Environment Agency Of England Research Articles

Trusting Emergence: Some Experiences of Learning about Integrated Catchment Science with the Environment Agency of England and Wales

The changing context of managing water in the European Union poses a fundamental and largely unaddressed question: are current scientific practices and scientific explanations able to meet the demands of doing effective integrated catchment management? This paper presents findings from 2 years of co-researching with scientists responsible for developing the Integrated Catchment Science Strategy within the Environment Agency, the main environmental regulatory body for England and Wales. The use of a co-researching approach using systems thinking and practice to enable social learning created, where none existed, a common conceptual framing of purpose and an incipient community of practice (CoP). Three key insights emerge: (1) integration of catchment sciences is possible at the level of policy objectives; (2) a shift in language and practice is required towards Integrated Catchment Managing to describe and enact the sets of purposeful activities and interactions among multiple stakeholders; (3) institutional and organizational constraints exist which limit the potential of CoPs to act in more innovative ways and develop more integrated and adaptive science-policy. Our findings confirm the need to develop learning processes which pay attention to the context, stakeholders, the key changes that are required in particular catchments and, most important of all, the epistemological perspective(s) of those involved in managing catchments.

The use of monitoring data for identifying factors influencing phytoplankton bloom dynamics in the eutrophic Taw Estuary, SW England

Using the Taw Estuary as an example, data routinely collected by the Environment Agency for England and Wales over the period 1990–2004 were interrogated to identify the drivers of excessive algal growth. The estuary was highly productive with chlorophyll concentrations regularly exceeding 100 μg L −1, mostly during periods of low freshwater input from the River Taw when estuarine water residence times were longest. However, algal growth in mid estuary was often inhibited by ammonia inputs from the adjacent sewage treatment works. The reported approach demonstrates the value of applying conventional statistical analyses in a structured way to existing monitoring data and is recommended as a useful tool for the rapid assessment of eutrophication. However, future estuarine monitoring should include the collection of dissolved organic nutrient data and targeted high temporal resolution data because the drivers of eutrophication are complex and often very specific to a particular estuary.

Water quality, nutrients and the European union's Water Framework Directive in a lowland agricultural region: Suffolk, south-east England

The water quality of 13 rivers in the lowland, agricultural county of Suffolk is investigated using routine monitoring data for the period 1981 to 2006 collected by the Environment Agency of England and Wales (EA), and its predecessors, with particular emphasis on phosphorus (as total reactive phosphorus, TRP) and total (dissolved and particulate) oxidised nitrogen (TOxN — predominantly nitrate NO 3). Major ion and flow data are used to outline fundamental hydrochemical characteristics related to the groundwater provenance of base-flow waters. Relative load contributions from point and diffuse sources are approximated using Load Apportionment Modelling for both TRP and TOxN where concurrent flow and concentration data are available. Analyses indicate a mixture of point and diffuse sources of TRP, with the former being dominant during low flow periods, while for TOxN diffuse sources dominate. Out of 59 sites considered, 53 (90%) were found to have annual average TRP concentrations greater than 0.05 mg P l − 1 , and 36 (61%) had average concentrations over 0.120 mg P l − 1 , the upper thresholds for ‘High’ and ‘Good’ ecological status, respectively. Correspondingly, for TOxN, most of the rivers are already within 70% of the 11.3 mg N l − 1 threshold, with two rivers (Wang and Ore) being consistently greater than this. It is suggested that the major challenge is to characterise and control point-source TRP inputs which, being predominant during the late spring and summer low-flow period, coincide with the peak of primary biological production, thus presenting the major challenge to achieving ‘good’ ecological status under the Water Framework Directive. Results show that considerable effort is still required to ensure appropriate management and develop tools for decision-support.

Study of historic nuclear reactor discharge data

The UK Government has said that energy companies can invest in new nuclear power stations. As part of this, the safety, security and environmental regulators (the Nuclear Directorate of the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency in England and Wales) are engaged in a process known as generic design assessment (GDA) that was proposed by UK Government to improve the process of consulting on and approving new nuclear power stations. The GDA process is expected to take about 3½ years to complete. From an environmental perspective, the Environment Agency is interested in assessing whether the proposed reactor designs represent the 'best available techniques' (BAT) with regard to environmental discharges. This paper describes a project that has been assessing BAT for radioactive discharges for analogues (i.e. the previous generation) of four reactor designs on which assessment work started in 2007. Where possible data on environmental discharges has been collated for individual radionuclides for a number of reactor analogues and the discharge performance has been normalized with respect to thermal and electrical outputs to allow trends in the data to be determined. Where possible, explanations for any trends have been identified.

