Geotechnical inspection and technical review of Santa Margarita River Marine Corps Air Station Levee, U.S. Marine Corps, Camp Pendleton, CA, 19-20 November 2019

This report describes activities performed, results obtained, and conclusions made from an independent technical review of past levee inspections and the proposed remediation plan for the Santa Margarita Levee that surrounds the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Camp Pendleton. In support of the technical review, ERDC personnel performed a supplemental levee inspection on 19 and 20 November 2019 with MCAS personnel. Previous levee inspections had rated the levee system as Unacceptable due to unwanted vegetation encroaching on the levee right-of-way, which prevents full inspection during flooding. Concerns were raised by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife (USFW) about environmental impacts of the proposed remediation measures and the necessity of such actions. USFW personnel requested an engineering review from an independent party, and ERDC was tasked with performing the independent technical review. The following special report describes the tasks performed and results obtained from the independent technical review.

Development of an integrated approach to the selection of remediation measures and environmental technologies for their implementation

The article is devoted to the scientific substantiation of the formation of a comprehensive methodology for the selection of highly effective and economical remediation measures. To do this, the authors have gradually carried out studies of factors affecting the environment, assessing the levels of their environmental hazard, analyzing the goals and main tasks of the international environmental monitoring system with a proposal for the basic principles of its improvement, and also proposed a new classification of environmental measures aimed at suppressing environmental impacts factors.

Impact of COVID-19 Induced Lockdown on Air Pollution and Remediation Measures

Air pollution is reported to have reduced to a level that has not been recorded since the end of World War (II), and this is largely due to the global lockdown imposed to curb the spread of the novel Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) across the globe, hence the need for a review, interpretation and harmonisation of the available literature in this regard. Attempt is made from the available literature in elaborating the generality of the concepts of air pollution from the perspective of the global lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The synergy between the lockdown and decreased air pollution in relation to climate change, is explored. Various health and environmental consequences of air pollution and climate change are outlined. Major ailments and mortalities associated to air pollution are bound to decrease due to reduction in air pollution, and this is affirmed. We highlight some achievable control measures and techniques for tackling air pollutants in line with the principles of green chemistry for re-consideration under reviewed policies and guidelines by governments, stakeholders and policy-makers. Additionally, we propose some new remediation measures and policies that could be harnessed and deliberated upon by stakeholders and policy-makers to checkmate greenhouse gases emissions, improve air quality and minimise air pollution and climate change. We recommend how these measures could be adopted and implemented for improved health care. Data need to be collated post COVID-19 to ascertain the level of mortalities due to the consequence of air pollution and compare same with the mortality rate for COVID-19.