United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Monitoring
Systems and Quality Assurance
Washington DC 20460
EPA-600/4-82-056
July 1982
*>EPA
Research and Development
Seeing is
Believing

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Nearly 100 years ago George Eastman introduced
photography to the public with the phrase,
"You press the button — We do the rest."
Cover Photograph:
Hazardous Waste Site (Bruin Lagoon)
Seeing is Believing
Aerial photographic imagery is an ideal
medium for documenting the location and
size of pollution sources and providing
valuable information for determining the
fate and effect of the released pollutants.
But until now, obtaining these images for
many applications was difficult and
expensive. With technology developed by
the EPA Environmental Monitoring
Systems Laboratory in Las Vegas, Nevada
(EMSL-LV), color, color infrared or black
and white images of your area now can be
obtained at reasonable cost. The key is a
two-camera observation system, Enviro-
Pod, which can be conveniently attached to
conventional light aircraft.
Use of Enviro-Pod
Enviro-Pod allows users to obtain high-
resolution images of industrial, hazardous
waste, emergency episode and other
activities which may impact human health
or the environment of a community. The
unique design of Enviro-Pod provides a
Color Infrared Photography of Hazardous Waste Site (Bruin Lagoon) from the Vertical Camera
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WASTE LAGOONS
Enviro-Pod Imagery of Power Plant from the Vertical- (above) and Forward-Looking Cameras
Preparing Enviro-Pod for Installation on the Cessna
quick response system which is capable of
reducing costs to a minimum yet retaining
photographic quality. With only one of the
Pod's two cameras and one complete roll
of film (300 exposures), at a flight altitude
of 10,000 feet, a swath of continuous
photographic coverage can be obtained for
a distance of approximately four hundred
miles.
This capability is available to State and
local officials through cooperative
programs which can be arranged by EPA
with the States. EPA will loan Enviro-Pods
with two cameras to participating
organizations and provide necessary
support for demonstrating the
effectiveness of the system for aerial
monitoring. The State, however, will
establish the administrative mechanisms
for conducting monitoring missions and
disseminating mission products.
Applications of the Enviro-Pod include:
1.	Routine compliance monitoring and
quick response to environmental
emergencies.
2.	Oil and hazardous materials spill
detection, as well as reconnaissance
of storage and containment sites.
3.	Provision of imagery needed for
environmental impact statements.
4.	Support for abatement and
enforcement actions.
The Enviro-Pod Secured to the Cessna
vertical looking camera
forward looking camera
I

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secure the Pod to the seat rails of the
aircraft without interfering with door
closure. The camera controls provide the
option of automatic operation or individual
exposures controlled by a switch. The Pod
design has been adapted to accept other
sensor systems such as television, thermal
scanning and forward-looking infrared
imaging as they are developed.
For more information on the Enviro-Pod
contact the Director of the Environmental
Photographic Interpretation Center
(703-347-6624; FTS 8-557-3110), Warrenton,
Virginia 22186.
1 /2.000
500
6.6
16.2
0.12
individual pipes
1/10,000
2,500
164
80
0.6
outfalls, pipes
1 /20,000
5,000
659
160
1.2
people, minor stacks, typesof
vehicles
1 /40.000
10,000
2636
325
2.4
industrial components
1/48,000
12,000
3796
390
3.0
industry, major stacks, major
outfalls
Enviro-Pod Imagery with Annotated Overlay
Plume from Outfalls into Chesapeake Bay (actual negative size)
Training
Enviro-Pod aerial imagery, like all remote
sensing methods, can be considerably
more valuable when the equipment
operators are trained and experienced.
The Environmental Photographic
Interpretation Center (EPIC) in Warrenton,
Virginia, a field station to the EMSL-LV,
can train designated individuals in the
installation, maintenance and operation of
Enviro-Pod and provide various film
processing services required for training
and demonstration.
Design
The Enviro-Pod is a compact, self-
contained reconnaissance system
designed to be secured to widely available
Cessna 1 72 or 182 aircraft. According to
the type of cameras and film used, the
system can provide vertical and forward-
looking color or black and white images of
high resolution. No aircraft modifications
are required. The entire system is FAA
approved.
For flight, the Pod is mated to the outer
surface of a Cessna by steel straps which
Scale Versus Area Covered (10% overlap)
Aircraft	Area	Area	Ground
Altitude Covered Covered Resolution	Objects
Scale	(ft.)	(sq. mi.) (linear mi.) (ft.)	Observed

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