The Exchange Network

EPA’s e-Manifest Team is announcing a new listserv for all e-Manifest stakeholders. The Team will use the e-Manifest ListServ to announce development changes and updates, new functionality, and testing opportunities; facilitate open discussion regarding e-Manifest development; and allow the development community to ask each other questions and share lessons learned.

To subscribe to the new e-Manifest ListServ, send a blank email to: [email protected].

If you represent the transporter or generator community, please feel free to subscribe and understand we will begin working with your community as soon as possible.

If you will be developing interfaces to work with e-Manifest, we urge you to subscribe. Also, if your staff or colleagues will be developing manifests, please encourage them to subscribe as well.

For more information about e-Manifest, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/transportation/manifest/e-man.htm or contact EPA’s Steve Donnelly at donnelly.stephen [at] epa.gov.

Steve Donnelly
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 703.308.8577
E: donnelly.stephen [at] epa.gov

On October 22, 2015, EPA published the final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Electronic Reporting Rule. This regulation replaces most paper-based Clean Water Act (CWA) NPDES permitting and compliance monitoring reporting requirements with electronic reporting. Under the rule, all authorized NPDES programs are required to submit an Implementation Plan for achieving the “Phase 2” E-Reporting requirements to EPA.

The NPDES E-Reporting Rule Implementation Plan Integrated Project Team has developed and released a template for authorized NPDES programs to use in creating their individual Implementation Plans. The template, along with guidance on its use, is available at https://www.exchangenetwork.net/npdes-e-reporting-ipt/.

Carey Johnston, EPA IPT Co-Chair
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.566.1014
E: johnston.carey [at] epa.gov

Elisa Willard, State IPT Co-Chair
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
P: 303.692.3505
E: elisa.willard [at] state.co.us

In late January 2016, the E-Enterprise ePermitting Scoping Team finalized its report entitled, Surveying and Assessing State Use of Electronic Permitting Systems.

The E-Enterprise Leadership Council assembled an ePermitting Scoping Team in spring 2015, led by Mary Walker, Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) and David Nicholas, EPA Office of Land and Emergency Management. The Team included members from nine States and EPA’s permitting program offices.

With input from the Team, EPA conducted an initial review of key literature and existing studies. Georgia EPD led a State survey effort with supplemental interviews of State agency staff. Research examined States’ current (“as is”) use of electronic systems across air, water, and waste permitting programs; the extent to which systems support different functionalities; and specific, self-reported system features, costs, limitations, and barriers to expansion.

The report describes the current ePermitting landscape; offers insight into how States are planning for and implementing ePermitting systems; outlines the barriers to broader adoption of these critical systems; and examines options for assessing and documenting costs and benefits and return on investment for ePermitting projects.

For more information, please contact ECOS’ Owen McAleer at omcaleer [at] ecos.org or EPA’s Leslie Cronkhite at cronkhite.leslie [at] epa.gov.

Owen McAleer
Environmental Council of the States
P: 202.266.4922
E: omcaleer [at] ecos.org

On January 29, 2016, at 2:00pm ET, the E-Enterprise Combined Air Emissions Reporting (CAER) Team will host a webinar for States, EPA, Industry, and other interested parties to hear about the joint State-EPA Team’s work to develop a future process for reporting to four air databases including the National Emissions Inventory (NEI) via delegated state programs, and direct reports to Federal databases including the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI), Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (GHG), and compliance reporting requirements for Part 60 and Part 63 regulations (via Compliance and Emissions Data Reporting Interface or CEDRI).

Team Co-chairs Bryan Shaw, Texas, and Marc Houyoux, EPA, will provide an overview of considerations for future reporting. There will be an opportunity for questions and answer.

To register for the webinar, please visit: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9175231391683183618.

For more information, please contact EPA’s Shana Harbour at harbour.shana [at] epa.gov or ECOS’ Kelly Poole at kpoole [at] ecos.org.

Kelly Poole
Environmental Council of the States
P: 202.266.4939
E: kpoole [at] ecos.org

1. By March 31, 2016, to have States and EPA Regions participate in building the E-Enterprise project portfolio by proposing business processes streamlining projects they are already working on together, that might become nationally scalable through joint governance.
2. By September 30, 2016, to have States and EPA Regions look together at temporary tradeoffs in State workloads – generally reflected in their grant workplan – in exchange for the State focusing work on an E-Enterprise project.

