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Envirofacts is developing web services to facilitate the sharing of its functionality and information. All of the services that are available within Envirofacts will be listed on this tab. Please check back periodically as we are developing many new services.

EF Data Service API

Envirofacts has developed a RESTful data service API to all of its internal data holdings. This functionality provides a user of Envirofacts with the ability to query any table through the use of a URL. The default output is in XML, which can be utilized in other applications, as well as tools such as Microsoft Excel or Access. Output options of CSV and Excel can be requested in the URL. The entire Envirofacts database metadata is available online, so that all tables and columns within Envirofacts are documented. Having the table structures available in this manner makes most of Envirofacts data easily available through the service.

Strengths and Limitations of the Envirofacts RESTful Service
This is a simple to use, well-documented way to access multiple data sources without the need of user database connections. The resulting output can be easily used with desktop applications such as Excel or Access, or used in creating Web mash-ups.

The current release of the service, while providing easy access to a tremendous amount and range of data, is limited to querying up to three tables. Also, the output is limited to 5000 rows of data at a time, but a user can pick which 5000 rows of data and then return to retrieve the next 5000.

Constructing a Search
To build a search, users create a URL with a specific set of parameters. This is done by creating a string using the following format:

1. Table Name – At least one table name is required. Up to three table names can be entered.
2. Column Name – This is an optional entry. Enter a column name and value to limit the results.
3. Operator – This is an optional entry. This parameter allows users to pass in an operator with the query. Default output is "=" and does not require an operator, but users can enter "<", " >", "!=", operators as well via the URL.
4. Column Value – This is an optional entry. The column value is queried against the database without modification.  Use the program system Model to double check the case for the value.
5. Rows – This is an optional entry. Specify the rows to display by entering 'rows/ <first_row> : <last_row>' Results numbering starts at 0. So to get the first five hundred rows enter rows/0:499 If “rows” is not specified, the default is the first 5000 rows.
6. Output Format – This is an optional entry. The default output is in XML, output options of CSV or Excel can be requested in the URL.

• Count
– This is an optional entry and not shown in the above URL. Count will show the total number of records that will be returned when using the URL without the count. This is available only with the default XML output.

For example:

• http://iaspub.epa.gov/enviro/efservice/tri_facility/state_abbr/VA/rows/499:504
  returns result set records 500 to 505 from the TRI_FACILITY table where STATE_ABBR = ‘VA’.
• http://iaspub.epa.gov/enviro/efservice/pcs_permit_facility/major_discharge_indicator/M
  returns the first 5000 records from PCS_PERMIT_FACILITY table where the MAJOR_DISCHARGE_INDICATOR = ‘M’.
• http://iaspub.epa.gov/enviro/efservice/TRI_FACILITY/state_abbr/HI/TRI_REPORTING_FORM
  returns results from the TRI Facility and TRI Reporting Form tables where the state is HI in the TRI Facility table.
• http://iaspub.epa.gov/enviro/efservice//TRI_FACILITY/state_abbr/VA/TRI_REPORTING_FORM/TRI_CHEM_INFO/EXCEL
  returns resultsfrom the TRI Facility, TRI Reporting Form and TRI Chem Info tables where the state is VA in the TRI Facility table in Excel format .
• http://iaspub.epa.gov/enviro/efservice/tri_facility/state_abbr/VA/CSV
  returns result from the TRI_FACILITY table where STATE_ABBR = ‘VA’in a CSV format.
• http://iaspub.epa.gov/enviro/efservice/tri_facility/COUNT
  returns results showing the total number of records matching the user input.

More information on EF Data Service API.

UV Index

Envirofacts has developed a Web service that allows a developer versed in SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) to display UV Index and Alert forecasts on any Web site. The information is searchable by ZIP Code and city, state, making it useful for any organization, either local or national. Users do not have to leave your site to see the forecast. The UV Index Overview provides additional information on the data.

The UV Index web service provide two services:

• get UV Index and Alert by Zip Code
• get UV Index and Alert by City and State

Output for both services are the following:

• ForecastDate: timestamp for the forecast (next day)
• Alert: boolean value (true or false) of UV alert
• Index: integer value of UV index

Port URL - invoke the services from the client application at http://iaspub.epa.gov/uvindexalert/services/UVIndexAlertPort

WSDL URL – view the Web services definitions and descriptions at http://iaspub.epa.gov/uvindexalert/services/UVIndexAlertPort?wsdl