Office of Environmental Information
Celebrating Five Years of Success-
Accelerating Our Progress in the Future
US EPA
NATIONAL COMPUTER CENTER
F-V
J
7?i
-------
Publication Number: 245-R-04-003
October 2004
Office of Environmental Information:
Celebrating Five Years of Success-
Accelerating Our Progress in the Future
OFFICE OF
ENVIRONMENTAL
INFORMATION
Celebrating Five Years of Success—Accelerating Our Progress in the Future
-------
Table of Contents
Letter from the Administrator 3
Letter from the Chief Information Officer 4
Key Accomplishments and Events 5
Introduction 8
Chapter 1:
Getting Started 1997-1999 9
Chapter 2:
Merging Different Cultures into One 1999-2000 11
Chapter 3:
Rising to Security and Information Management
Challenges 2000-2001 15
Chapter 4:
Launching OEI's Three Keystone Projects 2002-2003 17
Chapter 5:
Providing the Right Information to the Right People at the
Right Time 2003-2004 19
Chapter 6:
Delivering Business Value Through Innovative Solutions—
OEI at 5 Years 23
Chapter 7:
Accelerating Our Progress in the Future 25
Key Awards 27
Office of Environmental Information
-------
Letter from EPA's
Administrator
"Over the past five years, the Office of Environmental
Information (OEI) has positioned the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency as a leader among federal agencies in
information management by streamlining the ways we collect
information electronically; rigorously checking and assuring the
quality of our data; expanding public access to our resources and
analytical tools; guarding our systems' security and protecting our users' privacy. On the
occasion of OEI's fifth anniversary, this report celebrates OEI's accomplishments,
evolution and vision for the future."
Michael O. Leavitt
Administrator
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Celebrating Five Years of Success—Accelerating Our Progress in the Future
-------
Letter from EPA's
Chief Information
Officer
I am pleased to present you this history of the Office of
Environmental Information (OEI) and our many
accomplishments over the past five years. OEI proactively
identifies information technology solutions that strengthen the
Agency's core mission of protecting human health and the
environment. This new framework and organization for
managing environmental information was needed to keep pace with the dramatic changes in
technology and to satisfy the public's need for information.
On behalf of OEI's senior leadership, I extend our deepest appreciation to our past and
present managers and staff for their dedication and hard work over the last five years, and
congratulate everyone for all of our outstanding work and achievements.
Kimberly T. Nelson
Assistant Administrator for Environmental Information
and Chief Information Officer
Office of Environmental Information
-------
Key Accomplishments
and Events
1997 to 1999
• Reinventing Environmental Information (REI) "Action Plan" fosters data standardization, electronic
reporting and Agency-wide Information Technology (IT) decision-making efforts—forming the
backbone of OEFs mission
• National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA) Report, "Environment.gov: Transforming
Environmental Protection for the 21st Century" calls for the creation of an information office at the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• EPA's "Comprehensive Information Task Force" Report supports a consolidation of information
management functions and presents options for creating a new information office
REI Information Transition and Organizational Planning (ITOP) staff conduct meetings with
stakeholders to determine how a new office would best serve their needs
• EPA creates the Office of Environmental Information (OEI) as a new Assistant
Administrator-level office
• OEI helps EPA to successfully transition its IT infrastructure and systems for Y2K
OEI hosts the first forum for EPA and state stakeholders to determine methods for more efficiently
and accurately exchanging data
• Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxic (PBT) chemicals rule is finalized,
lowering the threshold for certain PBT chemicals and adding other PBT chemicals not previously
addressed in TRI reporting requirements
• OEI creates the Quality Information Council (QIC) to provide an Agency-wide governance body for
information, quality, and technology activities
2000
EPA releases TRI Explorer—a Web-based tool that provides fast and easy access to TRI data
OEI restores EPA's Internet connectivity with strengthened security protocols in response to
Government Accountability Office (GAO) concerns
OEI hosts expanded Agency-wide "Web World" conference to continue the effort to unify and
enhance EPA's Web presence
First QIC meeting is held, establishing a new enterprise approach to developing information
management policies and planning investments
OEI launches TRI Explorer and publicizes annual data through EPA Web site for the first time
OEI serves on first board of directors for FirstGov, the federal government's public access portal
Celebrating Five Years of Success—Accelerating Our Progress in the Future
-------
2001
OEI issues the Agency Network Security Policy (ANSP), establishing controls and policies to
protect EPA's IT infrastructure
• OEI successfully develops and implements the Automated Security Self Evaluation and Remediation
Tool (ASSERT) to detect and resolve security weaknesses in EPA's IT infrastructure
• Following the September 11th attacks, OEI develops and launches the World Trade Center (WTC)
Monitoring Database to track ambient data in New York City
OEI begins posting WTC maps and monitoring data results on the EPA Web site to inform the public
about the environmental status of the site
OEI supports anthrax toxins monitoring and reporting in Washington, B.C.
• The Central Data Exchange (CDX) is launched, enabling electronic reporting for environmental
programs
EPA's National Computer Center, North Carolina moves from rented space to the new Research
Triangle Park Campus with minimal downtime or disruption to the Agency
First data standard developed by the Environmental Data Standards Council is approved
• OEI deploys first BlackBerry service for EPA
OEI rolls out first "Information Products Bulletin," providing stakeholders with early notification of
significant information products under development by EPA
2002
EPA, including OEI, actively participates in the Columbia space shuttle cleanup efforts
• OEI responds to the Administrator's call for an Environmental Indicators Initiative
• EPA's Environmental Information Exchange Network grant program awards the first resources to
states to re-engineer their environmental business processes and develop new ways of sharing data
• OEI begins Agency Web site audits to ensure EPA truly is "One Agency, One Voice"
EPA launches the EDOCKET Web site and opens the EPA Docket Center to the public, providing
one location to centrally access rulemaking documents and manage and collect public comments
OEI holds EPA's first virtual job fair in support of workforce planning
• EPA becomes the federal government's lead for the eRulemaking Initiative
OEI issues EPA's Information Quality Guidelines (IQG), to ensure delivery of quality information
• EPA appoints its first Chief Architect to oversee the Enterprise Architecture effort
• Partnering with the Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM), OEI
successfully completes the multi-year effort to move approximately 6,000 staff members,
telecommunications and computer networks from the Waterside Mall complex to the Federal
Triangle complex in Washington, D.C.
