The FY 2020 National Environmental Information Exchange Network Grant Program Solicitation Notice is now available at https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/fy-2020-exchange-network-grant-solicitation-notice.  Applications are due to EPA by 11:59 PM Eastern Time, Wednesday, March 25, 2020. Information on stakeholder webinars will be provided shortly.

The primary outcome expected from Exchange Network (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, an application’s project goals and outputs should align with and support one or more EN program priorities. Applicants are also highly encouraged to review the new FY20 Solicitation Notice in full, as updates have been made throughout the document. Applicants should also note that optional templates for the cover letter, project narrative, and budget narrative have been provided in the appendices.

In FY 2020, EPA expects to award over $8 million for 20-30 assistance agreements for EN projects. Most awards will be in the $50,000 to $300,000 range. Awards for an individual assistance agreements cannot exceed $200,000. EPA may make a limited number of awards to qualifying collaborative, partnership assistance agreements, with project budgets of $400,000 or less. 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 budget amounts requested, and the outcome of application reviews.

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 August 2020, and tentatively plans to issue awards by September 30, 2020.

For more information, please contact:

Erika Beasley

EN Grants Program Manager

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

P: 202-566-2530

E: [email protected]

Time is running short! The deadline for the  EE2020 Call for Meeting Content is this coming Friday, January 17. Don’t miss this opportunity to share your work in program modernization, digital transformation, and innovative management practices. Please visit the EE2020 Meeting website for complete details on submitting your proposal.   

We also want to hear about your priorities for training and workshops at EE2020. Please visit the EE2020 Training Questionnaire  by January 17, 2020 to tell us about your interests so we can build the most engaging program possible. You’ll only need 2 minutes! 

Happy New Year! To celebrate the start of a new decade, the Chairs of EE2020 are extending the deadline for proposals under the EE2020 Call for Meeting Content. Proposals are now due on or before January 17, 2020. That means you have an extra week to form your ideas and send them in. 

Visit the EE2020 Meeting website for complete details on submitting your proposal. You’ll find a wide-ranging list of potential topic areas to help your thinking. And you can choose from a variety of different formats–everything from a traditional podium presentation to brief 5-minute lightning talks, even a short video! 

Tell Us About Your Training Priorities

We know that meeting attendees place a lot of value on practical training and workshops. We hope to feature a number of these opportunities at EE2020 and the meeting chairs would like your input on the topics that would be most valuable. Please visit the EE2020 Training Questionnaire by January 17, 2020 to tell us about your priorities and interests so we can build the most engaging program possible. You’ll only need 2 minutes!

Deadline Approaching for the Call for Meeting Content

The air is crisp, daylight is scarce. That can only mean one thing–the deadline for the EE2020 Call for Meeting Content is drawing near! Don’t miss this opportunity to share your work or suggest a meeting topic. 

Visit the EE2020 Meeting website before January 10, 2020 to submit your proposal. You’ll find a wide ranging list of topic areas of interest to help your thinking. You’ll also find that there are several different format options for EE2020 content. You may suggest a traditional podium presentation, a panel discussion, a brief 5-minute lightning talk, a workshop–even a brief video! 

You Talk, We Listen

Feedback from past E-Enterprise meetings makes it clear that attendees value training and interactive workshops as part of the meeting experience. We hope to feature a number of these opportunities at EE2020 and the meeting chairs would like your input on the topics that would be most valuable. Please visit the EE2020 Training Questionnaire to tell us about your priorities and interests so we can build the most engaging program possible. You’ll only need 2 minutes–it will be so worth it! 

Registration Opening Soon!

Stay tuned after the new year for information about the opening of registration for EE2020. In the meantime, please have a happy and healthy holiday season!

–EE2020 Meeting Chairs

• Kari Jacobson Hedin
  Fond du Lac Reservation

• Victoria Phillips
  Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

• Chet Wayland
  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The E-Enterprise National Meeting (EE2020) is coming and you can help make it a success! The chairs of the meeting are looking for motivated volunteers to serve on the EE2020 Program Committee.

The Program Committee plays a critical role in shaping the meeting’s content and creating a program that is responsive to the needs of the E-Enterprise and Exchange Network community. Committee members will:

• Review and score EE2020 presentation proposals;
• Provide focused input on the development of the meeting program; and
• Coordinate speakers and moderate sessions at EE2020.

