ABSTRACT
Comprehensive and timely radiological, cultural, and environmental data are required in order to make informed decisions during a radiological emergency. One of the responsibilities of the Department of Energy (DOE) Nevada Operations Office, under the Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan and the Aerial Measuring System program, is the acquisition and analysis of these data for Federal Radiologic Monitoring and Assessment Center operations. Much of the data are in the form of maps, tabular summaries, and vertical imagery. During an emergency, it is critical that these data be rapidly compiled into a common format. This data management task is large and complex and is ideally suited for automated processing using Geographic Information System (GIS) tools. DOE GIS operators use the Field Analysis System for Emergency Response to provide a state-of-the-art integration of commercially available hardware and software for rapid response to radiological emergencies. The DOE team uses ArcInfo to effectively drive the broad spectrum of GIS functions from data input and archiving, data analysis and query, to application integration and map production.
To support FRMAC deployments and field exercises, geographic databases consisting of coregistered "layers" of cultural, radiological, aerial photographic, satellite imagery, and environmental data are being compiled for the areas around commercial nuclear power plants and DOE facilities. Data were encoded into workstation ArcInfo from a variety of sources. Much of the base map information was derived from Geographic Data Technologies, Inc. Dynamap 2000 files. These files are based on the 1992 TIGER Line files and are updated on a continual basis. The Dynamap 2000 files are the most up-to-date source of road information available for the United States. Other base map data, mostly point data, were derived from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Geographic Names Information System files. These files contain label points for all annotation on 1:24,000 Scale USGS maps. The position, feature name, and feature type are included in the GNIS files. Most of the remaining basemap data were collated from NRC and DOE documents regarding radiological emergency response plans. Image data are being added to the data sets as funding is available. Digital air photos exist for all DOE and NRC facilities. Satellite data are currently in place for all DOE facilities, but for only a few NRC sites. The library of typical basemap layers includes the following data:
Data Layer Theme Source Administrative Boundaries State Boundaries GDT Counties File County and/or Township Boundaries GDT Counties File Emergency Planning Zones (EPZ) NRC Regulations Protective Action Sectors (PAS) NRC Site Plans Transportation Roads GDT Dynamap 2000 Railroads GDT Dynamap 2000 Utility Corridors GDT Dynamap 2000 Evacuation Routes NRC Site Plans Surface Hydrology GDT Dynamap 2000 Landcover Landsat Satellite Emergency Response and Public Facilities Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) NRC and DOE Files Decontamination Centers NRC and DOE Files Shelters and Reception Centers NRC and DOE Files TLD Locations NRC Site Plans Schools GNIS Files Police and Fire Stations GNIS Files Hospitals GNIS Files Nursing Homes GNIS Files State Institutions GNIS Files Major Industries GNIS Files, State Recreation Areas GNIS Files, GDT Radiation Fallout Patterns Exposure Rate AMS / FRMAC First-Year Dose AMS / FRMAC Ingestion Pathways FRMAC Scientists Baseline Radiation Historical AMS Dispersion Model Outputs RASCAL NRC ARAC DOE (LLNL) Imagery Satellite Images EOSAT, SPOT Aerial Photographs DOE, EG&G Surveys Scanned USGS Maps LandInfoThe variety of source materials (including maps, tabular summaries, and satellite imagery) are collected from federal, state, and commercial sources. Landcover is derived from an unsupervised spectral clustering and maximum likelihood classification of Landsat satellite Thematic Mapper data. This layer is maintained as a raster image layer and converted to a system-compatible vector layer when necessary for overlay analysis. Radiation data can be entered from hand-drawn maps or from gamma data acquired with the Aerial Measurement System (AMS) operated by EG&G Energy Measurements, Inc. in a "generate" format that can be entered directly into the GIS. Most of the remaining data layers are manually automated from existing maps and reports. All data are co-registered and transformed into a common geographic coordinate system. All data for the United States are currently maintained in Albers polyconic projection. If necessary, data are projected to Universe Transverse Mercater or geographic latitude-longitude coordinates. Creation of this comprehensive data base is very labor intensive. It is recommended that base layers be preprocessed for quick implementation during an emergency. If so, all efforts can be concentrated on the automation and processing of scenario-dependant data once a situation arises.
