit You be the Judge By: Jenny Wagner December 23, 2009 Did the easement relieve Arkansas Power and Lights from liability for flooding? Yes, Arkansas Power and Light should not be held liable for damage to property cased by flooding where an easement existed. In 1923-1947 Arkansas Power and Light (AP&L) constructed several dams on two Arkansas lakes, Hamilton and Catherine. AP & L obtained “flood easements” on property adjoining the lakes. AP&L sold lake side property and kept the easement in force. These flood easements permitted AP&L to “clear of trees, brush, and other obstruction and to submerge by water” certain acreage, which was described exactly, AP&L properly recorded the easements and when the current landowner bought lakeside property they were aware of the documents (Beatty, 2009, p. 455). In May of 1990, extraordinarily heavy rains caused water to reach the highest levels ever recorded. To prevent flooding to a wider area, AP&L opened the gates of Carpenter Dam causing Lake Catherine to flood which caused damage to several houses built on AP&L’s easement. Several home owners’s subsequently sued AP&L for causing the damage. AP&L should not be held liable for the damage caused by the flooding because the sole purpose for having the easements was to allow AP&L to flood the property. An easement gives one person the...
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...usually the least effective mosquito control technique. Ground spraying in cities is problematic as urban landscapes make it difficult for thorough application of the pesticide. Spraying May Cause More Harm than good. While the effects of West Nile virus on people can be serious, it is far from what some have called a deadly epidemic especial third which still insist because they don’t have enough technology to prevent malaria. Sixty million people have died needlessly of malaria, since the imposition of the 1972 ban on DDT, and hundreds of millions more have suffered from this debilitating disease. The majority of those affected are children. Of the 300 to 500 million new cases of malaria each year, 200 to 300 million are children, and malaria now kills one child every 30 seconds. Ninety percent of the reported cases of malaria are in Africa, and 40 percent of the world’s population, inhabitants of tropical countries, are threatened by the increasing incidence of malaria according my experience as shugri. 2 (A) As shugri if I am in judge of a Collectivization involved the peasants joining together to farm collectively rather than individually, they then have to share the food produced with the rest of the community, as opposed to just their families, which had been the way the previous, traditional system which is worked. This, in theory, is a good idea; if the peasants work together they could share knowledge and potentially grow more food. However, they don’t like the policy as...
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...2-4, 141-148 2009 Controversies around dam reservoirs: benefits, costs and future Ryszard Kornijów1, 2 of Life Sciences in Lublin, Department of Hydrobiology, B. Dobrzańskiego 37, 20-262 Lublin, Poland, e-mail: ryszard.kornijow@up.lublin.pl 2Sea Fisheries Institute in Gdynia, Department of Fisheries Oceanography and Marine Ecology, H. Kołłątaja 1, 81-332 Gdynia, Poland 1University Abstract The paper reviews the social and environmental problems concerning the functioning of dams including their local and global effects. Particularly emphasized is a trend toward removing dams in many countries. These are issues of significant importance, particularly in view of the current discussions on justification of investing in new dams, and seeking safe and economical solutions for aging dams, risky in their further operation. Key words: dam building and removal, local and global effects. „Dams are both a blessing and a curse” Dr. Ute Collier 1. Introduction The above citation accurately, although briefly, reflects general perception of dams. On the one hand, they have undoubtedly played, and still play a significant role in the development of the civilization. On the other hand, their construction and functioning entail incurring immense social costs, often disproportionate to the resulting advantages. Dams have also caused vast irreversible damage in the natural environment. Therefore, there is growing opposition against constructing dams, and even demands to remove the already...
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...Karim Zayed April 22nd, 2010 Environmental Conservation Jason Vokoun Case Study 3 In the Northwest region of the United States there is a large snaking river that covers a lot of groundin four different states. The river is named characteristically “Snake River”. In the middle of the 1990’s we saw a lot of controversial talk over the four large dams placed in different parts of the River. We continue to hear talks more than a decade later about the possible removal of these dams. The dams bring a lot of money to the Northwest region and support a lot of jobs among, farmers, barge operators, and people who work at the dam themselves. This is not to mention that it supports recipients of hydroelectric power in this region and the removal would leave them without energy; in this case without clean energy. However these dams have also affected many other people who live in this region but not for the better. Native Americans who ritually let the first Salmon pass up the river have been hurting for some time. They say their soul is weak and their main source of food is no longer plentiful like it used to be. The Native Americas went through some hard times when the government told them they couldn’t fish for these Salmon anymore because they were closed to being endangered. I’m hoping my thoughts can persuade you to remove the dams and let the wild salmon swim freely again. Imagine having a main source of food for the whole tribe and the government who has destroyed...
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...from advancement in the field of science and technology and this becomes a big issue forcing scientist and economist to research and discover the most efficient and faster way to development with little impact to the living standard and lifestyle of the people. Today, the decision to build more hydroelectric dams is a controversial topic in many parts of the world as people re-examine the environmental impact of flooding large areas of land on wildlife, fish habitat and communities surrounding sites where new hydroelectric dams are being considered. Hydroelectricity also produces more power than any other energy solution, like nuclear power, wind power, solar power, and coal and gas power plants. Hydroelectric power also does not emit greenhouse gases. So it does not hurt the environment by destroying the ozone layer of the Earth. While it does not give off any emissions, it creates a tremendous problem with the environment of the river from which it is harvesting power. For example, a dam and turbine stop salmon from going up the river to spawn every year, hence greatly decreasing salmon populations. So in some ways it really is, but in some ways it isn't the case that supposed to be. Water is a unique and valuable resource. The hydraulic energy generated from water offers unique advantages: It is environmentally friendly, carbon-neutral and natural. Hydropower allows us to...
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...Kirstie Hagmann Professor Holper English 1A 28 Sept. 2012 Water: The New Gold Rush Humboldt County, CA, is one of the last great frontiers on the West Coast. Framed by ancient redwoods, Humboldt boasts a wealth of rivers, forests, beaches and mountains. On the surface, it sounds like nature’s paradise. Dig a little deeper though, and you can still see the same elements of cruelty and greed that have characterized this area since the first settlers arrived, hoping to find gold, harvest lumber, or trap fish and game. In the present day, ruthless opportunists still lurk in the shadows of this rich and fertile land. Some are locals, seeking to line their pockets. Some are politicians, looking for support and voting advantages. All of the ruthless and lawless behavior that characterized the Gold Rush has now been dressed up in legal jargon, and underhanded maneuvers behind closed doors. Only this time, the greed for gold has become the greed for water, a natural resource of ever increasing value. The players may have changed, but the greed is just as ruthless as a gunfight in the Wild West. Take, for example, the Klamath River, one of six rivers in Humboldt County. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that “The Klamath River basin which covers 10.5 million acres in Southern Oregon and Northern California is home to six federally recognized tribes and several National Wildlife Refuges, Parks and Forests. The Klamath River has been the third largest producer...
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