For more information and to volunteer, please visit the EE2020 website at https://www.eenationalmeeting.net/2019/1121/program-committee by Thursday December 5, 2019. The meeting chairs will review submissions and notify volunteers before the end of December 2019.

Reminder: Call for Meeting Content Now Open!

Don’t forget that the EE2020 Call for Meeting Content is also open through January 10, 2020. You can learn how to submit a presentation proposal or suggest a topic at https://www.eenationalmeeting.net/2019/11/7/call-for-content.

More information on EE2020

You can find complete details on EE2020 on the meeting website at https://www.eenationalmeeting.net/. Stay tuned for more information on meeting registration, lodging, and much more via Exchange Network Email Alerts and by following E-Enterprise on Twitter.

–EE2020 Meeting Chairs

• Kari Jacobson Hedin
  Fond du Lac Reservation

• Victoria Phillips
  Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection

• Chet Wayland
  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The 2020 E-Enterprise National Meeting (EE2020) will be held in Chicago, IL from May 12-14, 2020! EE2020 is a meeting for the environmental protection community that creates opportunities to connect with other community members, share your successes and challenges, and learn about best practices in environmental protection. We need your help to craft a program that is engaging, informative, and relevant to the important work you do.

The meeting Chairs are pleased to announce the launch of the EE2020 meeting website and the opening of the EE2020 Call for Meeting Content.

The theme of EE2020 is Envisioning the Future of Environmental Protection and we are seeking your proposals for content that aligns with that theme and the following possible topics of interest:

• Digital Transformation in Environmental Protection 
• Program Innovation and Policy Modernization  
• User-Centered Design: Experiences in Implementing Customer-Focused Online Services 
• Telling Agency Stories Through Data Visualization 
• GIS for Environmental Decision Making 
• Using Open Data and APIs to Drive Innovation in Environmental Management 
• Data Analytics and Data-Driven Decision Making 
• Applications for Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence in Environmental Protection 
• Innovative Exchange Network Data Flows and Projects 
• Adopting Cloud Technologies and Shared Platforms to Drive Efficiency and Better Environmental Outcomes 
• Shared Services for Mobile Data Entry and Field Work 
• Innovative Partnerships in Environmental Protection 
• Examples of Process Streamlining and Agile Development  
• Citizen Science: Benefits, Challenges, and Impacts for Environmental Agencies 
• Advanced Techniques for Monitoring and Collecting Environmental Data (sensors, drones) 
• Intersections of Policy and Technology: Barriers and Opportunities for Innovation 

Submission Guidelines

You are invited to submit a brief abstract on a relevant topic that you would like to present at EE2020. You can submit your abstract for any of the following formats:

• Lightning Talks
• Podium Presentations
• Panel Discussions
• Workshops

 If you do not wish to lead a session or presentation, you may also submit an idea for a topic that you would like to see explored at EE2020.

 To submit your abstract or idea for EE2020, please visit the meeting website for complete details.

 The call for content will remain open through January 10, 2020.

 Should you have questions regarding the call for content or need assistance with your submission, please contact Kurt Rakouskas at krakouskas [at] ecos.org.

 More information on EE2020

EE2020 continues the longstanding series of national meetings held by the National Environmental Information Exchange Network. EE2020 brings together a broad community of attendees from state, tribal, and local environmental agencies, U.S. EPA, vendors, and other stakeholders with an interest in improving the productivity and responsiveness of the environmental protection enterprise. The meeting integrates content on information technology, process improvement, and program modernization.

Stay tuned for information on meeting registration, lodging, and travel expense reimbursement. You can get the latest updates via EN Email Alerts and our meeting website: https://www.eenationalmeeting.net  

The program for EE2020 is cooperatively developed by a Program Committee made up of representatives from state, tribal, and territorial environmental agencies and U.S. EPA. The Program Committee is chaired by:

• Kari Jacobson Hedin
  Fond du Lac Reservation
• Victoria Phillips
  Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
• Chet Wayland
  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

On October 29 from 2 – 3:30 p.m. Eastern, E-Enterprise will host a webinar to spotlight the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ)’s development and deployment of its simplified environmental permitting and compliance reporting approach. ADEQ is leveraging technology, Lean methodologies and the voice of the customer to design and build an e-Licensing web portal, called myDEQ, to assist Arizona’s regulated businesses in meeting their environmental responsibilities. This Lean initiative has resulted in reducing permitting timelines by over 95% and a 60% increase in businesses returning to compliance, which benefits both the environment and economy of Arizona.