Application of biomarkers for improving risk assessments of chemicals under the Water Framework Directive: A case study

To answer the requirement of the European Commission’s Water Framework Directive (WFD) for biological-effects endpoints to classify the ecological health of aquatic ecosystems, we propose the biomarker response index (BRI). The BRI, based on a suite of biomarkers at different levels of biological response at the individual level, provides an integrated relative measure of the general health status of coastal invertebrates. Using the BRI, the health of mussels ( Mytilus edulis) from 10 estuaries classified by the Environment Agency of England and Wales under the WFD was compared. Eight sites were healthier than predicted and two showed a similar health status to that of the predicted point-source pollution risk classification. Results indicate that the BRI offers a potential measure of organism health that can be used in monitoring under the WFD as an additional aid to reduce uncertainty in defining risk classification and to provide better evidence of existing impact.

REMOVAL OF ENDOCRINE DISRUPTING COMPOUNDS DURING CONVENTIONAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT

There is evidence that aquatic organisms downstream of some sewage treatment works show endocrine disruption as a result of exposure to substances in the effluent. As a result, the Environment Agency of England and Wales, in collaboration with the UK Government and the water industry, has started an intensive programme to determine the fate and behaviour of endocrine disrupting compounds in sewage treatment works. Sampling sites for the endocrine disruption demonstration programme are located throughout England and Wales. This paper presents data from Nuneaton sewage treatment works (Warwickshire, England), a modern nitrifying activated sludge plant serving an equivalent population of 98,000 and one of the selected sites for the demonstration programme. Results for the 24‐hour survey carried out in June 2006 in which manual grab samples were taken hourly show excellent removal of estrone, estradiol, nonyl‐phenol and the nonylphenolethoxylates (3–5 EO units) at 97, 99, 94 and 98% respectively. They also show excellent removal (99%) of estrogenicity, measured by the YES bioassay. However the removal of ethynylestradiol was poor at only 3%. In November 2006, a further survey was carried out comprising grab samples taken at 4‐hourly intervals across a continuous 7‐day period. This monitoring confirmed the good removal of estrone and estradiol, at 97.8% and 96.3% respectively as well as an excellent reduction in estrogenicity (98.3%), but again showed poor removal of ethynylestradiol of 5.6%. There was evidence of a diurnal pattern for estrone and estradiol concentrations and to a lesser extent for ethynylestradiol in samples of crude sewage with works returns. Peak concentrations tended to occur at around midday.

Integrated assessment of nitrate concentrations for the designation of groundwater Nitrate Vulnerable Zones in England and Wales

This project had two main aims: (1) to identify surface water and groundwater that is exceeding, or is likely to exceed, 50 mg l −1 nitrate with agricultural input as a significant source; (2) to identify the parcels of land that drain to these waters. The work brings together and develops the nitrates review methods for surface water and groundwater, and is focused on providing the underpinning evidence for both the Nitrates Directive 2006 review and the requirements of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). The work was conducted within the Environment Agency of England and Wales in three phases: national-scale risk assessment and source attribution; local expert elicitation, source attribution and delineation of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) boundaries; national-scale quality assurance of the outputs. This paper gives an overview of all three phases of the project but focuses on the second phase, comprising the groundwater section of the work. This has been one of the most rewarding parts of the project, as it is the phase that brings a national-scale risk assessment down to a local scale and transfers ownership of risk assessment to the local hydrogeological experts within the Environment Agency. It is also a critical phase in helping to ensure that the measures are targeted as accurately as possible.

