EPA Seeks Change to XML Format for Pesticide Product Information System

Extensible Markup Language (XML) is one of today’s modern standards for making large amounts of data available for reuse by others. It provides a simple and common format that facilitates accessing and using data in applications built by outside parties. XML files are readable by both computers and people.

EPA’s Smartlabel project is working toward developing a data exchange standard for pesticide product label content utilizing the Health Level 7 (HL7) Reference Information Model (RIM) and the associated SPL XML. Once the HL7 RIM/SPL has been adapted to support pesticide product label content submitted to the EPA, it will be reviewed to determine whether the HL7 specification would be suitable for use for the PPIS files. While EPA will continue to publish the beta version of PPIS XML, the XML schema may change in favor of the Health Level Seven (HL7) specification. 

We invite interested parties to submit comments on the beta version of the PPIS XML files in order to improve them. Please send comments on XML files or the use of HL7 to EPA (OPPChemicalSearch@epa.gov).

Disclaimer: Please note that this is a beta version of the PPIS XML files and is still undergoing final testing before its official release.

Access a link to the beta version of PPIS on the PPIS Download Product Information Data Web page.

If you have any questions regarding XML structure, please contact  Benjamin Cobb  (cobb.benjamin@epa.gov).

For any data quality issues, please contact Adrienne Turner (turner.adriene@epa.gov).