Decision-making models of dynamically technology preparedness plan production for emergency response to chemical spills in surface waters

The most important step in emergency response to freshwater spills is 'emergency disposal', where responders are required to screen the most appropriate disposal technology accurately and make emergency treatment plan immediately following the incident. The emergency response plan cannot consider all possible pollution scenarios. As a result, it is important to develop 'on-line' emergency disposal operation routine to cope with the incident. This technology preparedness plan consists of three sub-systems, i.e. “Cases-Technology-Materials”, and includes a three-step screening framework and decision models: matching similar historical cases, screening disposal technology and screening emergency disposal materials. A decision support system was also developed for intelligently producing disposal preparedness plan. A case study based on phenol leakage pollution incident in Jiande, Zhejiang Province, 2011 was conducted to test the new approach, successfully recommending adsorption-based and coagulation-based disposal technology. Results show that this three-step framework, decision models and software are feasible and practical. It greatly improved the efficiency and scientific decision making for screening emergency pollution control technology. From methodological point of view, it also enriches the emergency management tools to be used during the response stage.