1 State/EPA Environmental Information Exchange Network December 2004 Molly O’Neill State Director, Network Steering Board Environmental Council of the States

2 What is the Exchange Network? An Internet and standards-based method for exchanging environmental information between partners.

3 Data Transfer Nodes (Web Services) Nodes –Hardware and software used to exchange information on the Network –Use the Internet, a set of protocols, and appropriate security to respond to authorized requests for information –Send the requested information in a standard format, XML –Node platforms are interoperable and available for download

4 Data Exchange Templates/ XML Schema Data Exchange Templates –Describe format of data being exchanged –Consist of XML schema –Draw upon data standards –Potential to reuse XML schema modules Schema are developed for each exchange type (e.g., Discharge Monitoring Report data)

5 Breadth of Participation - States Are Implementing the Network Design CA OR WA ID MT WY CO NM TX AK HI OK KS SD ND MN IA WI IN OH KY TN MS AL GA FL NC WV PA NY DE CT NH RI IL MO AR LA NV UT AZ OR NM MS WV PA NJ MA NH MD DC VA MI NM SC NE VT ME In Development In Production FL

6 How the pieces fit together Drinking Water Reporting Schema Package Web Server Node Single Integrated System DET EPA NODE (CDX) Hazardous Waste Reporting XML Schema Package SDWIS Federal System Internet RCRAInfo EPA State Environmental Department State systems may or may not be integrated. Both partners map data to be exchanged to same XML Schema

7 Exchange Data Flow Model Later…

8 1. Select Data Sources 2. Go to Map

9 Select a Region

10 Coordinates Returned from map Choose More Parameters …and search

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14 DOH EIEIO Application Fish Tissue Contamination and Birth Defects Assessment Application

15 DOH EIEIO Application – Screen Shot 1 Query Results – List of Studies

16 DOH EIEIO Application – Screen Shot 2 Query Results Date Range, Location, Taxon, Analyte

17 What is the end result? Using the Exchange Network…… –Much better quality data being exchange Data Standards embedded in XML Schema Closely working with State/EPA Data Standards Council for new standard adoptions to incorporate Machine to machine – no human data entry mistakes –More data can be exchanged among new partners Infrastructure can be applied to new data exchange types New State to state exchanges already occurring –More timely data Data can be published and exchanged as soon as partners agree. Machines do the work!

18 Reflections and Learning No longer dependent upon making sure systems can talk – web services are interoperable Provided an infrastructure and mechanism to support new data flows between existing and new partners! Publishing data in a secure place on the Exchange Network has proven far easier and sets a new paradigm for future data exchanges.

19 What’s Next? Catalogue of environmental data available on the network and the source – UDDI type Building better ties with data standards?? Establishing ontologies?? How do we describe the data available from all these sources?

20 Contact