Environmental Data Management

Jump to: Data Management Staff | Case Studies

Environmental studies require efficient methods for data storage, manipulation, and reporting. Data management solutions have a significant impact on how easily the results from these studies may be interpreted.

Premier has extensive experience in the design and implementation of data management solutions for large and small projects. A comprehensive data management approach allows site managers and decision makers to effectively evaluate site data. Premier has performed data management services in the following areas:

  • Environmental Monitoring Data—The volume of data generated during field studies can be cumbersome without a well-planned data management system. Through the development of field data sheets, electronic spreadsheet templates, and specialized database structures, Premier has streamlined the collection, storage, and analysis of monitoring data. Such data management techniques have improved efficiency in data analysis, report generation, and electronic reporting to regulatory agencies. Data management systems can be tailored to field programs in soil and groundwater studies, fisheries, benthos, surface water and sediment quality investigations, and toxicological assessments.
  • Multi-Stake Holder Databases—To synthesize and analyze data from a number of separate studies, data can be converted from a variety of formats and compiled in a standard database structure. Through work with a number of clients, Premier has developed databases for the purpose of integrating disparate data sets for analysis. Projects of this nature have included criteria development and assessment, data summary analysis, and historical data compilation.
  • Geographic Information Systems—Environmental data interpretation can be enhanced with the use of geographic information systems (GIS). The ability to visualize and compare different types of data (e.g., land use, water quality, fisheries) allows environmental managers to "see" the extent of environmental effects or potential resource use conflicts. A standard tool in the forestry and planning sectors, GIS technology is gaining popularity for the management and analysis of environmental data.

Premier integrates data management solutions into many aspects of its environmental work. Data management tools facilitate efficient analysis, and comprehensive reporting for all types of environmental data. Utilizing state of the art hardware and software tools, data management specialists work with environmental scientists to produce project specific database solutions.

Data Management Staff

Corinne Severn, Senior Environmental Scientist

Expertise: Site characterization; database development and programming; Geographic Information Systems; CERCLA, and NRDA.

Ms. Severn assesses the environmental impacts of the release of contaminants and in particular reviews the data with consideration to regulations, such as CERCLA and NRDA regulations. She has reviewed site assessment documents and prepared site reviews on recently listed NPL sites. She wrote and supervised the preparation of Preliminary Natural Resource Surveys, which summarize contaminant issues and natural resources at risk. In support of the analysis of contaminant data, Ms. Severn has designed and supervised the development of data management systems. These systems have addressed a wide variety of data types, interfaces and clients needs.

 

Joseph Ricker, Senior Engineer

Expertise: Management of environmental remediation, environmental investigations, and long-term operation and maintenance activities at CERCLA, RCRA, and other hazardous waste sites.

Mr. Ricker is a registered professional engineer who provides technical expertise in Premier's Memphis office. He has developed ambient air monitoring programs, site investigation work plans, long-term monitoring and maintenance programs, groundwater monitoring programs, and air dispersion analysis models. Mr. Ricker has provided technical support for natural attenuation projects and managed operations and maintenance for groundwater treatment plants. He previously developed a method to evaluate groundwater contaminant plume stability that was highlighted by EPA Region IV as a RCRA Showcase Pilot.

Site Data Management Case Studies

NOAA/US EPA Microsoft® Access Conversion System

Situation

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Great Lakes Program Office (GLNPO) receives regular sediment assessment data reports from grantees for projects conducted in the Great Lakes area. However, no effort had been made to capture these data electronically for potential area-wide or temporal assessments. In addition, GLPNO was interested in using database querying and mapping tools for sediments developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). However, the database file structures and formats required by the NOAA data query system, called Query Manager (tm) required software that was not available to GLNPO (Microsoft® FoxPro or dBase(tm)).

Solution

Working with NOAA and EPA, Premier and EVS Environment Consultants developed a Microsoft® Excel template which included worksheets for sediment chemistry, toxicity test results, sample descriptions (e.g., sample types, collection dates, sample depth), and coordinates for sample collection. Next, Premier and EVS developed a database design and Visual Basic routines in Microsoft® Access, a database program frequently available at the "desktop" level for U.S. government scientific staff. The database design and routines enable government staff to import the data from the Excel template, run data checks to ensure data suitability, and convert the data to tables compatible with the Query Manager (tm) application. The data checks ensure the data are in the correct format, have the proper information to maintain relational database integrity, and have content in the data fields that are reasonable for the associated database requirements (e.g., no concentrations less than zero). Once the initial Excel tables are imported and reviewed, Visual Basic routines assist with assigning standardized codes to the chemical data (to prevent chemical synonyms), converting data to a defined set of units for consistency between data sets, and assigning test codes to sediment toxicity tests. Routines were also developed to assist with exporting the data from the Microsoft® Access files to database tables suitable for use with the NOAA Query Manager (tm) application.

Result

The developed template can be provided by NOAA and GLNPO to contractors and grantees so that all data can be submitted electronically and will be consistent in format. Once completed, templates are returned to NOAA and GLNPO, and staff are able to test data integrity and convert the data to database structures that work with the Query Manager (tm) application. The combination of the conversion system and Query Manager (tm) allows non-database technicians to prepare, work with, and analyze sediment data in a useful form. This system also reduces the time required to import data sets into a useful database.

NOAA/US EPA National Sediment Inventory Support

Situation

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is required to update Congress regularly on the status of contaminated sediments associated with U.S. waterways. To complete this task, EPA staff needed to gather a thorough set of recent data regarding sediment contaminants within a limited time frame. They then needed to analyze the data, write a report, and prepare the data for distribution to the public. The EPA approached NOAA Coastal Protection and Restoration Division (CPRD) staff-who had developed several watershed-based databases of contaminated sediments, aquatic tissue analyses, and bioassay testing results-and requested that the agencies work cooperatively to share data and technology solutions. Since much of the NOAA data resided in database management systems separated geographically, the data needed to be merged into a single database management system. In addition, the EPA wanted assistance implementing a database solution for providing data to the public.

Solution

Premier staff who had worked with NOAA CPRD to develop many of the watershed databases prepared a single database management system with all available NOAA data sets. The new data set eliminated potential duplication that could arise from combining multiple sets together and the chemical and biological test coding systems were standardized. The final database was tested to ensure all database relations worked as designed. Once EPA had completed the development of the database using data acquired from NOAA and multiple additional sources, Premier reviewed and updated the final EPA database to ensure that all data were consistent in their coding. The database structures were then refined to work with the NOAA Query Manager (tm) data analysis system. Using the Query Manager (tm) database structures provided the possibility for an internet-based method for allowing the public to selectively acquire data for geographic areas of interest. In addition, the public could acquire Query Manage (tm) and the related MARPLOT mapping application to analyze and view data on maps.

Result

Based on the work completed by Premier in cooperation with NOAA, the EPA will be able to distribute their final sediment database, containing over 30,000 sediment samples, to the public via the internet. Interested individuals, agencies, and corporations will not only be able to acquire data of interest, but will also have that data in a format that will work with existing data analysis and mapping tools.