To demonstrate the potential of GIS for emergency response, the system has been utilized in interagency FRMAC exercises. An interactive GIS system has been deployed and used to analyze the available spatial data to help determine the impact of a hypothetical radiological release and to develop mitigation plans. For this application, both hard-copy and real-time spatial displays were generated with ArcInfo. Composite maps with different sizes, scales, and themes were produced to support the exercises. Incident status maps are generated on a D-size plotter about once an hour. Quick look hard-copies of monitor displays are produced on a thermal wax printer as required. High resolution image data can be captured and printed at high quality using a dye-sublimation printer. Other custom map products are produced on an as- needed basis using the most appropriate printing device. The number of possible map combinations that can be generated during an emergency response is limited only by the available data.
The system is configured with commercially available off-the- shelf hardware and software components. This facilitates the sharing of much of the data with all state and federal agencies which may be involved. It is an integrated system with compatible digital image processing (ERDAS, Inc. 1994) and GIS (Esri 1992) software. All hardware is mounted in shipping containers designed for shipment on overland carriers or commercial airlines.
Modularity is a major consideration. This provides redundancy in the field, particularly if more than one system is deployed. It also allows for systems to be customized easily for specific tasks, simply by connecting disk drives with desired software and ample free disk space, along with the desired peripherals. To be most effectively modular, "live insertion" should be supported as fully as possible. "Live insertion" refers to the ability to insert and remove individual boards and disk drives within a system without powering the system down, eliminating lengthy reconfiguration delays associated with switching the system off. This capability is also known as "hot swapping" or "hot plugging."
The FASER system (see attached diagram) will include a "server" workstation unit and several networkable stand-alone workstations. The "server" workstation will be similar to the individual workstations, different only because it will be configured with considerably more storage capacity and a range of peripherals. The server will not distribute software code; it will merely provide an on-line data library and input/output access to various media. It will also function as a workstation.
Each stand-alone workstation in the FASER system (which includes the "server") will include the following minimum features:
The "server" workstation includes all the functionality of the individual workstations plus several gigabytes of additional disk space. The data storage media are fully modular, employing 3.5" form factor removable SCSI devices. The system accommodates all the common media including rewritable optical drives; CD-ROM; 8mm, 4mm, .025-inch tape drives; and an erasable magneto-optical disk jukebox. The server includes a networking/communications module that integrates a bridge, a 10baseT network hub, and a patch panel to manually connect devices to perform specific communications tasks. The workstations will be compatible with existing and planned video routing schemes that will be used to allow workstation output to be displayed on the workstation monitor and a on separate, larger display simultaneously. A D-size electrostatic plotter and a dye sublimation printer are included for map and image output, respectively. A Postscript laser printer is used for ASCII text file printing and can be used to produce hard copy of vector data in black and white.
Complex general purpose GISs have a reputation for being difficult to use and for requiring experienced, well-trained operators. One of the goals of this system is to provide a simplified user interface for implementing routine processes. With an AML front end, the user has the option of selecting any site and overlaying any combination of the available data layers. The user selects line widths, shade patterns, and colors for display. The interface also provides utilities for the integration of digital images into the GIS displays. Routine applications like the importation of field team data points and AMS contour data can be run by selecting the appropriate icon in the menu. Real-time Global Positioning System data can be entered directly into the database through the menu system. Map products are generated automatically with scale bar, north arrow, and map collar information based on data drawn to the computer terminal screen (map features and map extent). The user needs only a short introduction to the interface structure and data layers to operate the "menuized" ArcInfo system. The functionality of the interface can be customized to meet additional requirements.
As more information is entered into the GIS database, the power of the system for rapid response and as a decision-making tool is systematically enhanced. The FASER system being developed by EG&G Energy Measurements, Inc. for the Department of Energy integrates state-of-the-art hardware components with ArcInfo to create a unique system for processing the diverse range of data that may be employed during an emergency response. In addition to its design for rapid field deployment and operation, the FASER uniquely integrates all elements of emergency planning, from the initial protective actions based on models through the emergency monitoring phase, finally ending with the complex reentry and recovery phase.
2. ERDAS, Inc. 1994. ERDAS FIELD GUIDE, IMAGINE VISTA and PRODUCTION Tour Guides. 2801 Buford Highway, Suite 300, Atlanta, Georgia.
Prepared for the Department of Energy under Contract No. DE- AC08-93NV11265.
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