GIS-Based Data Management for Environmental Investigations

Introduction
Investigation of industrial properties and hazardous waste sites is a time-consuming and sometimes costly process, in part because the field effort can take many weeks or months to complete. This field effort, which generally includes documentation of hydrogeologic data and collection of environmental samples for laboratory analysis, is typically performed in stages in order to allow time for data processing and interpretation. As such, it often takes several phases, or mobilizations, of field work to fully characterize environmental conditions and estimate contaminant extent.

In an effort to streamline information management and eliminate mukiple field events, we used geographic information system (GIS) software to evaluate environmental conditions at a 10-acre, uncontrolled hazardous waste site in northern New England. Due to an accelerated schedule, we had to assess the volume of contaminated material at this site in less than eight weeks, which ruled out multiple field events. Use of GIS software coupled with electronic data transfer and automated uploading, enabled real-time decision making so that we could complete the investigation in one mobilization.

The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the potential time and cost savings associated with the use of GIS software during the interpretation of environmental conditions at industrial and hazardous waste sites. We describe the information management process and system software, including electronic data transfer, uploading, real-time interpretation, and reporting, and evaluate the use of this technology with a case study. Lastly, we provide a summary of the costs incurred on this project and compare these with the estimated costs expended using non-GIS-related methods.

Environmental Data Management
Characterization of environmental conditions at industrial and hazardous waste sites requires evaluation of potentially voluminous quantities of detailed geologic, hydrologic, and chemical data. In order to complete a field investigation in one phase, we need to evaluate these data in real-time so that the field crew can modifi exploratory work and delineate contaminant extent, with fewer samples, in one mobilization. Use of GIS-based software augmented with standardized impotiexport routines allows us to manage these data so that they can be retrieved easily and presented effectively, all within an acceptable time period and budget.