Lean and information technology (IT) are two important ways that environmental agencies are transforming how they protect human health and the environment. New IT approaches can help agencies streamline, modernize, and expand the services they provide to customers. In December 2015, an ECOS/EPA E-Enterprise workgroup released the Lean and Information Technology Toolkit, which explores how Lean and IT can be used to:

• Efficiently design new products and services to better meet customer needs (Lean startup),
• Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of existing processes (Lean process improvement), and
• Reduce the costs and risks of developing new IT products (Agile development).

The Toolkit provides how-to guidance, resources, and tips for making improvements in product conceptualization, process improvement, and IT product development; and describes how agencies can collaborate effectively on improvement projects.  It is available at http://e-enterprisefortheenvironment.net/.  Stay tuned for news of potential upcoming webinars highlighting the Toolkit’s content.

Sue Battle-McDonald, Co-Chair
Maryland Department of the Environment
P: 410.537.4111
E: sue.battle-mcdonald [at] maryland.gov

Scott Bowles, Co-Chair
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.566.2208
E: bowles.scott [at] epa.gov

The U.S. EPA’s e-Manifest Team will conduct a webinar on Tuesday, December 8, 2015, from 1-2:30pm EST to update all interested stakeholders on implementation of the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act. The webinar will address the Agency’s latest progress and path forward on the Act’s major provisions, system development, regulatory development, and the e-Manifest Advisory Board.

To participate, please pre-register at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4363004346714160130.

For more information about e-Manifest, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/transportation/manifest/e-man.htm or contact EPA’s Tony Raia at raia.anthony [at] epa.gov.

Tony Raia
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 703.308.8577
E: raia.anthony [at] epa.gov

The Exchange Network Leadership Council (ENLC) and the Network Technology Board (NTB) are excited to announce that on December 1, 2015, the Exchange Network Governance will formally become part of E-Enterprise for the Environment.

E-Enterprise for the Environment embraces a new model for collaborative leadership among environmental co-regulators, engaging with all interested and affected parties to achieve positive environmental, human health, and economic outcomes. It builds upon the foundation of the Exchange Network, recognizing the value of a proven communications and data analytics platform for sharing environmental information to foster informed decision-making.

The Exchange Network’s joint governance model of Federal, State, Territorial, and Tribal Partners working together has been adopted by E-Enterprise. The new governance will consist of the E-Enterprise Leadership Council (EELC), the new E-Enterprise Executive Committee (EEEC), the new E-Enterprise and Exchange Network Management Board (MB), and the new E-Enterprise and Exchange Network Interoperability and Operations Team (IOT).

Although the ENLC and the NTB will sunset on December 1, their work will continue as part of the new E-Enterprise structure. Much will be happening over the next weeks and months, including the launch of a new E-Enterprise website where complete information for all the new governance bodies will be available. In the meantime, the EELC, MB, and IOT rosters will soon be available at https://www.exchangenetwork.net/e-enterprise/.

Andrew Battin, MB Co-Chair
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.566.2140
E: battin.andrew [at] epa.gov

Matt Leopard, IOT Co-Chair
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.566.1698
E: leopard.matthew [at] epa.gov

Andrew Putnam, MB Co-Chair
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
P: 303.692.3579
E: andrew.putnam [at] state.co.us

Chris Simmers, IOT Co-Chair
New Hampshire Department of Information Technology
P: 603.271.2961
E: chris.simmers [at] doit.nh.gov

2016 TRIBAL EXCHANGE NETWORK CONFERENCE
FEBRUARY 9-10, 2016
ALBUQUERQUE, NEW MEXICO

The 2016 Tribal Exchange Network Conference will provide Tribal professionals, and those working with Tribes, an opportunity to meet and learn about current initiatives, funding, and technical topics related to the Exchange Network. Come and share your experiences, learn from and network with other Tribal professionals!

Presentation abstracts and poster requests are currently being accepted from individuals and entities involved in the Exchange Network. Presentations should discuss direct experiences and/or original research relevant to Tribal audiences. Topics should be linked directly to the Exchange Network. Sponsorship requests are also being accepted. For complete information, please visit: http://www.tribalexchangenetwork.org/tribalconference.html.

Lydia Scheer
Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals
P: 928.523.6887
E: lydia.scheer [at] nau.edu

On October 22, 2015, EPA published the final National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Electronic Reporting Rule. This rule replaces most paper-based Clean Water Act (CWA) NPDES permitting and compliance monitoring reporting requirements with electronic reporting. Under the rule, all authorized NPDES programs are required to submit an Implementation Plan for achieving the “Phase 2” E-Reporting requirements to EPA by December 21, 2016.

