Environmental Risk Management and Communication: A Case Study Using GIS Tools

Author: Benjamin B. Witherell
Organization: ERM, Inc.

250 Phillips Blvd.
Ewing, NJ 08618
USA

Phone: (609) 895-0050
Fax: (609) 895-0111
ben_witherell@erm.com

Environmental Resources Management (ERM) used GIS technology and related tools to assist in real-time decision making and communication during a large-scale environmental cleanup in New Jersey. ArcView GIS was linked to a project database and data analysis tools to provide rapid response and decision making power in the field as the remediation progressed from investigation to implementation. The project involved the enactment of engineering and institutional controls to achieve an environmental cleanup of soil, groundwater, and stream sediments in the coastal zone of New Jersey. Additionally, GIS was employed as a data visualization tool for communicating the project findings and progress to community stakeholders and State regulators.