HotSpots Analysis and Reporting Program (HARP)
Air Dispersion Module and Health Risk Assessment Module Survey
June 2009
RETURN DATE: July 10, 2009
California Environmental Protection Agency Air Resources Board
Page 2 HotSpots Analysis and Reporting Program Survey
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section Page
I. Air Dispersion Module...... 4 II. Health Risk Assessment Module...... 12
Please feel free to contact one of the following staff for questions concerning the survey.
Yang-Ping Zuo Greg Harris Phone: (916) 327-5616 Phone: (916) 327-5980 Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected]
Hafizur Chowdhury Phone: (916) 322-2275 Email: [email protected]
Please email the completed survey by July 10, 2009 to:
Hafizur Chowdhury ([email protected])
Page 3 COMPANY CONTACT INFORMATION
Company Name:
Mailing Address:
City:
State / Province: Postal/Zip Code:
Contact Person:
Title:
Phone: Fax:
Email Address:
Instructions:
1. Please complete all the survey questions so that we can assess potential modifications to the HARP software.
2. Return the completed survey via email ONLY by July 10, 2009.
Page 4 I. Air Dispersion Module
1. Which models do you currently use for near field modeling such as for toxics? Check ALL that apply.
ISCST3 AERMOD CALPUFF SCREEN3 CALINE Others (please list)
2. Will your selection of current dispersion models change in the future? Pick ONE answer and explain your choice.
Yes No If yes, please identify the models that you will use and list the program(s) (e.g., Hot Spots, permitting, CEQA, etc.,) this modeling will support.
3. Do you currently use the ISCST3 model in HARP for air dispersion modeling? Pick ONE answer and explain your choice.
Yes No Sometimes
4. Do you currently use the HARP On-Ramp to bring modeling results into HARP? Pick ONE answer and explain your choice. Page 5 Yes. Please list the models you have used with this feature No
5. Do you currently use a commercially available software package to setup and run your dispersion analyses? Yes No, I use the US-EPA executable version of the model.
If yes, please identify the software. Check ALL that apply. Bee-Line - BEEST Lakes Trinity - Breeze EXINTER Others (please list)
6. What types of emission sources do you model? Check ALL that apply.
Point Area Volume Pit Line Other (please list)
7. Do you use representative hourly meteorological data for your near field models? Pick ONE answer.
Yes No
8. What receptor layout do you use when modeling? Check ALL that apply.
Page 6 Grid Polar Discrete
9. What is the maximum number of receptor sets that you have used in past projects?
10.What is the typical number of receptor sets that you have used in past projects?
11.Do you perform cumulative modeling analyses (e.g., modeling runs that contain multiple release types, emission sources, and/or facilities)? Pick ONE answer.
Yes No If yes, do you use HARP for these analyses? Yes No Do you have suggestions that would improve this function in HARP? Please be specific.
12.Do you have projects where two or more dispersion models are used? Pick ONE answer and explain your choice.
Yes No
Describe the type(s) of projects that require two or more air dispersion models.
Please list the software program(s) you use to combine/overlay/display the modeling results?
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13.For ISCST3 and AERMOD, do you model line sources as a series of volume sources or as an elongated area source? Please explain.
14.Do you have specific interest in accessing or evaluating CHI over Q (Χ/Q) results prior to the calculation of ground level concentrations (GLC) or potential health impacts? Pick ONE answer.
Yes No If yes, please identify how you would like this information displayed (e.g., tabulated, graphical, plotted, mapped, etc.), the tools/functions needed, and describe how you would use this feature.
15.Do you have specific interest in accessing or evaluating ground level concentrations (GLC) prior to calculating potential health impacts? Pick ONE answer.
Yes No If yes, please identify how you would like this information displayed (e.g., tabulated, graphical, plotted, mapped, etc.), the tools/functions needed, and describe how you would use this feature.
16.Do you have or use any databases that list receptors of interest, such as schools, daycare centers, hospitals, eldercare centers, etc.? Pick ONE answer.
Yes No If yes, please identify the receptor types that are included in those databases, the data source(s), and the format of that data.
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17.Do you have or use any databases that list population/census, worker populations, land use, the location or dimensions of water bodies, or other receptors of interest? Pick ONE answer.
Yes No If yes, please identify the receptor types that are included in those databases, the data source(s), and the format of that data.
18.How do you obtain building coordinates and other site-specific modeling inputs for your modeling? Pick ONE answer.
Collect onsite with GPS Use mapping program (e.g., Google Earth, GIS). List programs
Other procedure (please describe method)
19.Currently HARP auto populates some of the control and output parameters for air dispersion modeling. Do you need to manually edit these parameters? Pick ONE answer.
Yes No
20.Would you like to see the information that is being populated in the air dispersion input file as you enter the air dispersion parameters in the HARP windows? Pick ONE answer.
Yes
Page 9 No Don’t care
21.Can you suggest additional modeling features that would be of specific help to your modeling efforts in HARP? Please tell us how each of these features would be helpful to you. Provide any additional suggestions and necessary support information or examples. Check ALL that apply.
Ability to include nested grids. How many nested grids are needed?
