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Current Activities
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Small States Technical Assistance Initiative (SSTAI)
Environmental Health Data Action Team (EHDAT)
Website for Ideas and Solutions on Environmental Information
and Regulatory Innovations (WISER)
Environmental Information Council (EIC) Integrated Facility Information System Report
Small States Technical Assistance Initiative (SSTAI)
Knowledge transfer among states, as well as between states and the EPA, is key to a successful information management partnership and essential to the development and use of a accessible, cohesive and coherent National Environmental Information Exchange Network. The Small States Technical Assistance Initiative (SSTAI) has the goal to build the institutional and informational capacity of "small" states to provide timely, accurate and high-quality information internally, to the public and EPA.
Broadly defined, "small" states are characterized by inconsistent funding for enterprise-wide information projects, small and dispersed funding sources, limited information technology staff, and fewer facilities to regulate. Moreover, small states have fewer options on how to approach information systems development and maintenance due to fiscal and human resource limitations.
Over the past year, the SSTAI addressed four technology transfer topic areas.
These areas are: Facility Profiler Applications, Content Management
Applications, GIS implementation best management practices, and Field
and Remote Data Collection Systems. A discussion area for those issues is available through
WISER. 
Please note that a valid user ID and password is necessary to enter
WISER. Please contact the IMWG Secretariats
in order to obtain an ID.
The SSTAI held a conference call on December 14, 2005 to discuss agenda items for 2006 conference calls. Over the next year, the SSTAI will hold calls on the following topics:
Electronic Document Submission and E-permitting (April/May 2006): this call will focus on presentations of state implementations of electronic systems designed to allow submissions of various documents (i.e. license applications and permit applications). It also specifically focus on electronic permitting systems.
Elements of E-permitting and Electronic Document Submission Systems (June/July 2006): this call will focus on specific aspects of e-permitting and electronic document submission that are of particular interest to Small States. Topics will include e-signatures, online payments, and any other topics identified during the previous Small States call.
Exchange Network Grants Collaboration (August 2006): this call will focus on identifying and discussing collaboration opportunities for Exchange Network grant applications. The SSTAI anticipates having some representatives from last year's challenge grants on hand to describe their projects and answer any questions.
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Standards (November 2006): this call will focus on two primary topics: GPS standards and Exchange Network standards. For the GPS portion, the call will focus presentations of successful implementations of GPS standards. For the Exchange Network portion, the call will focus on incorporation of Exchange Network standards during development or modernization of systems. Information on future calls will be posted on WISER and the ECOS website.
Environmental Health Data Action Team (EHDAT)
The EHDAT continues to provide a forum where EPA program offices, regional offices and states discuss and share expertise on health and environment linkages. The EHDAT meets via conference call every other month.
Recent activities of the work group include:
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A second major update to the “Primer on Environmental Health Information Activities (PDF)” (55 pp., 862KB) was completed in November 2005. See the IMWG co-chairs letter regarding this initial draft.
Recent presentations about the National Environmental Information Exchange Network Challenge Grants included:
- “Developing a Web-Based Pesticide Illness Reporting and Management System.” Joy A. Wisniewski, Ph.D. California Environmental Protection Agency
- “Integration of Water Data Collection and Management Among Local and State Agencies.” Betty Dabney, Ph.D. Maryland Department of the Environment
- “Homeland Security Planning and Exchanges” Dennis Burling, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality
EHDAT is reviewing Trading Partner Agreements and data sharing agreements that are used to establish the circumstances, conditions and protocols for transferring or sharing data. The review emphasizes sharing environmental health data, which can be challenging to accomplish due to privacy concerns.
Website for Ideas and Solutions on Environmental Information and Regulatory Innovations (WISER)
The WISER
Environmental Information Council (EIC) Integrated Facility Information System Report
The Environmental Information Council (EIC) published the Integrated Facility Information System Report in June 2005. The report describes the results of EIC discussions facilitated by the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA). The EIC is composed of parties interested in the collection and management of environmental data, including representatives from regulated businesses, environmental and other public interest groups, state environmental agencies, academia and consulting organizations. The report recommends that EPA create and maintain a single web accessible Master File system for all core facility identification data, and describes specific actions that would lead to this result.
The IMWG discussed the Integrated Facility Information System Report at their December 5, 2005 conference call and formed a group that will perform a thorough evaluation of the report contents and recommendations. For more information on this group, contact the IMWG Secretariats.