New
Jersey, New York,
Puerto
Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands
Heather L. McGee
March 15, 2001
Table of Contents
I. Introduction . . . . . . . . 1
II. Database Design . . . . . . . . 2
III. Locational Data Improvement . . . . . . 3
IV. Requesting Region II GIS Data . . . . . . 4
V. Applications . . . . . . . . 5
VI. Publications . . . . . . . . 7
VII. Contacts . . . . . . . . . 7
VIII. References . . . . . . . . . 9
I. Introduction
The Environmental Protection Agency has developed various Geographic Information Systems to manage more effectively a wide variety of data, which is essential to environmental decision-making. The GIS is very useful for this purpose because it allows the EPA to integrate a variety of information based on the common ground of geography. The EPA can use a GIS to answer simple questions such as the amount of people within a certain area of a hazardous waste site or the amount of wetlands present on an area proposed for development. A GIS can also be used to answer complex situations such as evaluation health risks, trends in environmental quality and determining priority areas for enforcement based on environmental vulnerability (Environmental Protection Agency 1).
The EPA Region II, which includes New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands, has developed a GIS program. This GIS program integrates spatial analysis into the business life of Region II, and the program provides the EPA staff experience with GIS desktop tools. To accomplish these needs, Region II analyzed data base designs for two years, 1992-1993, and developed a design to support a variety of regional analysis with the ability to share data with other states and federal agencies. The EPA has published the database design study in three reports. These publications can be found under the chapter titled “Publications”. Due to the database design study completion, Region II works closely with other local, state and federal agencies to located datasets needed for developing environmental applications in GIS (Environmental Protection Agency 1, Environmental Protection Agency 17).
II. Database Design
There is one key to the success implementation to Region II’s Geographic Information System (GIS). This key is the outstanding management of geographic data provided by the EPA’s field offices of New York, New Jersey, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. Region II is the first EPA region to undergo such strides in the development of GIS technology. Presently, Region II is sharing its experience with other EPA regions across the United States.
As mentioned earlier, Region II oversaw a two-year study concerning database design. Region II contracted such well-known companies as ViGyan, Inc. and Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc. to complete the database design. The study focus was intended for the establishment of a GIS that provided for the following:
· A common information base that allowed for divisional environmental management
· Transfer of data into and out of the GIS
· Dynamic view of environmental conditions
· Flexibility in order to accomplish the regulatory program’s diverse needs
· Compatibility with various GIS databases
· Easy access and use
· Integration as a routine decision making tool
Phase one of the database design was completed in 1993. This phase incorporated all GIS requirements from the diverse programs located in Region II. Phase two provided a preview of GIS data that was available near Region II’s boundaries. This data inventory provided organization of data types and geographic extent. Phase three of the study dealt with the guidelines of organization. This critical phase allowed for the necessary data sets and most importantly, the software and hardware options.
Presently, Region
II is on track with GIS capabilities and is looking to reach new horizons.
The database design recommendations that occurred over the two-year
process are being carried out using ORACLE.
ORACLE is a database management system-containing computer aided
engineering tools. Although ORACLE is state of the art, Region II is developing
techniques that allow the Unix operating system to bridge to the DOS-based
personal computers used by all Region II staff (Environmental Protection Agency
2).
III. Locational Data Improvement
The Environmental Protection Agency has a very precise Locational Data Policy. This policy ensures that accurate collection and documentation of fully formatted and documented, latitude/longitude coordinates for all areas tracked by the EPA under federal environmental laws. These areas may include, but are not limited to facilities, sites, monitoring and observation points. There are four components required for the Locational Data Policy. Those requirements are the following:
· Latitude/Longitude coordinates
· How coordinates were obtained
· Accuracy Estimation
· Description of area
The Locational Data Policy is important to Region II in many ways. The EPA can track such features as monitoring locations, storage tanks, latitude/longitude of facilities, and discharge points along with various other parameters. This organization of information has become a major asset for Region II. This allows Region II to establish exactly how environmental resources are affected by pollution discharges, and how people are in relation to those features. With the implementation of a Location Data Policy, analyzation of pollution prevention, environmental risk assessment and management can be accurately determined.
With accurate determination of locational data, Region II has taken another stride in data collection, the Agency Locational Data Policy. This policy has resulted in a variety of new procedures. A GPS station has developed for the Edison, New Jersey facility and support was gained by the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to collect accurate GPS locations for all state facilities.