The Exchange Network Leadership Council (ENLC) has convened the NPDES E-Reporting Rule Implementation Plan Integrated Project Team (IPT) to facilitate the successful design and distribution of a template for authorized NPDES programs to use in creating their individual Implementation Plans. The IPT will design and distribute the Implementation Plan template, consistent with the requirements outlined in the Rule, that States, Tribes, and Territories can modify as appropriate and submit to EPA for review. The IPT will also address how the template can be submitted and how it will be made available for use. The IPT’s Charter is available at https://www.exchangenetwork.net/npdes-e-reporting-ipt/.

The ENLC is seeking individuals with expertise in implementing e-reporting requirements, drafting and executing implementation plans, instituting data management systems, or with extensive NPDES program knowledge. If you would like to volunteer to serve on the IPT, please email a brief statement of interest and relevant experience to Exchange Network Coordinator Lynn Capuano at lynn [at] exchangenetwork.net by COB, November 9, 2015. The information you provide will help the ENLC assemble a diverse team that includes representatives with a wide array of perspectives.

Carey Johnston, EPA IPT Co-Chair
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.566.1014
E: johnston.carey [at] epa.gov

Elisa Willard, State IPT Co-Chair
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
P: 303.692.3505
E: elisa.willard [at] state.co.us

Throughout 2015, Exchange Network Governance has convened a series of EN Open Calls to increase information sharing among Network Partners and build upon discussions at EN2015. These webinars are an opportunity for the EN Community to gather and discuss topics of interest.

The next EN Open Call will be held November 5, 2015, at 3:00pm ET, and focus on CROMERR Shared Services. Presenters include US EPA’s Chuck Freeman and Greg Mitchell, who will discuss the status of the shared services and provide a demonstration of the existing services. More information on CROMERR Shared Services is available at: https://www.exchangenetwork.net/shared-cromerr-services-ipt/.

To participate in the CROMERR Shared Services Open Call, please register at: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/307200620256084481.

For more information or to provide ideas for future EN Open Calls, please contact Megan Parker at mparker [at] rossstrategic.com.

Lynn Capuano
Exchange Network Coordinator
P: 516.744.0307
E: lynn [at] exchangenetwork.net

The 2015 Exchange Network National Meeting was a huge success! Thank you to all the EN2015 presenters and attendees (both in person and virtually) for your excitement and participation!

If you missed a presentation, or want to share what you learned with others, all EN2015 Presentations and Webcasts are now available online at https://www.exchangenetwork.net/en2015-agenda.

Hope to see you at EN2017! (Watch your EN Alerts for an EN2017 Save-the Date!)

Andrew Battin, EN2015 Quad-Chair, US EPA
Matt Leopard, EN2015 Quad-Chair, US EPA
Victoria Phillips, EN2015 Quad-Chair, Massachusetts DEP
Andrew Putnam, EN2015 Quad-Chair, Colorado DPHE

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) classifies business establishments for the purpose of collecting, analyzing, and publishing statistical data. It is a standard business classification scheme used by the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Every five years, an updated set of NAICS codes is released. EPA’s System of Registries now includes the current standardized list of NAICS codes, available through a series of web service queries for use by environmental programs and partners. There are four services available, such as returning NAICS information by code, definition, and keyword.

The NAICS data exchange is available at: https://www.exchangenetwork.net/data-exchange/naics/.

John Harman
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.566.0748
E: harman.john [at] epa.gov

The Exchange Network Community will soon convene in Philadelphia for EN2015, the 2015 Exchange Network National Meeting! The EN2015 Presentations are now available online for your preview at https://www.exchangenetwork.net/en2015-agenda.

Unable to attend EN2015 in person? All General and Concurrent Sessions will be broadcast live via free webcast. You can login to the webcasts anytime at http://live.hosted.events/EN2015/. Links to the webcasts are also available in the online Agenda.

We look forward to seeing many of you in Philadelphia! If you have any questions about EN2015, please contact ECOS’ Greg McNelly at gmcnelly [at] ecos.org.

Andrew Battin, EN2015 Quad-Chair, US EPA
Matt Leopard, EN2015 Quad-Chair, US EPA
Victoria Phillips, EN2015 Quad-Chair, Massachusetts DEP
Andrew Putnam, EN2015 Quad-Chair, Colorado DPHE

The FY 2016 Exchange Network (EN) Grant Program Solicitation Notice is now available at http://www2.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/fiscal-year-2016-national-environmental-information-exchange-network-grant-program.  Applications are due to EPA by November 13, 2015.