Evaluate circular emission releases
Use of screening meteorological data
Option to omit modeled concentrations within the facility boundary
Ability to average modeled concentrations for multipathway receptors (e.g., average the concentration across a pasture)
Need for batch processing
Other (please describe)
Page 10 22.How can we make the dispersion modeling section of HARP easier to use? Please be specific and, if needed, provide examples to illustrate your point.
23.What are the most important changes that we can make to the dispersion modeling module of HARP? Please be specific.
24.If HARP is integrated with the features or changes discussed, will you use HARP for dispersion modeling? Pick ONE answer and explain your choice.
Yes No Sometimes
25.Are there features of the dispersion modeling section of HARP that really bother you? Please describe.
26.Are there features of the dispersion modeling section of HARP that you like? Please describe.
27.Do you have any additional practices, comments, or suggestions related to air dispersion modeling that we should know about?
Page 11 NOTE: Please continue to the Health Risk Assessment Module Survey on next page.
Page 12 II. Health Risk Assessment Module
1. Do you currently use HARP for risk assessment calculations? Pick ONE answer and place your comments in the text box.
Yes No, explain why you do not use HARP and describe what is used instead
2. Do you use the HARP risk assessment module for any of the following programs? Please list any additional programs where HARP is used.
Not applicable, I never use HARP AB2588 (Hot Spots) Permit applications Land Use CEQA Other (please specify)
3. Identify ALL of the typical health assessment calculations that you need to complete?
Inhalation cancer risk Multipathway cancer risk Multipathway noncancer health impacts Noncancer health impacts: acute chronic Noncancer mortality Population exposure estimates Cancer burden calculations Stochastic risk assessments Other (please specify) Page 13
4. How often do you currently use site-specific exposure information in risk assessments? Pick ONE answer and place your comments in the text box.
Whenever possible. Please identify all commonly involved exposure pathway(s) and identify the program(s) these risk assessments are required for Never Sometimes. Please identify the exposure pathway(s) involved and identify the program(s) these risk assessments are required for
5. Do you calculate health impacts for Lead and/or Asbestos? By substance, please tell us how often this calculation occurs and for what type(s) of projects or programs. Pick ONE answer and place your comments in the text box.
Lead Asbestos Both
6. Would you like to load and calculate health impacts from ground level concentrations (GLCs) independent from source information? Pick ONE answer and explain why you do or do not need this feature. Place your comments in the text box.
Yes No
7. Identify the features or approaches that you would find useful for the health risk calculations in HARP? For each choice that you select, tell us how each feature will help you. In the final text box, please rank all of your selections by importance. Provide any additional program suggestions and any needed support information.
Page 14 a) Would a format that includes a “question and action wizard” be useful for navigating through HARP? An example question could be, “Would you like to calculate inhalation cancer risk?” The program would then navigate you through the required screens. Please list the question(s) or topic(s) that you prefer are included.
b) Would you like the program to tell you which information or files (e.g., site parameters file) are required for a specific calculation?
c) Inclusion of additional task-oriented step-through menus (e.g., similar to the point-estimate step through that is currently in HARP). List the topics or applications that you feel need a step-though menu.
d) Navigation menus through the risk calculations based on the OEHHA tiered-approach to risk assessment.
e) Access to the input parameters that can be modified under each tier of the OEHHA tiered- approach to risk assessment.
f) Access to onscreen results of individual chemical and source risk contributions for each receptor?
g) Access to onscreen results of the dose or concentration by pathway?
Page 15 h) Ability to include or exclude background concentrations in risk calculations?
i) Ability to access source-specific risk tables or “industrywide” worksheets for selected industry or source types (e.g., gas stations, stationary diesel engines). Please identify the sources or categories of interest.
j) Other (please specify)
Place your ranking of features here (for example: c>d>a> b=e=f=g>h):
8. Do you use the OEHHA standard report set to compile the risk assessment results? Pick ONE answer and place your comments in the text box.
Yes. How often? No. Explain why and describe what is used instead
9. Do you have any additions or changes for the current HARP output reports?
Page 16 10.Do you want to edit or add residential or worker population data? Pick ONE answer and place your comments in the text box.
Yes. Please list your data sources, data formats, and identify any special circumstances or needed features No
11.Are there any specific quality control checks that you suggest adding to the HARP risk module? Pick ONE answer and place your comments in the text box.
Yes. Describe what you need and how you will use this No
12.Do you have any recommendations for the Site Parameters window (and associated sub- windows)? Pick ONE answer and place your comments in the text box.
Yes No
13.Do you have any recommendations for the Risk Reports window (and associated sub- windows)? Pick ONE answer and place your comments in the text box.
Yes No
14.How can we make the risk assessment module of HARP easier to use? Please be specific and, if needed, provide examples to illustrate your point.
Page 17 15.What are the most important changes that we can make to the risk assessment module of HARP? Please be specific.
16.Are there features of the risk module that really bother you? Please describe.
17.Are there features of the risk module that you like? Please describe.
18.If HARP is integrated with the features or changes discussed, will you use HARP for risk assessments? Pick ONE answer and place your comments in the text box.
Yes No. Explain why and describe what is used instead Maybe. Explain circumstances
19.Do you have any additional practices, comments, or suggestions related to HARP or risk assessment that we should know about?
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey regarding redevelopment of HARP. Your participation is greatly appreciated. Your expertise, technical information, and opinions are instrumental for our agency to understand.
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