The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Support Laboratory in Las Vegas, Nevada, conducted aerial reconnaissance over a number of industrial facilities engaged in the production, storage, and handling of hazardous substances that are located near navigable waters of the United States. The purpose of this project was to demonstrate that aerial reconnaissance procedures currently utilized in monitoring oil production, refining, and storage facilities can be applied to monitoring chemical production and storage facilities to show whether spills and spill-threat conditions exist within chemical production and storage facilities, and to provide annotated photographic examples of spills and spill-threat conditions exist within chemical production and storage facilities, and to provide annotated photographic examples of spill conditions. Typical in-plant facilities covered in this reconnaissance include: (1) product storage facilities, including storage and holding tanks, drum storage and staging areas, and dry-product stockpiles; (2) product transfer facilities, such as marine and river terminals, and tank car and truck loading racks; and (3) plant drainage and wastewater treatment facilities. The photographic examples can serve as photo interpretation keys to aid both experienced remote sensing specialists and inexperienced personnel in monitoring chemical facilities for compliance with anticipated spill prevention regulations to be issued under authority of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (FWPCA) as amended in 1977.

"Lockheed Electronics Company, Inc. Remote Sensing Laboratory." U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Contract No. Contract Number: EPA 68-03-2636. "Project Officer C.E. Lake Remote Sensing Division Environmental Monitoring and Support Laboratory." "April 1979." Includes bibliographical references (pages 60-61)