Illegal Dumpsite Map and Informational Website

Transcription

1 Illegal Dumpsite Map and Informational Website Dominick Elkins, Faith Cordes, and Shweta Shah Environmental Geology, EMPACTS: Professor Paul Lowrey Fall 2015, NorthWest Arkansas Community College, Bentonville, AR

2 Unauthorized or Illegal Dumping

3 Project Introduction Unauthorized or illegal dumping is a threat to a communitie s health and safety. Many counties and local governments lack the resources to police the existence of such sites. Our project focuses on.. 1) The location of existing sites in Benton county of NW Arkansas 2) The use of GIS technology to assist in mapping the locations of existing sites 3) Research and share information about the process of reporting such sites to the authorities

4 Community Our map will provide BentonCounty with information about illegal dumpsites, the locations of the dumpsite we discovered, and how to report other illegal dumps to the proper authorities. Services Include Solid waste management programs for Benton County citizens including: Drop-off recycling center in Centerton Rural recycling locations throughout Benton County County Convenience Center for bulky waste items Household Hazardous Waste collection Waste Hauler referral and licensing Electronic waste collection from residents and businesses Waste tire collection Environmental education & public outreach School and Non-Profit recycling program Technical assistance waste reduction/sustainability Monthly recycling drive at Wal-Mart ISD

5 Curriculum Course learning Outcomes Understanding the geologic factors affecting groundwater and surface water contamination. Understanding the geological aspects of waste management and disposal. Recognized the relationships between humans and the environment. Demonstrated the ability to utilize Global Positioning Systems and GIS technology.

6 Methodology Originally, we wanted to map illegal dumpsites in Benton and Washington County, though later through our project we decided to stick to Benton County. We met with Professor Dianne Phillips to discuss our project and she suggested we use Google Earth and Google Maps to scan areas for potential dumpsites. Shweta and Dominick searched for potential illegal dumpsites in Benton County. Faith searched for sites in both Benton and Washington County. Once we collected the address and coordinates of potential sites using Google Maps, Faith created Excel spreadsheets to record the address, location, and materials that appeared to be at the sites. After compiling our data, we met as a group in the EMPACTS Lab to meet with Nathan Sorey. Nathan helped us create a map on Arc GIS using the data points on the spreadsheets, as well as, uploading the maps to Collector App for us to use on our field work trip. Shweta borrowed a tablet from Nathan to take on our trip. The three of us met at NWACC to visit our potential illegal dumpsites in Benton County. Faith drove, Shweta used her phone as a hotspot and used GPS to located sites we had listed on our map, and Dominick recorded our findings on the Collector App. The three of us took pictures of each site visited, which we 8, though the only illegal dumpsite that we confirmed was on Asher Drive in Rogers. Asher was our first stop. Faith and Dominick explored the area and took pictures in the ravine, and Shweta took pictures from the roadside and top of the ravine. We used our findings to update our information. We combined our research and images to submit to Professor Phillips to prepare our site and create our new proposal presentation. List and map are hyperlinked.

7 Timeline 9/17: Group Meeting I: Dianne Phillips 4:00 pm -Faith, Shweta, Dominick 9/28: Share Internet research via Outlook -Shweta, Dominick, Faith: Benton County Towns 10/01: Group Meeting II: EMPACTS Lab 3:00 pm (Locating sites using Google Earth) -Faith, Dominick 10/03: Group Meeting III: NWACC Library 10:30 am (Benton County Sites/Correct PowerPoint) -Faith, Shweta 10/05: Contact Nathan S. for GIS information -Faith 10/08: Scheduled GIS Training with Nathan Sorey via Outlook -Faith 10/10: Group Meeting IV: NWACC Library 10:30 am ( Gather Individual research, create Google Maps, Field Work) -Shweta, Faith *Field Work rescheduled 10/18: Shweta received tablet from Nathan. 10/19: Field Work: NWACC Parking Lot 10:30 am -Shweta, Faith, Dominick 11/05: Group Meeting V: Diana Phillips 3:00 pm -Faith *Shweta sick 12/01: Shweta and Faith begin updating Power Point information 12/03: Group Meeting VI: Updating Power Point slides -Shweta, Faith 12/03: Group meeting VII: Submission of updated Power Point slides and field work pictures. -Shweta, Dominick, Faith 12/04 : Final Corrections of Power Point and submission to Dianne for website -Faith

8 Project Methodology We first researched illegal dumping. We used Google Maps an Google Earth to search for the potential dumpsites in Benton County. We created a Google Map of the potential dumpsites. We used the data and observations of potential sites on Google Maps to create spreadsheets on Excel of locations, coordinates, and materials. We used the spreadsheets to create an Arc GIS map. We drove to the potential dumpsites to determine whether or not they were actual illegal dumpsites. We recorded our findings using Collector App. We took pictures of the illegal dumpsite that we found. We used the information to update our Power Point, as well as, the NWACC website that Professor Dianne Phillips has created.

9 We used Google Earth to scan and locate potential dumpsites and Google Maps for addresses and coordinates. We used Microsoft Word to create lists of site addresses and coordinates. We used Microsoft Excel to create spreadsheets of addresses, global positioning coordinates, and material type. We used our spreadsheets to create an Arc GIS map of our possible illegal dumpsites. We used GPS, also Google Maps, to locate potential dumpsites as we drove during our field work. We used iphone cameras to photograph the illegal dumpsite we found that shows the types of materials that we found and the sites location. We used Collector App to record our findings as we worked in the field. Technology

10 Project Results Our first stop of our Field Work study was to 905 E Asher Drive in Rogers (Benton County) As we were nearing our site, we entered a residential community undergoing new construction. As we reached the end of the road, where the construction ended, we found our first indications of illegal dumping: a broke Barbie Jeep, some black plastic bags, an empty 30 pack of Natural Light, and some other smaller materials. Dominick and Faith ventured further into an area of denser foliage, following a trail of trash, into a ravine filled with plastic bottles and bags, broken electronics and appliances, cardboard materials, paper products, various metals, glass, and tires. The site was large. Trash spanned the length of the ravine adjacent to the road. It also when deeper into the ravine, where we did not venture. This site is located next to property belonging to The City of Rogers Water and Sewer Department. Our other stops were not actual dumpsites or they were on private properties. We concluded to limit our project to Benton County rather than the addition of Washington County.

11 Specific Content Learned

12 Acknowledgements We would first like to thank Professor Paul Lowrey for providing the guidelines for a successful proposal and project. We would also like to thank Professor Lowrey for his assistance throughout the semester. We also owe a huge thanks to Professor Dianne Philips for all the support and guidance she has given us for our project, for making our website, for meeting with us, and for keeping in contact with us. We owe a special thanks to Nathan Sorey, EMPACTS GIS Technology Specialist for assisting us with the creation of our Arc GIS map and for his assistance with the Collector App. We would to thank Shay Harris for also creating an Arc GIS map for us from his personal software.