a rnA Unmanned Aircraft Systems V>tHr\ (UAS) Handbook Version: Revision 1 Date: February 8, 2023 Authors: Ana Greene, Robert Homsher Office: EPA Office of Mission Support (OMS), EPA Region 9 ------- Contents Purpose 1 Audience 1 Getting Started with UAS at EPA 1 UAS Project Planning Checklist 1 Considerations Prior to Initiating a UAS Project 3 Appropriations Constraints 3 Communications and Reporting 4 Project Site Considerations 4 Key Points of EPA's UAS Policy 5 EPA Budget and Financial Considerations Related to UAS 5 Privacy, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Protections 5 Civil Rights and Civil Liberty Protections 6 Privacy 6 Accountability 7 Transparency 7 IT Security 7 UAS Data Management 7 Forms and Templates Related to UAS Roles and Responsibilities 9 Reporting Requirements 10 Appendix 11 EPA UAS Key Points of Contact 11 EPA UAS Web Resources 11 EPA UAS Forms, Tools, and Templates 11 EPA UAS Community of Practice (CoP) 12 Sample Language for Contracts 13 ------- Purpose The purpose of this document is to aid Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) project leads, technical leads, and managers in understanding key topics related to directing Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) projects. Content provided in this document includes material derived from the EPA UAS Policy as well as recommendations that have been provided by those with UAS experience to assist individuals in getting started with their own UAS projects. Notations are provided throughout the text to help differentiate between policy language and unofficial recommendations. Content derived or summarized from the policy is noted as UAS Policy Information. This handbook is a living document that will be updated as needed as EPA's UAS program evolves. Please review EPA's UAS Policy to understand official policy requirements. Audience The primary audience for this document includes EPA project leads, technical leads, and managers who are working on or planning to work on efforts that involve UAS technology, as well as other individuals who need additional information about EPA's UAS Policy. It is assumed that readers of this document are familiar with EPA's UAS Policy. Getting Started with UAS at EPA Working with UAS requires adhering to several restrictions, including Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules, privacy considerations, and appropriations constraints. It is recommended that personnel proceeding with UAS projects at EPA familiarize themselves with basic information related to UAS at the FAA Website. However, keep in mind that EPA is not permitted to purchase unmanned aircraft and EPA personnel are not permitted to pilot unmanned aircraft. UAS services are obtained by EPA through contractors and other government partners. Personnel hired to perform UAS work should be proficient in FAA rules. EPA's UAS Key Points of Contact may offer input within key subjects such as privacy, security, enforcement, and compliance, grants and financial questions that will assist with how best to proceed with your UAS project to obtain data collection objectives. UAS Project Planning Checklist This checklist may be used to understand steps needed to initiate a UAS project at EPA. Programs or Regions may tailor the list within their own implementation plans to reflect specific needs. ~ Review the "Browse Reports" Tab at the EPA UAS Reporting Tool to see if you can use data from any UAS projects that may already exist for your area of interest. ~ Join the EPA UAS Community of Practice ~ Review your National Program's UAS Implementation Plan and training resources. Regional staff must follow the National Program Manager (NPM)/Assistant Administrator (AA) developed UAS Implementation Plan for their Program. EPA NPM UAS Procedures/Implementation Plans that have been developed and shared to date are accessible here. Ensure that you have received the 1 ------- correct approvals based on your NPM's UAS Implementation Plan. NPM Implementation Plans will include Established Categories of Use for that National Program. ~ Review any Regional procedures that have been developed for the Region in which the flight will occur. ~ Verify that suitable appropriated funds are available for UAS data collection efforts. ~ Review mission/project site location to determine whether operations occur over airspace that covers private property. If operations occur over private property, fill out a private property access agreement. The form provided in the Appendix is an example from Region 1. Consider possible impacts to adjacent properties not covered by the agreement. ~ Determine if there is an enforcement and compliance aspect to your project. Projects may have an enforcement component even if they are conducted outside of the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance (OECA). If so, review and follow enforcement and compliance requirements outlined in the OECA UAS Implementation Procedure. ~ Except in exigent circumstances, provide written notification at least three working days in advance of any use (single use/event) of UAS to the Regional Public Affairs Director (PAD). ~ The Regional Public Affairs Director coordinates with the Office of Public Affairs as needed. ~ If the project is being managed by a Program Office, the Regional Public Affairs Director for the Region in which the mission will take place should be contacted. ~ A list of Regional PADs is provided in the Appendix. ~ Contacting your Regional PAD early in the planning phase of your project is advised so