EPA 600/B-14/235 I March 2015 I www.epa.gov/researc
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Waste Estimation Support Tool User
Guide
VERSION 2
Office of Research and Development
National Homeland Security Research Center
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U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Waste Estimation Support Tool User Guide
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
National Homeland Security Research Center
Decontamination and Consequence Management Division
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
Disclaimer
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through its Office of Research and Development managed the research described here.
It has been subjected to the Agency's review and has been approved for publication. Note that approval does not signify that the
contents necessarily reflect the views of the Agency.
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Introduction 1
How to Use This Manual 1
Description 2
Design 3
Geospatial Analysis 3
Waste Spreadsheet 3
Scenario Reuse 4
Installation & Setup 5
Minimum System & Software Requirements 5
WEST Installation 6
File List 6
User Guide 7
Creating a Hazus-MH Scenario 7
Creating a WEST Scenario 8
Geospatial Analysis 9
The Wizard 11
Building a Spreadsheet Scenario 12
Spreadsheet Scenario Options 13
Waste Results 15
Exporting Results 16
Troubleshooting 18
Bibliography 19
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INTRODUCTION
Introduction
Decision support software for rapidly estimating waste inventories and levels of radioactivity
generated from a radiological incident based on decontamination and demolition decision
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Waste Estimation Support Tool (WEST) is a
novel tool for estimating the type and amount of waste generated from cleanup after a radiological
incident. The WEST was developed to support responders and planners by generating a first-order
estimate of the quantity and characteristics of waste resulting from a radiological incident as a
function of remediation choices.
CON KEY
How to Use This Manual
\TJ Valuable information 'j*]ie pujpOse of this manual is to provide you with the necessary information to operate
J^ Optional the main WEST functionality. Described in this manual are methods for installing,
Exampie configuring, and operating WEST. Before operating WEST, you should have a basic
knowledge and understanding of geographic information systems (GISs). It is highly
recommended that users have previous experience in using ArcGIS, FEMA's Hazus-MH, and Microsoft
Excel . The "icon key" to the left contains symbols intended to provide support within a particular area. Look
for these symbols throughout this guide for important information and additional guidance.
Point of Contact
Paul M. Lemieux, PhD
US EPA Office of Research and Development
National Homeland Security Research Center
Associate Division Director
NHSRC/DCMD
919-541-0962
919-541-0496 fax
lemieux.paul@,epa.gov
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INTRODUCTION
Description
Historically, disaster-planning efforts have focused primarily on emergency response, often ignoring the
management of the large quantities of waste that might result from the incident itself as well as from
subsequent response activities. For emergency planners and federal responders to scope out the waste and
debris management issues resulting from a radiological response and recovery effort, it is critical to understand
not only the quantity, characteristics, and level of residual contamination of the waste and/or debris, but also
the implications of response and cleanup approaches regarding waste generation [1]. The formulation of waste
estimates via traditional means is often time consuming and relies heavily on historical data, which, in the case
of a wide-area radiological incident, are not available. By developing a standardized method for quickly assessing
site-specific conditions (i.e., infrastructure, surface type, radionuclide activity) as a function of decontamination
strategies, decision makers may gain a better understanding of scope, impact, and implications of radiological
incidents and will hopefully be able to mount a more effective response, both in terms of being protective of
public health and the environment and in terms of cost effectiveness.
For these purposes, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed a dynamic tool capable of
addressing such gaps. The EPA's Waste Estimation Support Tool (WEST) is a novel application of the Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazus-MH software that enables users to estimate the
characteristics, amount, and residual radioactivity of waste generated from remediation and cleanup activities
after a radiological incident, including radiological dispersal devices (HDDs), improvised nuclear devices
(INDs), and nuclear power plant (NPP) accidents [2]. WEST focuses on waste and how it plays an important
role in a remediation strategy. In spite of the importance of waste in a remediation strategy, WEST is not
limited to recovery operations. In fact, WEST could successfully be used as a planning tool for resource
projections, decontamination, demolition, waste management strategies, and policymaking [3]. The WEST
methodology is shown in Figure 1.
Autonomous SurfaceDetectionTool
^ "X
IW.E.S.T.
