Frequent Questions

The Electronic Report on the Environment or eROE is explained in detail on the Basic Information page.

EPA anticipates that the indicators comprising the main content of the eROE will be updated with new data points quarterly on the dynamic web site.  Depending on data availability, new indicators may also be added to the ROE website annually.  Full paper versions of the ROE and ROE Highlights Document are anticipated to be released about every four years.

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The report on the environment program began with the purpose of answering questions of fundamental importance to EPA’s mission to protect the environment and human health such as “What are the trends in outdoor air quality and their effects on human health and the environment?” and “What are the trends in the condition of drinking water and their effects on human health?”  In compiling the available data sets, it became clear that we couldn’t fully answer many of these questions with available data ... there were many holes in the puzzle.  So the ROE’s mission became one of compiling the best available information that helps answer the questions, and documenting where data gaps prevent these important questions from being answered. 

This is important because EPA and the American public must be able to track what’s happening in the environment and human health to know whether current efforts to tackle environmental challenges are working, and to be alert to new challenges that need our attention and action.  The ROE provides a place for citizens and EPA to track these changes.  With better information, we can make better decisions to protect human health and the environment.

EPA convened a group of staff members from across the Agency to develop a set of questions that capture the health and environmental issues important to EPA.  Once drafted, the set of questions was reviewed and approved by senior management from across the Agency to be included in the ROE.

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The information in the ROE was collected and compiled by EPA offices, other government agencies such as the USGS, NOAA, and NASA, and non-governmental organizations such as NatureServe.  Each of the ROE indicators includes a “Data Sources” section describing where the data came from.  In addition, the list of individuals who contributed to writing the reports is found in the Acknowledgements section of the report. 

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A ROE indicator is a numerical value derived from actual measurements of a pressure, state or ambient condition, exposure or human health or ecological condition over a specified geographic domain, whose trends over time represent or draw attention to underlying trends in the condition of the environment.

The numerical values for the indicators presented in the ROE were gathered from many different federal and state agencies and non-government organizations using a variety of methods. Over time, as improvements are made in measurement technology, sample design, quality assurance, and topic coverage, a more complete picture of the environment will become available. EPA is committed to releasing periodic updates of the ROE so that information on environmental condition and trends can be provided on a long-term basis to environmental professionals and interested members of the public.

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EPA uses the following criteria to determine what indicators should be included in the report:

• The indicator is useful. It answers (or makes an important contribution to answering) a question in the ROE.
• The indicator is objective. It is developed and presented in an accurate, clear, complete, and unbiased manner.
• The underlying data are characterized by sound collection methodologies, data management systems to protect its integrity, and quality assurance procedures.
• Data are available to describe changes or trends and the latest available data are timely.
• The data are comparable across time and space, and representative of the target population. Trends depicted in this indicator accurately represent the underlying trends in the target population.
• The indicator is transparent and reproducible. The specific data used and the specific assumptions, analytic methods, and statistical procedures employed are clearly stated.

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The ROE is not a 'report card' on the state on the environment, rather it is the answers to the questions asked in the report. In addition to the list of criteria above, the indicators:

• Rely on actual measurements of environmental and human health conditions over time.
• Meet a set of standards, which include quality, accuracy, relevance, and comparability.
• Were reviewed by an independent scientific panel to ensure that they meet these standards
• Are national (or in some cases regional) in coverage. They do not describe trends or conditions of a specific locale.
• Come from many governmental and nongovernmental organizations, which collect data over different periods and for varying purposes.
• Can only partially answer the key questions.

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