To register for the webinar, click here. For more information, please contact Beth Graves Beth Graves of ECOS and Dana Stefan of Ross Strategic.

Mark your calendars for EE2020—the E-Enterprise National Meeting—powered by the Exchange Network! On May 12-14, 2020, the E-Enterprise and Exchange Network communities will gather in Chicago, Illinois to connect, collaborate, and learn more about the innovative work happening across the environmental protection enterprise.

EE2020 continues the longstanding series of national meetings held by the National Environmental Information Exchange Network and E-Enterprise for the Environment. Watch your inbox for many more details on the meeting’s theme, a call for meeting content, and information on meeting registration, lodging, and travel expense reimbursement. In the coming weeks, we’ll be unveiling the meeting website which will be your one-stop shop for all you need to know to participate in EE2020. Stay tuned!

The U.S. EPA is resuming the All Things SDWIS webinar series today, August 22, from 3:00-4:30 PM Eastern. These monthly webinars are a great way to track information related to the development of SDWIS Prime and other resources for agencies that manage safe drinking water programs. You may register for the webinar series at the following link: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/1766811131259847692. One registration will set you up for the entire year and you will receive updates and email reminders each month.

Today’s agenda will feature information about the status of SDWIS Prime, plans to update the SDWIS/State database, and information about the Compliance Monitoring Data Portal.

The E-Enterprise  State Plan Electronic Collaboration System (SPeCS) Project Team is seeking additional members to provide feedback on Exceptional Events and Regional Haze plan submissions in SPeCS. New team members will join the current E-Enterprise team and participate in approximately one to two calls per month for the next three months, and will participate in user testing before the new plan submissions are made available for widespread use through the Central Data Exchange.

SPeCS is a user-friendly, web-based system that enables state air agencies to submit and track State Implementation Plans (SIPs) for attaining the national ambient air quality standards, and related information, electronically to EPA for review and approval. Local air agencies may use the system as well. SPeCS is EPA’s preferred method for receiving SIP submissions and is comprised of three main components: the State Plan Collection Interface; the EPA Clearinghouse; and the Public Dashboard. 

If you are interested in joining the team and providing input as the Exceptional Events and Regional Haze plan submission systems are developed, please contact Kelly Poole of ECOS by August 23.  

The first call is scheduled for September 25 at 3:00PM Eastern. Please reach out to Kelly Poole of ECOS or  Mia South of EPA with any questions.

Next week, the Association of State Drinking Water Administrators (ASDWA) is holding live webcasts of eight of the sessions from the 2019 ASDWA/EPA Data Management Users Conference in Atlanta, GA. Participants should register for each of their desired sessions individually and before the start of the broadcast, although early registration before COB this Friday, July 19^th is preferred. If the registration links in any of the session titles don’t work, please try pasting the URL into your browser. Please contact Anthony DeRosa of ASDWA with questions

By registering as a remote attendee, you agree to “skate at your own risk,” as ASDWA staff may be unable to provide any level of technical support during the sessions. Due to unknown technical factors [i.e., hotel internet crashes, equipment failures, etc.], ASDWA cannot guarantee that we’ll be successful in broadcasting every scheduled session. In the event we need to cancel a broadcast, we will try to contact all registrants to inform them. Naturally, we’ll do our best to provide a quality experience for the entire Conference and thank you ahead of time for your understanding.

2019 ASDWA/EPA Data Management Users Conference: Remote Participation Webinar Series

DMUC 19: Opening Session

Tuesday, July 23 at 8:30 AM EDT.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9142293350091017485

SDWIS Legacy Session

Tuesday, July 23 at 10:30 AM EDT.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7704376232541687819

CMDP Project Update and State Experiences

Tuesday, July 23 at 2:00 PM EDT.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3864228518441031179

Data Cleanup

Wednesday, July 24 at 8:30 AM EDT.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4983854611935630859

Data Reliability

Wednesday, July 24 at 10:30 AM EDT.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7526143198656072459

Parking Lot Issues – Open Plenary Discussion

Wednesday, July 24 at 1:30 PM EDT.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5422259584743922699

