| EPA has issued three technical guides to assist environmental professionals in scoping, data management and strategic sampling activities at hazardous waste sites. EPA intends for the guides to strengthen Superfund site characterization activities to facilitate stronger site remedy decisions and improved remedy performance, among other objectives. This technical guide provides best practices for efficiently managing the large amount of data generated throughout the data life cycle. Thorough, up-front remedial investigation and feasibility study (RI/FS) planning and scoping combined with decision support tools and visualization can help reduce RI/FS cost and provide a more complete conceptual site model (CSM) earlier in the process. Two additional companion technical guides should be used in conjunction with this data management technical guide: Smart Scoping for Environmental Investigations and Strategic Sampling Approaches. |