Information Management System for Site Remediation Efforts

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Information Management
• Database Systems

Background:

• Environmental regulatory agencies manage contaminated sites, with leaking underground storage tanks (USTs) being a significant source of pollution.
• Current manual or ad hoc data management systems hinder effective analysis and utilization of critical site information.
• Efficient management of vast datasets, including chemical contaminant data and remedial performance details, is essential for regulatory bodies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify information requirements for UST-contaminated site management within a specific regulatory agency.
• To design a robust information management system to address the identified data challenges.
• To propose a solution that improves data integrity, analysis, and decision support for environmental remediation.

Main Methods:

• Conducted an analysis of information requirements for UST-contaminated site management.
• Designed a relational database management system adhering to third normal form for data integrity.
• Incorporated tools for sophisticated data analysis, data mining, and ad hoc querying.

Main Results:

• Developed a database design ensuring data integrity, flexible access, and efficient query processing.
• The system facilitates standard reporting and answers complex ad hoc queries.
• The database serves as a repository for decision support in engineering design and risk analysis, with potential GIS integration.

Conclusions:

• The proposed relational database management system effectively addresses the information management needs of environmental regulatory agencies for UST-contaminated sites.
• Implementation of this system enhances data utilization, supports informed decision-making, and improves the overall efficiency of environmental protection efforts.
• Integration with tools like Geographic Information Systems can further optimize data dissemination and presentation.