that the PAD can assist with communications and outreach to local communities and police departments. ~ The EPA Tool to Report on UAS Activities provides an email summarizing the information entered regarding the UAS activity being planned. ~ This content can be used for communicating to other parties as needed. ~ Depending on the Region in which the project is located, the level of involvement by the PAD or the Regional privacy liaison officer will vary. ~ Review data collection efforts to determine if any Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or Sensitive Personal Identifiable Information (SPII) may be collected. If so, contact your Liaison Privacy Official or the National Privacy Program early in the project planning process to ensure that aspects of the EPA Privacy Policy are being adhered to. ~ Access the EPA Tool to Report on UAS Activities to report UAS projects to OMS. The EPA UAS Project Manager is ultimately responsible for ensuring that UAS mission and flight data is entered into the EPA Tool to Report on UAS Activities, but project managers may delegate the data entry to other individuals as desired. ~ Plan for collecting, processing, analyzing, and disseminating data gathered by a UAS: ~ Determine if your office uses a UAS Data Management Plan, and if so, adopt it. ~ Review your organization's Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) to review data quality objectives and delivery specifications. ~ Define data delivery requirements (e.g., accuracy, overlap, project boundaries), including raw data, metadata, and flight logs. ~ Review the EPA's national Geospatial Deliverable Standard. ~ Evaluate post processing requirements and resources. 2 ------- ~ Identify how digital data will be delivered to your office. ~ Identify data storage options. ~ Review EPA UAS Web Resources and EPA UAS Forms. Tools and Templates to familiarize yourself with available resources. ~ Review Sample Language for Contracts. Considerations Prior to Initiating a UAS Project Before embarking on a new UAS project, understanding appropriations constraints, communications requirements, and project site considerations can help ensure that requirements specific to UAS technology use at EPA are addressed. EPA cannot purchase UAS or direct contractors to purchase UAS on EPA's behalf. EPA cannot lease UAS or direct contractors to lease UAS on EPA's behalf. EPA personnel cannot operate/fly contractors' UAS. EPA can task contractors to use UAS in performance of work effort if the appropriate appropriations are used to fund the contract. Appropriations Constraints EPA may only "maintain" or "operate" aircraft using funds specifically appropriated for that purpose. Appropriation accounts that are specifically appropriated for the maintenance and operation of aircraft and thus may be used to direct UAS collection efforts via the methods discussed below may change over time as Congress enacts additional authorities each fiscal year. Currently (as of Fiscal Year 2023) EPA may use the following accounts to task contractors to use aircraft in the performance of the work effort where otherwise consistent with contract law, regulations, policies, and any applicable preexisting contractual terms and conditions: • Science & Technology (including reimbursable funds from another federal agency under an interagency agreement or from a research partner under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) deposited into this account as otherwise appropriate) • Environmental Programs & Management (including, for example, reimbursable funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under a Stafford Act Mission Assignment, or reimbursable funds from another federal agency deposited into this account as otherwise appropriate) • Annually Appropriated Superfund Trust Fund money (including reimbursable funds from another federal agency, state remedial Superfund cost share funds, and Superfund money appropriated by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)) o As of Fiscal Year 2023, Superfund special account funds are not legally available to maintain or operate aircraft. o As of Fiscal Year 2023, Superfund tax revenues are not legally available to maintain or operate aircraft. • Oil Pollution Act (including, for example, reimbursable funds from U.S. Coast Guard under a Pollution Removal Funding Agreement (PRFA) deposited into this account as otherwise appropriate) 3 ------- For information regarding any other appropriation account's availability for use of aircraft, consult with the Office of General Counsel. Civil Rights and Finance Law Office. Communications and Reporting • UAS Policy Information: Regional Administrators or other key officials must provide written notification at least three working days in advance of any use (single use/event) of UAS to the NPM and the Office of Public Affairs. o The UAS Implementation Plan or Procedure for each NPM should be followed concerning notifications and approvals, o The requirement to communicate with OPA should be fulfilled through Regional and Program Office UAS project managers contacting the Regional Public Affairs Director (PAD) a minimum of three days before a UAS flight. A list of Regional PADs is provided at the UAS Community of Practice SharePoint Site. o It is recommended to reach out to the Regional PAD early in the project planning process. Depending on the Region in which the project is located, the level of involvement by the PAD or the Regional privacy liaison officer will vary. • During exigent circumstances, use of