Waste Estimation Support Tools
EARTHQUAKE • WIND • FLOOD
Database Tool
Building Stock Extraction Tool
Waste Estimates:
• Mass
• Volume
• Activity
Figure 1. WEST DATA FLOW CONCEPT
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INTRODUCTION
WEST is composed of an array of applications and scripts that span multiple application platforms, including
several standalone applications. These processes are integrated by means of a user-friendly graphical user
interface (GUI), with the intent of simplifying the process of processing the data for the user [4]. The intended
WEST users include waste management decision makers, technical working groups, on-scene coordinators,
and other remediation professionals who may not have in-depth GIS expertise, but who have a basic
understanding of the principles of geospatial analysis and who have access to the necessary suite of software
that WEST requires to operate. The GUI is used to create, edit, or delete scenarios, and to rapidly and
automatically perform the complex series of geospatial analysis operations that would otherwise require more
significant GIS expertise. Upon creating an initial scenario using Hazus-MH, a wizard, consisting of a sequence
of dialog boxes, is used to walk the end-user through the processes described below.
There are three types of nested scenarios used by WEST: 1) the Hazus-MH Scenario that describes the plumes
and underlying census tracts; 2) the WEST Wizard Scenario, that takes the Hazus-MH scenario and adds the
underlying infrastructure and outdoor surface estimates; and 3) the WEST Spreadsheet Scenario, which takes
the two previously mentioned scenario types and incorporates information about the contamination source
and decontamination/demolition strategies. Unless the underlying information in 1) or 2) above changes, then
only MS Excel® is needed to create and manipulate the Spreadsheet scenarios, further reducing the resource
and software requirements for the user.
Geospatial Analysis
WEST uses plumes shape files (i.e., polygons) to define geographical areas representing various levels of
contamination. These files are typically generated by the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Committee
(NARAC); however, the plume shape files can be created in dispersion modeling programs or even manually
drawn in GIS applications [4]. WEST relies heavily on ESRI's ArcGIS to process these complex geometries
and often requires a specialist to operate if the plume shape files are not delivered to the user in the required
format that NARAC uses. To mitigate this constraint, GIS scripts were developed to verify shape file formats,
automatically calculate the area of the plume, and intersect its boundaries with those of census tracts that are
later used to query infrastructure data from the FEMA Hazus-MH database.
When spatially assessing contaminated areas, there are two regions of concern: 1) the affected infrastructure;
and 2) the surfaces between the pieces of infrastructure. WEST characterizes the spaces between the buildings
by analyzing overhead satellite imagery and, based on the colors within the affected areas, estimates the
composition of the spaces between the buildings. In parallel to this process, WEST utilizes the HAZUS
database to quantify underlying infrastructure according to specific occupancy types, aggregated at the census
tract level. Based on the geospatial analysis described above, a custom executable queries the Hazus-MH
database. The resulting data are imported to Microsoft Excel®, which is used to generate waste estimates.
Waste Spreadsheet
The WEST uses a Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)-based Microsoft Excel spreadsheet that provides an
interface for end-users to specify various required inputs, modify default parameters, and subsequently view the
results. Upon opening the spreadsheet, the end-user is given the option of opening an existing scenario or
creating a new one. When creating a new scenario, the end-user must establish three sets of parameters: 1)
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INTRODUCTION
geospatial contamination data, 2) time and activity, and 3) decontamination strategy. These parameters are
described in further detail below [1]:
• Geospatial Data: this input represents the data generated by the geospatial analysis referenced above.
The Geospatial Data input contains information on plume boundaries, infrastructure, and detected
surfaces. This input cannot be modified from within the spreadsheet.
• Time and Activity: end-users can define the radionuclide(s) deposited at various activities (based on
three deposition zone boundaries) from the incident epicenter at a given elapsed time since initial
deposition.
• Decontamination Strategy: end-users can specify the type of decontamination technology to be used on
various surfaces in each deposition zone or can choose to model the demolition of a fraction of user-
specific occupancy types in any given zone. The decontamination technologies described are derived
from published operational data. These data were acquired by EPA through testing real radioactive
materials in a laboratory environment.
These three types of data can be used independently of each other; for example, a given Decontamination
Strategy could be applied to any number of Geospatial Data sets.
Once the demolition and/or decontamination parameters have been specified, the WEST then generates a
scenario containing the amount and activity of contaminated waste that is estimated to be generated based on
the parameters define above. The waste estimates include building materials and ground surface materials as
well as the wastewater that is generated during decontamination activities. Optionally, results from the WEST
can be subjected to sensitivity analysis using Microsoft Excel® add-ons such as Crystal Ball® to identify impacts
of decisions on such output variables as amount/activity of waste, type of waste, or remediation costs.