Region II is also working with the Environmental Quality Board located in Puerto Rico. This project uses the GPS technology to determine the exact location of various facilities. The GPS data is also helpful when determining the location of discharge points, environmentally significant locations and other various monitoring locations. The management procedures concerning the field data are being finalized. The complete data collection for the island is scheduled for completion with two years. In addition to the strides taken in Puerto Rico, Region II is also working in conjunction with GPS technology to provide the exact locations of abandoned hazardous waste sites (Environmental Protection Agency 18).
IV. Requesting Region II GIS Data
Most data obtained by Region II, the EPA in general or from various other organizations is available to the public. A few easy steps can determine what information is available to the public. Various types of data can be found on the EPA’s web site, www.epa.gov. The rough data is contained in on-line data atlas and data status tables. The best organization to request the data must be determined. Facilities regulated under federal environmental statutes and environmental monitoring locations are spatial data maintained by EPA Region II. Data that is available from EPA is indicated in the data atlas and additional facility information can be obtained from the EPA’s Envirofacts database.
Region
II data libraries contain a large amount of information provided by other
organization. This information is
provided to the EPA due to general distribution.
The EPA suggests that data should be ordered from the organization that
contains the database. This type of
data ordering will obtain the most current data.
The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has compiled a four
disk, CD-Rom set of GIS data. This
data can be purchased through the Office of Map Sales.
The Federal Geographic Data Committee has also devised a spatial data
clearinghouse system. This internet
system allows for the availability of data at many government levels
(Environmental Protection Agency 19).
VI. Applications
The first GIS application deals with a Department of Justice enforcement case against a facility in New York state. This was the first enforcement case involving GIS in Region II. The Underground Injection Control (UIC) section of the Water Management Division completed this application. The first phase of the application dealt with evaluation filed well locations. This assured locational accuracy. Next, Class II injection wells, residents with water wells and residents using springs for water were entered in to the central database and converted this into GIS coverage. A groundwater elevation map was produced. This map displayed groundwater flow direction and the location of crude oil columns. Lastly, a map showing the flow direction from improperly constructed oil filed water flood injection wells was produced. This map was also revealed the potential impact on residential water wells and springs (Environmental Protection Agency 15).
Region II GIS is also aimed at aquifer protection. The aquifer protection project is focused on targeting resources and geographic areas where human health and ecological resources have the greatest risk. The GIS aquifer protection project deals with identifying groundwater contaminants, enforcing appropriate actions and remediation. The successful implementation of the GIS allows for agencies to improve their ability to document and provide for environmental conditions. The GIS itself, is an effort between Region II Water Management Division, Environmental Services Division and office of Policy and Management. The Aquifer protection project started in 1990 with two different studies. One study was located in Cortland County, New York, and the other study was located at the Chemung Aquifer also located in New York. GIS technology provided a database that contained such information as Superfund Sites, RCRA, UST locations, etc. Region II also used a contractor, Cadmus Group, to enter the data into the GIS. The Cadmus Group established a turn-key GIS with a user interface that could be used as a starting point for future studies (Environmental Protection Agency 3).
The Puerto Rico Environmental Quality Board (PREQB) and the Caribbean Field Office (CFO) are also playing a role in the Region II GIS development. Region II is working very closely with a wide variety of organizations located in Puerto Rico to establish a database that can be accessed by all. At the present time, GPS technology is being used to collect accurate locations for all regulated facilities, discharge points, and other environmentally significant locations. Field and data management procedures are also being finalized at the present time. The entire data collection is expected for completion in two years (Environmental Protection Agency 16).
V. Publications
Region II has published three documents concerning the database design study mention in chapter two of this paper. The publications occurred in the Regional Newsletter. Region II also published the results of the Underground Injection Control Inspection, which was developed using GIS technology. The publications are as follows:
· GIS Conceptual Database Design Study: User Needs Assessment Working Paper; Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2 Office of Policy and Management; 1994.; ~200pp; EPA 902-R-94-001a.
· GIS Conceptual Database Design Study: Conceptual Database Design Report; Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2 Office of Policy and Management; 1994.; ~200pp; EPA 902-R-94-001b.
· GIS Conceptual Database Design Study: Data Inventory/Evaluation Working Paper; Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2 Office of Policy and Management; 1994.; ~700pp; EPA 902-R-94-001b.
· Underground Injection Control Program Inspection Targeting on Long Island, NY Using GIS Technology; Charles Hillenbrand, William Hansen, and Robert Ferri; EPA, Region 2.
(Environmental Protection Agency 17).
VII. Contacts
Overall GIS Implementation, Coordination,
Data Acquisition, Policy
GIS Data Requests
Regional GIS Database Design Implementation,
Software/Hardware, User Access/Support
User Group Coordination, Training,
Application Development
Locational Data Policy (LDP), Global
Positioning Systems (GPS)
(Environmental Protection Agency 4).