EPA introduces the Toxics Release Inventory—Made Easy (TRI-ME) software, an interactive,
user-friendly software tool that guides facilities through the TRI reporting experience and allows
facilities to report via the Internet through CDX
OEI begins publishing EPA's weekly "CIO Update"
Office of Environmental Information
-------
2003
OEI issues first Geospatial Network Blueprint, outlining a geospatial program for the Agency
OEI publishes the first "Draft Report on the Environment" describing for the American public
what we know and don't know about the condition of the environment
OEFs Program Management Office (PMO) is established to coordinate the development of OEI's
portion of the "Environmental and Health Protection Target Architecture"
OEI launches Web sites delivering environmental information to specific audiences, such as high-
school students
OEI leads "Topics Lite" reorganization of EPA's Web site to streamline content by subject area
and eliminate redundancies
EPA's node on the Environmental Information Exchange Network becomes functional on CDX to
enable states and EPA to share data
EPA, leading ateam of five federal agencies, launches Regulations.gov, the first milestone in the
eRulemaking Initiative
Window to My Environment (WME) Web site is rolled out nationwide
2004
EPA's EDOCKET receives high volume of public comments for its first non-EPA posting (a
proposed rule jointly published by the Office of Personnel Management and the Department of
Homeland Security), extending this citizen-oriented tool beyond the borders of Agency applications
"E-Government@EPA Report: Accelerating Our Progress Using New Information Technology"
is published
ASSERT, a tool developed by OEI to detect and resolve security weaknesses, is used by the
Social Security Administration
IT Enterprise Architecture Policy is enacted
OEI achieves a "green" on the President's Management Agenda (PMA) scorecard for
implementation of E-Government Initiatives, signifying that EPA has met all standards for success
in this category
EPA and its state partners announce the successful launch of the Environmental Information
Exchange Network
OEI provides and supports IT infrastructure for the Emergency Operations Center
Celebrating Five Years of Success—Accelerating Our Progress in the Future
-------
The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Environmental Information (OEI) was established
in October 1999, on the eve of the 21st century and at the end of a decade of radical change in information
technology (IT) and information management (IM). OEI was designed to be a center of excellence that
advocates the use and management of information as a strategic resource to enhance public health and
environmental protection. Its mission was to take EPA into the information-driven world of the new millen-
nium.
The 1990s saw great technological change that impacted all organizations. Networked personal computers
pushed mainframes aside for almost every IT use. By the end of the decade the Internet was emerging as
a revolutionary social force, transforming the way we receive and use information. Yet, positive changes
were often offset by hidden costs and unanticipated side effects. The promise of cheap and easy computing
was giving way to technological turmoil and management uncertainty. OEI, like its counterparts in industry
and across government, brings discipline to a field that still evolves with unprecedented speed.
Information is EPA's most mission-critical asset. OEI provides strategic focus for the care and maintenance
of this essential resource—improving data quality and data collection, enhancing public and Agency access
to environmental information, and modernizing EPA's underlying technological infrastructure. The result:
improved, more defensible decision making and better public understanding of complex environmental prob-
lems.
OEI quickly met organizational challenges and emerged as a proactive player, anticipating IT and IM solu-
tions that will more effectively meet the Agency's business needs while balancing the needs of public access
against the demands of security and confidentiality. This report examines OEI's transformation over the past
five years, spotlights the people who have made it happen, and presents a vision for the future. The pace of
IT innovation is still accelerating. OEI's next five years promise to be as challenging and exciting as the first
five.
Office of Environmental Information
-------
Chapter 1
Getting Started
1997 - 1999
The journey to establish OEI was an evolutionary process. Key events, both within EPA and across the
federal government, guided OEI's development and paved the way for the principles upon which OEI was
founded. This chapter describes those key events and their contribution to OEI.
Over time, the federal government has looked for ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness of informa-
tion management. Emphasis placed on the government's ability to measure performance, ensure account-
ability, integrate data, and respond to information needs necessitated fundamental changes in the way infor-
mation and data were managed. At the federal level, several requirements—the Clinger-Cohen Act, the
Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA), and Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars
A-1301 and A-ll2—were implemented to ensure that federal agencies have processes and procedures in
place to implement IT projects within budget and schedule constraints and align with agency missions and
goals. The Clinger-Cohen Act required agencies and departments to establish the role of the Chief Informa-
tion Officer (CIO) to ensure consistent agency-wide IT decisions that would eliminate "stove-piped" infor-
mation resources management. In response to this Act, EPA became one of the first federal agencies to
identify and appoint a CIO.
EPA also proactively identified opportunities to improve its information management practices. Beginning in
1997, EPA's Reinventing Environmental Information (REI) initiative identified information management prac-
tices that would improve the quality and accessibility of environmental data. As a result, EPA began data
standardization efforts to establish a common language that would work across environmental information
applications. Additionally, REFs electronic reporting capabilities helped improve data quality and reduce the
cost and time burden on entities who report information to EPA. REI improved Agency-wide IT decision-
making by creating a National Systems Board, a technical advisory group that coordinated systems reengineering
efforts across the Agency. As evident by these successes and their lasting impact, REFs legacy is pro-
foundly embodied in the current organization and principles of OEI.
"People sensed that EPA was on the verge of a change, that we needed to
get on the wagon or be left behind. However, when considering how to
change, there were few good organizational models to look to for guidance.
OEI had to blaze its own trail. OEI successfully changed the perception of
IT from being a black box to a valuable shared resource. OEI improved the
quality and collection of data and demonstrated EPA's ability to integrate data
across programs, regions and offices in a way that facilitates the
understanding and use of the information." —Margaret Schneider, Acting
Assistant Administrator, OEI, 1999-2000 and 2001; and Principal
Deputy Assistant Administrator, OEI, 2000-2002
Celebrating Five Years of Success—Accelerating Our Progress in the Future
-------
"The creation of OEI represented
a new vision reflecting the
importance of integrated
information necessary for decision
making. It recognized the
necessity to share information with
all our constituent groups, the
public, the regulated community,
our state partners and our own
environmental professionals." —Al
Pesachowitz, Associate Assistant
Administrator, 1999-2000
"We were caught
up in the sense
that [creating
OEI] was
something
bigger—there
was a real sense of purpose. This
organization was so different. It was
groundbreaking—and it stood the
test of time." —Kathy Petruccelli,
Acting Deputy Assistant
Administrator, OEI, 2001 and
Director, OPRO, OEI 1999-2002
"OEI's role in the Agency is
unique. It affords those of us who
work here the opportunity to
interact with individuals involved in
all kinds of work, in every part of
the Agency, and at all levels of
staff and management. The
inherent cross fertilization of ideas
resulting from the nature of our
role in the Agency makes work in
OEI particularly enriching."
—Constance Downs, OIC, OEI
While changes in information management practices brought
about by REI and efforts to comply with federal legislation sig-
nificantly streamlined the IT infrastructure and facilitated deci-
sion making, the Agency believed it could achieve even greater
efficiencies by establishing a central office with responsibility
for information management, policy, and technology. On Octo-
ber 24, 1999, OEI was established to answer this need.
The synergies created by establishing OEI enabled EPA to re-
alize successes that it is achieving in IT and IM today. In the
beginning, OEI centralized several key IT functions and pro-
grams across the Agency and empowered EPA's CIO to fulfill
responsibilities mandated by the Clinger-Cohen Act and other
federal legislation. Centralization also allowed OEI to take the
lead for improving EPA's data quality and information collec-
tion while reducing costs and reporting burdens for partners
and stakeholders. OEI's focus on managing the business of IT
and IM ensured that the products and services EPA offers rep-
resent best practices and are responsive to customer needs.
OEI's efforts to manage and deliver IT and IM services have
supported EPA significantly in providing the public with reliable
environmental information and sharing environmental data in a
consistent, efficient manner.
1 Office of Management and Budget, Circular No. A-130 "Transmittal Memorandum #4,
Management of Federal Information Resources," November 28, 2000
2 Office of Management and Budget, Circular No. A-11 "Preparation, Submission, and
Execution of the Budget," revised July 16, 2004
Office of Environmental Information
-------
Chapter 2
Merging Different
Cultures into One
1999 - 2000
Setting out to create OEI and to staff a new office with the
appropriate people was a unique and challenging experience.