UAS must still comply with UAS policies, procedures, and guidelines, including NPM Established Categories and Conditions of UAS Uses, and the required communication should occur as soon as possible. • Project managers should familiarize themselves with the EPA Tool to Report on UAS Activities prior to executing a UAS mission. The reporting tool should be used to report on UAS activities to OMS at the beginning of the project. The EPA UAS Project Manager is ultimately responsible for ensuring that UAS mission and flight data is entered into the EPA Tool to Report on UAS Activities, but managers may delegate the data entry to other individuals as desired. • Participation in the EPA UAS Community of Practice (CoP) is recommended by Regions and NPMs choosing to use UAS technology. EPA personnel may sign up for the EPA UAS CoP here. Many of the forms and templates linked to from this UAS Handbook are located at the UAS CoP Teams Channel and the EPA UAS SharePoint Site. Project Site Considerations • UAS Policy Information: EPA directed UAS operations that occur over airspace that is within private property, (i.e., outside of publicly navigable airspace), may first need to obtain a private property access agreement unless EPA already has the authority to enter the property. • When planning your project, consider whether site missions will be flown in "controlled airspace" or where other restrictions may apply. Agency personnel should work with the contracted pilot in command who will identify restrictions. Project managers may also check for possible airspace restrictions around a project area using resources such as Airmap.com, AirspaceLink.com, or B4UFIy app. • Numerous variables may impact execution of the UAS flight (e.g., FAA rules, weather contingencies, access hurdles, and local interest). It can be useful to provide for flexibility within the contract, including site location variability (if possible) or the timing of flights or period of performance. Allowing for a 3-4-day window to ensure flight execution (even when 4 ------- actual flight time is much less than 3-4 days) can account for weather conditions, poor sun angle, or downtime related to using different payloads. • During the flight, incidental overlap of adjacent properties not covered by an access agreement may occur. Flight planning in advance with the UAS pilot will determine whether overlap is necessary to achieve data quality goals. Communicate to the UAS pilot to avoid overlap in the flight path whenever possible. • Trim data products to exclude parcels where incidental overlap occurred. • It would also be prudent to document, before the flight: o The compelling governmental interest in taking the photos, e.g., need for complete enforcement investigation, etc.; and o Evidence that the least restrictive burden has been placed on the adjacent property owner's freedom of association, e.g., no photos of license plates on adjacent property or identifiable faces of visitors were taken. Key Points of EPA's UAS Policy This section summarizes high-level key points from EPA's UAS Policy and is not intended as a thorough review of the directive. EPA Budget and Financial Considerations Related to UAS Where a program is supported by one of the appropriation accounts specifically authorized to use aircraft, EPA personnel may use the following methods to direct collection or purchase of UAS data: ¦ UAS Policy Information: Contracts and Task Orders: EPA may use funds specifically appropriated for the use of aircraft or UAS for contracts or task orders that include explicit terms and conditions regarding the maintenance and operation of UAS as applicable. ¦ UAS Policy Information: Grants (including Cooperative Agreements): EPA grantees are not restricted from using grant funds awarded from any appropriation account that is otherwise an appropriate source of funding for the grant (such as, for example, the State and Tribal Assistance Grants (STAG) account) for UAS-related costs so long as doing so would be within the scope of the grant and otherwise allowable under the grant regulations. Therefore, EPA grant and cooperative agreement recipients may use EPA awarded funds for UAS-related costs where the costs are reasonable and necessary for the performance of the Federal award. However, programs must not direct, encourage or suggest that financial assistance recipients transfer title or possession of UAS to EPA. Additionally, grantees are not subject to the NPM Established Categories and Conditions for UAS Uses. Privacy, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Protections It is important to understand privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties protections prior to directing UAS data collection activities. The use of UAS may be viewed with skepticism by the public, therefore project managers must ensure that civil rights, constitutional, privacy, property access, and data management/dissemination practices are adhered to as described in the UAS Policy and outlined below. Additional procedures for reporting civil rights and civil liberties concerns are planned. 