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Project Details

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Project Information Sheet 1999-06

A statistically valid program of monitoring pesticides in ground water in Indiana

Funding Source:	Indiana Department of Environmental Management
Period of Contract:	1 Oct 1997 to 30 Sep 1999
Status:	completed — Definition of status type
Project Director:	Denver Harper

Issue

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) invited all states to develop a plan for monitoring pesticides in ground water. In response to that invitation, the state of Indiana developed a conceptual plan for collecting samples of ground water in areas that were judged to be most representative of the agricultural areas of the state. The data will be used to assess the present state of contamination and to serve as a baseline for future monitoring.

Objective

A monitoring network was developed that was statistically adequate for characterizing average levels of pesticides and other agricultural byproducts in supplies of ground water.

Approach

A geographic information system (GIS) showing hydrogeologic settings, monitoring networks within those settings, land use, and highways was developed. A link between the GIS and a database that had previously been developed by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management was created. Statistical software was developed that will allow statistical comparisons, both spatial and temporal, to be undertaken. A statistical program was written that allows menu-driven analyses to be undertaken by persons with little prior technical training.

Products

A report on the project is available on an IGS Web site: http://igs.indiana.edu/survey/projects/pesticides/index.cfm

Benefits

The project addressed health and welfare issues related to ground-water and surface-water resources throughout Indiana.

Locations Affected:

state

Indiana House Districts Affected:

all

Indiana Senate Districts Affected:

all

Indiana Congressional Districts Affected:

Information Updated February 1, 2007

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