EPA senior management knew that in order for OEI to achieve
its mission they would need to recruit, select, and place ap-
proximately 400 EPA employees from across the Agency. OEI
was staffed from elements of the Office of Administration and
Resources Management (OARM), the Office of Prevention,
Pesticides and Toxic Substances (OPPTS), the Office of Policy,
Planning and Evaluation (OPPE), the Office of Research and
Development (ORD) and the Administrator's Office (AO).
Staff from these offices represented very distinct educational
and experience backgrounds, skill mixes, and organizational
cultures.
Assistant Administrator
&
Chief Information Officer
From this diverse group of people, four OEI offices and the
Quality Staff (QS) were formed to help the newly appointed
CIO carry out OEFs responsibilities. The offices included: the
Office of Information Analysis and Access (OIAA), the Of-
fice of Information Collection (QIC), the Office of Planning
Resources and Outreach (OPRO), and the Office of Technol-
ogy Operations and Planning (OTOP). These offices provide
OEI with the expertise to perform information management,
quality assurance, data collection, information analysis and dis-
semination, policy development, and IT infrastructure manage-
ment functions.
Once an organizational structure was finalized and staff were
allocated, OEI quickly focused on the business of merging a
number of technology, infrastructure, and program functions
across the Agency to improve performance and usability of
EPA's IT assets.
"I am amazed at
the breadth and
scope of OEI.
We are a leader
in best practices
for security,
investment management, and
managed services for desktop.
People across the Agency are now
coming to us to provide them with
solutions. Even private sector
vendors now want our business to
showcase their capabilities for IT and
information management because of
our achievements with data
exchange and managed desktops."
—Linda Trovers, Principal Deputy
Assistant Administrator, OEI
"OIAA came
out ofthe
overall design
concept of
OEI—an
organization that
handles the information flow from
collection through analysis. OIAA
was the cluster of activities related
to analysis and access. Bringing
the two closer together was key to
OEFs development. The Agency
had been making small steps with
each function, but bringing the two
together would significantly
enhance both—bringing better
information to the public and EPA
more quickly." —Elaine Stanley,
Director, OIAA, OEI, 1999-2004
Celebrating Five Years of Success—Accelerating Our Progress in the Future
-------
Merging EPA's IT Investment Decision
Making Processes
OEI chairs the Quality Information Council (QIC), established
in 2000, which provides oversight and recommendations for
the Agency's information management, policies and investments.
The QIC advises the Assistant Administrator for OEI and CIO
on decisions related to the Agency's information policies, pro-
gram implementation issues, and information investments. The
QIC is an efficient forum through which senior Agency offi-
cials can raise and debate strategic information issues facing
the Agency, and provide opportunities for cross-office exchange
and development of ideas on quality and information. As a
result, the QIC has stimulated the creation of internal EPA part-
nerships on information strategies, initiatives, and opportunities
for efficiency, and has encouraged forward-looking discussions
of current and emerging issues.
Merging EPA's Operations, Facilities and
IT Infrastructure
As OEI began daily operations, it became clear that much of
the Agency's operations, facilities, and IT infrastructure were
inadequate to support staff growth and enterprise IT needs.
Streamlined operations, modern facilities, and a more robust IT
infrastructure were needed. OEI embraced the challenge and
successfully responded to this need by ensuring that EPA staff
had the tools they needed to operate more efficiently.
OEI integrated established programs and services upon its cre-
ation in 1999. One of the services to undergo integration into
OEI was the Working Capital Fund (WCF), which provides
funding for centralized administrative IT services to EPA pro-
gram offices, such as: telecommunications services, network management services, and BlackBerry sup-
port. OEI is well positioned to understand IT requirements across the Agency and can ensure that WCF
monies are spent efficiently while providing the tools and capacities needed to carry out the Agency's busi-
ness.
EPA was already engaged in a multi-year effort to move employees to more efficient, cost-effective facilities
and supply them with the most appropriate IT tools available. In partnership with OARM, OEI was able to
successfully relocate 6,000 personnel from an aging, outdated facility to modern office space at the Federal
Triangle complex that supports the Agency's technology needs. In addition to the physical relocation that
took place, EPA experienced a cultural shift toward implementing Agency-wide solutions when OEI began
the local area network (LAN) consolidation project. Known as Shared Services, this project consolidated
and upgraded file servers, computer rooms, LAN closets, and telecommunications equipment. Shared Ser-
vices eliminated redundant equipment, improved network connectivity, increased productivity, and resulted in
more effective management of EPA's IT resources.
"The initial challenge was to help
employees transition from the
offices and projects they came
from into the new OEI
environment so that they could
have a sense of shared
responsibility in the new Office.
OEI staff came together from
diverse offices across the Agency
and were able to join together to
get the job done." —Ed Levine,
Assistant Administrator, OEI,
2001
"Everyone in
OEI and EPA
can be proud of
the National
Computer
Center. The
move to our new state-of-the-art
facility was transparent to EPA
staff because it occurred when
customer usage was low—from
midnight on New Years through
New Years day. EPA experienced
only 18 hours of down time."
—Rick Martin, Deputy Director,
OIAA, OEI
Office of Environmental Information
-------
OEI assumed responsibility for the National Computer Center
(NCC) in North Carolina and managed its relocation to EPA's
new Research Triangle Park campus. This facility operates
the Agency's network servers, mainframes, and
supercomputers, as well as develops, deploys, and manages
applications and provides telecommunication services for EPA's
headquarters, regional offices, and laboratories. Today, NCC
manages over 535,000 Web pages, maintaining EPA's strong
Internet presence. Providing the public with robust Web ac-
cess to EPA's data would be impossible without NCC's tech-
nology infrastructure support.
Using Technology to Make the Toxics Release Inventory More Citizen
Centric
The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) contains information about releases of certain chemicals and manage-
ment of wastes at a wide variety of sources, including manufacturing operations, certain service businesses,
and federal facilities. Since its inception, the program has grown in several important ways, including ex-
panding the businesses covered and the chemicals on which they report. Over the past few years, EPA has
taken several steps to improve the efficiency of collecting and releasing the TRI data, and to increase the
accuracy and availability of information. EPA's goal is to process all reporting forms via the Internet. By
doing so, we could save taxpayers approximately $1.5 million per year.
• In 2000, EPA launched TRI Explorer —a Web-based tool that provides fast and easy access to TRI
data.
• In 2002 (for 2001 reporting year data), EPA saved thousands of dollars in mailing and printing cost
by providing facilities with an electronic Facility Data Profile (FDP). The FDP enables facilities to
review all of their data submissions to ensure they were captured correctly, and provides an oppor-
tunity to review and respond to errors and alerts.
• In 2002 (for 2001 reporting year data), EPA introduced Toxics Release Inventory—Made Easy
(TRI-ME) software, an interactive, user-friendly software tool that guides facilities through the TRI
reporting experience and enabled facilities to report via the Internet through the Central Data Ex-
change (CDX) for the first time.
• In 2003 (for 2002 reporting year data), TRI-ME enabled reporters to use an electronic signature to
submit a paperless form over the Internet using CDX. It takes EPA approximately 4 minutes to
process a submission via CDX versus 35 minutes to process a paper submission. EPA processes
approximately 24,000 submissions each year.
