[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 193 (Thursday, October 4, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50644-50645]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-24907]
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ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
[OEI-10010; FRL 6723-3]
Office of Environmental Information; Draft Data Standard for
Exchange of Environmental Permitting Information and Draft Data
Standard for Exchange of Enforcement and Compliance Information
AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice of information availability and request for comments.
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SUMMARY: Notice of availability is hereby given for a 45-day public
comment period on two draft data standards: Permitting Data Standard,
and, Enforcement and Compliance Data Standard. These draft standards
consist of a list of data elements, definitions for these elements,
notes and explanatory preamble language. The draft standards were
developed by the partnership efforts of States, Indian Tribes and the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) participating in the
Environmental Data Standards Council (EDSC). The EDSC convened Action
Teams consisting of representatives from EPA, States and Tribes to
develop these core sets of data elements to facilitate the sharing of
information regarding environmental permitting and enforcement and
compliance activities. The EPA and the EDSC invite comment on these
standards from States, EPA and Tribes and database managers in the
public and private sectors and the general public with interest in
development and use of environmental program permitting and enforcement
and compliance data.
DATES: Comments must be submitted on or before November 19, 2001.
ADDRESSES: Electronic Access and Filing of Comments--You may view and
download the draft data standards and related explanatory material at
the EDSC Website at: http://www.epa.gov/edsc/ in the area of the site
marked ``Announcements''. The draft data standards can also be viewed
and downloaded at the EPA Environmental Data Registry (EDR) at http://www.epa.gov/edr/ in the area of the site marked ``Data Standards''. Or
for those with password access, at the WISER portion of the State/EPA
Website at: http://www.sso.org/ecos/wiser/
You may submit comments via electronic mail (e-mail) to William
Sonntag ([email protected]) as a WordPerfect or Word file
avoiding the use of special characters and any form of encryption.
Comments may also be mailed to: OEI Docket; USEPA, 401 M. Street SW
Washington, DC. 20460, Docket Number: OEI-10010:FRL 6723-3. If you
require a paper copy be sent to you, you must contact the OEI Docket;
USEPA, 401 M. Street, SW, Washington, DC. 20460, Docket Number: OEI-
10010:FRL 6723-3.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information concerning
today's Notice you may contact: William A. Sonntag, Office of
Environmental Information, Office of Information Collection, MC-2822,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW,
Washington DC 20460 (202 260-0633).
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Environmental Data Standards Council (EDSC) Background
Data sharing has become an increasingly important aspect of sound
environmental management. States, Tribes and the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) together face the critical challenge of sharing
information among themselves and with their respective stakeholders and
public. Fundamental to the seamless exchange of data are data
standards. Data standards help improve the ability of partners
(internal and external) to exchange data efficiently and accurately and
also assist secondary users of data to understand, interpret, and use
data appropriately. Recognition of the need for EPA, States and Tribes
to develop and agree upon data standards for environmental information
sharing has lead to the creation of the Environmental Data Standards
Council (EDSC). Data standards are documented agreements on formats and
definitions of data elements. Standards will be developed only when
there is an environmental management business reason.
The EDSC's mission is to promote the efficient sharing of
environmental information between EPA, States, Tribes and other parties
through the development of data standards. The EDSC identified
permitting, and enforcement and compliance as areas of information for
which having standards will create value to all interested parties. An
Action Team deliberation process bringing together State, EPA and
Tribal parties began in August 2000 for these two standards areas.
Draft standards were delivered to the EDSC for consideration in June
2001 and approved for initiation of this 45-day public comment period
in September 2001.
After the comment period announced in this Notice, the EDSC and its
Action Teams will review comments received and make appropriate
modifications. The EDSC will then consider and approve of these data
standards as appropriate. EDSC approval does not bind an individual
agency to using a standard. It will be up to the individual agency to
determine if, when, and how it might use a standard developed under the
auspices of the EDSC. It will be the intent of EPA to adopt and
implement the consistent use of EDSC-approved standards in its
information systems and programs.
II. Enforcement & Compliance Draft Data Standard Background
The Environmental Data Standards Council (EDSC) chartered the
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Enforcement and Compliance Data Standard Action Team to identify and
define the major areas of enforcement and compliance information, and
to develop a data standard that could be used for the exchange of data
among environmental agencies and other entities. The purpose of the
standard is to provide a common vocabulary or lexicon, so that
information about functionally similar activities and/or instruments
can be shared. The proposed standard focuses on core information common
across most program areas. The draft standard is not intended to
constrain what information an agency chooses to collect, nor does it
constitute a reporting requirement. It merely defines a standardized
way to organize and exchange key information if agencies choose to
exchange that information.
The draft Enforcement/Compliance Data Standard, contains (1) the
enforcement data element matrix, (2) the compliance assistance data
element matrix, and (3) commonly used enforcement and compliance
terminology. It is important to note that the compliance assistance
data element matrix is presented as separate and distinct from the
enforcement data element matrix/standard. The compliance assistance
data element matrix deals with an area of information that is not
currently, routinely exchanged. It does not have a basis in long
established practice and program to program data exchange. It is
included for comment in the Notice as a way to receive State and other
data exchange partner reaction to its form and impact on systems as an
area of potential new data exchange. Please see the additional
discussion of this matter found in the materials at the websites
referenced above.
III. Permitting Data Standard
The EDSC chartered the Permitting Data Standard Action Team to
identify and define the major areas of permitting information and to
develop a data standard that could be used for the exchange of
permitting data among environmental agencies and other entities The
proposed Permit Data Standard is not intended to be a system design or
to cover every detail of permitting data that are currently exchanged
or managed; instead, it focuses on core information common across most
program areas and organizations. The draft standard is not intended to
constrain what information an agency chooses to collect, nor does it
constitute a reporting requirement. It merely defines a standardized
way to organize and exchange key information if agencies choose to
exchange that information.
This standard is designed to provide simple, high-level information
that includes core data sufficient to identify a permit, as well as
some information on administrative status and history, that is common
across most organizations and programs. The standard does not contain
more detailed information that is program specific. Standardization of
this program specific data should be accomplished via the development
of program-specific standards (consistent with this overall standard)
and/or the development of Data Exchange Templates between information
exchange partners. A ``permit'' is a permit, authorization, license, or
equivalent used to implement the requirements of an environmental
regulation. A permit is issued to an individual or organization and
typically specifies pollutant discharge limits or operating procedures.
III. Review of Draft Standards To Date
These draft standards have received significant input through the
representatives from EPA program, States and Tribal organizations
serving on the development Action Teams. In addition, the preliminary
versions of the draft standards have been reviewed by State and EPA
programs managers in May and June 2001. EDSC members have also reviewed
and recommended these draft standards for this public comment process.
Dated: September 28, 2001.
Mark Luttner,
Director, Office of Information Collection, Office of Environmental
Information.
[FR Doc. 01-24907 Filed 10-3-01; 8:45 am]
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