Subject: RE: Question for Sept 19: What about EPA's info?
States view themselves as the primary implementers of environmental programs. This is because the majority of regulatory programs in air, water and waste have been delegated to states to run rather than managed at the federal level. States feel as strongly about providing information to the public as anyone does. We believe that more the information, the better understanding of environmental matters and the better off we all are.
States recognize the need to work with EPA to provide consistent information nationwide. However, we continue to believe that the national data systems are fraught with problems. Many of EPA's national data systems are old mainframe systems while states have moved to PC based client-server systems. States must often trick the EPA systems to accept data and this leads to problems with data quality. When these EPA systems are then used to develop reports such as Envirofacts and the Sector Facility Indexing Report, the picture that is portrayed is not always accurate.
In the areas of facilities, permitting, monitoring, inspection, compliance and enforcement state systems are often multi-media, facility-based or sometimes geo-based. EPA systems are media based and often don't have fields for work that goes on at the state level. Data flow from state to EPA systems is not always what is needed to present a comprehensive picture in these areas. These problems with data quality also impact the accuracy of EPA reports which are based upon these data systems.
States are currently working with EPA to develop data standards for facilities, permitting, monitoring, compliance and enforcement. There are also groups working on data flow through a central data exchange to aid EPA in development of a better picture of what is going on.
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