5 ------- Civil Rights and Civil Liberty Protections • UAS Policy Information: EPA is in the process of developing civil rights and civil liberties complaint procedures to receive, investigate and address, as appropriate, civil rights and civil liberty complaints regarding the EPA's use of UAS. Privacy UAS Policy Information: All EPA employees will comply with the Privacy Act, EPA's Privacy Policy and procedures, any other EPA privacy guidance. EPA resources are provided below. • EPA's Privacy Act Website (Laws and Guidance, EPA Policies and Procedures, EPA Forms, Office of Management and Budget Memorandum) • EPA Information Security Policy (establishes a program to provide security for EPA information and information systems, provides overarching direction for information security requirements, and defines roles and responsibilities.) • Any EPA directed data collection efforts using UAS that may collect any Personal Identifiable Information (Pll) or Sensitive Personal Identifiable Information (SPII) are required to ensure that a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) has been submitted for the system in which the UAS data will be stored and that all other aspects of EPA's Privacy Policy are adhered to. A PIA will inform whether a more detailed System of Records Notice (SORN) is also required. If required, it is a four-to-six-month process that requires publication in the Federal Register with 30-days for notice and comment. A system of records is "a group of any records under the control of any agency from which information is retrieved by the name of the individual or by some identifying number, symbol, or other identifying particular assigned to the individual." 5 U.S.C. § 552a(a)(5). • Pll: Any information about an individual maintained by an agency, which can be used to distinguish, trace, or identify an individual's identity, including personal information which is linked or linkable to an individual. • SPII: A subset of Pll, which if lost, compromised, or disclosed without authorization, could result in substantial harm, embarrassment, inconvenience or unfairness to an individual. At EPA, SPII is defined as social security numbers or comparable identification numbers, biometric data, financial information, or medical information associated with an individual. SPII requires additional levels of security controls. Source: Protecting Sensitive Personally Identifiable Information (SPII) Procedure, https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-12/documents/cio- 2151-p-10.0.pdf • Please contact your Liaison Privacy Official early in the project planning process to ensure that all legal and policy requirements are being met. o Please visit the following website for more information: https://www.epa.gOv/sites/production/files/2013-ll/documents/cio2151-p-04.l.pdf o A Privacy Impact Assessment template is accessible here. o Please direct privacy replated questions to the Liaison Privacy Official (EPA intranet only) or to the National Privacy Program at privacv(5)epa.gov. • UAS Policy Information: EPA directed UAS operations that occur in an airspace that is within private property, (i.e., outside of publicly navigable airspace), may first need to obtain a 6 ------- property access agreement unless EPA already has the authority to enter the property. An example provided by EPA Region 1 is available here. • Please see the section above titled Project Site Considerations to view additional recommendations regarding privacy. Accountability • UAS Policy Information: Policies and procedures are established, or confirm that policies and procedures are in place, that provide meaningful oversight of individuals who have access to sensitive information (including any PI I) collected using UAS. Link to EPA's Quality Program. Transparency • UAS Policy Information: EPA will provide notice to the public regarding the status of the Agency UAS Program, where they are authorized to operate and descriptions of categories of UAS missions as well as changes that would significantly affect privacy, civil rights, or civil liberties. • Using the EPA Tool to Report on UAS Activities to document flight details at the time of mission execution will result in reports that should address this requirement. • Information collected via UAS at EPA should be delivered with complete metadata that adheres to EPA standards. EPA personnel should review metadata received from data collectors to ensure that content meets EPA requirements. Metadata documented for UAS projects carried out by EPA personnel should be shared (internally at EPA or externally) to the extent possible. Metadata and data may be shared via the EPA's Environmental Dataset Gateway (EDG). Questions regarding data sharing, metadata, and contributions to EDG can be sent to edg@epa.gov. This will allow EPA to be in compliance with EPA's Enterprise Information Management Policy and Title 2 Open Government Data Act of the 2018 Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act - 2018 Open Government Data Act. IT Security • UAS Policy Information: EPA Offices conducting data collection efforts using UAS must have a plan in place for how they are going to collect, process, analyze and disseminate data gathered by a UAS. • EPA personnel directing UAS projects should follow their Region's or NPM's UAS implementation plan to understand their organization's blueprint for UAS data management. • Review existing data management and storage plans developed for your NPM or Region to understand controls for storing, reviewing, securing, redacting, and disseminating photos, videos, monitoring data, and geospatial products. The UAS Implementation Plan may include references to existing NPM Quality Assurance Project Plans. UAS Data Management UAS Policy Information: All EPA data collection efforts that use UAS shall adhere to requirements set forth in EPA's Enterprise Information Management Policy (EIMP), H.R.4174 - Foundations for Evidence- 7 ------- Based Policymaking Act of 2017 