Evaluation of soil characterization technologies using a stochastic, value-of-information approach
The US Department of Energy has initiated an integrated demonstration program to develop and compare new technologies for the characterization of uranium-contaminated soils. As part of this effort, a performance-assessment task was funded in February, 1993 to evaluate the field tested technologies. Performance assessment can be cleaned as the analysis that evaluates a system`s, or technology`s, ability to meet the criteria specified for performance. Four new technologies were field tested at the Fernald Environmental Management Restoration Co. in Ohio. In the next section, the goals of this performance assessment task are discussed. The following section discusses issues that must be resolved if the goals are to be successfully met. The author concludes with a discussion of the potential benefits to performance assessment of the approach taken. This paper is intended to be the first of a series of documentation that describes the work. Also in this proceedings is a paper on the field demonstration at the Fernald site and a description of the technologies (Tidwell et al, 1993) and a paper on the application of advanced geostatistical techniques (Rautman, 1993). The overall approach is to simply demonstrate the applicability of concepts that are well described in the literature but are not routinely applied to problems in environmental remediation, restoration, and waste management. The basic geostatistical concepts are documented in Clark (1979) and in Issaks and Srivastava (1989). Advanced concepts and applications, along with software, are discussed in Deutsch and Journel (1992). Integration of geostatistical modeling with a decision-analytic framework is discussed in Freeze et al (1992). Information-theoretic and probabilistic concepts are borrowed from the work of Shannon (1948), Jaynes (1957), and Harr (1987). The author sees the task as one of introducing and applying robust methodologies with demonstrated applicability in other fields to the problem at hand.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 10191123
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-93-2250C; CONF-931095-32; ON: DE94001823; TRN: 93:024151
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Department of Energy environmental remediation conference,Augusta, GA (United States),24-28 Oct 1993; Other Information: PBD: [1993]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
SOILS
CONTAMINATION
SITE CHARACTERIZATION
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS
FEASIBILITY STUDIES
URANIUM
DEMONSTRATION PROGRAMS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
REMEDIAL ACTION
052001
540230
WASTE PROCESSING
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS MONITORING AND TRANSPORT