When, ten years from now, the citizens of Khabarovsk are enjoying pure, clean drinking water from their taps, and are benefiting from
the economic boost of a safe and reliable municipal water system, we may take some credit for helping the Khabarovsk engineers, scientists,
financial officers, and administrators who are working hard to resolve the water quality problems of Khabarovsk today. Few of
us from the United States offered more than a hand up, or a step up, to our Khabarovsk colleagues. We merely provided some information,
or introduced some technologies, but we gave as we could as individuals. Collectively, though, our impact has been substantial.
Following them came two Vodokanal chemists; they worked primarily with the PWB laboratory staff on analytical issues.
Then the Portland engineering delegation (PWB and MSA engineers) traveled to Khabarovsk to work on the same issues as the first Vodokanal
delegation, but paying particular attention to the existing Vodokanal infrastructure.
Next, a delegation of river assessment specialists (ECO International LLC) traveled to Khabarovsk to work with the new Krai Center
for Ecological Monitoring and Emergency Response on issues of river assessment, pollution control and monitoring.
Finally, the Head of the Krai Department of Environmental Protection traveled to Portland to investigate transboundary dispute resolution
and in-stream assessment strategies.
We started with a delegation of three engineers and one finance specialist from Khabarovsk Vodokanal who, working with their counterparts
in the Portland Water Bureau and with the assistance of Murray Smith and Associates, Inc. ("MSA"), focused on drinking water treatment,
distribution, finance and sewage treatment.
OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE:
Facilitated the integration of municipal, territorial and federal authorities for emergency response
and Amur River assessment;
Encouraged transition in Amur River assessment strategy toward sediment sampling and risk quantification
(fish ingestion pathway;
Caused Krai officials to reconsider the magnitude of the effort (and financial expenditure) necessary
to adequately assess the condition of the Amur River basin;
Facilitated the decision by Khabarovsk Vodokanal to install US technology
(Leopold underdrains) in one test filter at the central drinking water treatment plant;
Helped to integrate US analytical technology
(SRI GC/PID) into the standard water quality monitoring protocol at Khabarovsk Vodokanal;
Introduced to the Khabarovsk Krai a
viable, nonconfrontational strategy for resolving its dispute with China regarding pollutant discharges to the Amur River, i.e. the
mediation strategy of the OSU Institute for Water and Watersheds based on identification of mutual stakeholder interests and reliance
on good science;
Introduced to the Khabarovsk Krai a model for non-federal (territorial) cooperation across national boundaries,
i.e. the British Columbia - Washington Environmenal Cooperation Council;
Helped to publicize the problem of Amur River contamination
and the municipal and territorial government response while at the same time conveying a positive image of US engagement in Russia;
Saved
the nesting site of an endangered Amur River turtle (nesting site pictured right.)
CLICK ON AN IMAGE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EACH DELEGATION