Time to Produce Results
Since the release of Version 1.0 of WEST, significant advancements have been made in reducing the amount of
time it takes to generate waste estimates, particularly in the process of generating the Geospatial Data. These
advancements are attributed to the significant automation of the data processing steps and the simplicity of the
user interface. Using the current version of WEST (Version 2.0), approximately ten minutes from beginning to
end are needed to generate waste estimates. This ten minute requirement is a considerable improvement in
comparison to the earlier run times of 6+ hours using WEST Version 1.0. By not being time-constrained for
replacing the Geospatial Data component of the waste estimation, a much more diverse set of scenarios can be
analyzed.
Scenario Reuse
WEST scenarios consist of a number of inputs (i.e., GIS, time and activity, source, and decontamination
approach). Although GIS inputs are scenario-specific, the hazard-specific inputs (i.e., time and activity, source,
and decontamination approach) can be interchanged or reused to evaluate options or event magnitude. The
GIS inputs should be revised when the source location, plume boundaries, or infrastructure are updated. If the
GIS inputs must be changed, it is highly recommended that you recreate your Hazus and WEST scenario.
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INSTALLATION & SETUP
Installation & Setup
Below you will find step-by-step instructions to download and install W^EST
T
his chapter explains how to install and set up WEST. Before installation, confirm that your system
meets or exceeds the recommended hardware and software requirements. It is highly recommended
that you remove previous versions of WEST (using the standard Windows application uninstall procedure)
before continuing. If you have earlier versions of ArcGIS and Hazus-MH, those should be removed as well
prior to installation of WEST, again, using the standard Windows application uninstall procedure.
Note
WEST requires specific software and hardware to operate
Minimum System & Software Requirements
This section provides the minimum system requirements and required software for WEST. Meeting the
minimum system requirements does not guarantee that WEST will operate as intended. Memory requirements
are dependent on study region size and configuration. WEST has been tested with study regions that
encompass several counties in Colorado and Pennsylvania, but it is possible that study regions could be selected
that could be large enough to result in instability, which would likely manifest itself as memory errors and
unexpected application terminations.
Table 1. Minimum Hardware Requirements
Processor
RAM
Screen Resolution
Operating System
Disk Space
Pentium 4/M or equivalent
3GB
1024x768 pixels
Windows XP/7
45 GB (includes required software)
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INSTALLATION & SETUP
Table 2. Software Requirements
Ha2us-MH 2.1
ArcGIS 10 Service Pack 3
Microsoft Excel® 2007 or later
LabVIEW 2012 runtime
Note
It is important that you install ArcMap and Hazus-MH before
installing WEST
WEST Installation
To install WEST:
• Download the latest version of WEST from the following location:
o http://cfpub.epa.gov/si/si public file download.cfmpp download id=517917
• Double-click the file and go through the installation process
• You should now be able to run WEST by going to Start > Programs > Waste Estimation Support
Tool icon
File List
The following files will be installed on your computer. It is highly recommended that you do not modify or
delete these files:
Item
Description
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tl
en
P-.
3
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P-.
O
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P-
CD
Decou (Folder)
GIS_Scenarios (Folder)
SS_Scenarios (Folder)
TA (Folder)
BuildPlume.py (Python File)
CalculatePlume.py (Python File)
Capturelmage.py (Python File)
DESC.txt (Text File)
HazLoc.txt (Text File)
Help.txt (Text File)
RegionLoc.txt (Text File)
SS_Interface.xlsm (Excel File)
WEST Readme.rtf (Text File)
WEST Tools.tbx (Esn Toolbox File)
WEST.exe (Executable File)
WESTDirectory.txt (Text File)
Decontamination Files
GIS Files
Scenario Files
Time and Activity Files
Plume Continuity
Plume and Census Tract Distribution
Aerial Imagery Collection
Scenario Description Repository
Hazus Install Directory
Help Repository (Currently not Used)
Hazus Region Folder Location
WEST Spreadsheet
File information
Python File Repository
WEST Scenario Management
Active WEST Directory
WESTTrainingSet-Trained.txt (Text File) Neural Network Training Set
Where Hazus.exe (Executable File) Define Hazus Directory
Winzard.exe (Executable File) Guided Scenario Setup
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USER GUIDE
User Guide
A quick start guide for creating a WEST scenario
WEST consists of two major elements: 1) Geographic Information Systems (GIS) modules to assess
the affected area, and 2) a macro-enabled spreadsheet to calculate waste quantity and characteristics
as a function of decontamination strategy, based on data developed from the GIS modules. WEST
operates by exploiting plume models depicting deposition and concentration levels, outdoor surface
classification capabilities based on aerial imagery and building stock data (i.e., building quantity, size, square
footage, and construction materials). Although the underlying calculations are complex, WEST features a user
friendly interface to simplify these processes. This chapter provides the necessary steps to create a WEST
scenario from beginning to end.