How Drinking Water Data is Used by Other Programs – CDC Panel

Thursday, July 25 at 8:30 AM EDT.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1596462696408982539

SDWIS Communications and Community Building, and DMUC Wrap-up

Thursday, July 25 at 10:30 AM EDT.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4767421245566164235

DMUC 19: Opening Session

Tuesday, July 23 at 8:30 AM EDT.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/9142293350091017485

SDWIS Legacy Session

Tuesday, July 23 at 10:30 AM EDT.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7704376232541687819

CMDP Project Update and State Experiences

Tuesday, July 23 at 2:00 PM EDT.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3864228518441031179

Data Cleanup

Wednesday, July 24 at 8:30 AM EDT.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4983854611935630859

Data Reliability

Wednesday, July 24 at 10:30 AM EDT.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7526143198656072459

Parking Lot Issues – Open Plenary Discussion

Wednesday, July 24 at 1:30 PM EDT.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5422259584743922699

How Drinking Water Data is Used by Other Programs – CDC Panel

Thursday, July 25 at 8:30 AM EDT.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/1596462696408982539

SDWIS Communications and Community Building, and DMUC Wrap-up

Thursday, July 25 at 10:30 AM EDT.

https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4767421245566164235

Upate: You can now view a recording of the May 29, 2019 Open Call on Data Lakes!

Are you curious about Data Lakes and how they might benefit your organization? Never heard of a data lake and want to know more? You are invited to an E-Enterprise and Exchange Network Open Call on Wednesday, May 29 from 3:00-4:30 PM Eastern. The presentation will introduce the essentials of data lakes and will be a useful foundation for future E-Enterprise conversations and work.

This open call will feature EPA staff and technical consultants from the Office of Mission Support, along with representatives from Colorado and Massachusetts who will provide insights from their use of data lakes. If anyone has experience working with data lakes and would like to share their story please email Sarah Abramowitz at [email protected].

On Thursday, May 2 from 1-3 p.m. Eastern, E-Enterprise for the Environment will host a webinar to spotlight work by states and U.S. EPA related to the development and deployment of various permitting applications and workflows under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).

The workshop will feature three main segments:

• An overview of the E-Permitting and NetDMR systems developed by the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection.
• An overview of the revised EPA Office of Water NPDES Individual Permit Application forms stemming from the February 2019 NPDES Updates Rule.
• A review of the EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance’s NeT reporting tool for NPDES general permits and program reports such as the Construction General Permit (CGP) and Multi-Sector General Permit (MSGP). Speakers will include staff from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management who will discuss their efforts working with EPA to develop the first state-specific general permit application in NeT.

The webinar will be recorded for future viewing. If you have questions, please contact Beth Graves of ECOS or Sarah Abramowitz of Ross Strategic

The State Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) User Community Data Management Advisory Committee is sponsoring its first community-wide best practices webinar to showcase successes and experiences in transitioning to the Compliance Monitoring Data Portal. The webinar will feature a discussion led by Alaska and Montana, and is open to the entire SDWIS community as well as anyone who may be interested in the topic. We encourage you to register and share the webinar information below with your colleagues:

Tuesday, April 23, 2019 from 3 – 4:30 PM ET.

E-Enterprise Federated Identity Management co-chairs Mary Montoya of the New Mexico Environment Department and Chuck Freeman of U.S. EPA are currently soliciting partners to join a new E-Enterprise governance group focused on identity management. The Federated Identity Management Governance Group is open to state, tribal and U.S. EPA officials (more information on qualifications below).

 The group will focus on the development and maintenance of a set of standards, terms of use, levels of assurance, service levels, and security polices to reinforce trust among partners using the E-Enterprise Federated Identity Management system. Topics for governance consideration will be identified and prioritized to facilitate adoption of this technology by E-Enterprise Partners. Topics will be sized appropriately to ensure resolution in no longer than a two-month period. Resolution will rely on input and recommendations from working groups with expert knowledge on the topic under consideration such as the Shared CROMERR Services working group, or the Portal team. The governance group will present the results of the work on a quarterly basis to the Interoperability and Operations Team (IOT).

