Peter Soyka has been selected to serve as the new E-Enterprise for the Environment Coordinator. Soyka is an environmental policy, strategy, and management expert and the founder and President of Soyka & Company, LLC, a business strategy and sustainability consultancy. He has performed scores of projects for U.S. EPA over the years, ranging from regulatory development support and program evaluation to stakeholder engagement and meeting and conference planning. Prior to founding Soyka & Company, Peter served in executive and director positions at several consulting and engineering firms.

Peter holds Master of Business Administration and Master of Environmental Management degrees from Duke University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Zoology from the University of Vermont. He may be contacted at: peter [at] soykaandcompany.com.

Until now, Rob Willis of Ross Strategic has been serving as Interim E-Enterprise Coordinator. States, Tribes, and EPA are very grateful for Rob’s service and look forward to having Peter fill this role on a permanent basis.

Beth Graves
Environmental Council of the States
P: 202.266.4923
E: bgraves [at] ecos.org

EPA has issued a Final Rule revising the requirements for how state, tribal, and local implementation plans (SIPs) under Section 110 of the Clean Air Act (CAA) are required to be submitted to the EPA. Specifically, EPA is providing state, tribal, and local air agencies an option for electronic submittal of SIPs, including any necessary supporting documents. The new electronic SIP (eSIP) submission system, is web-based and is supported by EPA’s Central Data Exchange. The effective date of this action is March 16, 2015.

For more information, see:

EPA’s SIP Webpage: http://www.epa.gov/oaqps001/urbanair/sipstatus/efficiency.html

Final Rule: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-02-10/pdf/2015-02602.pdf

Fact Sheet: http://www.epa.gov/oaqps001/urbanair/sipstatus/docs/20150202esipfs.pdf

Mia South
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 919.541.5550
E: south.mia [at] epa.gov

On behalf of the E-Enterprise for the Environment Leadership Council and the Exchange Network Leadership Council, the Environmental Council of States (ECOS) is seeking a bidder or group of bidders to provide services in support of communications objectives related to E-Enterprise for the Environment and the Exchange Network. The Request for Proposal and supporting documents are available at https://www.exchangenetwork.net/e-enterprise/.

Proposals are due to ECOS by 5:00pm ET on Thursday, February 5, 2015.

For more information, please contact ECOS’ Beth Graves at bgraves [at] ecos.org.

Beth Graves
Environmental Council of the States
P: 202.266.4923
E: bgraves [at] ecos.org

EPA is pleased to announce the Assessment, TMDL Tracking And ImplementatioN System (ATTAINS) data exchange planning process is now underway. The ATTAINS flow will replace the OWIR data exchange in 2018. EPA plans to announce the formal release of ATTAINS v1.0 in the summer of 2015. An ATTAINS Integrated Project Team (IPT) will be formed in January 2015 to develop the new ATTAINS schema.

If you have any questions or would like to participate in the IPT, please contact EPA’s Dwane Young.

For the latest information, visit: https://www.exchangenetwork.net/data-exchange/attains.

Dwane Young
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.566.1214
E: young.dwane [at] epa.gov

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals (ITEP) and Gila River Indian Community announce that the 2015 Tribal Exchange Network Conference will be held February 4-5, 2015, at the Wild Horse Pass Hotel & Casino, in Chandler, Arizona.​ The Tribal Exchange Network Conference provides 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.

For more information, visit .

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

EPA is pleased to announce that version 6.0 of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Data Exchange.

This version includes the following RY2014 Information Collection Request and Reporting Forms and Instructions changes:

• Add an optional extension to all phone numbers that would allow facilities to ensure that incoming calls are directed to the appropriate person.
• Add an optional field to allow facilities to indicate the section of a water body that received the surface water discharge. Specifically, facilities could provide a reach code, which is a unique identifier for a linear, unbranched section of a water body.
• Add check boxes to indicate whether a facility has provided a ‘‘Production Ratio’’ or an ‘‘Activity Ratio’’ (Part II: Sec. 8.9).
• Add a new column where facilities can provide an optional percentage range indicating the estimated annual reduction in chemical waste generation associated with a given source reduction activity (Part II: Sec. 8.10).
• Provide optional barrier codes that facilities can use in Section 8.11 to indicate why they could not implement any source reduction activities during the reporting year (Part II: Sec. 8.11).
• Allow facilities to categorize optional free-text information entered in Sections 8.11 and 9.1 by selecting from a list of topics provided in TRI–MEweb.

All XML files uploaded to TRI-MEweb via Third-party Load as well as XML files forwarded to State partners of the TRI Data Exchange will adhere to v6.0 of the TRI XML schema beginning in calendar year 2015.

If you have any questions, please contact Shane Knipschild at knipschild.shane [at] epa.gov.

Shane Knipschild
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.566.2712
E: knipschild.shane [at] epa.gov

On November 20, 2014, from 2:00-3:30pm ET, EPA will host a webinar to discuss implementation of the Hazardous Waste Electronic Manifest Establishment Act (e-Manifest) Program. The webinar will provide updates on the program, technical architecture, general timing, and next steps.