Note
WEST requires that a Hazus-MH scenario be created before creating a scenario
Creating a Hazus-MH Scenario
WEST operates as an extension of Hazus-MH, FEMA's program for modeling potential losses from
earthquakes, floods and wind events. Hazus-MH operates within the ArcGIS application framework. This
section will explain how to create a Hazus-MH scenario for use in WEST. WEST uses the Hazus-MH
earthquake module to create scenarios.
before proceeding, confirm that you have downloaded and extracted the state inventory
database of interest from the Ha^us website orHa^us Data DVD tojourHa^us Data
folder.
1. Double click the Hazus-MH 2.1 icon located on the desktop.
2. From the Hazus-MH startup menu, select "Create a new region" and click "OK".
3. Enter a study region name and region description (optional) and press "Next".
4. From the Hazard Type menu, select "Earthquake" and press "Next".
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USER GUIDE
5. From the Aggregation Level menu, select "County" and press "Next".
6. From the State Selection menu, select state(s) of interest and click "Next".
7. From the County Selection menu, selection "Show Map".
8. From the toolbar, select the "Add Data" button and with the "Add" button add the low-
concentration, largest-area plume file.
You may use the ^pom function located in the toolbar to ^oom in on the area of interest.
9. From the toolbar, select the "Select Features" button, select the counties that intersect your
plume, and press "Selection Done." The counties you previously selected should now be
highlighted in the Counties menu. Press "Next" to continue.
10. Press "Finish" to finalize your selections. Hazus will now generate your Study Region, which may
take a few minutes. A dialog box will appear saying "Region Aggregation Successful". Press
"OK".
Creating a WEST Scenario
WEST functions as a standalone add-on that performs a complex series of operations necessary to extract
infrastructure data and analyze outdoor surface areas. The following procedures describe how to create a
basic WEST scenario.
1. Once your Hazus-MH Study Region has finished processing, double click the Waste Estimation
Support Tool icon located on the desktop.
2. Click the "Create a scenario" radio button and press "OK".
3. Give your scenario a name and assign the region name you created in the Hazus tool.
Optional: Give jour scenario a description.
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USER GUIDE
4. Select "Use Default Building Scheme" and select "Done".
Note
WEST utilizes the pre-defined infrastructure types of Hazus-MH to generate waste estimates.
WEST allows you to customize your own building scheme based on grouping the Hazus-MH
occupancy types into a reduced list of occupancy types based on potential occupancy-based
remediation strategies (e.g., grouping residence types or school types together).
5. When prompted that the scenario was created successfully, click "OK".
6. Click "Open a Scenario" and press "OK" then select the scenario that you created and click
"Open".
7. The applet will close and the WEST Wizard will now open.
Geospatial Analysis
WEST scenarios are site-specific because the gathered infrastructure and surface data are based on the
user's area of interest, and therefore require an array of analytical tools. The following steps describe how
to complete the necessary geospatial analysis procedures.
1. Reopen the Hazus-MH software.
2. Select "Open a region", press "OK", then "Next".
3. Select your name as the region, click "Next", and click "Finish".
Note
Be patient; ArcGIS will now load. Loading ArcGIS may take up to 5 minutes or longer
4. If the Arc Toolbox tab is not already displayed, click the "Arc Toolbox Tab"
[5] ArcToolbox I IH=1 Table OF Contents I
(located at the bottom left), and expand the WEST Tools
Toolbox by clicking the "+" sign to expand the menu. If "West Tools is not visible in the list,
right click on "Arc Toolbox" in the sidebar and navigate to your WEST folder (e.g., in Windows
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USER GUIDE
7 this would be C:\Program Files (x86)\Waste Estimation Support Tool). Once there select the
"West Tools.tbx" file and click "Open".
