# Checklists and Templates

## Pre-field checklist
- [ ] Meter calibrated or verified
- [ ] Battery charged
- [ ] Timestamping enabled
- [ ] GPS or location notes ready
- [ ] Sampling route loaded
- [ ] Weather checked
- [ ] Consent / access confirmed where needed
- [ ] Measurement mode chosen and documented
- [ ] NIOSH method family chosen and documented when relevant
- [ ] Sampling interval documented for the meter or logger
- [ ] Peak-capture mode documented (TWA, rolling max, brief-peak screen, or waveform)
- [ ] Meter response class documented (true-RMS, linear-response, flat-response, or waveform-capable)
- [ ] If a repeatable point source is on the route, choose the distance ladder now (contact / ~30 cm / ~61 cm / beyond where safe) so the same spacing is used at each comparable stop
- [ ] If doing a walkthrough or screening pass, decide the route-screen metric and log it separately from the main reading
- [ ] Probe setup verified for the chosen mode
- [ ] Measurement mode will stay consistent within the session
- [ ] Probe height and body location plan documented for spot or personal measurements
- [ ] Calibration date, reliability, and meter settings recorded before leaving
- [ ] Confidence factors to watch for are written down: sampling strategy, dosimetry type, anatomical location, duty cycle, and exposure scenario
- [ ] Source-distance estimate method ready for any identifiable point source
- [ ] Dwell-time timer ready for any stop where proximity to a source matters
- [ ] If a source on route may block the standard distance ladder, note the closest normal worker position and likely obstruction
- [ ] Construction context categories ready for any utility-adjacent stops
- [ ] Official NIPSCO work labels ready when utility work is visible
- [ ] Workzone location and access method categories ready for any utility-adjacent stops
- [ ] Preliminary work / utility marking categories ready for any utility-adjacent stops
- [ ] Cleanup-window / corridor-state categories ready for any Grand Calumet or East Chicago stop
- [ ] Managed corridor context categories ready for any Hobart Marsh / Deep River stop
- [ ] Cleanup subarea categories ready for any Grand Calumet / East Chicago stop
- [ ] Current EPA Urban Waters Program Contacts page checked when a route touches Urban Waters context; use the current Northwest Indiana ambassador contact as the first local coordination check
- [ ] Cleanup subarea labels matched to actual Grand Calumet footprints when possible: Junction Reaches branch/segment split, and Lake George Canal Middle vs. East
- [ ] If a route overlaps both managed land and utility ROW, note the ROW geometry separately from the broader managed-corridor context
- [ ] NWI UWFP work plan checked for any Hobart Marsh / Deep River route
- [ ] Duck Creek Tributary Phase 2 completion date and Hobart Marsh Conservation Area NIPSCO ROW acreage / mileage captured as corridor context for any Hobart Marsh / Deep River route
- [ ] Hobart Marsh Conservation Area NIPSCO ROW and Duck Creek Tributary restoration are tagged as corridor context, not exposure signal
- [ ] AMI meter-integrity / billing anomaly category ready if visible on route
- [ ] AMI subtype and service-workflow fields ready for any NIPSCO work
- [ ] AMI lead-time expectations checked: electric module installs are usually noticed about 30 days ahead, gas module installs are usually noticed about 30 days ahead, and gas meter exchanges are notified at least 14 days in advance; immediate-maintenance cases may differ
- [ ] AMI access-outcome categories ready: inside-meter, locked-gate, no-access, door-hanger-only, brief interruption, temporary shutoff, and relight
- [ ] AMI advance-notice lead time and expected visit-duration notes ready if the route may overlap NIPSCO work
- [ ] If citing AMI scale context, note whether the count came from the NIPSCO AMI overview page or the electric/gas subpage so rounded program counts stay traceable
- [ ] EPA Grand Calumet remediation projects page checked for East Chicago / Hammond / Whiting routes
- [ ] If a repeated hotspot is being revisited, bring a waveform-capable meter and confirm the usable frequency range before leaving
- [ ] If a waveform follow-up is planned, confirm the probe stand, file naming, sample window length, sampling frequency, motion/artifact-correction status, and out-of-range flagging plan
- [ ] If the route overlaps Hobart Marsh / Deep River, note Duck Creek Tributary restoration phase and the HMCA NIPSCO ROW as corridor context before leaving

