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Track: Environmental Management
Reed Hodgin
Regional Atmospheric Response Center
8670 Wolff Court Suite 110
Westminster, CO 80030-3692
Telephone: 303-650-4345
Fax: 303-482-5930
E-mail: alphatrac@eazy.net
David J. Buckley, David Bouman, John Ciolek
Integrating Atmospheric Dispersion Modeling with ArcInfo: A Case Study of the Regional Atmospheric Response Center, Denver, Colorado
Recent developments in the sophistication of GIS application programming interfaces (APIs) combined with advances in the sciences of atmospheric dispersion modeling, communications, and computer hardware have provided the platform for development of an atmospheric modeling system for emergency response. IGIS, in partnership with the Denver Regional Atmospheric Response Center (RARC), has developed an advanced system for predicting the path and impacts from toxic chemical emergencies. The Computer-Assisted Protective Action Recommendations System (CAPARS) reflects a modernization of several existing technologies. In particular, the atmospheric model utilized in CAPARS, TRAC, is proven in one of the world's most demanding environments: emergency response at the U.S. Department of Energy's Rocky Flats Plant, a former nuclear weapons and plutonium manufacturing facility in the mountainous terrain of Colorado. The Terrain Responsive Atmospheric Code (TRAC) model provides plume and health impact predictions
for CAPARS. The integration of this model with industry-leading GIS technologies, namely ArcInfo Version 7, provides a sophisticated and fault tolerant system to address the most complex and demanding environmental emergency. The TRAC model produces realistic plume paths for releases and spills in the most complex terrain addressing plume spread, deposition, health effects analysis, among others. TRAC has a proven record with over 70,000 system runs for simulated hazardous materials releases based on the Rocky Flats facility. The integration of atmospheric dispersion modeling with GIS technology is a major innovation within CAPARS. Utilizing GIS as the foundation for spatial data management CAPARS affords timely and accurate predictions and response to emergency scenarios. CAPARS utilizes industry-standard graphical user interfaces (GUI) to provide friendly, default-driven access to TRAC modules. Combined with the "open architecture" development strategy and client/server design, CAPARS provides a
portable and scalable system for addressing the most complex and demanding emergency response needs. The CAPARS system is the technical backbone of the recently established Regional Atmospheric Response Center (RARC) in Denver, Colorado. RARC is a prototype response center recently established by the Department of Energy's Rocky Flats Site for addressing emergency response scenarios for tracking hazardous chemical plumes and spills. RARC is a 24-hour-a-day, 365 day per year center that is available to municipalities, cities, government, and private industry on a subscription basis to address real-time hazardous material emergency response. This paper will review the design and implementation of CAPARS with a particular reference to issues of GIS application development, database design, and functional requirements. A focus on fault tolerant, mission critical system design and architecture will include an overview of state-of-the-art client/server approaches and critical design issues. The paper will
also review development logistics that emphasize integrating sophisticated atmospheric research with operational requirements. A review of recent applications that utilize CAPARS will be presented focusing on the role of GIS technologies for future environmental and hazard assessment. A demonstration will be provided.
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