"The TRI program has been very aggressive in promoting data quality
and implementing electronic reporting. EPA can be very proud of these
efforts." — Velu Senthil, OIAA, OEI
Celebrating Five Years of Success—Accelerating Our Progress in the Future
-------
• By 2004 (for 2003 reporting year data), 93 percent of the TRI reporting community used TRI-ME
software, and 34 percent submitted their data using CDX (up from 22 percent in 2003 for 2002
reporting year data, a 50 percent increase).
OEI is continuing to make improvements to the TRI program to increase efficiency. Collaborating with state
partners, OEI is developing an Exchange Network (page 17) to enable direct exchange of information
between EPA and states. The goal of this initiative is to end duplicative reporting for facilities currently
required to submit data to the state as well as EPA. OEI plans to migrate the CD-based TRI-ME software
to a Web-based application, resulting in an even more user-friendly tool and reducing costs for EPA.
mvironmemai inTormauon
-------
Chapter 3
Rising to Security and
Information Management
Challenges
2000 - 2001
Since its inception, OEI has demonstrated strong leadership in identifying IT security weaknesses, imple-
menting essential protections, and certifying the security of its IT systems. OEFs leadership in this area
began in response to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit that identified security breaks in
EPA's Internet. OEI took immediate action to strengthen the Agency's infrastructure, suspending all data
exchange with the outside world until the security problems were rectified by implementing the Agency's first
firewall—thus protecting EPA's data and infrastructure from unauthorized use. In doing this, OEI demon-
strated its long-term dedication to not only address EPA's information security weaknesses, but to use its
expertise to partner with federal agencies, states, and other stakeholders to protect national security interests
and respond to emergency situations.
To address weaknesses identified in the GAO audit, OEI established the Technical Information Security
Staff (TISS), an Agency-wide IT security program, which substantially improved EPA's IT security infra-
structure. Through this program, OEI implemented firewall and intrusion detection sensors to monitor for
evidence of suspicious activities. OEI also issued policy to provide direction on implementing basic controls
required to protect EPA's communications network from internal and external threats. Further, OEI docu-
mented its risk-based approach to managing IT assets. The ability to address these serious security concerns
in a timely fashion demonstrated OEI's critical role in and commitment to protecting the Agency's resources.
Emerging as a Leader in Information
Assurance
Through OEI's efforts in the security area, EPA emerged as a
leader in information assurance and used its innovation and
expertise to help other federal agencies address their security
weaknesses. OEI made a substantial investment in the Auto-
mated Security Self Evaluation and Remediation Tool (AS-
SERT) to identify and remedy security weaknesses in response
to the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA)
requirements to conduct annual assessments. Since its incep-
tion in 2000, ASSERT has helped improve EPA's FISMA stand-
ings from a D- to a C+ on the OMB scorecard. As a result,
EPA is now 12 to 18 months ahead of the federal government's
schedule for implementing an automated FISMA reporting so-
lution. Seeing EPA's rapid success and modeling their leader-
ship, other federal agencies are also leveraging ASSERT to
detect and resolve their own IT security weaknesses.
"By focusing on cyber-security,
EPA has taken great steps to
protect the integrity of the
Agency." —Analytical
Perspectives, Budget of the
United States, Fiscal Year 2005
"The Internet
security crisis
really brought
OEI into focus.
This event
solidified OEI,
bringing people of different
backgrounds together to solve the
problem." —Mark Badalamente,
Associate Director, OPRO, OEI,
1999-2001 and Acting Director,
OPRO, OEI, 2001
Celebrating Five Years of Success—Accelerating Our Progress in the Future
-------
Supporting EPA's Disaster Response
OEI has also used its expertise to assist program offices in
coordinating national responses to security threats and emer-
gency situations affecting the nation. In particular, OEI was
critical to EPA's response to the September 11th attacks. OEI
created a World Trade Center (WTC) Multi-Agency Environ-
mental Monitoring Database to house the results of ambient air
monitoring collected in New York City by 13 federal, state, lo-
cal, and private organizations and worked in collaboration with
EPA Region II, the Office of Public Affairs (OPA), Office of
Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER), Office of
Air Quality Planning and Standards (OAQPS), and many other
program staff to provide communications and outreach materi-
als to concerned citizens. OEFs role in the WTC Response
marked the first time that EPA's Web site was used as a pri-
mary vehicle for communication with the affected public in the
aftermath of a national emergency. EPA posted interactive
maps showing the location of monitoring sites, data tables with
monitoring results for specific constituents, and detailed narra-
tive discussions to assist readers in putting results in context.
In addition to the ambient monitoring conducted in the immedi-
ate aftermath of the WTC collapse, OEI staff supported re-
sponse efforts by developing and deploying the WTC Indoor
Air Residential Services Database. The database was designed
to track requests from residents in the lower Manhattan area
who desired government-sponsored dust testing and cleanup
services.
As a result of security threats and disaster response needs,
OEI partnered with OSWER to create the state-of-the-art Emer-
gency Operations Center (EOC). OEI provides the IT infra-
structure and equipment that enables the EOC to process and
manipulate data in a real-time environment. Through the EOC,
OSWER is able to organize EPA's response to disasters, haz-
ardous materials spills, and terrorist incidents with other emer-
gency response personnel from EPA and other federal agencies. To assist with this process, OEI developed
innovative tools, such as the Emergency Response Analyzer (ERA), which enable response personnel in
Headquarters and regional response centers to quickly visualize impacts from environmental emergency
situations, such as chemical or oil spills, plant fires, explosions, or other events. The ERA also supports the
analysis of the effects of the emergency situation on vulnerable populations or environmental resources.
"September 11th
underscored the
importance of
OEI's support of
communication
between first
responders, displaced employees,
and with the public." —Robin
Gonzalez, Director, National
Technology Services Division,
OTOP, OEI
"[EPA] has excelled at protecting
their information technology assets.
EPA has implemented quantifiable
measures of repelled attacks and
blocked viruses." —Analytical
Perspectives, Budget of the
United States, Fiscal Year 2005
"A few years
ago, EPA was
in a security
crisis and was
publicly
criticized for
security issues. Today, EPA has
turned the crisis around and is cited
by OMB and others as a leader for
IT security." —George Bonina,
Director, Technical Information
Security Staff, OTOP, OEI
Office of Environmental Information
-------
Chapter 4
Launching OEI's Three
Keystone Projects
2002 - 2003
OEI evolved and developed its vision and strategy to support a number of objectives, which include: keeping
the public informed and aware, assessing and utilizing relevant technology, integrating and sharing data across
organizations, and establishing governance processes for information management.
The Environmental Indicators Initiative, the Environmental Information Exchange Network, and the Enter-
prise Architecture are three initiatives that have and will continue to play significant roles in supporting the
Agency's mission of protecting human health and the environment. These projects are central to OEI and
will provide a lasting legacy for the future of environmental information resources.
Improving Environmental Quality and Human Health Assessments
The idea of an Environmental Indicators Initiative, first proposed over 14 years ago, has finally been realized
through an Agency-wide effort guided by an Executive Steering Committee and led by OEI and the Office of
Research and Development (ORD). Environmental indicators of environmental progress provide EPA with
the ability to identify the connections among strategic goals, determine how national reporting and indicators
can help improve performance, and collaboratively manage for results in the future. Environmental indica-
tors also offer the opportunity to track and anticipate environmental and health issues that could be of future
concern.
