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Obtaining a Non-EPA Domain Name
The following is information that an Application Owner should consider
before requesting a non-EPA domain name.
- Utilizing a non-EPA domain name will incur additional costs.
While on the surface the use of a non-EPA domain
name may appear to be a trivial task, the corresponding infrastructure
requirements are significant. These range from initial setup tasks like Domain
Name Server (DNS) updates and the creation of new web server instances to
continual maintenance activities such as security scans, statistical reports,
environmental monitoring, search indexing, etc. If an application requires a
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) implementation, a Verisign certificate must be
acquired and maintained. To offset these burdens, an XS
subscription 
in addition to the base XS subscription for the application will be required. A
separate Time Sharing System Management System (TSSMS) account will also be
required for each web site/application requiring a non-EPA domain name. This requirement provides the following benefits:
- Two Program Office personnel will have update access to the TSSMS
account.
- This site's statistics will be accumulated separately and not integrated
with those of another application.
- NCC has established utility applications such as WebMan that provide much
detailed information based on TSSMS account.
- Is this site and/or application developed as a collaboration with an
organization outside of the EPA?
A non-EPA domain name is only valid for
situations involving collaborations with agencies outside of the EPA. If the
contents of the site are wholly EPA, a non-EPA domain name is not allowed. The
Agency is striving toward the concept of one Agency, one site. This makes it
easier for the public to learn how to use the site and focus their efforts on
finding content. Creating "splinter" sites with non-EPA domain names would
dilute this effort.
- Have you filled out your Application Deployment Checklist (ADC) and
indicated this requirement?
It is necessary to fill out an ADC and include
this information so that your NCC ADC contact may make the appropriate
arrangements to accomodate this request. Neglecting to document this early in
the process will cause delays in deployment. For more information on the ADC
process, refer to NCC's Application Deployment Checklist Intranet site.
- The Application Owner must request and receive a waiver from the CIO of
the Agency.
Per the
Hansen memo of 1996 and the
McCabe memo of 2000, a waiver will be required for a non-EPA domain name. If a web site or application has a non-EPA domain name and presents itself as a non-EPA site (ie. the content is not contained within the domain name of www.epa.gov), a waiver is required. This is regardless of where the web site/application is hosted. More information on this waiver is available in the Ensuring Access to EPA Information on EPA Servers Procedure (refer to the Exceptions section for waiver requirements).
- Once a waiver is obtained, the Application Owner is responsible for
acquiring the non-EPA domain name.
It is the Application Owner's responsibility to
acquire/maintain the non-EPA domain name as the registration process requires
application specific contact and authorization information. Instructions on
this process are available at the Government-Wide
Registration Service. 
This site provides a WHOIS interface for finding domains ending in .GOV and .FED.US, documentation on registering governmental
domains, and registration software to let you request or reserve a new domain under .GOV. For non-.gov addresses, InterNIC provides a listing of ICANN-accredited domain name registrars that are currently taking domain name registrations.
- A non-EPA domain name does not mean unrestricted development.
Certain standards apply to the development and deployment of your applications. You must submit an Application Deployment Checklist. You will need to acquire Access to EPA Servers and TSSMS Accounts. In designing your application you should review the Information Technology Architecture (ITA) Roadmap. Any CGI's or Java(TM) Servlets must pass the appropriate Security Checklists and security reviews by the NCC technical support staff. If you have questions about these requirements, contact your NCC ADC contact for assistance.