5. Double click the "Build Plume" icon to open the Build Plume script.
WEST requires that the plume be a multi-layered shapefile with three regions or three
separate shapefiles. If you have more than three plumes, select which plumes best represent
your area of interest or remediation strategy. These regions become the "%pnes" used
throughout WEST. Zone 1 is typically the smallest, most contaminated %pne; Zone 2 is typically
contaminated with an intermediate level of contamination and is larger than Zone 1, and Zone 3 is
typically the area with the lowest level of contamination and is the largest geographically.
6. Load the shapefile using the "Plume" option only if the shapefile contains exactly three polygons
(i.e., zones); otherwise, you must select the "Build Plume" option, and load three separate
shapefiles by order of contamination (i.e., zone 1 being the most contaminated).
7. Click "Ok" and once the script has finished executing, click "Close".
8. Double click the "Calculate Plume" icon to open the Calculate Plume script.
9. From the "Plume" dropdown list, select the "Plume_" shapefile with the user-assigned scenario
name attached.
10. From the "Census Tract Region" dropdown list, select the "Study Region Tract" shapefile.
11. Click "Ok" and once the script has finished executing, click "Close".
WEST uses aerial imagery to estimate outdoor surface types. This user guide contains
instructions on how to add default ArcGIS imagery. You may add jour own imagery by
simply adding that imagery via the "Add Data" button before running the Capture Image
script.
12. Click the down arrow next to the "Add Data" button (located in the toolbar up top) and click
"Add Basemap" or add your own imagery.
13. Within the Add Basemap dialog, select the "Imagery" button and click "Add".
14. Click the "Table of Contents" tab (located at the bottom left) to display the available layers.
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USER GUIDE
15. Uncheck all layers (except for the Basemap and associated "Imagery" layer) by clicking the
checkbox next to each layer (i.e., no layers should be displayed expect for the aerial imagery).
16. Click the "Arc Toolbox Tab" (located at the bottom left) to return to ArcToolbox.
17. Double click the "Capture Image" icon to open the Capture Image script.
18. From the "Plume" dropdown list, select "Plume" shapefile with the user assigned scenario name
attached.
19. Click "Ok" and once the script has finished executing, click the "Close" button.
20. Close ArcGIS.
21. When prompted to save, click the "No" button.
The Wizard
The wizard consists of a sequence of dialog boxes used to assist the user interactively through a series of post-
processing operations. The following procedure describes how to complete the necessary procedures.
1. If Wizard is already running in your taskbar, skip to step 2. If Wizard is not already opened,
launch WEST.
2. Click the "Open Scenario" radio button and press "OK".
3. Select your scenario and press "Open".
4. From the Wizard, click the "Next" button.
5. Click the "Confirm" button to confirm the existence of the required GIS files and click "Next".
6. When prompted, acknowledge that you have closed Hazus-MH/ArcGIS by click the "I have
closed all non-essential programs" button.
Note
The Wizard requires an extensive amount of processing power and, at times, may become
temporarily unresponsive. The surface recognition algorithms require significant amounts of
memory, thus the requirement to close other memory-intensive applications.
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USER GUIDE
7. Once enabled, click the "Next" button to proceed. The next process will begin automatically.
8. The image analysis software will now run, once enabled; click the "Next" button to proceed.
9. Click the "Launch Waste Tool" button to launch the spreadsheet.
The spreadsheet may take a moment to launch. Once loaded, the Wizard will
automatically close.
Building a Spreadsheet Scenario
The build scenario screen not only allows the user to configure their scenario based on a number of
parameters but also allows the user to alternate data files between runs. This particularly useful when
comparing decontamination strategies. The following procedures describe how to configure a WEST
scenario.
Steps 1 through 3 apply in cases where security options for MS Office are set to initially disable
macros. If macros are not disabled, then go straight to Step 4-.
\. From the WEST Spreadsheet, click the "Options" button.
2. Click the "Enable this content" radio button and press "OK".
3. Click the "Start" button.
4. Click the "Build Scenario" button.
5. Enter a scenario name in the "Scenario Name" text box.
6. If necessary, enter a description in the "Comments" text box.
The WEST is preloaded with example "Time Elapsed and Radionuclide Activity" and
"Decontamination Strategy" data files. You may use these files, edit them as you see fit, or
create your own from scratch.
7. Under "WEST Output and Contamination Data Files" highlight/select the scenario you just
created.
