EPA has released the final Version 3.0 of the AQS Submission schema. The schema is available here.

Version 3.0 adds elements necessary for the implementation of the air monitoring program quality assurance procedures. These include new quality assurance transactions and additional monitor metadata. Site and monitor metadata have been changed to better align AQS with physical reality and the intended meanings of terms in the monitoring program. Finally, elements that are no longer needed or that are superseded by the new elements have been deprecated.

It is important to note that for data elements that are not changing, such as raw sample data, the basic structure of the schema from v2.x to v3.0 has not changed. For routine raw sample data submissions, no changes may be necessary by the submitter.

All data collected on or after January 1, 2015, must be submitted using v3.0. EPA is using the data collection date, rather than the submittal date, because AQS processes generally operate on a calendar year. The new schema deprecates elements that AQS will no longer allow for data collected beginning in calendar year 2015.

AQS v3.0 test and production environments will be available by August 1, 2014

Nick Mangus
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 919.541.5549
E: mangus.nick [at] epa.gov