Development of a GIS-based spill management information system

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Geographic Information Systems
• Emergency Management

Background:

• Accidental or intentional releases of hazardous materials pose significant risks to inland waterways.
• Effective management of such spills requires timely and accurate information for emergency responders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Spill Management Information System (SMIS), a GIS-based decision support system for hazardous material spill management.
• To demonstrate SMIS's capability in providing critical planning and impact information for inland waterway incidents.

Main Methods:

• SMIS integrates Geographic Information System (GIS) with database management systems (DBMS).
• It couples the 2-D surface water model CE-QUAL-W2 and the air contaminant model CAMEO.
• Real-time data links for meteorological information and waterway flowrates are established.

Main Results:

• SMIS enables rapid modification of modeling conditions for immediate scenario analysis.
• The system facilitates the evaluation of 'what-if' scenarios for spill response planning.
• A case study on the Cheatham Reach of the Cumberland River illustrates SMIS functionality.

Conclusions:

• SMIS offers a robust platform for managing risks associated with hazardous material spills in inland waterways.
• The system enhances emergency response through integrated modeling and real-time data analysis.
• SMIS provides essential tools for effective spill impact assessment and mitigation strategies.