The ICIS-NPDES Integrated Project Team (IPT) will be meeting on January 8, 2014, to discuss two proposed category of changes to the ICIS-NPDES XML schema. The first proposed category of changes will impact all States who are submitting compliance monitoring data to ICIS-NPDES. Specifically, the Compliance Monitoring XML submission will include a new key field that will enable States to report multiple inspections into ICIS for the same day. This change is proposed to be available for testing between July 21-October 2, 2014, with a production release date of October 27, 2014.

The second proposed category of changes includes the addition of optional pieces of data to support the upcoming reissuance of the Regional Storm Water Multi-Sector General Permit, and edits to existing XML elements (tags) that have never been submitted by users. These changes are proposed to be available between March 31-April 4, 2014, with a production release date of April 14, 2014.

More information will be available after the IPT meets on January 8, 2014. If you have questions about the proposed changes or the upcoming IPT call, please contact Alison Kittle at kittle.alison [at] epa.gov.

Alison Kittle
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.564.6233
E: kittle.alison [at] epa.gov

In only 100 days, the Exchange Network Community will convene in Philadelphia for EN2014, the 2014 Exchange Network National Meeting. Online registration for EN2014 is now available here. A draft agenda; hotel reservation information; and travel reimbursement guidance for State, Territorial, and Tribal Partners are also available.

For all the latest information on EN2014, visit https://www.exchangenetwork.net/en2014/.

Andrew Battin
EN2014 Co-Chair
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.566.2140
E: battin.andrew [at] epa.gov

Andrew Putnam
EN2014 Co-Chair
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
P: 303.692.3579
E: andrew.putnam [at] state.co.us

The deadline to submit FY 2014 Exchange Network grants applications is November 15, 2013. The Solicitation Notice is available at http://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/grants/.

EPA has posted the October 2013 update on grantees with excessive ULOs to http://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/grants/. In FY 2014, applications submitted by the 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 24 of the FY 2014 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, which EPA will make available during January 2014.

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

Due to the Federal government shutdown, EPA has extended the deadline for the FY 2014 Exchange Network grant cycle to November 15, 2013. EPA will accept project proposals for Exchange Network grants in one of two ways: 1) a hardcopy mailed or delivered application, including one original and two copies; or 2) a proposal submitted electronically through the grants.gov website. EPA anticipates that it will announce selection decisions in or around April 2014. EPA plans to issue the awards by July 31, 2014.

The FY 2014 Exchange Network Grant Program Solicitation Notice is available at http://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/grants/.

EPA will conduct an EN Grant Solicitation webinar at 1:00 PM ET on October 22, 2013. To participate in the webinar, dial: 866.299.3188 and enter code 202-566-1984#. Access the online meeting at: . An Adobe Connect account is not required to enter the webinar, simply log in as a “Guest.”

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

Due to the Federal government shutdown, EPA has rescheduled the October 1, 2013, FY 2014 Exchange Network Grant Solicitation Notice Webinar for October 22 at 1:00 PM ET. This webinar will be recorded.

To participate in the webinar:

Dial: 866.299.3188 and enter Conference Code 202-566-1984#.

Access the online meeting at:

An Adobe Connect account is not required to enter the webinar, simply log in as a “Guest.”

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

To promote greater awareness of Exchange Network Governance activities, important discussions and action items from EN Governance meetings, conference calls, and events are consolidated into monthly activity summaries and posted to the Exchange Network website.

The June 2013 EN Governance Activity Summary is available here.

The schedule of upcoming Governance calls and meeting is available here.

To promote greater awareness of Exchange Network Governance activities, important discussions and action items from EN Governance meetings, conference calls, and events are consolidated into monthly activity summaries and posted to the Exchange Network website.

The March, April, and May 2013 EN Governance Activity Summary is now available here.

The schedule of upcoming Governance calls and meetings is available here.

Due to the shutdown of the Federal government, Exchange Network Partners may experience interruptions in services provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA’s Central Data Exchange (CDX) web page currently states:

“Non-mission critical agency services may be limited or unavailable until federal appropriations are enacted. Information on CDX may not be up to date. Transactions submitted via CDX may not be processed, and EPA and the CDX Help Desk may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.”

Please watch the CDX website at https://cdx.epa.gov/ for additional information as it becomes available.

Kurt Rakouskas
Exchange Network Coordinator
P: 301.531.5186
E: kurt [at] exchangenetwork.net

In preparation for the FY 2014 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 202-566-1984 #.

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.”

September 18, 2013; 1:00PM ET

September 24, 2013; 1:00PM ET

September 25, 2013; 1:00PM ET

October 1, 2013; 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

The FY 2014 Exchange Network Grant Program Solicitation Notice is now available for interested applicants at http://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/grants/.  Applications are due to EPA by November 8, 2013.

In FY 2014, EPA expects to award an estimated $10,000,000 for 40 to 50 grants of up to $500,000. The exact number of grants will depend on the final amount of EPA’s appropriation for the 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 the Exchange Network 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 the EN program priorities.

