IT World

I had a progress meeting with the office that is responsible for information technology last week. They are called the Office of Environmental Information. Overall, things are going very well there. Here are two highlights:

• In 2007 well over 70% of the Toxic Release Inventory reports submitted to us were received electronically through our central data exchange. That is the highest level ever. This improves both the accuracy and timeliness of the information EPA provides the public regarding the release or treatment of pollution. Last year we issued our annual report rolling up this information on March 22. That was the earliest this information has ever been released and a full two months faster than where we were in 2005. We think we can be even faster this year.

• We had a goal of having over 40 percent of all federal rules being available electronically to the public via Regulations.gov by the end of 2007. (Regulations.gov is run by EPA on behalf of the federal government.) We blew that goal away (see graph). Just over 80 percent of all rules are now available.Thank you to the Department of Transportation, in particular, for coming on board late last year! If you are a federal regulation geek, this site is now a ‘must visit.’

On the other side of the coin, we didn’t hit our goal of having 100 percent of EPA’s laptops encrypted by 2008. In the effort to encrypt all our laptops we found some non-standard computers. (Some ‘bad apples’ as it were.) The non-standard laptops are being brought into line by putting other types of security controls in place.

Comments

[Benjamin Grumbles]

Marcus, I heard you on the radio recently talking about IT, as well as other important aspects of life at EPA. Is there a place I can hear the whole broadcast?

[Marcus]

The radio interview is an hour long and covers a broad landscape. You can hear it in 10 - 15 minute segments at http://www.businessofgovernment.org/main/interviews/profile/index.asp?PID=301

[John]

any idea how much paper all of the online reporting and document availability is saving?

[Alex]

I don't think the issue of electronic reporting is really about "how much paper," but for a rough estimate, there are 6 pages to the Form R. The Form A has 2 pages. There are around 23,000 facilities contributing. If the split is half and half, then 80500 peices of paper are saved, excluding postage and envelopes. According to the University of Cal. Berkeley, one tree produces 80500 peices of paper, so we've saved under 1 tree.
The true issue is how we've reduced the burden on the regulated community by making reporting easier, thereby increasing the effectiveness of the TRI program without costing the economy money.

[Molly]

Actually, at EPA, we estimate that there is close to 1 million pieces of paper saved annually through TRI electronic reporting. Some of this is due to the fact that with paper copies, another copy was made inside of EPA for quality control. With electronic reporting this is no longer necessary.