Grantee Research Project Results

Boulder Area Sustainability Information Network (BASIN)

EPA Grant Number: R827057
Title: Boulder Area Sustainability Information Network (BASIN)
Investigators: Scott, Donna , Barber, Larry B. , Heaney, James P , Rudkin, Chris , Waterman, James , McCaffrey, Mark
Institution: University of Colorado at Boulder
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: November 1, 1998 through October 31, 2000
Project Amount: $400,000
RFA: Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) (1998) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , Environmental Statistics , Water , Air , Sustainable and Healthy Communities

Description:

The primary goal of the Boulder Area Sustainability Information Network (BASIN) is to help citizens make meaningful connections between environmental data and their day-to-day activities and facilitate involvement in public policy development. Objectives include:

• Developing new environmental monitoring technology to measure environmental impact of resource consumption on a neighborhood scale and new methods to detect disinfection byproducts.

• Creating strong partnerships and an ongoing alliance of governmental and private entities involved in environmental monitoring. Improving existing environmental monitoring to provide credible, timely data to the public.

• Creating a solid, sustainable information management and public access system for environmental data using advanced computer system technologies and a stakeholder involvement process.

• Developing an environmental index of key environmental parameters to interpret and enhance understanding of environmental issues and facilitate public dialog. Providing access to the index through a variety of broadcast media including TV, radio, newspaper and Internet.

• Engaging the public in long-term goals of project by involving them in monitoring the conditions of Boulder Creek Watershed and in developing a sense of responsibility and place.

Approach:

The Boulder Creek Watershed is the geographic focus of this grant with emphasis on critical local and regional environmental issues. Environmental parameters include 1) Water - SDWA Consumer Confidence Reporting, disinfection by-products, NPDES Phase II Stormwater, source water protection, and water conservation, and 2) Air - regional air quality. BASIN includes the following components:

• Environmental Data Network Association - participating agencies agree to provide access to existing monitoring data and develop and maintain environmental databases.

• Pilot Urban Neighborhood Monitoring - applying new monitoring techniques in innovative ways to measure resource consumption and associated impacts on environment.

• Information Collection, Management and Delivery - system to maintain data and communication links.

• Education, Outreach and Communication- system to communicate information about the environmental conditions and to facilitate community and school-based participation in new and existing environmental programs. Examples of new programs include: Environmental Index & Action Guide and ETV programing for community access television.

Expected Results:

The Boulder Area Sustainability Information Network (BASIN) developed by funds provided by the EMPACT grant will allow the community to develop the infrastructure needed to improve environmental monitoring, initiate a multi-agency database management system, provide public access to time-relevant data and foster public participation public policy formation. The program is designed to be ongoing, expandable, sustainable, and transferable.

Supplemental Keywords:

EMPACT, water, watershed, community-based., Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Scientific Discipline, Water, Ecological Risk Assessment, Monitoring/Modeling, Hydrology, Wet Weather Flows, Environmental Monitoring, air quality, NPDES, water quality, community-based approach, aquatic ecosystem, community outreach, public access, public outreach, real-time monitoring, disinfection by-products, storm drainage, web site development, resource consumption, computing technology, storm water, public information, stormwater

Progress and Final Reports:

1999

Final Report