Selecting fluvial geomorphological methods for river management including catchment scale restoration within the environment agency of England and Wales

There is a wide diversity of methods for applying fluvial geomorphological techniques to river management within the UK. This paper describes the application of such methods to river management issues at local and national scales, and offers guidance on the application of methods to morphological improvement, restoration and other management issues at the catchment scale. Background is given on the role and development of fluvial geomorphology within UK river management, and the role of recent legislative drivers is reviewed. The scope of current fluvial geomorphological methods which have been applied to river restoration within the Environment Agency over the last decade is described. The processes developed in this paper are drawn from existing Environment Agency guidance, nationally standardised methodologies and, to a limited extent, good practice from other UK sources. At the national scale a framework for developing fluvial geomorphological assessments using desk‐based analysis of map and remote sensed data is proposed. At the catchment scale a three‐tier system of fluvial geomorphological assessment is proposed for application to river restoration and management. This system provides increasing detail based upon the intensity of the required geomorphological output, and the objectives of the proposed assessment. Also considered are the cost and complexity of proposed activities, and the degree of environmental and economic risk associated with such activities. Methods at a local scale are separated into two tiers; general site assessments that constitute rapid fluvial geomorphological appraisals and geomorphological dynamics assessments that entail a much deeper degree of study. Finally, the future challenges which must be addressed in order to develop and improve the application of fluvial geomorphology to river restoration and management in the Environment Agency are considered. In this context three key issues are apparent; the standardisation of methods, the national collation of data, and the consistency of application of the various approaches.

In Vitro Bioaccessibility Testing for Arsenic, Lead, and Nickel in England and Wales

MS1-08 Abstract: The paper presents information on a project commissioned by the Environment Agency for England and Wales on assessing arsenic, lead, and nickel bioaccessibility data produced by U.K. laboratories. Key findings from a questionnaire survey undertaken to ascertain the experiences of local authorities (LAs) in England and Wales on bioaccessibility testing in risk assessment are also presented. Three soil samples collected from U.K. contaminated sites with elevated arsenic, lead, and nickel levels were distributed to 9 U.K. and 2 overseas laboratories. A human in vivo tested lead-contaminated soil sample donated by the U.S. EPA was also distributed to selected laboratories. The laboratory exercise was conducted in the form of a ring test following the scheme of CONTEST soil proficiency testing. Laboratories were asked to report analytic results for total metal concentration and in vitro bioaccessibility estimates in their standard reporting format. The identification of laboratories was kept anonymous. Laboratories were found to vary in their analytic procedures in determining the total metal concentration. Moreover, variations in in vitro methods, operating procedures, and expression of bioaccessibility results were also reflected in the results. For example, for soil 1, in vitro bioaccessibility data for arsenic varied between 21% and 68% (expressed as the percent of total); for soil 2 for nickel between 3% and 17%; and for soil 3 for lead between 11% and 54%, respectively. Considerable variation in the in vitro data between the majority of U.K. laboratories and an overseas laboratory was observed reflecting differences in the types of methods used. Because none of the U.K. soils had any corresponding in vivo data, the reliability of any of the methods and/or laboratories in predicting the bioavailability is unknown. Lower lead in vitro data (mean, 17%), reported for the U.S. EPA sample in the study, compared with human in vivo data (26.2%) indicates in vitro studies are slightly underestimating lead bioaccessibility. The questionnaire survey consisted of 14 multiple-choice questions, and of 298 LAs contacted, 100 responded. The names of LAs were kept anonymous. The findings of the questionnaire survey indicated that arsenic is the main contaminant of concern in land contamination. A number of LAs reported consideration of in vitro data for arsenic in risk assessment on a site-specific basis. Although bioaccessibility has been reported to be very much site-specific, some LAs reported the extrapolation of in vitro data from other sites or from literature and used these data to aid their decision-making process.

