GOALS

The Appalachian states are tied by common geographical and geological challenges.
Multi-Model transportation in the Appalachian region is essential for economic development. The coalition includes members from West Virginia, Kentucky,  Pennsylvania, Tennessee, North Carolina, Ohio department of Transport and Geological Survey, FHWA, USGS, COE, CSX,  Norfolk Southern and USACE. This grass root organization of federal, state and private entities confront similar geological hazard prevention and remediation issues in the Appalachian region.

OVERALL GOALS:  

• Address geologic hazards in the Appalachian states related to transportation, highway, river, rail and air.
• Promote the sharing of technical resources and information.
• Provide and electronic medium for the exchange of ideas, experiences, and methodologies.
• Facilitate the development of geologic hazard inventories and to assemble remediation costs.
• Identify new and innovative technologies/research applicable to transportation projects involving remediation of geologic hazards.
• Identify resources to address geohazards.

SHORT-TERM GOALS

• Initiate appropriate communication channels that will benefit the Appalachian Coalition members and other interested parties.
• Develop a regional database/Geohazard Management System that will store geohazard inventories, remediation methods and costs.
• Develop a methodology and testing protocol for site characterization over karst and abandoned mine working for transportation infrastructure planning.
• Identify and characterize geohazards through the resources required (information, equipment, collaboration, funding) to assess and address geohazards.