SERDP & ESTCP funded projects have significantly contributed to the environmental remediation field, resulting in a library of data, learnings, and overall information available for leveraging. As the approach for information transfer has been primarily through final project reports, the number and complex nature of these reports can hinder effective and widespread uptake of results due to the time commitment required to digest the findings. This project developed a document repository to address this need to increase access to qualitative and quantitative information from the SERDP & ESTCP reports. This repository facilitates the assimilation of qualitative information from the SERDP & ESTCP reports, provides a vehicle for extracting quantitative data, and is a robust foundation for future projects addressing critical- and high-priority needs.

The document repository was developed using the following steps: first, a project foundation was developed based on reviewing and classifying relevant SERDP & ESTCP Environmental Restoration (ER) documents. As documented in the White Paper, the foundation included a preliminary database framework, initial Priority Needs (PNs), a stakeholder engagement plan, and an initial graphical user interface (GUI) mockup. Next, stakeholders were recruited and queried for feedback on use cases for the repository, refinements to initial PNs, and preferred GUI format. Then, the project-specific database and GUI were built according to stakeholder feedback. In parallel, a data extraction tool was added to the GUI to enable end users to extract relevant data. Finally, the document repository was updated iteratively following an agile approach throughout beta testing and internal quality review.

The repository contains more than 836 searchable SERDP & ESTCP documents. These Environmental Restoration documents were compiled from the SERDP & ESTCP website in 2021, and searchable PDFs were retained. Then the documents were categorized by technical focus areas and initiatives. A significant aspect of the project was a needs analysis and stakeholder engagement to define priority needs and develop a robust GUI that allows users to search and filter documents based on a comprehensive system of high-level and lower-level attributes (tags) automatically extracted from document abstracts. The initial priority needs were extracted from SERDP & ESTCP workshop reports. Then the stakeholders refined the priority needs which were translated into attributes or tags. Detailed processes were developed to assign attributes, and these results were entered into the static database created for this project. The easy-to-use GUI pulls most of the logic within the database, supporting a transition to the current SERDP & ESTCP website.

Beta testing feedback included adjustments for consistency and alignment, and improvements to the search display by simplifying the interface and enhancing the filtering options. The repository provides site managers with a platform from which to assess current remediation efforts against more than 25 years of past efforts. Results from this demonstration will ultimately lead to more cost-effective site management, moving innovation technologies into broad use more rapidly, directly benefiting the warfighter and installation communities. (Project Completion - 2026)