The SDSS architecture must facilitate the detection of
a failing hazardous waste site and provide useful recommendations for
emergency response and recovery. The first two years of the project
focus primarily on the first two components of the remote
sensing-assisted hazardous waste site SDSS – monitoring and emergency
response. The Monitoring system research focuses on a) identifying the
optimum variables to be in the database, and b) how to effectively
monitor these variables to detect hazardous waste site compromise. The
Emergency Response system research focuses on formulating the
appropriate questions and developing software that responds to an
emergency situation recognized by the monitoring system. When a failure
is identified, information will be passed to the analytical system and a
series of pre-programmed scenarios will be tested. The analytical system
will provide specific calculations about
-
potential exposure to
hazardous materials, and
-
response alternatives
that will protect the most humans, flora, and/or fauna.
It will also specify and request
additional data (e.g., remote sensor data) be collected to improve
decision making. This will cause our SDSS to interface with Dr.
Hodgson’s Remote Sensing Hazard Guidance System SDSS. The nature of the
information and the questions that must be considered to address
specific management decisions will dictate the final architecture of the
hazardous waste site SDSS. Well-conceived management questions and
quality information are only of value when the SDSS can identify the
optimum monitoring and management strategy. Significant effort is going
into the design and testing of the hazardous waste site SDSS
architecture.