Managing Uncertainty with Systematic Planning for Environmental Decision Making 3-Day DOE DQO Training Day 1

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Managing Uncertainty with Systematic Planning
for Environmental Decision Making 3-Day DOE DQO
TrainingDay 1
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Presenter
Sebastian Tindall DQO Coordinator Bechtel
Hanford Inc. 3190 George Washington Way MS
H9-03 Room 49 Richland, WA 99352 (509)
372-9195 sctindal_at_mail.bhi-erc.com http//www.doe.
hanford.gov/dqo
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History of the DQO Training

• Funding provided by DOE Headquarters in 1998 to
  develop the DQO training
• Development of the presentation
• Funding provided by EPA Headquarters to train
  Region personnel - 2002 to present
• Funding provided by other interested parties
  (i.e., States, USACE) for training

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London, England
DOE
EPA
Other
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Number of People Trained
By Funding entity
Company Number of People
DOE - HQ 770
EPA - OSWER 542
Other 390
TOTAL 1702
As of October 6, 2004
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Introduction to Course and Module Objectives,
Agenda, and Key Concepts
DQO Training Course Day 1 Module 0

• Presenter Sebastian Tindall

15 minutes
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The Problem in a Nutshell

• Without systematic planning, your agency/company
  or your client may be subject to huge financial
  liability

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Federal Facility Projects

• Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response,
  Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA)
• Joint, Several, and Strict Liability
• Local entities buy contamination FOREVER
• Deep Pockets
• City, County, State attorneys have issued
  opinions that failure to conduct an independent
  environmental assessment of the Site could leave
  them liable for the cleanup of unexpected
  contamination

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Deficiencies and Inconsistencies in Environmental
Decision Making

• Exist because an integrated decision-making
  process is not being used to make environmental
  decisions
• Result from the lack of systematic planning
• Result from failure to manage uncertainty
• Result from lack of standard documentation
• Result in decisions that are not scientifically,
  technically, or legally defensible
• Result in vulnerability to third-party challenges

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Whats In It For Me(and my Organization)?

• Understand that there is inherent uncertainty in
  all environmental decisions that use data
• Reduce possibility of third-party challenges
• Reduce re-work
• Reduce unnecessary clean up
• Cost-effective budget allocation in time of
  diminishing budgets

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Course Objectives

• Learn the concepts behind the jargon
• Learn to use systematic planning to manage
  uncertainty
• Use the FAM approach for more cost- effective
  data collection
• Use the tools to generate the documentation and
  perform calculations

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Uncertainty is Inherent in Data and Must be
Managed

• We are forced to make environmental decisions
  based on estimates
• Estimates always involve errors
• Errors in estimates are not mistakes
• If unmanaged, errors in estimates CAN lead to
  decision errors which ARE MISTAKES
• Decision errors must be managed
• Acknowledge
• Identify
• Quantify
• Severe consequences of decision errors mandate a
  statistical basis

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Uncertainty is additive!Analytical Sampling
Sub-sampling Natural heterogeneity of the
siteTotal Uncertainty
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Learn the Jargon

• t-test
• UCL - upper confidence limit
• AL - action level
• N - target population
• n - population units sampled
• ? - population mean

• x - sample mean
• ? - population standard deviation
• s - sample standard deviation
• H0 - null hypothesis
• ? - alpha error rate
• ? - beta error rate
• ? - width of gray region

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Use Systematic Planning to Manage Uncertainty

• The Data Quality Objectives (DQO) Process is a
  type of Systematic Planning
• Step 1 State the Problem
• Step 2 Identify the Decisions
• Step 3 Identify the Inputs
• Step 4 Specify the Boundaries
• Step 5 Define the Decision Rules
• Step 6 Specify Error Tolerances
• Step 7 Optimize Sample Design

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The Managing Uncertainty Approach
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Insert M-cubed graphic
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Foundation of Defensible Decisions

• Guidance
• EPA QA/G-4 (DQOs)
• EPA QA/G-9 (Data Quality Assessment - DQA)
• Complete documents on web
• Training
• Days 1 (foundation), 2 (how to) and 3 (how to)
• Visual Sample Plan (VSP)
• Standardized documentation
• DQO e-Workbook (electronic template)

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Foundation (cont.) - Tools

• DQO Implementation Work Process Flow Chart
• Scoping Checklist
• DQO Web Site
• DQO tools and materials
• Latest version of all of todays slides
• Visual Sample Plan
• Download free software
• Data Quality Assessment (coming!)

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How Many Samples do I Need?

• REMEMBER

HETEROGENEITY IS THE RULE!
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• The following slides show todays agenda with the
  content and times of each module

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Module 1Evolution of the DQO Concept

• Module Objective
• To understand how the DQO Process has matured
  over time from a qualitative concept to practical
  implementation

20 minutes (10 minute break)
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Module 2EPA Inspector General Audit Reports

• Module Objective
• To highlight the general findings from
  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Inspector
  General Audit Reports and the problems created
  when the DQO Process is not followed

20 minutes
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Module 3How Many Samples do I Need?Part 1

• Module Objective
• To describe the sources of uncertainty that can
  lead to errors when making decisions based on
  environmental sampling results and to discuss how
  these errors can be managed and controlled

60 minutes
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Module 4 Key Concepts Underlying DQOs and VSP

• Module Objective
• To gain a basic understanding of the key
  statistical concepts needed to develop defensible
  sampling plans

60 minutes (75 min lunch break)
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Module 5How Many Samples do I Need?Part 2

• Module Objective
• To describe the sources of uncertainty that can
  lead to errors when making decisions based on
  environmental sampling results and to discuss how
  these errors can be managed and controlled

60 minutes (5 minute stretch break)
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Module 6How Many Samples do I Need?Part 3

• Module Objective
• To describe the sources of uncertainty that can
  lead to errors when making decisions based on
  environmental sampling results and to discuss how
  these errors can be managed and controlled

50 minutes (5 minute stretch break)
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Module 7Introduction toThe EPA 7-Step DQO
ProcessSteps 1 - 4

• Module Objective
• To understand the role of Steps 1-4 in the EPA
  7-Step DQO Process

30 minutes
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Module 8Introduction toThe EPA 7-Step DQO
ProcessSteps 5 - 7

• Module Objective
• To understand the role of Steps 5-7 in the EPA
  7-Step DQO Process

25 minutes (5 minute stretch break)
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Module 9DQO Implementation Process Flow Chart

• Module Objective
• To highlight the elements of the flow diagram for
  implementing the DQO Process

30 minutes
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• Appendix A
• Thomas Grumbly DOE DQO directive, September 1994
• Appendix B
• Timothy Fields EPA OSWER directive, June 1999
• Appendix C
• Expedited Site Characterization Field Quality
  Assurance Meeting minutes, January 1994
• Note Appendices have been removed from the
  binders but can be found on our web site
• http//www.hanford.gov/dqo/training/contents1.html

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• Appendix D Effective Data
• Dr. Bart Simmons, CAL/EPA DTSC
• Using Field Methods Court decisions
• Dr. Al Robbat, Tufts University
• Dynamic Work Plans Field Analytics
• Sebastian Tindall, BHI
• ESC M-Cubed Approach
• Culture Change Flow Chart

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• Appendix E
• List of Acronyms and Symbols used in course
  materials
• Appendix F
• U.S. EPA ORDER 5360.1 A2 CHG 2 May 5,
  2000
• Appendix G
• Science Advisory Board Report to EPA
• Report
• Enclosure D

(http)//www.hanford.gov/dqo/training/contents1.ht
ml)
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We want to help you
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(No Transcript)
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End of Module 0

• Thank you

Questions?