Reproductive Toxicity: New Take on Perchlorate Effects

Vol. 114, No. 11 EnvironewsOpen AccessReproductive Toxicity: New Take on Perchlorate Effects Rebecca Renner Rebecca Renner Search for more papers by this author Published:1 November 2006https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.114-a637aAboutSectionsPDF ToolsDownload CitationsTrack Citations ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InReddit Perchlorate, an ingredient in solid rocket fuel, is known to affect thyroid function by blocking iodine uptake, disrupting physical growth and neurological development. A new fish study in the August 2006 issue of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry indicates that perchlorate may also disrupt sexual development by overmasculinizing both males and females.In the multiyear project, Richard Bernhardt, a graduate student at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and two colleagues caught wild three-spine sticklebacks, a tiny fish species often used in toxicology. For three weeks they kept the fish in water treated with 30, 60, or 100 ppm perchlorate. After the adults spawned, the scientists raised the offspring to maturity in similarly treated water.At least half of the offspring in all the treatment groups and more than 70% of those in the highest treatment group died. Many of the surviving male offspring in all treatment groups failed to develop “nuptial coloration” (bright blue and red colors that signal they are ready for spawning), ignored females, and displayed no courtship behaviors such as nest building or attentiveness to prospective mates. Three fish looked and behaved like males but became ripe with eggs; these fish turned out to be genetically female. Cellular analysis of the genetic females’ gonads revealed that the organs developed as a mixture of egg-producing and sperm-producing tissues (“ovotestes”). Genetically male fish also developed abnormally large testes. All of the treated fish grew more slowly than untreated controls.“We saw reproductive effects because we treated the fish during critical developmental windows after conception and analyzed the fish for reproductive effects after they reached sexual maturity,” says Bernhardt. The mechanisms that produced these effects remain unclear.Biologist Helen Jordinson (née Crane) of the Environment Agency in England and Wales reported in the April 2005 issue of EHP that perchlorate exposure delayed growth in fathead minnows exposed for 28 days from embryos. “The [Bernhardt et al.] paper is very interesting,” she says, though she urges caution in interpreting the findings. “Significant toxicity was also reported at the same perchlorate concentrations as the behavioral and pathological effects,” she explains, which could indicate that effects resulted from the overall stress caused by such high perchlorate concentrations and not from a specific mode of action unique to perchlorate.Jordinson also notes that thyroid hormones in fish have been shown to vary depending on the stage of maturation of the gonads and whether spawning is occurring, indicating links between the thyroid gland and the reproductive system. Thyroid receptors have also been found on the gonads of some species. “It is therefore possible that the reproductive effects [of perchlorate] could be due to disruption of the thyroid system in the sticklebacks,” she says.The lowest perchlorate dose in the experiments was more than 1,000 times higher than the EPA’s suggested limit of 24.5 ppb for perchlorate in drinking water. Bernhardt says that the concentrations are lower than groundwater concentrations at several contaminated sites in the United States. Perchlorate has been found at ppb levels in drinking water, whereas concentrations reported in food vary from low ppb concentrations to highs of several ppm.Next Bernhardt plans to study sticklebacks’ dose response to perchlorate with the help of a glycoprotein glue called spiggin. During the breeding season, males produce spiggin for use in building their nests. Just as researchers use the protein vitellogenin as a biomarker for feminizing effects, Bernhardt and colleagues plan to use spiggin as a marker for masculinization.Failure to shineMale threespine sticklebacks normally undergo a dramatic color change (top) to signal readiness to spawn. Perchlorate-treated male fish (above) failed to “color up,” ignored females, and displayed no courtship behaviors.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Vol. 114, No. 11 November 2006Metrics About Article Metrics Publication History Originally published1 November 2006Published in print1 November 2006 Financial disclosuresPDF download License information EHP is an open-access journal published with support from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Institutes of Health. All content is public domain unless otherwise noted. Note to readers with disabilities EHP strives to ensure that all journal content is accessible to all readers. However, some figures and Supplemental Material published in EHP articles may not conform to 508 standards due to the complexity of the information being presented. If you need assistance accessing journal content, please contact [email protected]. Our staff will work with you to assess and meet your accessibility needs within 3 working days.

Integrated regulation – experiences of IPPC in England and Wales

AbstractEnvironmental regulators around the world are seeking out new ways to regulate polluting industries that can deliver higher levels of environmental protection without increasing overall cost. Integrated regulation has been shown to offer many advantages over traditional single‐media approaches and this has led to its widespread uptake across the European Union (EU). The United Kingdom (UK) is seen as a leader in the field, having been progressing towards full integration for over 15 years. This paper seeks to share some of the experiences gained by the Environment Agency for England and Wales, with others struggling with the complex policy, technical and legal issues that will be encountered along the way.

The social impacts of stormwater management techniques

This paper presents the results of research into the social impacts of stormwater management techniques applied within urban environments. The main aim of the study was to compare public and professional attitudes of stormwater management practices such as Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SUDS) and river management techniques. Any new and innovative technology used in residential areas, besides being economically and environmentally acceptable, must also be accepted by the residents. There has been considerable interest in the assessment of the public perception of SUDS in the UK by consultants, developers, the Environment Agency of England and Wales as well as by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). This research was undertaken to inform such interest and also to obtain a more holistic view of the perception by professionals of SUDS. A comparative study of the perceptions of river management in three densely populated European cities facing similar storm water management problems was carried out. The selected cities were Glasgow in Scotland - U. K., an area in west London, England - U.K., and part of Athens - Greece. All sites were located within flood-prone suburban areas, and different river management techniques have been proposed or adopted.

