Customizing Environmental Reports for Base Closure using ArcCAD and ArcView

At a time when continued emphasis is being placed on environmental compliance and site restoration at closing Department of Defense (DoD) installations, environmental managers are being inundated with information in various formats. At the same time, environmental managers, in their efforts to manage their growing area of responsibility, need immediate access to this information in order to address questions from command personnel, regulators, and potential buyers.

A geographic information system (GIS) provides a means with which an installation can meet these needs and aid in the overall management of environmental data. When a GIS is used with a data visualization package, such as ArcView Version 2, the environmental data become much more powerful in aiding the installation in meeting its goals. The use of GIS/ArcView Version 2 can provide the following:

• A way to maintain databases and mapping capabilities on a common digital platform
• A way to perform all types of analyses using the information in the GIS
• An easy way for decision makers and nontechnical personnel to view and use the data
• A way to create custom maps and reports based on specific client needs and specifications

This paper discusses ways to customize environmental reports using ArcCAD/ArcView Version 2 at DoD installations. In particular, the paper outlines applications in which a GIS and ArcView Version 2 permitted the integration of data from multiple sources, the analysis of data to identify relationships, and the ability to access the data in the office and in the field. These applications include

• Maintaining environmental restoration data and developing maps that show the environmental condition of property and properties suitable for transfer. These maps are needed to meet regulatory requirements under the Community Environmental Response Facilitation Act (CERFA) and to accelerate disposal and reuse.
• Managing Installation Restoration Program (IRP) data, including groundwater well monitoring data, contamination plume mapping, and historical land-use analysis data.
• Mapping survey data on threatened and endangered species habitat and evaluating the effects of installation operation on these species.
• Integrating databases and maps from various sources and identifying the effects on cultural resources of compliance programs like an underground storage tank (UST) management program.
• Mapping installation facilities and integrating the maps with engineering design files in order to identify areas suitable for the construction of a groundwater treatment system that would not affect existing underground utilities.

In addition, we will discuss the benefits and problems encountered in using the GIS/ArcView Version 2 process for DoD installations. We will also describe the techniques and procedures.

John Cooley
The Earth Technology Corp.
1420 King St., Suite #600
Alexandria, VA 22314
Telephone: 703-549-8728
Fax: 703-549-9134

Micah MacDonald
The Earth Technology Corp.
1420 King St., Suite #600
Alexandria, VA 22314