EPA will accept project proposals for Exchange Network grants in one of two ways: 1) a hardcopy mailed or delivered application, including one original and two copies; or 2) a proposal submitted electronically through the grants.gov website. EPA anticipates that it will announce selection decisions in or around April 2014. EPA plans to issue the awards by July 31, 2014.

To assist applicants, EPA will be hosting webinars at 1:00 PM Eastern on September 18, 24, 25 and October 1, 2013. Further details on the webinars will be provided via EN Alerts.

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

EPA Headquarters is seeking State and EPA Regional participation in workgroups to assist planning efforts for the redesign of the Assessment TMDL Tracking and ImplementatioN System (ATTAINS). ATTAINS provides public access to Clean Water Act Section 305(b) and 303(d) Integrated Reporting (IR) information on assessed and impaired waters. As part of this redesign, EPA is looking to reduce State IR reporting burden and to replace the current Assessment Database (ADB) used by several States for tracking, storing, and reporting their IR data. EPA will also develop robust methods for exchanging IR data for those States not currently ADB users. Participation from Exchange Network Partners will help deliver a better redesigned system, and provide improvements to the data exchange process.

EPA is looking for State and EPA Regional participation in four ATTAINS Workgroups:

1. Data Elements and Schema,
2. Data Exchange Methodology,
3. Performance Evaluation Measures, and
4. Improved Assessment Methods.

These Workgroups will lay the groundwork for an Integrated Project Team (IPT) to be formed in late 2014. The ATTAINS IPT will evaluate the recommendations from the Workgroups and formalize recommendations to adhere with Exchange Network protocols. Invitations to participate in the IPT will be announced via EN Alert.

The Workgroups will meet monthly via teleconference starting in October 2013 and continuing on through August 2014. EPA would like to identify members for each workgroup by September 16, 2013. If you are interested in participating in any of the ATTAINS Workgroups or have any questions, please contact Dwane Young by phone at 202.566.1214 or email at young.dwane [at] epa.gov.

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

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is pleased to announce the release of the new Java AQS (Air Quality System) v2.2 plugin for the Java OpenNode2 v2.06. The plugin includes the ability to submit all four types of AQS data (i.e., raw data, accuracy data, precision data, and site monitor information). These data are used to determine compliance with national clean air standards, assess the nature of air pollution, and assess the exposure of humans to airborne pollutants.

The plugin and implementation guide are available for download on the OpenNode2 website. More information on AQS is available here.

Tim Howes
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
P: 850.245.7581
E: tim.howes [at] dep.state.fl.us

Would you like to be involved in planning EN2014, the 2014 Exchange Network National Meeting? EN2014 will be held February 25-27, 2014, in Philadelphia. As a member of the Exchange Network Community, you are invited to contribute your ideas and expertise to your next National Meeting by joining the EN2014 Program Integrated Project Team! Team members can expect to participate in approximately one conference call per month, assist with recruiting and organizing moderators and presenters, and moderate one or more EN2014 sessions. To join, please email Darcy Peth (dpeth [at] rossstrategic.com) and help us make EN2014 the best National Meeting yet!

Also, if you would like to make a presentation at EN2014, we would love to hear from you! The 2014 National Meeting will focus on Phase 2 of the Exchange Network and will feature innovations in regulatory reporting and data access, leaning and streamlining, advances in data collection, and E-Reporting. E-Enterprise will also be an important topic at EN2014 with several sessions addressing this new initiative. If you are interested in presenting or organizing a session, please email a brief description of your proposed topic for the IPT’s consideration to Darcy Peth by September 13, 2013.

For all the latest information on EN2014, visit https://www.exchangenetwork.net/en2014/.

Andrew Battin
EN2014 Co-Chair
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.566.2140
E: battin.andrew [at] epa.gov

Andrew Putnam
EN2014 Co-Chair
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
P: 303.692.3579
E: andrew.putnam [at] state.co.us

In preparation for the FY 2014 Exchange Network Grant application process, EPA will hold two stakeholder conference calls to review the Draft FY 2014 Exchange Network Grant Solicitation Notice and answer questions from the Exchange Network community. The Draft Notice and an overview of the significant changes from FY 2013 are available at http://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/grants/.

The first call will be held on Thursday, July 18, 2013, from 1:00-2:00 PM EDT.

The second call will be held on Tuesday, July 23, 2013, from 1:00-2:00 PM EDT.

To participate in either call, please dial: 1.866.299.3188, and enter conference code: 202 566 0466 #

EPA will accept comments on the Draft Notice until 5:00pm EDT, July 23, 2013. Written comments should be emailed to Salena Reynolds at reynolds.salena [at] epa.gov. EPA plans to issue the final EN Grant Solicitation Notice by early September 2013.

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

EPA has released its Draft FY 2014 Exchange Network Grant Solicitation Notice. The Draft Notice and an overview of the significant changes from FY 2013 are available at http://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/grants/. EPA will accept comments on the Draft Notice until 5:00pm EDT, July 23, 2013. Written comments should be emailed to Salena Reynolds at reynolds.salena [at] epa.gov.