and H.R. 302 Subtitle F Geospatial Data Act of 2018. Data shall also be managed according to the appropriate records management schedule and adhere to requirements outlined in EPA's Records Management directives and memoranda. Project managers should review minimal requirements for data delivery as outlined in the National Geospatial Deliverable Standard. Data Delivery • EPA has drafted a Guidance for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Data Collection and Delivery document that describes best practices in UAS data collection as well as guidance on UAS data delivery (2021). The guidance offered in the document is NOT required for UAS activities, but it is encouraged that it be considered as EPA staff develop workplans, contracts and other agreements for UAS services. The document covers best practice recommendations in the following areas: o Guidance for UAS Data Collection o Suggested camera equipment and settings o Flight planning software o Georeferencing o Photogrammetric Processing o Guidance for UAS Data Delivery to EPA o Project file types and documentation o Directory structure and metadata o Data transfer Data Processing: • Photogrammetry: Although several software applications for data processing are being developed and expanded within both federal and private sectors, the common method of processing aerial imagery for photogrammetry uses Structure from Motion (SfM) to generate such products as point clouds, orthomosaics, and DEMs. As a matter of general guidance, raster products (e.g., orthophotos, DEMs) should be exported as GeoTIFF files. If compression is necessary, then LZW is recommended. Very large files may split into blocks, but it is not advisable to write BigTIFF files. • Geospatial Analysis: Data products delivered to EPA can be analyzed using GIS tools available to EPA through the agency's Esri Enterprise Agreement. In particular, ArcGIS Pro has a number of powerful geoprocessing tools for analyzing raster data and visualizing 3D data, and data can be shared via the EPA GeoPlatform. Data Transfer: EPA users with valid LAN credentials are free to use GoAnywhere SecureMail to transfer files to and from any party with a valid email address. The service is free of charge, the size limit for individual files is 10 GB, and files may remain on the server no more than 45 days before being 8 ------- automatically purged. Requests can be sent by email to external parties, who then follow a link provided in the email to securely upload and submit data to EPA. To use this service, visit https://newftp.epa.gov/ and log in with a LAN ID and password. For more information and guidance, see: https://usepa.sharepoint.com/sites/oei/epa geo resources/SitePages/GoAnvwhere-SecureMail.aspx Metadata • Information collected via UAS should be delivered with complete metadata that adheres to EPA standards. EPA personnel should review metadata received from data collectors to ensure that content meets EPA requirements. Metadata documented for UAS projects carried out by EPA personnel should be shared (internally at EPA or externally) to the extent possible. Metadata and data may be shared via the EPA's Environmental Dataset Gateway (EDG). • The EPA Metadata Editor (EME) website provides several tools and training for creating metadata. • Contact the EDG team for further assistance at edg@epa.gov. Additional UAS Data Collection Recommendations • For projects where aerial imagery will be collected and rectified, it is advisable to clearly specify the locational control needed, and to plan for ground truthing collected data to ensure that the desired locational accuracy is obtained. • Depending on the UAS contractor selected, your team may or may not be responsible for post- processing data. You should be prepared to ensure that the contractor has the post processing skills necessary or that your in-house team has the qualifications and software necessary to post-process the data to the standards you require. • The level of effort required to put a UAS contract into place can be substantial. If additional tools beyond the original scope of work can be deployed during an EPA UAS field project to help collect the most beneficial dataset (as opposed to returning multiple times by multiple offices or agencies flying multiple UAS), it makes sense to do so. As such, adding payload from other projects that may benefit from data collection within the same area can add significant value to UAS flights and offset the level of effort required to put such efforts into place. Forms and Templates Related to UAS Roles and Responsibilities This section does NOT list all roles and responsibilities related to UAS operations at EPA. It includes only those responsibilities for each role where there are resources within this document that may be used to assist individuals in meeting the requirements for that role. For an exhaustive list of roles and responsibilities related to UAS use at EPA, please see the EPA UAS Policy. • National Program Managers (NPMs)/Assistant Administrators (AA) o Establishing UAS Procedure/Implementation Plan for the NPM, which includes categories and conditions under which the use of UAS will and will not be allowed within their respective programs. 