State/Federal Data Sharing Initiative

Randy HippenEPA OERRApril 25, 2002

• State/Federal Data Sharing Initiative• Two prototypes

– Data Harvesting – Institutional Controls Data Sharing

• Lessons Learned• New Directions

Overview

State/Federal Data Sharing Initiative

Why is data sharing needed?

Data Harvesting

Enables the integration of state and federal data, with minimal burden on

the data providers.

STEP 1: Submitting Queries

Through the Data Harvesting Web site, users can submit queries on site remediation data. Topics for queries include:

Data Harvesting

• Remediation Activities

• Locational Information

• Media and Contaminants

• Institutional Controls

STEP 2: Querying Data

Using Information Builders, Inc. (IBI) EDA middleware, queries are submitted directly to state and federal data sources across the Internet. The data remain in their native format, with no need for manual data conversion.

Data Harvesting

EDA has the ability to query virtually any type of data source, including databases, text files, and XML documents.

STEP 3: Virtual Warehousing

Query results are temporarily held in a virtual warehouse, where data from all sources are brought together and transformed into a common format.

Data Harvesting

It is from this virtual warehouse query results are presented to the user through their Web browser.

Institutional Controls Data Sharing

Facilitates the sharing and tracking of institutional controls data through a

simple Web interface.

Prototype Concept

Institutional Controls Data Sharing

Importing data from Stakeholders who are already

tracking Institutional

Controls data

Central Repository

Reporting tools for Stakeholders

Public Interface

Collecting data from Stakeholders

who are not currently tracking

Institutional controls data

IN IN

OUT OUT

STEP 1: Data Gathering

Institutional Controls data are procured from state and federal data sources such as:

The data come in multiple formats, including MS Access, Visual FoxPro, and Oracle

Institutional Controls Data Sharing

• MO - DNR’s Site Management and Reporting System (SMARS)

• SC - DHEC’s Site Assessment and Remediation Program (SARP)

• NJ - DEP

• EPA - CERCLIS

STEP 2: Data Conversion

The data are converted into XML. Commercial off-the-shelf tools such as XMLSpy, make database-to-XML conversion simple.

An XSL stylesheet is applied to each XML document to standardize the data format.

Institutional Controls Data Sharing

STEP 3: Data Loading

The new XML data are loaded into the Oracle database by customized Java routines that utilize the Oracle XML parser and the Oracle XML SQL utility

STEP 4: Sharing DataThe Institutional Controls (IC) data sharing Web site gives visitors the opportunity to view IC data from all states and agencies. Agencies that do not have a means of tracking IC’s on their own can also use site to maintain their IC data

Institutional Controls Data Sharing

Web Site

Using a Web browser, visitors can submit predefined queries to search the database…

Query

…or they can create customized searches to hone in on specific sets of data.

Institutional Controls Data Sharing

Query Results Page

From the Query Results Page, visitors can view maps of each site’s location.

Visitors can also get more detail about the site, such as address, latitude/ longitude, media, and contaminants

Institutional Controls Data Sharing

Comparisons

• Underlying Technology

• Data Query and Compilation Mechanism

• Preparatory work necessary

• Flexibility/Scalability

• Ease of Implementation/Use

• Impact on Data Owners’ Resources/ Infrastructure

• Compatibility with EPA and Industry Data Exchange and Security Standards

• Demonstrated Use in Large Scale Data Exchange Efforts

Lessons Learned

• Agree on a common set of realistic goals.

• Assess underlying source databases and technologies prior to selecting a tool.

• Select the right technology for the task at hand.

• Establish firm standards, rules, and operating procedures.

• Establish a mechanism for evaluating success and fostering change where needed.

Additional Information

Randy Hippen

EPA Office of Emergency and Remedial Response Phone:

703-603-8829

hippen.randy@epa.gov

• EPA Electronic Data Registry: www.epa.gov/edr

• EDA (Information Builders): www.iwaysoftware.com