mulder@dalcs.UUCP (11/12/87)
The school for Resource and Environmental Studies at Dalhousie University is initiating a research project for the Canadian Federal Environmental Assessment and Review office (FEARO), of current and potential uses of computer-based expert systems, artificial intelligence, and decision support tools for environmental impact assessment (EIA) and management. FEARO has recently begun supporting some development work in this field, but has commissioned this project to provide strategic guidance for any further commitments of support which it may make. Although the project encompasses applications of these technologies in all aspects of EIA, we are particularly interested in these applications as they may relate to the initial screening and scoping stages of the impact assessment process. With regard to potential applications of these systems we are interested in the details of any recent or on-going research and development, and the resulting prospects and problems identified. With regard to actually operational systems, there are a number of aspects of interest to us: the structure and scope of such systems, when and how the system was developed, present users of the system and the purpose of use, evaluations of the advantages/disadvantages of the system, and the costs of development, maintenance and updating. If you are, or have been involved in any research or development work applied to environmental assessment and management, would you please send details to Alan Gray (Project Manager) at the address below. We are planning to produce a draft report by December 31, 1987, and conduct a symposium in January, 1988. We therefore request your reply at your earliest convenience. Please do not hesitate to contact us for any matter of clarification. Alan Gray School for Resource and Environmental Studies Dalhousie University 1312 Robie St. Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada B3H 3E2 phone: (902) 424-2589 or (902) 424-3632 e-mail: DUAB005@DAL.BITNET Would you please bring the request to the attention of any of your colleagues who may be able to help us.