BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
Conduct an independent external peer review (IEPR) for the Jamaica Bay, Marine Park & Plumb Beach, Kings, and Queens Counties, New York Interim Feasibility Report and review of the Evaluation of Planned Wetlands Model in accordance with procedures described in the Dept of Army, USACE EC No. 1165-2-209, Battelle prepared a work plan and identified peer review experts who were hired as subcontractors to conduct the review. Battelle identified and contracted with total of eight experts. Five experts representing the fields of civil design/construction cost engineering, NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) and biology, economics, coastal engineering, and civil works planning served on the IEPR panel. The model review panel consisted of four experts representing the disciplines of wetland ecology, fisheries ecology, spreadsheet auditing, and civil work planning; the civil works planning expert served on both review panels. Battelle managed the peer review as panel members conducted reviews of appendices and documents within the Jamaica Bay Feasibility Report, and all model panel members reviewed the Evaluation of Planned Wetlands Model. Battelle facilitated two separate conference calls, one each with the IEPR panel and model review panel to discuss their comments and develop a list of final comments. Battelle presented its findings in two separate final reports (one for the model and one for the IEPR) that summarized the experts? comments on each panel, managed the comment/response process after receiving USACE comments, and documented the results of the comment/response process and a pdf printout of the documentation to USACE.