8. Under "Time Elapsed and Radionuclide Activity Data Files", select "Sample Release".
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USER GUIDE
The Time Elapsed Since Initial Deposition window allows you to establish time (in
months) elapsed since initial deposition, preferred units, and relevant radionuclide(s) and
their associated activities. You may also include daughter pro ducts resultingfrom the
radioactive decay process.
9. Under "Decontamination Strategy Data Files", select either "Extensive Decon" or "Limited
Decon" (both of those decontamination strategies are examples with different decontamination
choices).
The Decontamination Strategy Parameters window allows you to establish jour overall
decontamination strategy for a select type of surface media within each %pne.
10. Under the Create Scenario section at the top of the screen, click the "Create Scenario" button.
Wait for the tool to build the scenario. Once completed, the new scenario (your newly created
scenario) will appear in the Existing Scenarios list.
Spreadsheet Scenario Options
One of the major benefits of WEST is the ability to estimate waste as your decontamination and
demolition strategy evolves to find the most effective solution for a specific incident. The following
procedures describe how to establish your decontamination strategy.
1. Ensure your scenario file is highlighted and click the "Open" button. Wait for the scenario file to
open. Once the file opens, the Scenario Information screen will appear.
2. Under the "Partitioning and Remaining Activity" menu, you may view the calculated deposition
activities for various ground surfaces and building surfaces in each zone by selecting "Activity at
Deposition" under "Data Type" and selecting the zone of interest. You may also view the
calculated activities at 365 days by selecting "Remaining Activity at t" under Data Type.
You may change the time elapsed since initial deposition by clicking the "Modify Time
Elapsed Since Initial Deposition " button in the second row of buttons at the top of the
screen.
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USER GUIDE
The deposition activities mil be recalculated if the default source partitioningfactors are
modified (by selecting the "View/Modify Source Partitioning Factors" button at the tap
of the screen).
The remaining activities at 365 days (or other elapsed time if modified) will be
recalculated if the default weathering correction factors are modified (by selecting the
"View I Modify Weathering Correction Factors" button at the top of the screen).
3. Under the Decon/Demo Parameters" menu you may view the estimated percentages of total
ground area comprised of asphalt, concrete, and soil that are populated based on the data
generated from the creation of the GIS scenario. These "default" values may be modified by
typing in new values. The total percentage of the three surface types for each zone must equal
100%.
Percentages may slightly vary by scenario. Zones not totaling 100% are accountingfor
water (i.e., this is normal).
Should you want to go back to the initial values generated from the surface area analysis
during creation of the GIS scenario, you may click the "Restore Initial Values" button.
4. Click the "Buildings" button in the second row of buttons at the top of the screen. The
percentages of all buildings in each zone, regardless of occupancy classification that will be
demolished or decontaminated are populated based on the data from the Decontamination
Strategy File used to create the scenario and are used as default values for all occupancy
classifications. Should you desire to refine your estimates further by specifying different
demolition and decontamination percentages for different occupancy classifications in each zone,
the default values may be modified by typing in new values. The total percentage of the three
surface types for each zone must not exceed 100% but can be less than 100% (to account for
buildings that will not be demolished or decontaminated)
5. Click the "Decontamination Strategy" button in the third row of buttons from the top of the
screen. Similar to the demolition and decontamination percentages, the percentage of the surface
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USER GUIDE
area for each four building surface types that will have a particular decontamination method
applied (regardless of occupancy classification) are populated based on the data from the
Decontamination Strategy File used to create the scenario and are used as default values for all
occupancy classifications. Should you desire to refine your estimates further by specifying
different percentages of each surface type for different occupancy classifications in each zone, the
default values may be modified by typing in new values. The total percentage of the area of each
surface type for which any mix of decontamination techniques may be applied must not exceed
100 %, but can be less than 100 % (to account for surface areas that will not be decontaminated).
Each decontamination technology uses a set of default parameters that affects the waste
results. Those decontamination technique parameters may be modified by clicking the
"View/Modify Decontamination Technique Properties" button in the second
row of buttons from the top of the screen
Waste Results
Your decontamination strategy, up to this point, influences the overall waste results. The following
procedures describe how to view those results.
1. Click the "Waste Results" button at the top of the screen.
2. Waste results are available in three different formats:
• Summary Data: solid and liquid waste estimates from both demolition and decontamination
activities.
• Decontamination Detail Data: solid waste mass, volume, and activities for various solid waste
streams, and liquid waste mass, volume, and activity.
• Demolition Detail Data: solid and liquid waste mass, volume, and estimated activity.