In 2003, EPA published its first-ever "Draft Report on the Environment" (ROE) which highlighted the progress
the United States and territories have made in protecting national air, water, and land resources. The draft
ROE also detailed the measures that can be used to describe environmental and human health conditions. As
a result of this groundbreaking report, EPA began a critical national dialogue on how to improve its ability to
assess the nation's environmental quality and human health and how to use that knowledge to better manage
for measurable environmental results in the future. The Environmental Indicators Initiative moves EPA
toward a performance-based rather than process-based national environmental management system.
Supporting Environmental Data Exchange
EPA exchanges a wealth of information with a variety of partners, including states, tribes, and businesses.
Environmental data are relied upon to make timely, informed decisions regarding human health and the
environment. As such, OEI is striving to create an infrastructure that facilitates the exchange of information
"OEI is set up to handle the lifecycle of information—from the collection of
data, the management of the data, to data access and analysis. And behind
this is the technology that is the backbone that makes it all happen. Having all
of the components of information technology and management in one office is
a great asset to the Agency, and helps us be as successful as we are."
—Mike Flynn, Director, OIAA, OEI
Celebrating Five Years of Success—Accelerating Our Progress in the Future
-------
"The Exchange Network concept helped to re-invigorate EPA's relationships
with the states. Information exchanges are no longer just about reporting
information to EPA and meeting regulatory requirements. We are exchanging
more data than are required to meet regulatory requirements and are
collecting better data. The expanded data collection efforts enable EPA and
its partners to obtain the right information necessary to protect the
environment." —Andrew Baffin, Director, Information Exchange and
Services Division, QIC, OEI
while ensuring the security, quality, and accessibility of that data. The Environmental Information Exchange
Network (Exchange Network) was developed in partnership with states to enable participating organizations
to share data in a uniform format. As a result, the Exchange Network transmits environmental data between
states, tribes, territories, and other partners more easily; reduces the burden on reporting facilities; and
safeguards the quality, completeness, and consistency of the data processed.
EPA's Exchange Network Grant Program provides funding to help states improve the infrastructure of their
environmental programs and supports innovative data sharing strategies. Through these grants, 15 states
now use the Exchange Network to successfully exchange information about facilities, beach quality, water
discharges, and air emissions in support of national environmental protection.
The Central Data Exchange (CDX) is EPA's node on the Exchange Network for environmental data ex-
changes to the Agency. CDX enables streamlined, electronic submission of data via the Internet and is used
by reporting facilities from states, tribes, local government, and the private sector. Fourteen data systems,
including the Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) data, are now available through CDX. For TRI Reporting Year
2003, there was a 49 percent increase in the number of reports on chemical release and other waste manage-
ment data submitted to EPA by using CDX, as compared to the previous year when reports were submitted
via mail or diskette.
Using Enterprise Architecture to Assess and Manage Agency
Resources
As cutting-edge information technology quickly becomes standard at external enterprises, EPA must con-
stantly reassess its own IT requirements to best meet its goals. OEI works diligently to ensure that internal
governance processes and policies address the Agency's ever-changing needs, while maintaining the secu-
rity and quality of EPA's resources. One way OEI accomplished this is through the development and main-
tenance of an Agency Enterprise Architecture.
Mandated by the Clinger-Cohen Act, an Enterprise Architecture (EA) serves as a tool for senior leadership
to visualize how and where to best apply resources—people, technology, and money—to attain the organization's
strategic goals. OEI established its EA Team in 2001, appointing a Chief Architect and beginning the process
of documenting elements of the EA conceptual framework (i.e., goals, business, data, applications, and
technology).
While OEI leads the EA effort, the program is a collaborative effort that includes representatives from across
the Agency. EPA's EA has continued to rapidly mature and has received awards and recognition as one of
the best in government. OEI published the first baseline architecture and provisional target architecture in
2001 and received among the highest marks of any agency from OMB. Through OEI's strong leadership,
EPA has become a forerunner in the architecture arena, and the CIO was appointed to key positions support-
ing cross-government initiatives and committees.
Office of Environmental Information
-------
Chapter 5
Providing the Right
Information to the Right
People at the Right Time
2003 - 2004
One of OEI's key goals is to enhance EPA's ability to provide its stakeholders and the public with access to
environmental data and information. This requires that the necessary content is available to the public and
also that the content is presented via user-friendly interfaces. To support this goal, OEI provided strong
leadership in working with program offices and other internal and external stakeholders to make critical
environmental information easily accessible.
The President's Management Agenda (PMA) requires federal agencies to include E-Government initiatives
that integrate agency operations and information technology. As detailed below, EPA has implemented a
number of programs in support of the PMA, improving the quality of customer service to citizens, businesses,
and other stakeholders through tools that enhance access to information and streamline the Agency's busi-
ness.
Supporting Citizen Involvement in Federal Government
Citizens, businesses, and the federal government must be able to easily access information about and partici-
pate in the federal rulemaking process. Both the EPA Docket Center and the EDOCKET Web site allow the
Agency to centrally manage rulemaking documents and make them available for public review and com-
ment. Due to EDOCKET's success, a result of innovation and high utilization, EPA was chosen to lead the
federal government-wide eRulemaking Initiative. The eRulemaking Initiative is helping to overcome barriers
to public participation in the federal regulatory process by improving the public's ability to find, understand,
and comment on regulatory actions. The Web site receives over 300,000 hits per month.
EPA led a team of five federal agencies to develop the Regulations.gov Web site, the first module of the
eRulemaking Initiative. A federal regulatory clearinghouse, Regulations.gov was officially launched in Janu-
ary 2003. This site is recognized as an extraordinarily helpful, one-stop tool for citizens to review and
comment on all active federal rulemakings. Regulations.gov provides the public with online access to every
open rule published by more than 160 different federal agencies.
"EPA has an exceptional team of information technology experts and I'm
proud to work with them. It's been very gratifying to see how EPA's
E-Government efforts have grown. I'm especially proud of EPA's leadership
of the eRulemaking Initiative and the many awards the interagency team has
received. They are at the forefront of using information technology to make a
real difference in the timeliness, quality, and openness of the federal
rulemaking process." —Rick Otis, Deputy Assistant Administrator, OEI
Celebrating Five Years of Success—Accelerating Our Progress in the Future
-------
"I believe OEI
is at a
crossroads to
lead EPA in
fulfilling its role
as an
information broker. EPA is
currently and will continue to
provide information to our
stakeholders and the public,
allowing them to make informed
decisions about their health and
surrounding environment." —Mike
Cullen, Director, Program
Management Office, OEI
"I use Regulations.gov to help
introduce students to the federal
rulemaking process... The clean,
simple interface allows students to
concentrate on the content and
how it fits into the rulemaking
process." —Scott Matheson,
Reference and Government
Documents Librarian, Lillian
Goldman Law Library, Yale Law
School
Merging EPA's Web Presence into One
Unified Voice
Early in its existence, OEI identified its Web sites as key mecha-
nisms to communicate to EPA's wide audience. Beginning in
1999, OEI initiated several projects to unify and enhance the
Agency's Web sites. Three key activities strengthened EPA's
ability to provide the public with access to environmental infor-
mation over the Internet—the development of Web site design
and programming standards, testing for customer usability, and
development of formal processes to ensure EPA's Web site is
accessible to those with special needs.
