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EPA Geographic Image and Feature Services


How to Access ArcIMS Image and Feature Services for EPA Regulated Facilities Data from "http://geodata.epa.gov"

  1. Using desktop ArcExplorer
    • Start ArcExplorer
    • Click on 'Layer/WWW/Add Web Site'
    • Type in geodata.epa.gov and click OK
      You will then see a list of ArcIMS services from geodata.epa.gov. Those names with "_FS" are ArcIMS Feature Services. Some ArcIMS feature services are accessible to ArcGIS clients only. This occurs because feature streaming requires an intelligent client to translate the stream to create the geometries on the client side. In this case, you must use ArcCatalog or ArcMap.

  2. Using ArcCatalog
    • Start ArcCatalog
    • With ArcCatalog 9.x, click on GIS Servers/Add ArcIMS Server, and type in geodata.epa.gov,
    • You will then see a list of both ArcIMS image and feature services from geodata.epa.gov. You can click on each of those services one at a time.

  3. Using ArcMap
    • Open ArcMap
    • Select 'File'
    • Select 'Add Data'
    • With ArcGIS version 9.x, select GIS Server/Add ArcIMS Server option, the type in geodata.epa.gov
    • A list of ArcIMS services from geodata.epa.gov will be displayed. With ArcMap, you can check both "image" services and "feature" services and load multiple web services at the same time.

    Comments on using ArcIMS Image Services:
    • Image services can be used as a good "background image" and are reasonably fast.
    • If you like the data you see in an ArcIMS Image service but you want to choose your own symbology, set your own scale range, even export the features locally, and so on, you can do all this with most ArcIMS image services. Right-click the layer, point to Selection, and click Create Layer From Selected Features. This will add a new layer into ArcMap that references the features directly as an ArcIMS Feature Class. You can now work with this layer like any other feature layer. For example, you can change the scale range, symbology, open the table and turn fields off, and so on. Right-click the layer, and use Data > Export Data or a GP tool to save the data locally.
    Comments on using ArcIMS Feature Services:
    • You can change the symbology and the display order of a "feature service" data easily.
    • ArcIMS feature services usually include many data layers. You can remove data layers within a "feature services"
    • Feature services data are displayed much slower than image service data. Feature service data may work fine for ArcGIS desktop users and may be too slow for web-based applications.

  4. Using a web based mapviewer from "http://www.geodata.gov/"
    If you do not have access to any ESRI tools, you can use a web based MapViewer to access those web services at "http://geodata.epa.gov/"
    • Open a web browser
    • Type in the URL: http://www.geodata.gov
    • Click your mouse on "The National Map", you will get the web based mapviewer in a different window.
    • In the Map Viewer toolbar, click the Add Services button.
    • In the "Add Service Window", type "geodata.epa.gov" at the field below "Map Server URL:"
    • Click the OK button, you will then see a list of web services from "geodata.epa.gov".
    • Select NPL and TRI and click the "ADD" button, NPL and TRI will be added to your MapViewer.
    • Go back to your MapViewer, turn NPL and TRI layer on by add a check mark next to NPL and TRI, then click the "Refresh Map"
How to download data from ArcIMS Feature Services: Some EPA Regulated Facilities data are very large databases. Exporting and downloading these data must be done for small areas by zooming into an area of interest. If the data are needed for a very large area such as an entire state, you can send the request to the OEI/NTSD GIS Service Manager Tim Richards (Richards.tim@epa.gov), who will handle these large export/download process for you.

How to access OGC Web Service from "http://geodata.epa.gov/"
OGC Web Services are an evolutionary, standards-based framework that will enable seamless integration of a variety of online geoprocessing and location services. OGC Web Services will allow distributed geoprocessing systems to communicate with each other using technologies such as XML and HTTP. This means that systems capable of working with XML and HTTP will be able to both advertise and use OGC Web Services. In this manner, OGC Web Services will provide a vendor-neutral interoperable framework for web-based discovery, access, integration, analysis, exploitation and visualization of multiple online geodata sources, sensor-derived information, and geoprocessing capabilities. You can find more information about the OGC Web Service at: http://www.opengeospatial.org/.
ESRI tools can be used to access OGC WMS services, but though ArcIMS serves OGC WFS services, ArcGIS Desktop software does not yet support browsing or viewing WFS services. There are, however, many freely available tools for consuming either or both types of OGC services. Open Geospatial is a great starting point for finding these tools.

A brief instruction on how to connect to a WMS service in ArcGIS follows: URLs for those OGC WMS Web Services from "http://geodata.epa.gov/" include:

EPA Registered Facilities Services

EPA Waters Services


URLs for those OGC WFS Web Services from "http://geodata.epa.gov/" include:

EPA Registered Facilities Services

EPA Waters Services


The OpenGIS Consortium published WMS (Web Mapping Service) Implementation Specification in 1999 and revised in 2000 and 2001. Here is the URL for the full documentation of the WMS Implementation Specification version 1.1.1 http://www.opengeospatial.org/docs/01-068r2.pdf.

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