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Tools & Methods

HGB Equipment Use Policies

Guidelines for use of equipment from the ESPD Geophysical Equipment Program

Overview:

HGB staff are available to discuss your project objectives and needs to determine applicable methods and equipment. Carole Johnson (cjohnson, 860-487-7402 x17) is the point of contact for all geophysical systems maintained in the HGB Storrs, Connecticut office. John Williams (jhwillia, 518-285-5670) is the point of contact for the geophysical systems housed at the USGS New York (NY) Water Science Center (WSC) in Troy, NY. Specific equipment systems and contacts are listed on the equipment page.

It is important to involve the HGB staff early in the planning phase to help properly integrate the geophysics component with the rest of the project and to ensure that the needed equipment and training will be available. WSCs can review the online nformation on the borehole, surface, and water-borne geophysical equipment systems available for WSC use. General information on methods and applications is available online at http://water.usgs.gov/ogw/bgas/g2t.html.

In addition to equipment available from HGB, geophysical equipment is also available from some WSCs.

Scheduling:

Equipment is scheduled on an individual basis. Equipment is loaned for periods of up to a month, and it is the user's responsibility to ensure the equipment is sent to its next destination on schedule. Scheduling is on a first-come first-serve basis; however, first-time users have priority over repeat users. Upon request, HGB will consider an extension of the loan period, if the request does not conflict with other scheduled equipment use.

Following discussion with HGB staff concerning appropriate methods, please provide the following information by email to the person you talked with in order to schedule the equipment and/or training:

  1. equipment needed,
  2. training needs,
  3. time frame,
  4. project account number, FedEx account number, and
  5. Shipping address and office and cell phone numbers

PLEASE NOTE: Equipment is not scheduled until you have received a confirmation from the Hydrogeophysics Branch.

Training:

End-user training in geophysical-data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation is an integral part of the HGB program. Users are encouraged to attend geophysical training presented by the HGB at NTC courses and Regional workshops. Training on data acquisition and analysis with the HGB equipment can be arranged at your site, another site, or the HGB office. Additional analysis and interpretation training can be arranged with the HGB staff following data-collection activities. Costs associated with training (salary and travel) are borne by the user.

Responsibilities:

The user is responsible for the equipment and any repair or replacement costs while it is in his/her possession and while enroute to the next site. Care must be taken in packing the equipment so that it is not damaged during transport and shipping. All equipment should be carefully inspected when received and prior to use. The user is also responsible for minimizing the risk of damaged or lost tools. A front-view camera or caliper log must be completed to determine borehole conditions prior to logging with the borehole radar, optical-televiewer, or acoustic-televiewer tools.

Contact HGB immediately if the equipment is broken or damaged, so that the most appropriate course of action can be determined. All repairs must be approved in advance by HGB.

The user is responsible for returning the equipment clean and, if necessary, decontaminated. If the equipment is not clean when it is returned, a $200 fee will be charged to cover the costs of cleaning by HGB.

Shipping:

The user is responsible for the equipment until the next user takes possession. If another user is not scheduled for immediate use, the equipment is returned to HGB. Use FedEx Express to ship equipment between sites; use FedEx Express Freight to ship equipment that weighs more than 150 pounds. Do not use any ground services for shipping equipment: the electronic equipment is fragile, and the continued agitation of ground motion causes equipment damage. The user pays for shipping of the equipment to the next site or back to HGB. The user also pays for shipping to their site if the equipment comes directly from HGB.

Fees:

A fee will be charged for each usage of the geophysical equipment. No fee will be charged to first-time users; all others will be assessed full fee. This fee will be used for equipment maintenance, repairs due to normal wear and tear, and upgrades. The fee is in no way meant to discourage usage of the geophysical equipment, and if it creates a hardship for your project, please discuss it with the HGB staff.

Training costs (salary and travel of HGB staff) will be subject to a common services assessment per USGS policy on work with other offices.

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