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Policies and Standards
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These policies and standards allow EPA to more easily share information by making it possible for many different organizations to use the same format and structure for their data and applications. These documents are of interest to the staff of federal, state and local Agencies who create data and applications, or who create the policies that guide the development of data and applications.
EPA Policies:
- EPA Geospatial Metadata Technical Specification Version 1.0 (PDF) (48 pp, 1.28MB) This document establishes guidelines for publishing geospatial metadata for data sets, applications and services developed by the EPA. (Contact: Michelle Torreano, Torreano.Michelle@epa.gov)
- EPA Guidance for Geospatially Related Quality Assurance Project Plans (EPA QA/G-5G) (PDF) (106 pp, 1.42MB) This document contains advice and recommendations for developing a QA Project Plan for projects involving geospatial data, including both newly collected data and data acquired from other sources. (Contact: Reggie Cheatham, Cheatham.Reggie@epa.gov)
- Global Positioning System Technical Implementation Guidance (PDF) (58 pp, 1MB) This document serves as reference guidance for Agency staff using GPS equipment and for individuals responsible for the maintenance of this equipment. (Contact: George Brilis, Brilis.George@epa.gov)
- Institutional Control Vector Profile Technical Specification (PDF) (6pp, 34KB) This specification establishes the requirements for documenting geographic lines and boundary coordinates and related method, accuracy, and description data for places of interest to the EPA. (Contact: Chip Love, Love.Chip@epa.gov)
- Latitude/Longitude Data Standard (PDF) (24 pp, 95K) This data standard establishes the requirements for documenting latitude and longitude coordinates and related method, accuracy, and description data for places of interest to the EPA. (Contact: Kevin Kirby, Kirby.Kevin@epa.gov)
- National Geospatial Data Policy (PDF) (11 pp, 56KB) The National Geospatial Data Policy (NGDP) establishes principles, responsibilities, and requirements for collecting and managing geospatial data used by Federal environmental programs and projects within EPA's jurisdiction. (Contact: Kevin Kirby, Kirby.Kevin@epa.gov)
- National Geospatial Data Policy Procedure for Geospatial Metadata Management (PDF) (9 pp, 393KB) The purpose of this document is to establish procedures, requirements and responsibilities for maintaining geospatial metadata used by EPA programs. (Contact: Michelle Torreano, Torreano.Michelle@epa.gov)
Other Federal Policies:
- Circular A-16 This Circular provides direction for federal agencies that produce, maintain or use spatial data either directly or indirectly in the fulfillment of their mission. This Circular establishes a coordinated approach to electronically develop the National Spatial Data Infrastructure and establishes the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC).
- Circular A-130 This Circular establishes policy for the management of Federal information resources. OMB includes procedural and analytic guidelines for implementing specific aspects of these policies as appendices.
- Circular A-119 This Circular directs agencies to use voluntary consensus standards in lieu of government-unique standards except where inconsistent with law or otherwise impractical. It also provides guidance for agencies participating in voluntary consensus standards bodies and describes procedures for satisfying the reporting requirements in the Act.