Project Summary
This research project addressed urgent Hazardous Waste Management needs of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in the following two areas: (a) Initial site assessment and preliminary site investigation for suspected hazardous waste sites on existing, and more particularly proposed, rights-of-way (ROW); and (b) Preliminary site investigation of leaking underground fuel tanks located at Caltrans maintenance stations. The products of this research include two knowledge-based expert system (KBES) computer programs, SITE (Site Investigation and Training Expert Advisor) and TANKS (Tank Advisor and Knowledge System), for Apple Macintosh microcomputers, training of Caltrans Office of Hazardous Waste Management and Division of Highway Maintenance staff in the use of these programs, and five volumes of documentation: (1) Final Report (this report); (2) SITE Version 2.0 User’s Manual; (3) SITE Version 2.0 Reference Guide; (4) TANKS Version 2.0 User’s Manual; and (5) TANKS Version 2.0 Reference Guide. Both SITE and TANKS have undergone an extensive evaluation phase, including limited field-testing of SITE in three different district offices, and the Hazardous Waste Management group has an on-going interest in the evaluation, maintenance, and refinement of both systems. This final report concludes with a number of recommendations for possible implementation by Caltrans concerning knowledge-based expert systems.