OEI has been in the forefront of improving the public's access
to EPA information and enhancing EPA's ability to utilize the
Internet to disseminate materials and communicate its mission
and actions. In February 2000, OEI initiated a Web site usabil-
ity testing program to ensure that EPA Web sites are navigable,
designed for the intended audience(s), and easy for the public
(or specialized user) to locate and understand. In April 2000,
OEI created a browse index of EPA Web sites to improve the
navigation of the EPA Web site. In 2002, OEI worked with the
Agency to institute standard design and navigation elements
for all EPA Internet materials, and it initiated audit procedures
to ensure compliance with accessibility, look and feel, and con-
tent standards. By implementing a standard look for the EPA
Web site, users are able to more easily navigate the site and
find the information for which they are looking. In addition,
OEI implemented provisions of Section 508 of the Americans
with Disabilities Act to ensure that EPA's electronic and infor-
mation technology is accessible by all citizens, including people
with disabilities.
In the fall of 2004, OEI will release the Mercury Portal, the first project of its kind and magnitude in use at
EPA. The Mercury Portal harmonizes all of EPA's information on mercury so EPA customers can access all
the information in one place. The Mercury Portal project is instrumental in helping EPA reach its goal of
"One Agency, One Voice."
OEI has worked diligently to enhance the public's access to environmental information through the Internet.
The number of available pages on the EPA Web site has increased 50 percent from 360,056 pages in 2000 to
539,780 pages in 2004. The monthly average of page requests in 2004 is approximately 30 million, which is
an increase over the approximately 14 million average number of page requests in 2000.
Office of Environmental Information
-------
Promoting Effective Use of Geographic
Data
OEI provides the analytical tools necessary to support deci-
sion making. Specifically, these tools facilitate the exchange
of environmental information so that EPA and its stakeholders
can respond to environmental problems, set priorities, make
sound decisions, manage for results, and measure performance.
Several key projects achieved these goals by improving EPA's
management of geospatial information and promoting infor-
mation exchange.
EPA began its Geospatial program in 2001 with the completion
of the "Geospatial Activities Baseline Assessment." The
baseline documented the extensive use of geospatial data and
technologies across EPA, summarizing the issues that hindered
Agency staff from using these data and technologies effec-
tively. In June 2003, EPA completed the Geospatial Blueprint,
building upon the Baseline Assessment by outlining a Geospatial
Program that serves the interest of the Agency and estab-
lishes best practices for managing geospatial data and technol-
ogy. One such technology is the Geospatial Data Index (GDI),
a Web site which allows internal users to easily search for,
locate, and obtain geospatial data for use in environmental analy-
sis. EPA also supports Geospatial One-Stop, an E-Govern-
ment initiative that enhances government efficiency and en-
ables government to be more citizen-based and results by pro-
viding access to geospatial data from across the federal gov-
ernment in one easy-to-use Web site.
In January 2001, EPA launched its Window to My Environ-
ment (WME) Web site. WME combines state-of-the-art in-
teractive geographic maps with links to federal, state, and lo-
cal environmental data. With over a million users per year, this
innovative access tool provides the public with detailed infor-
mation on environmental issues and conditions affecting com-
munities and other locations. The media, including national
publications, have lauded WME as a valuable public resource.
Additional proof of success is demonstrated as WME is incor-
porated into classroom curriculums across the country, provid-
ing environmental information to EPA's youngest customers.
By 2003, WME's coverage was national. OEI is working to
continuously improve WME's capability to provide the public
with the most current environmental information in a geographic
context.
"This [WME] site is great, and as a
tax payer, I support it."
—Private Citizen
JI&L I "Geospatial
J technology is
•»• ^* • allowing us to do
unprecedented
new things. Over
the last decade,
geospatial tools have linked with
Internet technology to allow us to pull
data together from many sources. A
"net-centric" approach to geospatial
information lets us go directly to the
best subject matter sources, pull in the
latest data in real time, and visualize it
within seconds." —Brenda Smith,
Geospatial Information Officer, OEI
"... I would just like to thank you for
this [Environmental Kids Club] Web
site! You have made it so easy to
understand and have so many amazing
ideas for not only kids, but even
students in college like myself... Thank
you for caring." - — A Student
"The goal of
this project
[Regulations.gov]
is nothing short
of creating a
one-stop portal
where the public can look at,
download and comment on federal
rulemaking. It will revolutionize the
way the federal government writes
rules and solicits comments from
the public." —Oscar Morales,
Director, Collection Strategies
Division, QIC, OEI
Celebrating Five Years of Success—Accelerating Our Progress in the Future
-------
OEFs newest GIS tool is Dynamic Choropleth Maps (DC Maps). DC Maps is a technologically advanced
mapping tool that EPA offices are using to explore possible relationships among demographic, environmental.
and health data. DC Maps can be used to create quick, geographically-based displays or to identify possible
associations among indicators for further study.
Establishing Standards to Improve Data Reporting and Access
Data Standards streamline reporting and reduce redundancies, making it possible for disparate systems to
send information to and receive information from other systems. OEFs development of a System of Regis-
tries (SoR) revolutionized data reporting and access through the use of common data element definitions and
formats across EPA and with states, tribes, and other strategic partners. Registries in the SoR, such as the
OEI-managed Substance Registry System and the Facility Registry System, support the discovery and use of
information managed, and of interest to EPA, its partners, the regulated community, and the public. With the
SoR, and through the use of Web services, states and tribes are able to access the Agency's most accurate
and complete chemical and facility identification information. This ensures consistency between EPA data
and state and tribal data, improving the quality of data as it comes into EPA rather than requiring extensive
data corrections after it is received.
SoR use has increased dramatically from 2001 to 2003. Information downloads rose by a significant 60
percent—from 3,600 items downloaded in 2001 to 5,750 in 2003. Customer feedback also increased by 63
percent—in 2003, 278 feedback emails were received compared to 171 in 2001.
Leading Agency Efforts to Improve Information Quality
OEI is the lead office implementing the Agency's Quality System, which ensures that environmental pro-
grams and decisions are supported by high-quality data, and that the correct data type is available for its
intended use. The Quality System ensures that decisions involving environmental technology are backed by
appropriate engineering standards and practices through detailed quality assurance procedures and reviews.
In accordance with guidelines issued by OMB, EPA issued its own Information Quality Guidelines articulat-
ing the Agency's goals for improving information quality, creating policies that ensure the delivery of quality
information, and developing a transparent approach to corrections. As part of this effort, OEI maintains a
public Web page where stakeholders who are interested in data quality have a "one-stop" shop for reviewing
Information Quality Guidelines (IQG) requests received by EPA and corresponding Agency responses.
Four years ago, OEI created the Integrated Error Correction Process (IECP), a centralized service which
responds to the public's data quality inquiries. The IECP allows the public to immediately notify the Agency
of potential data quality problems on any of its Web pages. By way of the IECP, OEI has handled over
16,000 error notifications in order to ensure the quality and accuracy of the data and information used by the
public. By centralizing internal Agency processes and making them more prominent, accountable, and easier
to use, the IECP has become a valuable customer service tool for the public.