For more information on e-Manifest, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/osw/hazard/transportation/manifest/e-man.htm.

To participate in the e-Manifest Webinar, please register in advance at .

If you have questions, please contact 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

On November 5, 2014, EPA inadvertently announced the release of Version 6.0 of the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) XML schema. The current version of the TRI XML schema is Version 5.0. EPA will announce the formal release of v6.0 in the near future.

If you have any questions, please contact Shane Knipschild at knipschild.shane [at] epa.gov.

Shane Knipschild
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.566.2712
E: knipschild.shane [at] epa.gov

EPA has posted updates to http://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork. Updates are required due to website changes after documents were initially posted.

1. Checklist of Documents to submit with FY 2015 Exchange Network Grant Applications
2. What’s New in the FY 2015 Exchange Network Grant Solicitation Notice
3. FY 2015 Exchange Network Grant Solicitation Notice
4. Budget detail guidance to assist applicants in preparing their budget and budget narrative

Also, to clarify eligibility for partnership applications under the Exchange Network grant program, a partnership between a State agency and a Federally recognized Tribe in the same State would be eligible to apply for a grant as a partnership since Federally recognized Tribes are considered sovereign entities.

If you have any questions, please contact Salena Reynolds at reynolds.salena [at] epa.gov.

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

Beginning October 27, 2014, all State, Local, and Tribal Air agencies providing air stationary source enforcement and compliance data to EPA’s Air Facility System (AFS) will instead be able to submit their data to the new Integrated Compliance Information System for Air (ICIS-Air) via the Exchange Network.

The Integrated Compliance Information System for National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (ICIS-NPDES) data exchange, which allows Partners to provide NPDES data to EPA in an XML format, was upgraded to Version 5.0 to support the Electronic Data Transfer (EDT) of Air Facility, Air Program, Air Pollutant, Compliance Monitoring (stack test/PCE/FCE), Title V annual Compliance Certification, Compliance Monitoring Strategy, Case File, Formal Enforcement Action, Informal Enforcement Action and Linkage data in XML format as well.

For more information, contact Alison Kittle at kittle.alison [at] epa.gov.

Alison Kittle
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.465.6233
E: kittle.alison [at] epa.gov

On behalf of the E-Enterprise for the Environment Leadership Council (EELC), the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS) is making available a Request for Proposal (RFP) seeking an experienced individual with solid collaboration skills to serve as the E-Enterprise for the Environment Coordinator. The position is part of the E-Enterprise joint governance structure and provides a single, integrated point of coordination for efforts under this initiative. The position of Coordinator was created to establish a single individual with success of E-Enterprise as his or her sole objective.

The RFP is available at https://www.exchangenetwork.net/e-enterprise/. Applications are due to ECOS by Friday, November 14, 2014, at 5:00pm ET or until filled.

For more information, please contact ECOS’ Beth Graves at bgraves [at] ecos.org.

Beth Graves
Environmental Council of the States
P: 202.266.4923
E: bgraves [at] ecos.org

On October 27, 2014, the Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS) schema is being upgraded to Version 5.0. ICIS v5.0 includes a new Air module and changes to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) module for using a new Compliance Monitoring Identifier as the key field for all Compliance Monitoring-related submissions.

Because previous versions of the ICIS-NPDES schema will no longer be supported, any State submitting permit, DMR, compliance monitoring, etc., data to ICIS-NPDES must ensure their submissions XMLs conform with ICIS v5.0, which is available at https://www.exchangenetwork.net/data-exchange/icis-npdes/.

For more information, please contact Steve Rubin at rubin.steven [at] epa.gov.

Steven Rubin
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.564.7052
E: rubin.steven [at] epa.gov

In preparation for the FY 2015 Exchange Network Grant cycle, EPA will convene four webinars to assist applicants on the following dates and times. To participate in any webinar, please dial: 1.866.299.3188; and enter Conference Code 202-566-0466 #.

Use the following links to access the specific webinars indicated. An Adobe Connect account is not required to enter a webinar, simply log in as a “Guest.”

October 20, 2014; 1:00PM ET:  

October 29, 2014; 1:00PM ET:  

November 4, 2014; 1:00PM ET:  

November 13, 2014; 1:00PM ET:  

If you have any questions, please contact Salena Reynolds at reynolds.salena [at] epa.gov.

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

EPA has released the October 2014 update on Exchange Network grantees with excessive Unliquidated Obligations (unspent grant balances or ULOs). In FY 2015, applications submitted by a grant recipient with excessive ULOs will automatically lose 10 points unless the delay in project schedule is on the part of EPA. For more information on excessive ULOs, please see page 33 of the FY 2015 Exchange Network Grant Solicitation Notice. The final determination of whether previously awarded Exchange Network grants meet the excessive ULO threshold will be made from the following quarter’s report and posted on EPA’s website in January 2015.

The updated ULO lists are available at http://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/grants/.

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