Using DRASTIC'' to improve the accuracy of a geographical information system used for solid waste disposal facility siting: A case study

Conference · Fri Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1993 · Environmental Professional; (United States)

OSTI ID:5956936

Padgett, D A ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States). Dept. of Geography

Beginning in 1989, the citizens and commissioners of Alachua County, Florida began to develop a siting plan for a new solid waste disposal facility (SWDF). Through a cooperative effort with a private consulting firm, several evaluative criteria were selected and then translated into parameters for a geographical information system (GIS). Despite efforts to avoid vulnerable hydrogeology, the preferred site selected was in close proximity to the well field supplying Gainesville, Florida, home to approximately 75 percent of the county's population. The results brought forth a wave of protests from local residents claiming that leachate from the proposed SWDF would contaminate their drinking water. In this study, DRASTIC'' was applied in order to improve the accuracy and defensibility of the aquifer protection-based GIS parameters. DRASTIC'', a method for evaluating ground water contamination potential, is an acronym which stands for Depth to Water, Net Recharge, Aquifer Media, Soil Media, Topography, Impact of Vadose Zone Media, and Conductivity (Hydraulic)''.

• OSTI ID: 5956936
• Report Number(s): CONF-930523-; CODEN: EPROD9
• Journal Information: Environmental Professional; (United States), Vol. Supplement; Conference: 18. National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) annual conference on current and future priorities for environmental management, Raleigh, NC (United States), 24-26 May 1993; ISSN 0191-5398
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
FLORIDA
WATER QUALITY
GROUND WATER
CONTAMINATION
WASTE PROCESSING PLANTS
INFORMATION SYSTEMS
DRINKING WATER
SITE SELECTION
SOLID WASTES
WASTE DISPOSAL
WATER POLLUTION
DEVELOPED COUNTRIES
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
MANAGEMENT
NORTH AMERICA
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
POLLUTION
USA
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTES
WATER
540220* - Environment
Terrestrial- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (1990-)