Finding the Forest in the Trees The Challenge of Combining Diverse Environmental Data (1995) / Chapter Skim
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3 The National Acid Preciptation Assessment Program
3 The National Acid Preciptation Assessment Program
Pages 30-45
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From page 30... ...
Membership of the task force also included one representative each from the Department of Interior, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Commerce, the Department of Energy, the Department of State, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Council on Environmental Quality, the National Science Foundation, and the Tennessee Valley Authority, in addition to the 30
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From page 31... ...
In addition to the documents specifically cited below, the committee reviewed a number of other publications relevant to this case study (NAPAP, 1990a,b,c,d,e,f,g; 1991a,b; Oversight Review Board of the NAPAP, 1991; Rubin, 1991; and Rubin et al., 1992.) VARIABLES MEASURED AND SOURCES OF DATA FOR THE AQUATIC PROCESSES AND EFFECTS PORTION OF NAPAP The highly diverse data and information needs for the Aquatic Processes and Effects part of the total study are summarized in the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Plan under two topics (Interagency Task Force on Acid Precipitation, 1982~: first, the chemical alteration of water quality, including ground water, drinking water supplies, streams, and lakes; and secondly, the effects on the species and populations that make up biologically productive components of aquatic ecosystems.
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From page 32... ...
"Analyses will be made of historical records and current data from public drinking water systems, whether using ground water or surface water reservoirs, to determine whether pH or potentially significant metal concentrations have changed during the past 10 to 30 years. Where acidification is found' the chemistry of water supply lines will be studied and estimates will be made of the possible impact on human and livestock populations." 7.
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From page 33... ...
EPA divided its Aquatic Processes and Effects portion of NAPAP into three major projects, entitled the National Surface Water Survey (NSWS) , the Direct/Delayed Response Project (DDRP)
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From page 34... ...
The regions selected for study were chosen from regions with surface water that have low acid-neutralizing capacity and that exhibit a wide contrast, both in soil and watershed characteristics and in levels of acid deposition. An additional biological assessment, the Episodic Response Project, was subsequently incorporated into the Aquatic Processes and Effects portion of NAPAP.
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From page 35... ...
The primary user for this study was the relevant program office in EPA. The EPA staff assured the committee that the question that DDRP was trying to answer came from the EPA Administrator Ruckelshaus and his concern for what the future would bring; namely, what types of systems were vulnerable, where did they occur, and how would they respond under various emission control scenarios (including a no-action option)
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From page 36... ...
policymakers were strongly influencing the direction for this program and future EPA programs. The use of conceptual models in the design of Aquatic Processes and Effects watershed-intensive studies was much more evident.
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From page 37... ...
Apparently, some adjustments for this deficiency were made midway through the biological design portion. The methodological considerations reflected some of the strengths and weaknesses associated with the conceptual framework for the three parts of the Aquatic Processes and Effects portion of NAPAP reviewed by the committee.
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From page 38... ...
DATA MANAGEMENT AND INTERFACING IN THE AQUATIC PROCESSES AND EFFECTS PORTION OF NAPAP In the following discussion, no attempt is made to treat systematically the specifics of all the various types of data collected in the Aquatic Processes and Effects program, or the specifics of the relationships between or among the data types. Similarly, the specifics of the data management system, which was an ad hoc system assembled by the contractor to provide verified data summaries in forms most available and helpful to the researchers, are not described in detail.
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From page 39... ...
Briefings by both teams provided the committee with a number of insights that could help in the design and management of future interdisciplinary projects. The scientific and technical team left the impression with the data management team that the latter team's primary role was to provide a workable database from which the scientific and technical team and its subcontractors could do the actual data analysis and interpretation.
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From page 40... ...
The database management team indicated that good QA early on is important, and they seemed to have pioneered new ground in this area, by solving the problem of high nitrogen in field blanks (from washing filters with nitric acid!
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From page 41... ...
and are capable of predicting future (50 to 200 years) rates of surface water acidification (output)
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From page 42... ...
Specifically, the tiered approach was thought to be successful: NSWS was an extensive survey of a more focused nature (fewer parameters and questions addressed) , DDRP was regional and predictive in nature and integrated multimedia data, and the ERP focused on process-related research at fewer selective sites, but did integrate physical and biotic databases.
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From page 43... ...
On the contrary, data integration is inextricably linked to program planning and objectives, all aspects of sampling and analysis, and the various methods and procedures employed in the analysis and interpretation of the resulting data. Accordingly, even though the principal topic of this study is data integration, the committee found it necessary to expand its review somewhat, in order to place data integration in the proper context.
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From page 44... ...
In addition, periodic external peer review of the total program implementation should be conducted. Comprehensive information meetings involving all cooperating agencies should be conducted on at least an annual basis, with appropriate emphasis giver.
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From page 45... ...
NAPAP Office of the Director, Washington, D.C. Oversight Review Board of the National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program.
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