 Potential members will possess the following qualifications:

• Available to contribute to biweekly meetings initially.
• Have a firm understanding of federated identity management concepts: “A network of enterprises (partners) allow users to choose from a set of Identity Providers for authentication that provides access to a set of trusted web resources (Relying Parties). Relying Parties are responsible for authorizing user roles to perform functions within the web resource.”
• Have a firm understanding of existing federated identity management models currently used such as: OpenID Connect, OpenID, OAuth, OASIS SAML, Windows Identity Framework.  Active Directory experience alone is not adequate.
• Business Analysts, IT Managers, IT Application Architects or IT Security Policy Administrators with direct experience in identity management use cases at the browser tier, as well as at the cross-domain application to application tier.

 If you are interested in joining the group or have questions, please contact Kristen Durance (kdurance@rossstrategic.com ) and she will be sure to connect you to the appropriate team lead.

The FY 2019 National Environmental Information Exchange Network Grant Program Solicitation Notice is now available at https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/fiscal-year-2019-national-environmental-information-exchange-network-grant. Applications are due to EPA by 11:59 PM Eastern Time, April 1, 2019. Information on stakeholder webinars will be provided shortly.

The primary outcome expected from Exchange Network (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.

In FY 2019, EPA expects to award over $7 million for 20-30 assistance agreements for EN projects. Most awards will be in the $50,000 to $300,000 range. Awards for an individual assistance agreement cannot exceed $200,000. EPA may make a limited number of awards to collaborative, partnership assistance agreements. Budgets for these projects cannot exceed $400,000. 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.

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 August 2019, and tentatively plans to issue awards by September 30, 2019.

For more information, please contact:

Edward Mixon

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

P: 202-566-2142

E: mixon.edward [at] epa.gov

In support of the FY 2019 Exchange Network (EN) Grant cycle, the EPA will host three webinars to assist interested applicants. The webinars will be held on March 11^th, March 15^th, and March 20^th.  Each webinar will include the same presentation on the following topics: an overview of the EN Grants Program, critical elements of the Solicitation Notice, notable changes from FY 2018, tips for preparing and submitting your application, and common mistakes to avoid. This will be followed by a question and answers session with participants. Please note that the sessions will end when all the participants’ questions have been addressed.

Webinar Details:

Monday, March 11^th, 2019: 2:30 – 4pm ET

Friday, March 15^th, 2019: 2 – 3:30pm ET

Wednesday March 20^th, 2019: 12:30 – 2pm ET

Dial-In Number (for Audio): 202-991-0477; Conference Code: 6693499 

An Adobe account is not required to join the meeting. Please select ‘sign in as guest’ and write your full name, your affiliation, and your location:e.g. Erin McGown, EPA HQ, DC

The February 22, 2019 addendum to the FY 19 Exchange Network (EN) Grant Program solicitation notice contains a revision to the Safe Drinking Water Information System opportunity in Appendix A. This modification updates the SDWIS Program activities to which applicants can apply in FY 19. These changes occurred due to delays in the SDWIS Prime modernization schedule.

The amendment also extends the application submittal date from 11:59 PM ET April 1, 2019 to 11:59 PM ET on April 8, 2019.

The updated request for applications can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/fiscal-year-2019-national-environmental-information-exchange-network-grant-0.

The FY 2019 National Environmental Information Exchange Network Grant Program Solicitation Notice is now available at https://www.epa.gov/exchangenetwork/fiscal-year-2019-national-environmental-information-exchange-network-grant. Applications are due to EPA by 11:59 PM Eastern Time, April 1, 2019. Information on stakeholder webinars will be provided shortly.

The primary outcome expected from Exchange Network (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.

In FY 2019, EPA expects to award over $7 million for 20-30 assistance agreements for EN projects. Most awards will be in the $50,000 to $300,000 range. Awards for an individual assistance agreement cannot exceed $200,000. EPA may make a limited number of awards to collaborative, partnership assistance agreements. Budgets for these projects cannot exceed $400,000. 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.

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 August 2019, and tentatively plans to issue awards by September 30, 2019.

For more information, please contact:

Edward Mixon

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

P: 202-566-2142

E: mixon.edward [at] epa.gov

U.S. EPA’s Toxic Release Program has updated the XML schema and other documentation used for the TRI data exchange. These updates were a result of the Information Collection Requests (ICRs) approved for reporting year 2019. The new TRI schema version 6.1 is now available on the Exchange Network website at http://www.exchangenetwork.net/data-exchange/toxics-release-inventory-tri/