"For the first time in the Agency's history, all organizations that are involved in
environmental information and data operations have approved quality
management plans.. .this ensures that decisions can be supported by data of
known quality." —Reggie Cheatham, Director, Quality Staff, OEI
Office of Environmental Information
-------
Chapter 6
Delivering Business
Value Through
Innovative Solutions
OEI at 5 Years
:»
I
"OneofOEI's
greatest
strengths is its
commitment to
invest in its
people. We
really care about developing an
IT-sawy, service-oriented
workforce who like what they do
and are considered the "best in the
business" by other federal
agencies and departments. OEI is
full of opportunities for employees
who want to learn new things and
take on new challenges."
—Maggie Mitchell, Director,
OPRO, OEI
Supporting the Agency's Workforce
OEFs success hinges on its most valuable resource—its people.
OEI has proactively and enthusiastically taken several steps to
assess its IT workforce capabilities and put measures in place
to grow and develop the skills of its staff so they can deliver the
goods and services to customers. OEI issued the EPA Execu-
tive and Senior IT Management Assessment to identify and
remedy skills gaps; provided training on IT security, project
management, and IT skills; and participated in the first ever
government-wide IT virtual job fair.
OEI extends value to EPA through continuous innovation, iden-
tifying and implementing emerging technologies and strategic
solutions that provide immediate benefits to the Agency's busi-
ness. OEI actively supports EPA's rapid business environment,
traveling staff, and flexible workplace policies with revolution-
ary technologies, such as BlackBerry wireless e-mail services.
Two thousand BlackBerry devices are in use by EPA manag-
ers and field staff for critical daily and hourly communication.
BlackBerry devices enable staff to expand their productive time,
respond quickly to critical messages, and reduce cell phone
expenditures. EPA's vital and emergency response teams, in-
cluding the Continuity of Operations (COOP) staff and disas-
ter recovery teams rely heavily on communication via
BlackBerry.
Refining the IT Project Review Process
Closely linked to EA, and also mandated by the Clinger-Cohen
Act, the Capital Planning and Investment Control (CPIC) pro-
cess ensures that an agency's IT projects align with its mission
and goals. Each year, EPA formally reassesses existing and
reviews new investments that generally cost more than $3 mil-
lion per year. OEI leads the CPIC process by providing guidance, training, review, and outreach to the rest
of the Agency for developing business cases and related documentation that detail and justify all aspects of
the project—management strategy, alternatives, risks, cost/benefit ratios, and ongoing performance. Smaller
projects require less extensive documentation but are still reviewed against the Agency's IT requirements.
With the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, OEI co-chairs the review committee that evaluates and ranks
the Agency's overall IT investment portfolio prior to submitting the final portfolio to the Office of Manage-
ment and Budget (OMB) as part of EPA's annual budget submission.
"I have been in
OEI since its
early
conception.
Now I'm
working on
OEI's IT Human Capital plans,
programs and training while
working on my master's degree.
I look forward to continuing my
career in OEI!" —Lisa Treadwell,
OTOP, OEI
Celebrating Five Years of Success—Accelerating Our Progress in the Future
-------
"OEI has
enhanced our
ability to protect
the environment
and promote
public health by
accelerating the cost-effective use of
technology to make information more
readily available to regulators, the
regulated community, and the public;
and has done this through extensive
collaboration with its partners from
throughout EPA, the states, and the
private sector." —E. Ramona
Trovato, Deputy Assistant
Administrator, OEI, 2002-2003
"OEI helps the
Agency to view
IT services as
enterprise-wide
offerings.
Through
consolidation and standardization, we
enable better efficiency and cost
savings and continue to offer
customized IT solutions at the same
time." —Myra Galbreath, Acting
Deputy Director, OTOP, OEI
OEFs contribution to the CPIC process—through extensive
guidance, training, review, and outreach—is the instrumental
force behind the Agency's "green" status award from OMB.
Very few federal agencies are members of this exclusive club;
EPA's success is a testament to OEFs effort.
Enabling Enterprise-wide Tools and
Central Services
The Environmental Information Integration and Portal Devel-
opment (EIIPD) project coordinates the design and develop-
ment of OEI's common infrastructure components and pro-
vides value-added services to the program offices using these
components. The Portal, one component of EIIPD, serves as
a single gateway for people to access, exchange, and integrate
EPA data sources. The portal will promote a collaborative team
environment for peers to exchange ideas and information; al-
low internal staff and external partner access to Agency busi-
ness processes, integrated data holdings, and computing re-
sources; reduce IT investment redundancies; increase produc-
tivity and cost efficiencies by focusing resources on business
goals instead of on IT maintenance; and encourage "self-ser-
vice" and support federal E-Government initiatives.
During FY04 and FY05, EIIPD is partnering with the Office of
Air and Radiation (OAR), to prove the value of these services
to the Agency. In support of OAR, EIIPD is demonstrating a
notification service, Web services, an air analyst portal, data
mart creation, and geospatial tools. After a successful pilot
effort, EIIPD will roll these enterprise-wide tools out for Agency
use.
Supporting Sound Science
OEI supports sound science by delivering science-based information to decision makers. Quality environ-
mental science requires leading-edge computational tools that enable researchers and policy makers to better
understand complex scientific data so important environmental information can be conveyed to others in a
meaningful way. OEI maintains facilities in Research Triangle Park, NC where researchers and analysts
work with the latest computational systems, software, and networking tools for high performance computing
and scientific data visualization. These tools enable EPA to turn a large amount of complex data into images
that are more easily understood. For example, data that depict air flow over a city can be visualized and
shown as a 2-dimensional moving image. OEI also supports EPA regions, program offices, and laboratories
by collaborating with researchers to develop software and visualization tools for activities such as air quality
monitoring and forecasting. In addition, OEI helps transfer new technology throughout the Agency and
provides expertise and guidance in the application of new computational technologies to support EPA's mis-
sion and meet environmental research requirements.
Office of Environmental Information
-------
Chapter 7
"Whereof what's past is prologue ...'
—William Shakespeare, The Tempest
Accelerating Our
Progress in the Future
Over the past five years, OEI has played a key role supporting the Agency in its ability to protect human
health and the environment by improving data quality, improving public access to environmental data, stream-
lining data collections, securing our IT resources, and strengthening our technology infrastructure. EPA is
one of the few agencies to receive the highest rating of "green" on the President's Management Agenda
E-Government scorecard—a ranking the Agency intends to keep. The vision for the future of OEI is even
more exciting.
OEI will continue to improve the public's and our partners' access to environmental data by evolving the
Agency's Web sites and databases to become fully integrated Web service applications that marry environ-
mental data to a geographic context. This will enable the public and our partners to better understand the
current state of their environment.
OEI will enable applications to share data across programs and information systems by providing automated
access to System of Registries data—increasing data quality in these registries and enabling the Agency to
improve data quality with state partners. By implementing a state-of-the-art data integration platform con-
sisting of a central data extract, transform, and load tool coupled to the System of Registries, OEI will remove
the information barriers that exist between the program offices. OEI will continue to evolve and expand the
Exchange Network to improve and increase environmental data transfers with state partners. OEI will build
out the Enterprise Architecture to provide EPA field, analysis, and management staff with full access to EPA
data holdings on a real-time basis and will enable more Agency staff to work productively from home or while
traveling.
