Environmental disaster monitoring

Despite the best attempts to prevent them, accidents continue to happen. On some occasions a disaster can be utilised to provide an unplanned opportunity for monitoring impacts. The most recent major environmental disaster was the sinking of the M/V Bahia Paraiso close to Palmer Station. The monitoring and damage assessment undertaken by the USA and Argentina have provided very detailed data on the effects of hydrocarbons on sea birds, the persistence of oil residues in sediments, the rate of recovery of inter-tidal communities, etc. All such opportunities should be exploited to the full. 

Does the computer room have limited access (e.g., are the servers physically/ logically secure) 2. Are there provisions for power backup 3. Is there a disaster recovery plan and is it periodically tested 4. Is there environmental monitoring 5. Are there off-site back-up facilities for key documents and software Is it readily retrievable ... 

The Chernobyl accident in Russia released radioactive iodine, cesium, strontium, and plutonium over major European countries. The disaster disrupted life in the Ukraine, Belorussia, and Russia, causing deaths, disease, environmental damage, lifestyle changes, and physical and psychiatric stress in hundreds of thousands of victims and rescuers (Darby and Reeves 1991 Torubarov 1991). More than 4 million people lived in the contaminated area 130,000 required immediate evacuation, and 1 million became involved in the cleanup. A 30-km forbidden area exists around the site, and 300,000 live in strict control zones that require constant monitoring (van den Bout et al. 1995). 

In addition organo-mercuiy compounds are of environmental interest in aquatic systems not only since the Minamata disaster (Takizawa 2000). Especially methylated mercuiy species were detected and monitored in riverine systems as the result of biotic transformation of inorganic mercury... 

Monitoring and review This is an integral part of the whole system, and all the Issues must be reviewed. Today s small issue may become a disaster tomorrow When ignoring environmental impact, one emphasizes development, then disasters come. In the world there are so many examples of the same Also, as part... 

---