Assessment of Feminization of Male Fish in English Rivers by the Environment Agency of England and Wales

In recent years there has been considerable concern over the ability of substances discharged into the environment to disrupt the normal endocrine function of wildlife. In particular, the apparent widespread feminization of male fish in rivers has received significant attention from regulators in the United Kingdom, the United States, Europe, and Japan. The U.K. and European epidemiological data sets have demonstrated that the occurrence of feminized fish is associated with effluent discharges and that the incidence and severity is positively correlated with the proportion of treated sewage effluent in receiving waters. Although weakly estrogenic substances may contribute to the overall effect, studies have concluded that steroid estrogens are the principal and most potent estrogenic components of domestic sewage. Extensive laboratory data sets confirm that steroid estrogens are capable of eliciting the effects observed in wild fish at concentrations that have been measured in effluents and in the environment. Based on evaluation of the available information, the Environment Agency (England and Wales) has concluded that the weight of evidence for endocrine disruption in fish is sufficient to develop a risk management strategy for estrogenically active effluents that discharge to the aquatic environment.

Impact of phosphorus control measures on in-river phosphorus retention associated with point source pollution

Abstract. In-river phosphorus retention alters the quantity and timings of phosphorus delivery to downstream aquatic systems. Many intensive studies of in-river phosphorus retention have been carried out but generally on a short time scale (2-4 years). In this paper, monthly water quality data, collected by the Environment Agency of England and Wales over 12 years (1990-2001), were used to model daily phosphorus fluxes and monthly in-river phosphorus retention in the lowland calcareous River Wensum, Norfolk, UK. The calibrated model explained 79% and 89% of the observed variance before and after phosphorus control, respectively. A split test revealed that predicted TP loads were in good agreement with observed TP loads (r2=0.85), although TP loads were underestimated under high flow conditions. During relatively dry years, there was no net export of phosphorus from the catchment. High retention of phosphorus occurred, particularly during the summer months, which was not compensated for, by subsequent higher flow events. This was despite a relatively modest critical discharge (Q) above which net remobilisation occur. Phosphorus removal from the effluent at two major STWs (Sewage Treatment Works) reduced phosphorus retention but not the remobilisation. This may indicate that the presence of impoundments and weirs, or overbank flows may have more control on the phosphorus dynamics under high flow conditions. Further phosphorus remedial strategies will be necessary to prevent downstream risks of eutrophication occurring independently of the unpredictable variability in weather conditions. More research is also needed to quantify the impact of the weir and overbank flows on phosphorus dynamics.

Aerated rock filters for enhanced nitrogen and faecal coliform removal from facultative waste stabilization pond effluents

Facultative waste stabilization ponds in the UK, loaded at 80 kg BOD/ha day, produce effluents which comply with the European Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive (i.e., < or = 25 mg filtered BOD/l and < or = 150 mg SS/l). However, the Environment Agency of England and Wales typically requires a higher effluent quality of < or = 40 mg/l unfiltered BOD and < or = 60 mg/l SS, both on a 95-percentile basis. An ammonium-nitrogen requirement might also be applied. Traditionally, maturation ponds and reedbeds have been used to upgrade facultative pond effluents, requiring large land areas. This paper describes and compares aerated and unaerated rock filter performance for BOD, SS, nitrogen and faecal coliform removals, and highlights the land-saving opportunities as maturation ponds and reedbeds become redundant.

Constructed wetlands in UK urban surface drainage systems

This paper presents the outcome of an inventory of planted wetland systems in the UK which are classified according to land use type and are all examples of sustainable drainage systems. The introduction of constructed wetlands to treat surface runoff essentially followed a 1997 Environment Agency for England and Wales report advocating the use of "soft engineered" facilities including wetlands in the context of sustainable development and Agenda 21. Subsequently published reports by the UK Construction Industry Research and Information Association (CIRIA) have promoted the potential benefits to both developer and the community of adopting constructed wetlands and other vegetated systems as a sustainable drainage approach. In addition, the UK Environment Agency and Highways Agency (HA) have recently published their own design criteria and requirements for vegetative control and treatment of road runoff. A case study of the design and performance of a constructed wetland system for the treatment of road runoff is discussed. The performance of these systems will be assessed in terms of their design criteria, runoff loadings as well as vegetation and structure maintenance procedures. The differing design approaches in guidance documents published in the UK by the Environment Agency, CIRIA and HA will also be evaluated.