Additionally, OEI will implement technology enabling the Agency to make better, more accurate and defen-
sible decisions to protect human health and the environment. To support this effort, OEI will implement the
Agency's Enterprise Architecture, the technology approach which is designed to support environmental
decision makers. As a result, OEI will implement a common interface to all of the Agency's data holdings
and provide integrated access to EPA and partner data. OEI will also integrate emergency response tools
with additional analytic capabilities—enabling the Agency to quickly gauge the environmental and health
impact of an emergency event. All of these improvements will strengthen our analytical capabilities and
"In the future we will rely more than ever before on high quality information—
collecting it, analyzing it, verifying it, disseminating it, and using it to support
public policy decisions in a transparent way. It will be OEI's role to ensure
that the Agency and our stakeholders have access to the highest quality
information, in the most economical manner, to support public policy and our
mission of protecting human health and safeguarding the natural environment."
—Kimberly T. Nelson, Assistant Administrator and CIO, OEI
Celebrating Five Years of Success—Accelerating Our Progress in the Future
-------
"In 10 years
about half of
the HQ staff
will work at
home or in
commute
centers most of the time.
Technology will enable this.
Further development of the
Exchange Network and its
components will lead to universal
connectivity between participants
with associated ability to access
and use virtually all environmental
data the partners have." —Mark
Luttner, Director, QIC, OEI
"OEI has been one of the most
enjoyable organizations that I have
ever worked for." —Brenda
Gibson, QIC, OEI
"EPA will have
a solid basis for
understanding
its impact on
the environment
through tools
such as scientific modeling,
enhanced document management
and better collaboration tools."
—Mark Day, Director, OTOP, OEI
provide the Agency and the public with the access to informa-
tion needed to make informed decisions about human health
and environment. Additionally, EPA's Computational Grid will
enable Agency researchers to tap unused processing capacity
on local and remote clusters at the campus-level or enterprise-
level. Ultimately, Agency researchers and trusted partners will
be able to access a Partner (or Global) Computational Grid that
extends to the computational capacity of organizations outside
of EPA. All of these technologies will be developed in a way
that allows quick adaptation to new business needs. By en-
abling data integration and access in a controlled, efficient, re-
petitive process, the system will provide a virtual workbench
for the discovery of knowledge.
Finally, OEI will continue to develop internal partnerships with
scientists across the Agency to meet their high performance
and scientific computing needs. OEI will expand capabilities
for source-to-effect simulations; multi-media modeling; and
genomics, proteomics and knowledge management integration
with environmental modeling. This will enable EPA scientists
to process more environmental data than ever before.
OEI has come a long way from its beginning. Back in the early
days, this new organization was busy preparing the Agency for
the impact of Y2K and solving the security problems that tem-
porarily forced EPA to shut down its Internet site. Now, it is
utilizing technologies and managing information that will enable
the Agency to collect, analyze and distribute data in ways it
never has before—to protect human health and the environ-
ment. As EPA faces the future, it does so knowing that OEI
has the talent, the tools, and the commitment necessary to con-
tinue making our Agency a leader in the federal government.
Office of Environmental Information
-------
1999-2001
EPA Silver Medal presented to the Office of Information Transition and Organizational Planning (ITOP)
• EPA Gold Medal awarded to the Information Security Crisis Response Team for Exceptional Service
2002
EPA Honor Award presented to employees who provided outstanding support in the aftermath of the
events on September 11, 2001
Mason Hewitt Award presented to Region II and OEFs WTC Disaster Response activities. This award
is presented annually to one project that symbolizes excellence in Geospatial Information Services (GIS)
• Excellence in Government Award for Public Service Applications presented to Window to My
Environment (WME)
• EPA Gold Medal presented to WME Development Team
EPA Gold Medal awarded to the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) program for the release of TRI-ME
software
TRI-ME software team won E-Gov Government Solutions Center "Pioneer Award"
2003
SecurE-Biz.net's Leadership in Enterprise Architecture Award presented to EPA
"Trailblazer Award" for innovative E-Government applications and proven best practices presented to
EDOCKET by the E-Gov Government Solutions Center
The Grace Hopper Government Technology Leadership Award awarded to the eRulemaking program
for Regulations.gov, presented by Government Executive Magazine and the Council for Excellence in
Government
SecurE-Biz Leadership Citizen Service Team Award for eRulemaking presented to EPA
E-Gov Government Solutions Center Pioneer Award for innovative E-Government applications and
proven best practices was awarded to Regulations.gov
Robert J. Colborn, Jr. Innovation Award for Regulations.gov presented by the Administrative Codes and
Registers of the National Association of Secretaries of State
The eRulemaking initiative was recognized at the Federal Executive Leadership Council Showcase of
Excellence Awards
EPA Silver Medal presented to Dave Wolf of OEI for outstanding vision and leadership in the evolution
of EPA's Geospatial Information Program
Celebrating Five Years of Success—Accelerating Our Progress in the Future
-------
The U.S. Technical Advisory Group (TAG) on Environmental Management presented Gary L.
Johnson, Quality Staff with the Outstanding Achievement in Standards Development award for his
leadership in representing the U.S. position in the development of Guidelines for Quality and/or
Environmental Management Systems Auditing
EPA won Excellence in Enterprise Architecture award presented by E-Gov, Federal Computer
Week, and Federal Enterprise Architecture Council
2004
Federal Computer Week recognized Kim Nelson and Oscar Morales for the "2004 Federal 100" list
EPA Gold Medal was presented to the Central Data Exchange (CDX) team
EPA Gold Medal was presented to individuals participating in developing EPA's Report on the
Environment and initiating a national dialogue on effective environmental reporting
EPA Silver Medal was presented to the BlackBerry team
EPA Customer Service Award was presented to the OEI Quality staff
EPA received the Innovator Award from Application Development Trends magazine for its
Architecture Repository and Tool (ART)
EPA received a "green" rating on the President's Management Agenda Scorecard for E-Government
initiatives
Kim Nelson was awarded the Leadership Award for Service to Citizens by the Association for
Federal Information Resources Management (AFFIRM) for the eRulemaking Program
The Capital Planning and Investment Control Team, EPA's Chief Architect, John Sullivan, and the
eRulemaking team, received a "Congratulations Letter from President George W. Bush" for achieving
a green score in IT and E-Government
Government Computer News named the Environmental Information Exchange Network as one of
their Top Ten Award winners
Mark Luttner, Director, the Office of Information Collection, received the
first annual CIO Council Award for his leadership with the implementation
of the Exchange Network
Excellence.gov Awards were given to the eRulemaking initiative and the
Environmental Information Exchange Network for best practices in
E-Government applications
The Regulations.gov Web site received the American Association of Law
Libraries Public Access to Government Information Award
The Transformation Award was presented to EPA's Enterprise Architecture
team at the Excellence in Enterprise Architecture Awards ceremony
Government Computer News' Civilian Executive of the Year awarded to
Kim Nelson
The Mason Hewitt Award was presented to OEI, Office of Federal
Facilities, Region II, and the Systems Development Center for Technical
Excellence in the Field of Geographic Information Systems for their work on
the NEPAssit Environmental Review and Project Planning Tool
Office of Environmental Information
-------
OEI: Celebrating Five Years of Success—Accelerating Our Progress in the Future
1999-2000
Milestones
•Deri ralf in thf Agmcy if unique. II fffordt
tout in itM hind* of work. In »v*ry p*/t of
Oowmi
'One ol OCI'i graatosl slrenyltrs
tt ft* comirtitnifnt la tavfSl in
It'* p*oplm.~ — Mugqlf MltcttuJI
-------
------- |