EPA will announce the dates and times of two conference calls to review the Draft Notice, answer questions, and receive input from EN Partners on July 15.

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

EPA has launched an effort to modernize the Air Facility System (AFS) by incorporating it into the Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS). The new ICIS-Air will be completed by September 2014. Work has started on designing the systems for users who will enter data directly into the ICIS-Air website and for users who will transfer data from their own system to ICIS-Air. Planning to move existing data from legacy AFS into ICIS-Air is also underway. To support these efforts, EPA has established three workgroups that will focus on specific areas of modernization. If you are a member of the AFS User Community, your participation in one or more of the following workgroups is essential to the successful modernization of AFS:

• ICIS-Air Design Workgroup – Partners planning to enter data directly into the ICIS-Air web application are invited to nominate a representative to join the ICIS-Air Design Workgroup.
• Electronic Data Transfer Integrated Project Team (EDT IPT) – Partners planning to transfer data electronically to ICIS-Air from their own air compliance and enforcement system are strongly encouraged to nominate one AFS user and one Information Technology staff member to participate in the EDT IPT.
• AFS Data Migration Workgroup – All States, Tribes, Territories, local Partners, and EPA Regions that use AFS are required to identify at least one person responsible for AFS data to join the AFS Data Migration Workgroup.

Please respond to this Call for Participation before June 28,2013, by sending an email to Michelle Torreano at torreano.michelle [at] epa.gov. Please make to sure to include the name(s), phone number(s), email address(es), and which specific Workgroup(s) they will be participating on.

Thank you in advance for your participation as we build the new ICIS-Air!

Alison Kittle
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.564.6233
E: kittle.alison [at] epa.gov

John Dombrowski
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.566.0742
E: dombrowski.john [at] epa.gov

EPA has re-released the Request for Applications (RFA) for the Tribal support cooperative agreement for the Exchange Network. Under this agreement, the grantee will provide Exchange Network-related outreach to Federally recognized Tribes through hosting the National Tribal Users Meeting, design and maintenance of a website, and publication of a regular newsletter. The grantee will also support Tribal participation in Exchange Network Governance. Furthermore, the grantee will provide collaboration, mentoring, and information sharing among Tribal stakeholders through development of a mentoring program.

The total estimated funding expected to be available under this competitive opportunity is approximately $800,000, with an annual value not exceed $160,000. After the initial year, the cooperative agreement may be funded incrementally for up to four additional years subject to satisfactory performance, availability of funds, and other applicable considerations.

The Notice is available at www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/grants and through grants.gov. Applications are due August 30, 2013. Questions should be directed to EPA’s Salena Reynolds by phone at 202.566.0466 or email at reynolds.salena [at] epa.gov.

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

On July 8, 2013, from 1:00-2:30PM ET, the Network Technology Board will sponsor an Open Conference Call to review the recently released Institutional Controls (IC) Data Exchange. The IC data flow provides both Query and Solicit services for sharing IC data among Network Partners.

The Open Call will provide background on the IC flow development effort, an overview of the IC XML schema, and a description of the services supported by the IC data flow. In addition, Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and Indiana Department of Environmental Management staff will share their plans for implementing the IC data flow on the Exchange Network. Finally Terradex, Inc., will discuss how private software solutions would apply IC data flows to support providing public notice of ICs and monitoring IC effectiveness.

To participate, please register at: .

Connie Dwyer
EPA NTB Co-Chair
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.566.1691
E: dwyer.connie [at] epa.gov

Roy Walker
State NTB Co-Chair
Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality
P: 405.388.3806
E: roy.walker [at] deq.ok.gov

The Network Technology Board is excited to announce the release of the new Institutional Controls (IC) Data Exchange. Institutional controls are non-engineered instruments, such as administrative and legal controls, that help minimize the potential for human exposure to contamination and protect the integrity of a remedial action. ICs can reduce exposure to contamination by limiting land or resource use and guide human behavior at a site. Many Partners inventory ICs and some provide public-facing displays of these data.

In 2013, an Integrated Project Team led by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, the EN Coordinator, and the Environmental Council of the States developed the implementation resources necessary to allow Partners to publish IC data via the Exchange Network using a standardized data format. The IC Data Exchange provides both Query and Solicit services. No data processing services are required. The data publishing services will support both REST and SOAP service requests.

Adele Vogelgesang
Ohio Environmental Protection Agency
P: 614.728.1747
E: adele.vogelgesang [at] epa.state.oh.us

The June 12, 2013, RESTful Web Services Open Conference Call has been postponed to allow for updates to the REST Guidance.

Once rescheduled, the Open Call will be re-announced via EN Alert.

Connie Dwyer
EPA NTB Co-Chair
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
P: 202.566.1691
E: dwyer.connie [at] epa.gov

Roy Walker
State NTB Co-Chair
Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality
P: 405.388.3806
E: roy.walker [at] deq.ok.gov