The Army Environmental Database-Restoration (AEDB-R) is the first Army reporting system under the Army's Environmental Database (AEDBii), a centralized and integrated collection of Army environmental data. AEDBii will allow commanders and environmental managers at all levels to retrieve and work with information through a secure World Wide Web interface.

The Army's two major environmental restoration-reporting systems merged in Feb 03 with the release of the AEDB-R application. The AEDB-R replaces both the Defense Site Environmental Tracking System (DSERTS), and the Restoration Cost-to-Complete System (RCTCS) system, which required semi-annual manual data migration between the two systems to keep them current and synchronized. The AEDB-R provides Army installation environmental site information required for Department of Defense (DoD) In-Progress Reviews (IPRs) and the Defense Environmental Restoration Program (DERP) Annual Report to Congress; and provides consistent and justifiable cost estimates for installation environmental restoration sites and allocates the costs, on a site basis, within Army budgetary constraint guidelines.

AEDB-R offers installation staff a single Web-based system for all their environmental restoration reporting needs. It is used to collect, submit, and report data for sites being addressed with Environmental Restoration, Army (ER,A) or Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) funds in one, centralized system.

It provides the ability to enter and revise cost-to-complete estimates and import Remedial Action Cost Engineering Requirements (RACER) estimates. It automatically generates phase information. It also allows online phase-to-phase validation of required and programmed dollars. Site, installation, and BRAC data submission readiness checklists are available in AEDB-R to inform users as to the completeness of their data. More than 45 standardized reports are also available for specific often-used queries. It provides document upload capability in support of Land Use Controls in Record of Decision/Decision Documents. The software is easy to use, with interactive help and search features.

Events specific to DERP data collection and management are:

• Annual Data Call with a Spring and Fall submission that requires Installations to update data in
  AEDB-R;
• Annual cost estimate submissions during the Spring submission;
• Semi-annual Army data submissions to the DOD for In-Progress Reviews (IPRs); and
• Annual submission for the DERP Annual Report to Congress.

Data accessibility includes:

• Continuous read access to a consolidated database for reporting purposes;
• Continuous access to the cost-estimating tool, except when the data is in read only mode for the annual review and approval process;
• Continuous access to data entry screens, except when the data is in read only mode for review and approval purposes; and
• The ability to review, approve or return, and transfer data seamlessly online.

AEDB-R also supports the following executive functions:

• The ability to import relative risk contaminant comparison values, update the contaminant comparison values in the relative risk module, and recalculate relative risk ratings impacted by the update;
• Data exchange capability with the BRAC optimization tool;
• The ability to export data to the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD).

Briefly, users first identify a new site and enter general site information. Next, they would determine the site's relative risk and/or Risk Assessment Code score, and update the phase and requirement information. Then, the user would identify site cost estimates, and update the other site/installation information before submitting the data for review up the chain. If the site already exists, the user would review and update the phase and funding data as appropriate. Data submission checklists are provided to facilitate data entry completeness. Built in data validation ensures that entered data is complete and consistent within established parameters. The data is further reviewed and validated by the Army Environmental Command Program Coordinators (Regional Liaisons), BRAC Program Managers, and National Guard Restoration Program Managers, who provide an oversight role, as well as the HQDA Executive users who ultimately approve or reject the data.

The AEDB-R provides seamless access to historical data collected via the legacy DSERTS and RCTCS systems. This information, collected on a semi-annual basis since the spring 1998 data call, is available for viewing and comparative analysis in AEDB-R.

The following timeline chart identifies the Data Call schedule. (The time period schedule shown is subject to change based upon policy and guidance.)

AEDB-R is in view only mode during data review periods beginning on 15 Apr and 15 Oct of each year. The review period in the spring is 30 days. The fall review period is for an unspecified period because the data is undergoing quality review for the DOD IPR and for inclusion in the DERP Annual Report to Congress. After the dataset is officially approved, the data is copied and becomes the new working set available to the users. Users may enter and modify site information and phase schedules, enter and release cost estimates, spread requirements, and enter programmed amounts any time the database is available to the users.

The initial release of AEDB-R, which encompassed the merging of DSERTS and RCTCS, was in Feb 03 for the spring 03 data submission. Since the initial release of AEDB-R, the system has been updated with new releases to accommodate new reporting requirements, business processes and bug fixes at least semi-annually. Some of the system enhancements include:

• Standardized export routines to the Knowledge Based Corporate Reporting System (KBCRS) in support of the DERP Annual Report to Congress.
• Parcel functionality which provides BRAC and Non-BRAC Excess Installations the ability to associate their AEDB-R to a parcel designation. Note: The parcel designation in AEDB-R is not a real property designation.
• System changes have been made to accommodate the latest BRAC round, BRAC 2005, to ensure proper segregation of BRAC funding.
• Improved reporting of environmental liabilities by means of Supervisory Checklist and CTC Quality Assurance Review documentation.
• The ability for user to run the Installation and Data Submission readiness checklists regardless of their privileges.

The USAEC will consider Engineering Change Proposals for upgrades, improvements, and enhancements based on new or modified reporting requirements, training evaluations, and user feedback.

The AEDB-R user group will convene under the revised Configuration Control Management Board Charter.

The USAEC offers AEDB-R training workshops continually throughout the year. In addition to the one-and-a-half-day training sessions on the AEDB-R system, the workshop also includes one-and-a-half day training for RACERT software as well as a half-day session for Environmental Liability training. This training will be based on the current version of AEDB-R. Additional information may be obtained by using the AEDB-R Feedback form at the top of this Web page.

The AEDB-R is a near real-time, Web-based software application that is used to collect, submit, and report environmental restoration program data in one, centralized system.