In FY 2016, EPA expects to award about $10 million for 40-50 assistance agreements for EN Phase 2 (or Phase 1) projects of up to $500,000 each. The exact number of assistance agreements will depend on the final amount of EPA’s appropriation for the EN grant program, the number of applications submitted to EPA by the application deadline, the amounts of proposed budgets, and the outcome of application reviews.

The primary outcome expected from EN assistance agreements is improved access to, and exchange of, high-quality environmental data from public- and private-sector sources. With this outcome in mind, applications should demonstrate support for and results toward EN program priorities.

EPA only accepts project proposals for EN assistance agreements submitted electronically through Grants.gov, unless applicants have a waiver. EPA anticipates that it will announce selection decisions in or around April 2016, and plans to issue awards by July 31, 2016.

Applicants can learn more at EN2015, the 2015 Exchange Network National Meeting, where a pre-Meeting Session has been scheduled on September 28, 2015, at 5:30 PM. Additionally, EPA will host webinars to assist applicants. Webinar details will be provided via EN Alerts and at http://www2.epa.gov/exchangenetwork.

For more information, please contact Salena Reynolds, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, at reynolds.salena [at] epa.gov.

Salena Reynolds
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.566.0466
E: reynolds.salena [at] epa.gov

E-Enterprise for the Environment is recruiting members for the new State Plan Electronic Collection System (SPeCS) team, and 5 new sub-teams under the Combined Air Emissions Reporting (CAER) Scoping Team. Information about each follows:

• SPeCS Team – Work already done for a separate program will be leveraged into a tool States can use to create and track the State Implementation Plan (SIP) approval process.
• CAER Sub-team: Comparison/harmonization of code tables, the Data Dictionary, and QA steps across EPA inventory programs – Team members will compare and harmonize code tables, map data elements across programs, and compile the QA steps completed by each program to identify opportunities for streamlining.
• CAER Sub-team: Web-based service for finding Source Classification Codes (SCCs), proposing changes, and requesting new SCCs – Team members will harmonize and publish the official list of SCCs online and centralize and make public the process of requesting and tracking the status of new SCCs.
• CAER Sub-team: CEDRI: WebFire export of industry reported test data – Team members will update WebFire to allow users to request all test data for a source category or regulation and enable WebFire to produce a single data structure that includes all of the source test data.
• CAER Sub-team: Remove the need for EPA augmentation for select States for the 2014 NEI cycle – State members and the EPA would define all quality criteria for States to meet to eliminate the need for the EPA to augment any of the point source data during the 2014 NEI cycle.
• CAER Sub-team: Combined Air Emissions Implementation Plan (for the “to be” state) – This team would establish the major building blocks for the “to be” states, identify time frames for implementing each, identify key unknowns and challenges, and explore resolving those challenges as resources allowed.

For more information or to join a team, please contact ECOS’ Kelly Poole at kpoole [at] ecos.org.

Kelly Poole
Environmental Council of the States
P: 202.266.4939
E: kpoole [at] ecos.org

The Exchange Network Community will soon convene in Philadelphia for EN2015, the 2015 Exchange Network National Meeting!

Attendees are encouraged to register and make hotel reservations as soon as possible at https://www.exchangenetwork.net/en2015. The room block and rate are guaranteed until 5:00pm ET on September 2, 2015. Rooms and the EN2015 rate will likely not be available after September 2.

Please also note that a major city-wide event is being held in Philadelphia on Sunday, September 27. To minimize the impacts on your travel into the city, it is suggested that you not arrive in Philadelphia before Monday, September 28.

If you have any questions about EN2015, please contact ECOS’ Greg McNelly at gmcnelly [at] ecos.org.

Andrew Battin, EN2015 Quad-Chair
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Matt Leopard, EN2015 Quad-Chair
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Victoria Phillips, EN2015 Quad-Chair
Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

Andrew Putnam, EN2015 Quad-Chair
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment

The Reusable Component Services (RCS) is a central registry for Exchange Network Partners to share information about available technical resources. RCS provides a common set of metadata about technical resources available to developers, such as web services, schema, and Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). The information in RCS promotes sharing and reuse of resources, whether from direct use or from information sharing, resulting in standardization across environmental applications. RCS is a component of the centralized System of Registries (SoR), which provides access to a set of registry systems.

Available at https://www.exchangenetwork.net/data-exchange/rcs/, the RCS data exchange allows Partners to use web services to access data from RCS. Service queries pull standardized information about all resources matching a particular resource type.

John Harman
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.566.0748
E: harman.john [at] epa.gov