Task description |
Current practice |
EWM approach and benefits |
Initial site selection and EAs |
Generally evaluate local geologic setting and other data. Most of the data upload and processing is labor intensive |
Recently valuable regional information is becoming available free or at low cost. EWM procedures efficiently use multimedia data. |
Monitoring strategy design |
Likely slow leakance rates from landfill sites need a detailed local-scale conceptual model and identification of groundwater flow paths and travel times which are not used commonly. This results in duplicate and redundant data collection efforts. |
EWM monitoring strategy is based on detailed conceptual site models, quantitative uncertainties, and calibrated regional and local-scale models. EWM design includes data storage and real-time assessment of latest data. |
Maintain consolidated multi-media data repository from construction -> operations -> closure |
Data used in the landfill initial EA and design generally gets buried in the project report. |
EWM procedures provide efficient means for object-oriented data storage, editing, and updates. |
Review of monitoring data by site operators, field staff, regulators, and the public |
Currently laboratory results are entered and maintained in tabular form. Site operators and regulators generally depend on the extracted partial data processed by a contractor or staff. |
EWM – SHOWME interfaces with the site database and provides nightly updated plots of multimedia data. EWM Group’s concise informative displays include all details for site managers and regulators. |
Groundwater level distributions - regional, local, and at the landfill site |
Not maintained as a normal practice. |
EWM procedures provide the most current water level distribution data |
Groundwater travel path and rate of flow |
Not maintained as a normal practice. |
EWM provides most current travel path and travel time estimates with flow vectors. |
Contaminant plumes of chemical of concerns near landfill sites |
These are not generally maintained in the project files. |
EWM sets up procedures and their updates will maintain most current details |
RI/FS tasks and Remediation of contaminated groundwater |
Uses manually intensive, costly procedures for data processing and assessments |
EWM tools are automated and provide state-of-the-art technologies |
Long-term monitoring of closed sites |
No detailed conceptual models are used design |
EWM procedures are for real time evaluations |
EWM understands scientific, engineering, and regulatory needs. EWM also understands monitoring, data processing, and analyses costs. Regulatory non-compliance penalties are high. Rather than piecemeal last minute costly repeated efforts, EWM proposes the development and maintenance of a systematic plan of each site which will keep site operators, regulators, and the concerned public fully informed of the current environmental status through the internet. |
