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Using Stormwater Models to Inform Recovery Efforts Following a Wide-Area Contamination Incident
Citation:
Ratliff, K., A. Mikelonis, T. Boe, AND P. Lemieux. Using Stormwater Models to Inform Recovery Efforts Following a Wide-Area Contamination Incident . Presented at International Decontamination Research and Development Conference, Norfolk, VA, November 19 - 21, 2019.
Impact/Purpose:
This presentation will describe the process of using stormwater models for emergency response, recovery, and planning. It also shows results from two different case studies and how modeling results can also be useful for waste management decisions. It is of interest to other scientists, emergency responders, on scene coordinators, and other stakeholders engaged in emergency response/recovery processes.
Description:
Following a terrorist attack or natural disaster, chemical, biological, or radiological (CBR) contamination can be spread broadly throughout the environment.For example, rainfall may mobilize and further spread contamination into areas and/or infrastructure that was not initially contaminated. To address these concerns, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) has been developing methods for using the EPA’s Stormwater Management Model (SWMM) to model the spread of CBR agents over time. EPA SWMM is a public domain hydrologic and hydraulic model that has been used extensively in the US and throughout the world to simulate single event or extended duration stormwater runoff quantity and quality. This presentation will demonstrate these capabilities through a case study using the air deposition plume generated by FEMA’s Interagency Modeling and Atmospheric Assessment Center (IMAAC) after a fire in Portland, OR dispersed asbestos-containing material over a wide area.