You are here:
Barriers and Opportunities for the Use of Alternative Technologies
Citation:
Mulvaney, K., N. Merrill, S. Lyon, AND M. Mazzotta. Barriers and Opportunities for the Use of Alternative Technologies. One Cape Summit, Hyannis, Massachusetts, August 16 - 17, 2018.
Impact/Purpose:
Various technologies are being considered to reduce nitrogen pollution on Cape Cod. For this research, we interviewed town, state, and federal decision makers who are working to address the nitrogen impacts about why they want to use different technologies and what inhibits their use.
Description:
As communities work to mitigate nitrogen impacts on coastal estuaries on Cape Cod, a number of different technologies are being considered for use. These technologies include sewering, permeable reactive barriers, shellfish extraction, integrated septic systems, wetland restoration, and more. They are different in terms of social acceptance, cost, and nitrogen removal which makes determining the appropriate implementation of the various technologies difficult. To better understand what makes the technologies more or less acceptable to decision makers, we conducted 22 interviews with 37 participants across Cape Cod and the islands. Participants included decision makers from the local governments, state government agencies, federal agencies, regional planning bodies, non-government organizations, and researchers. A number of opportunities were identified including the perception of reduced costs of implementation, aesthetic or recreational co-benefits, and possibilities for shorter time frames for implementation. Some barriers were also identified, including uncertainty related to the effectiveness of the technologies in reducing nitrogen and their costs, social acceptance of the “new” technologies, and unclear permitting processes. The participants consistently identified the need for improved information sharing among decision makers and with community members in order to successfully implement alternative technologies within their communities. Overall, there is an increased sense of feasibility and possibility for the use of alternative technologies, but almost always as a supplement to traditional sewering.