On December 2, EPA celebrated its 50th anniversary. Since its inception in 1970, EPA has worked to fulfill its mission of protecting human health and the environment by improving the nation’s air and cleaning up our land and water resources. In the year leading to this milestone, EPA has featured achievements that represent the anniversary theme of Progress...
Patrick McDonnell speaking about community science at the ECOS meeting Citizen science, a long-standing practice that engages the public in scientific research, data collection, and identifying environmental problems, is a focus for E-Enterprise partners. Tribal leaders from the E-Enterprise Leadership Council (EELC) are working with EPA to catalog examples of tribal involvement in citizen...
Environmental data is the cornerstone of sound decision-making and stewardship in the 21st century. Yet as the volume of environmental data rises, many organizations are struggling with how to manage data successfully. As a result, poorly managed data often become a burden rather than an asset. Early attention to sound data management practices can...
Making the most of virtual meeting venues, tribal partners are actively participating in E-Enterprise projects and learning about E-Enterprise opportunities. Beginning with this summer’s 25th Annual Inter Tribal Environmental Council (ITEC) webinar series, attendees received training for tribes on E-Enterprise initiatives that are now expanding nationally, the Disaster Debris Recovery Tool and the Assessment, Total Maximum Daily...
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, stay-at-home orders and social distancing requirements complicated the jobs of environmental agency inspectors who regularly visit and tour indoor facilities accompanied by facility personnel. While EPA provided enforcement flexibility to facilities that had difficulty keeping up with their regulatory requirements due to COVID-19 restrictions, federal and state compliance and enforcement...
QREST, the free open source automated air quality data retrieval tool In June, the Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals, in partnership with several tribes, launched the Quality Review and Exchange System for Tribes (QREST). QREST is a free open source tool that automatically retrieves data from data loggers (though manual import is also an option),...
The new, streamlined CEDRI workflow. Over the past year, the Compliance and Emissions Data Reporting Interface (CEDRI) has undergone a modernization effort to update and introduce new functionality for industry users; EPA; and state, local, and tribal agencies. Launched in 2012, CEDRI is the application that stationary sources use to prepare and submit New...
Reg Nav’s newest tool for use by owners of auto body shops. Clean Air Act (CAA) compliance can be a complicated task. Fortunately, E-Enterprise is helping to ease the job with online compliance assistance Regulation Navigation (Reg Nav) tools designed to help both regulators and the regulated community assess whether certain air quality rules apply to...
Advanced Monitoring Scan & Screen Network & Technology Clearinghouse While new smaller, faster, and cheaper advanced monitoring technologies have the potential to significantly improve environmental protection, agency officials have questions regarding their use. The E-Enterprise Advanced Monitoring Strategy and Implementation Team is a group of EPA, state, and local air agency staff working to...
In 2019, state and EPA employees embarked on a journey to identify differences in data codes between state, local, and tribal (SLT) emissions inventory systems and EPA’s National Emissions Inventory (NEI) system. Alongside the Combined Air Emissions Reporting (CAER) Product Design Team, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (Minnesota) analyzed emissions inventory code table data from...
The E-Enterprise Leadership Council (EELC) held its semiannual, two-day meeting virtually in October, focusing in part on members’ innovative efforts to address environmental protection challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the examples highlighted at the EELC meeting were innovative approaches of EPA, states, and tribes to ensure continued operations through activities such as...
E-Enterprise and the Exchange Network are nearing the finish line on a successful and well-attended EE2020 webinar series. Launched in June, the series has featured monthly installments on a wide range of topics selected from the originally planned in-person meeting program. The August webinar explored how agencies can tell more effective and engaging stories...