Changing the Organization but Maintaining the Culture: The Centrality of Organizational Mission to the Reform Process: An overview of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Environment Agency for England and Wales

The attempt to change an organization often leads to detrimental effects on the motivations of those working within it. This paper suggests that much of the negative effects generated by organizational change are the direct result of the mismatch between institutional form and the cultural groupings within an organization. Using in-depth interview data from two public sector environmental agencies, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Environment Agency for England and Wales (EA), the argument presented here suggests that the most important element for successful organizational change is the creation, or maintenance, of an organizational mission. Only by examining the reform of an organization both from an institutional and cultural perspective can those charged with reforming or creating an organization hope to achieve successful change. In the absence of an organizational mission the likely outcome will be damage to the motivations of staff. Only by understanding the centrality of subcultural identifications can organizational designers ensure that a new or reformed structure maintains these groupings within an over-arching organizational culture. The absence of an organizational culture will ensure organizational goals will not be achieved. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Characterizing Environmental Harm: Developments in an Approach to Strategic Risk Assessment and Risk Management

Environmental policymakers and regulators are often in the position of having to prioritize their actions across a diverse range of environmental pressures to secure environmental protection and improvements. Information on environmental issues to inform this type of strategic analysis can be disparate; it may be too voluminous or even absent. Data on a range of issues are rarely presented in a common format that allows easy analysis and comparison. Nevertheless, judgments are required on the significance of various environmental pressures and on the inherent uncertainties to inform strategic assessments such as "state of the environment" reports. How can decisionmakers go about this type of strategic and comparative risk analysis? In an attempt to provide practical tools for the analysis of environmental risks at a strategic level, the Environment Agency of England and Wales has conducted a program of developmental research on strategic risk assessment since 1996. The tools developed under this program use the concept of "environmental harm" as a common metric, viewed from technical, social, and economic perspectives, to analyze impacts from a range of environmental pressures. Critical to an informed debate on the relative importance of these perspectives is an understanding and analysis of the various characteristics of harm (spatial and temporal extent, reversibility, latency, etc.) and of the social response to actual or potential environmental harm from a range of hazards. Recent developments in our approach, described herein, allow a presentation of the analysis in a structured fashion so as to better inform risk-management decisions.

A framework for monitoring regional groundwater quality

The attention currently being focused on diffuse pollution has led to an increased recognition of the role of groundwater as a pathway for transporting diffuse pollution to surface waters. Understanding and managing this issue requires a good understanding of the spatial and temporal distribution of diffuse pollution in groundwater. This in turn requires a co-ordinated approach to groundwater monitoring, to obtain accurate and representative data. This paper describes a strategic framework for groundwater quality monitoring that has recently been developed by the Environment Agency of England and Wales. The framework is implemented in three main stages: assessment of drivers and objectives, planning and implementation. The national framework is currently being implemented by a series of detailed regional programmes. These are developed on the basis of catchment-scale groundwater quality monitoring units, which will be broadly consistent with groundwater bodies defined under the European Union (EU) Water Framework Directive. The monitoring network that results from the application of the framework is designed to provide background information on groundwater quality at a catchment scale. Separate monitoring programmes will be required for monitoring pollution associated with individual sites. This paper focuses on the strategic aspects of designing a monitoring network, rather than the technical details of obtaining representative and accurate data from individual sample points, and is illustrated by a case study of the process of design of such a catchment-scale monitoring system.

Changing the organization but maintaining the culture: The centrality of organizational mission to the reform process. An overview of the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the Environment Agency for England and Wales

Abstract The attempt to change an organization often leads to detrimental effects on the motivations of those working within it. This paper suggests that much of the negative effects generated by organizational change are the direct result of the mismatch between institutional form and the cultural groupings within an organization. Using in‐depth interview data from two public sector environmental agencies, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Environment Agency for England and Wales (EA), the argument presented here suggests that the most important element for successful organizational change is the creation, or maintenance, of an organizational mission. Only by examining the reform of an organization both from an institutional and cultural perspective can those charged with reforming or creating an organization hope to achieve successful change. In the absence of an organizational mission the likely outcome will be damage to the motivations of staff. Only by understanding the centrality of subcultural identifications can organizational designers ensure that a new or reformed structure maintains these groupings within an over‐arching organizational culture. The absence of an organizational culture will ensure organizational goals will not be achieved. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.