HR: 08:15h
AN: H31F-02 INVITED     [Abstracts]
TI: An Assessment of Current Concepts for Hydrogeological Site Characterization, and Alternatives
AU: * Rubin, Y
EM: rubin@newton.berkeley.edu
AF: UC Berkeley, 627 Davis Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
AU: Barros, F
EM: fpjbarros@yahoo.com.br
AF: UC Berkeley, 627 Davis Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720, United States
AB: Characterization of the geological and hydrogeological conditions of contaminated sites is a critical element of risk management. Characterization includes data acquisition and interpretation that intends to provide the analytical tools needed for decision making related to transport of contaminants and for remediation. Despite many years of experience, site characterization is still not as well understood and regulated as it should be. The chasm between some of the newer concepts developed by researchers on the one hand, and the technology used in the field by service providers on the other, has never been wider than it is today. Consequently, questions that should be addressed using well-documented rational tools may continue to be addressed based on intuition and experience. Instead of coming up with defensible action plans and implementing them rapidly, such action plans are often a source of contention and end up in the courts. This paper evaluates concepts often used in the practice of hydrogeological site characterization, and tries to distinguish between myth and reality. It explores concepts such as: 1. Accurate descriptions of geological and hydrogeological conditions are attainable; 2. Sound planning and action plans in response to accidents require a large amount of data; 3. Investing in site characterization is a sound investment; 4. Experience gained in decontamination and decommissioning in the field is a sound basis for planning future efforts; 5. If you do not find the contaminants, they do not exist; 6. Numerical models for flow and transport processes in the subsurface are beneficial; 7. Current regulations in the area of hydrogeology are helpful. These concepts, while often invoked in applications, are often wrong and misleading or applied incorrectly, and reflect the many ambiguities prevailing in this area. This paper explores the issues raised above in detail. It also presents the elements of a consistent approach for site characterization, and demonstrates it through a case study that involves uncertainty in the hydrogeology as well as in human physiology.
DE: 1829 Groundwater hydrology
DE: 1869 Stochastic hydrology
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2007 Joint Assembly