Environmental Data Integration and Management

SiteFX Sampling Program Manager

Prepared for General Prepared by Kelsy Brennan, P.Eng

EarthFX Inc.

Example Project: Pickering Nuclear Generating Station • Background

– EarthFX retained in 2000 to implement data management system to track all aspects of long-term groundwater, surface water, catch basin etc. monitoring

– SiteFX selected following extensive review of ground water data management systems

• Issues

– Both ground water and surface water issues– Multiple investigation sites, complex geologic

model– Very strict regulatory requirements, need for

accountability– Major upgrade in plant generating capacity

dependant (by regulatory agency control order) on successful implementation of site data management system

• Solutions

– SiteFX implement and still in use since 2000, has been customized to meet site specific needs and work flow structure

Example Project: Smithville Bedrock Remediation• Background

– old electrical transformer depot – orphan site, now managed by Ontario Ministry of

the Environment, OCWA manages on-site activity– DNAPL product (PCB, TCB, TCE) in fractured

limestone aquifer

• Issues

– 15 years of environmental data collected– EarthFX retained in 1997 to build DMS of 10 years

of legacy data and to accommodate on-going investigative data sets

– Multi-party project of managers, regulators, public, consultants, contractors all seeking access to current data

• Solutions

– EarthFX database used to capture historic data (chemistry, geology, well construction, rock properties etc)

– Tools developed to assist with incoming data streams (data loggers, flow rates, discharge volumes, water quality)

– SiteFX implemented for sampling program management

– EarthFX still maintains master database, tools used to capture data, and releases data to project partners as required

SiteFX OverviewFeatures Include:• Data Loading (data loggers / water quality)• Analysis (graphing, screening)• Reporting (summary and exceedance reports)• Sampling Program Manager – focus

– Program libraries (sampling locations, staff, bottles, analysis packages)

– Sampling program creation– Bottle labels – Chain of custody – paper copy and electronic

Sampling Program Manager Benefits• Transcription Error Reduction and Standardization

– Users select from drop down lists • Sample location names, required analyses, dates, etc

• SiteFX maintains record of sampling– Chain of custody forms frozen at time of creation, can be regenerated at

any time but not changed

• Sample Tracking– each sample and chain of custody assigned a unique ID, ID’s are printing

on bottle labels and chain of custodies

• Improved Communication– Managers can check on sampling progress and log future sampling

requirements as necessary– Field technicians focus on more immediate time frame – what needs to get

done this week?

Factors affecting how and when used

• Number of people involved (managers, field staff, lab, etc)

• Variability of monitoring program (are locations/analysis added and dropped frequently?)

• Amount of data being collected

• Schedules / pressure

• Individual computer comfort level – very important

Users must understand the software and the apply appropriately project by project.

Sampling Program Work Flow – Sample Collection

SiteFX• sampling programs can be created in advanced

• one-off samples logged as necessary

• bottle labels produced by SiteFX

Bottle Labels• produced by SiteFX

• unique IDs

Work Orders• for tracking well purging, progress, notes, etc.

optional

Samples Collected

Collected Samples Registered

Chain of Custodies Created

SiteFX• samples logged as required

Samples Collected

Collected Samples Registered

Chain of Custodies Created

Scenario 1

Scenario 2

In both scenarios, SiteFX maintains the Sampling Record, and Chain of Custody Info stored in the database.

paper chain

Produced by SiteFX

SiteFXreconciliation

sampling programs

bottle labels, work orders

Sampling Program Work Flow- Lab Results

Project 1

Project 2

…

e-chain

Produced by SiteFX

LIMSLab

Option 1Preferred – Lab loads e-chain directly into LIMS

Option 2

paper results

Option 1

e-results

Preferred – Lab creates electronic file for results

Option 2

Chain and results reconciled. Missing data reported.

Sampling Programs – Bottle and Staff Lists

Bottle and Staff libraries can be created. These will later become the basis for drop down lists during sample scheduling, collection etc.

1) The user can create a unique list of the various container types used for sample collection.

2) A list of staff is used to track sample collection and to fill out chain of custody forms.

Sampling Programs – Laboratory Setup

The Laboratories form is used to mimic Analytical Packages provided by the laboratory. Samples programs are based on these packages.

1) User can enter lab details.

2) Electronic Chain of Custody and bottle label format is selected for each lab.

3) Lab packages are created.

4) User selects which parameters they will later expect results from for this package

Lab ABC

Sampling Programs – Program Setup

Managers can build sampling programs before they occur. The ‘base’ program is determined, followed by any exceptions.

1) Specify if program is a one-time occurrence or recurring

2) Build list of locations to be sampled

3) QA Duplicates are assigned by choosing same location twice and then giving a duplicate name

4) Tools to manage programs

Selection of desired analyses

Sampling Programs – User’s Manual Excerpt

An excerpt from the SiteFX user’s manual describes how to add intervals (ie. sampling locations) to a sampling program.

Sampling Programs – Program Setup

1) Sampling program

schedule can be viewed and

printed

Sampling Programs – Sample Collection

Field technicians can choose either pre-scheduled samples or unscheduled, ‘one-off’, samples.

1) User can view requirements of individual or all sample programs

2) One-off samples are logged separately

3) User prints field forms and bottle labels

4) Technicians can select what they plan to sample ahead of time.

5) Once labels are printed, samples move to ‘Being Sampled’ tab

Sampling Programs – Field Forms & Bottle Labels 1) Bottle labels are

printed on label paper. Each sample is assigned a unique ID which becomes part of the sample name.

2) Field forms can be printed off to track field conditions during sampling if desired.

Sampling Programs – Registering Collected Samples

1) Field information is entered if required

2) Each bottle is given a sample date and flagged as ‘collected’.

Samples are registered in SiteFX as ‘collected’ or ‘discarded’. Collected samples can be added to chain of custody forms and sent to lab.

Sampling Programs – Chain of Custody1) Receiving lab details are entered / selected

2) Bottles to be shipped are selected

Chain of custodies are created and saved in SiteFX. Past COCs are tracked and can be regenerated at any time, but their information can never be changed once created.

3) Button creates the COC and clears all selected bottles from the form.

4) User can choose to revoke a COC if mistakes are made. A new COC (with new ID) can then be made.

5) Hard copy or electronic COC can be generated at any time

Sampling Programs Status

2) Each required sample is colour coded depending on its current status.

Managers and others can review sampling program status for any program at a glance.

1) List of required samples. Example shows a monthly sampling program.

Sampling Programs – Chain of Custody

1) Many labs can load the electronic COC into their system to prevent transcription errors and save time.

2) Hard copy COCs contain all pertinent details. EarthFX can works users and labs to customize electronic and hard copy COC formats.

Sampling Programs – Data Reconciliation

Chain of custodies should be reconciled with received results. This can be handled within SiteFX, or clients may choose to use their own tools to do so.

1) Automatic reconciliation requires no user input

2) Forced and Manual reconciliation removes data that will never be received from future Automatic reconciliations