## Field log template
| Date | Time | Site | Corridor Context | Urban Waters Context | Managed Corridor Context | Cleanup Phase | Cleanup Subarea | Source Class | Operating State | Construction Context | Preliminary Work | Workzone Location | Access Method | Access Constraints | Measurement Mode | Method Family | Lat/Lon or Address | Meter Type | Setting | Reading | Duration | Weather | Nearby Source | Source Distance (cm) | Source Dwell (sec) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

## Session summary template
- Session ID:
- Operator:
- Route:
- Control sites used:
- Corridor context:
- Urban Waters / managed-corridor context:
- Managed corridor geometry / ROW:
- Cleanup subarea:
- Current-year Urban Waters work plan checked:
- Grand Calumet remediation projects page checked:
- Construction context:
- Official NIPSCO work label:
- AMI meter-integrity / billing anomaly:
- AMI subtype:
- AMI notice window:
- AMI access outcome:
- AMI advance notice lead time:
- AMI expected visit duration:
- AMI door hanger / access request / temporary shutoff / relight:
- AMI scale source page:
- Preliminary work:
- Workzone location:
- Access method:
- Access constraints:
- Notable events:
- Source-state / operating notes:
- Source distance / dwell strategy:
- Route-screen metric used:
- Route-screen device class / interval:
- Waveform follow-up meter model / frequency range:
- Waveform follow-up sample window / sampling frequency:
- Waveform follow-up stand height / probe proximity:
- Waveform follow-up status:
- Suspect anomalies:
- Follow-up needed:
- Cleanup-window / corridor-state context:
- Hobart Marsh NIPSCO ROW context:
- Duck Creek Tributary restoration phase / completion date:
- HMCA NIPSCO ROW geometry / acreage:

## Analysis checklist
- [ ] Remove obvious errors
- [ ] Group by site class
- [ ] Compare corridor vs control
- [ ] Check for repeated peaks
- [ ] Keep Urban Waters context separate from corridor context and source state
- [ ] Keep construction context and access constraints separate from exposure values
- [ ] Keep workzone location and access method separate from exposure values
- [ ] Keep preliminary work separate from construction context
- [ ] Keep source distance and dwell time separate from exposure values
- [ ] For repeatable point sources, compare the pre-set distance bins before judging a hotspot as a true source effect
- [ ] Keep constrained stand-off readings separate from standard distance-ladder bins
- [ ] Keep measurement mode separate from source and site comparisons
- [ ] Keep method family separate from measurement mode when relevant
- [ ] Keep sampling interval and peak-capture mode separate from the reading itself when judging maxima
- [ ] Keep probe height, body location, and calibration reliability visible when judging spot readings
- [ ] Keep sampling strategy and exposure scenario separate from the reading itself when scoring confidence
- [ ] Keep meter response class visible when judging whether readings are comparable
- [ ] Produce plots and a map
- [ ] Write a short plain-English conclusion
- [ ] Keep Hobart Marsh NIPSCO ROW stops in corridor context, not exposure context
- [ ] Keep Grand Calumet cleanup-window context separate from source-state comparisons
- [ ] Keep managed corridor geometry and cleanup subarea separate from cleanup phase and source-state
- [ ] Keep route-screen maxima and waveform-diagnostic samples separate from the main exposure tables
- [ ] Keep Hobart Marsh / Deep River restoration and NIPSCO ROW context separate from exposure tables
- [ ] Keep AMI subtype, advance-notice lead time, visit duration, door-hanger, access-request, temporary shutoff, and relight notes separate from exposure values
- [ ] For waveform follow-up, keep the raw capture, any corrected capture, and the correction status separate from the main survey file
- [ ] For waveform follow-up, reject or flag out-of-range captures, baseline shifts, non-integral-cycle windows, and motion artifacts before promotion into the analysis set

## Expansion checklist
Only expand if:
- the pilot is repeatable
- the signal is stronger than noise
- a second pass gives similar results
- the team can explain the finding without hand-waving
- [ ] If the same hotspot keeps repeating, do one waveform-characterization spot with a waveform-capable meter and keep it separate from the ordinary ELF spot reading
- [ ] Record the waveform meter model and usable frequency range for any follow-up diagnostic sample
- [ ] Label any route-screen metric as screening-only, not as an exposure estimate