Evaluation of remedial countermeasures using the analytic network process

The aim of this paper is to present an evaluation method to aid decision makers in the prioritization and selection of appropriate countermeasures at the planning stage of site remediation. We introduced a hierarchical network (hiernet) decision structure and applied the Analytic Network Process (ANP) supermatrix approach to measure the relative desirability of the remedial alternatives using the decision maker's value judgment as input. A simplified illustrative example is presented to elucidate the process, as it is being applied to evaluate the feasible remedial countermeasures of a contaminated site caused by uncontrolled landfill. Four decision models derived from the generalized hiernet were examined to describe the effect of hierarchic functional dependence, inner dependence and feedback cycle on the derivation of the priority weights. The ANP could provide a more flexible analytical framework to break down one's judgment through a more elaborate structure in a systematic way to understand the complexity of the decision problem. The proposed method therefore may not only aid in selecting the best alternative but also may help to facilitate communication to understand why an alternative is preferred over the other alternatives through the analysis of the derived weights and its underlying decision structure.