3. Click the "Waste Graphs" button at the top of the screen.
4. Waste results are available as pie charts in four different formats:
• Solid Waste Volume Percentage — All Zones.
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USER GUIDE
• Liquid Waste Volume Percentage — All Zones.
• Estimated Solid Waste Activity (uCi/m3) by Volume Percent — All Zones.
• Estimated Aqueous Waste Activity (uCi/m3) by Volume Percent — All Zones.
5. Click the "Home" button at the top of the screen.
6. Click the "Exit" button at the top of the screen.
Exporting Results
Because WEST is based on Microsoft Office Excel®, the spreadsheets, calculations, and results can be
viewed in a tabular form. This feature enables users to run Excel plugins like Crystal Ball to perform
further analysis of decontamination and demolition decisions. It is highly recommended that users back
up or copy the scenario file before making any modifications. Failure to do so may corrupt the scenario
file.
It is recommended that only advanced users utiR^e the export spreadsheet capability.
1. Navigate to your WEST operating directory (in the case of Windows 7, this would be:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Waste Estimation Support Tool).
2. Open the "SS_Folder" directory.
3. Locate the Excel file (i.e., .xlsx) containing the name of the scenario you wish to edit and double
click to open.
4. From Excel®, select the "View" button located in the "Menu Bar".
5. In the "Window" menu, click "Unhide", select your scenario, and click "Ok".
6. All previously hidden sheets are now revealed. From here, you may explore the sheets, view or
modify the algorithms, or create personalized graphs and tables. Please note that modifying the
spreadsheets may affect your final results or even corrupt the scenario file. It is highly
recommended that you back up the file before making any modifications.
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USER GUIDE
Congratulations, you have completed your first WEST scenario. Be sure to provide
feedback so we can continue to improve WEST. Thank you for your interest.
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TROUBLESHOOTING
Troubleshooting
A
T
his chapter provides solutions to commonly found problems that users may encounter using
WEST. It is recommended that you confirm software and hardware compatibility (information
found in Chapter 1 of this document) before continuing.
PROBLEM
CAUSE
REMEDY
WEST or Hazus crashes
unexpectedly
with/without error
"unable to access file".
Software becomes
unresponsive for an
extended period of time.
The BuildPlume script
crashes or fails.
The WEST Spreadsheet
crashes when creating or
building a scenario.
Software lacks the rights
necessary to read or write files
in the root directory.
WEST requires the user have at
least 3 gigabytes of memory to
run.
WEST requires the plume be
projected and clear of errors
before running BuildPlume.
The spreadsheet is either
corrupt or macros are not
enabled.
Launch both WEST and Hazus as
administrator.
Install WEST on an alternate
machine with upgraded memory.
Define a projection and check for
errors or ask a GIS expert for
help.
Enable macros from the options
menu upon starting the spreadsheet.
If enabling macros fails to resolve
the issues, reinstall WEST.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bibliography
A list of references
1. Lemieux, P., T. Boe, D. Schultheisz, T. Peake and C. Hayes (2014). Integrating Decontamination
Strategies into a Waste Estimation Support Tool for Radiological Incidents. Waste Management
2014 Conference Paper. Phoenix, AZ
2. Boe, T., P. Lemieux, D. Schultheisz, T. Peake and C. Hayes (2013). A Planning Tool for
Estimating Waste Generated by a Radiological Incident and Subsequent Decontamination
Efforts. Waste Management 2013 Conference Paper. Phoenix, AZ.
3. U.S. EPA (2012). Radiological Dispersal Device (ROD) Waste Estimation Support Tool Version
1.2 (Final Report, Spreadsheet, GIS Scripts)
4. Lemieux, P., J. Wood, E. Snyder, T. Boe, D. Schultheisz, T. Peake, M. lerardi, C. Hayes and M.
Rodgers (2011). GIS-Based Tools to Identify Tradeoffs between Waste Management and
Remediation Strategies from Radiological Dispersal Device Events. Conference Paper,
Proceedings of the Conference on Waste Management, Decommissioning and Environmental
Restoration for Canada's Nuclear Activities. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
National Homeland Security Research Center
Decontamination and Consequence Management Division
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
PRESORTED STANDARD
POSTAGE & FEES PAID
EPA
PERMIT NO. G-35
Office of Research and Development (8101R)
Washington, DC 20460
Official Business
Penalty for Private Use
$300
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