9 ------- ¦ Example UAS Procedures are located at the EPA UAS CoP SharePoint Site o Reporting to the EPA CIO on an annual basis using the EPA Tool to Report on UAS Activities • Regional Administrators (RA) and Other Key Officials (e.g., Deputy Regional Administrators, Mission Support Division Directors and Office Directors, Senior Information Officials, Information Management Officers, Senior IT Leaders) o Except in exigent circumstances, provide written notification at least three working days in advance of any use (single use/event) of UAS to the Regional Public Affairs Director (PAD). The Regional Public Affairs Director is to coordinate with the Office of Public Affairs as needed. The UAS Implementation Plan or Procedure for each NPM should be followed concerning notifications and approvals. ¦ A list of public affairs specialists for each Region is available in the Appendix. o During exigent circumstances, use of UAS must still comply with UAS policies, procedures, and guidelines, including NPM Established Categories and Conditions of UAS Uses, and advance notice should be provided to the NPM and Office of Public Affairs as soon as possible. • Chief Information Officer (CIO) o Approving, issuing, and managing EPA-wide policies, standards, procedures and guidance on Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). o Addressing privacy concerns o Collecting and sharing with the public an annual report summarizing UAS operations in the Agency during the previous fiscal year. ¦ EPA Tool to Report on UAS Activities Reporting Requirements Individuals using UAS technology at EPA must provide proper notification and reporting of such use. Reports and notifications are required both in advance of UAS flights (pre-flight notifications) and at the time that the overall mission/project begins. These are described below. • Pre-flight Notification: Provide written notification at least three working days in advance of any use (single use/event) of UAS to the National Program Manager (NPM) or other official specified in the NPM's Implementation Plan. The Regional Public Affairs Director is to coordinate with the Office of Public Affairs as needed. See the UAS Communications Materials section of this document for more information. • Mission Reporting: Use EPA Tool to Report on UAS Activities to document the mission at the start of mission execution. Programs or Regions may decide to adapt this tool to fit their UAS needs more specifically. The information provided through this tool (and/or other Region or Program specific reporting tools) will be used to populate the Annual Summary Report Public Access developed by the EPA CIO that summarizes UAS operations in the Agency during the previous fiscal year. 10 ------- Appendix EPA UAS Key Points of Contact The following individuals are provided as key subject matter experts for the following areas: • Personally Identifiable Information: Privacy Correspondence Inbox, privacy@epa.gov mailbox; Lee Kelly, Agency Privacy Officer; Liaison Privacy Officials (EPA intranet only) • Security: contact your Security Information Officer (SIO) • Enforcement or Compliance: Keith Bartlett, Bartlett.Keith@epa.gov • Acquisition Questions - Send questions to OMS-ARM-OAS-AcquisitionPolicy@epa.gov or your Contracting Officer. • Questions Regarding: o Financial Legal Questions: Allison Holden, Holden.Allison@epa.gov o Grants Legal Questions: Wendel Askew, Askew.Wendel@epa.gov o Grants Policy Questions: Laurice Jones, Jones.Laurice@epa.gov o Civil Rights and Constitutional (First Amendment) Legal Questions: Julia Rhodes, Rhodes.Julia@epa.gov (civil rights and constitutional policy questions, procurement legal questions, procurement policy questions, civil liberties legal questions, and civil liberties policy questions) o Legal questions regarding privacy, including interpreting the Privacy Act: Kevin Miller, Miller.Kevin@epa.gov • Regional Public Affairs Directors (PADs): A list of PADs is available at the UAS Community of Practice SharePoint Site EPA UAS Web Resources The following resources can assist in getting started with UAS at EPA. • EPA UAS Community of Practice • Internal EPA UAS SharePoint site • UAS Website • UAS Fact Sheet EPA UAS Forms, Tools, and Templates The following forms, tools, and templates may assist individuals in adhering to UAS reporting and communication requirements. • EPA Tool to Report on UAS Activities o Access the EPA Tool to Report on UAS Activities here. o OMS has developed an application that will collect data on EPA UAS Missions flown. This tool allows EPA personnel to enter required reporting information concerning UAS missions, flights executed during each mission and how data were captured and 11 ------- disseminated. OMS is requesting that NPMs and Regions include reporting through the tool in their implementation plans. o Users of the tool may also view reports that have been submitted for UAS flights to date. o Updates and enhancements to the EPA UAS Reporting tool will be ongoing. Submit requests for tool enhancements or fixes here. • Private Property Access Agreement o This agreement is only required if UAS operations occur over private property. An example provided by EPA Region 1 is available here. • Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) o A Privacy Impact Assessment template is accessible here. o Please find the Procedures for Preparing Privacy Impact Assessments at: https://www.epa.gOv/sites/production/files/2013-ll/documents/cio2151-p-04.l.pdf • NPM Established Categories and Conditions of UAS Uses o A list of all NPMs that have developed their own procedures containing NPM Established Categories and Conditions of UAS Uses is accessible here. • UAS Communication Materials o Communications materials related to UAS Activities are provided here. These resources can assist EPA UAS project managers in planning for and carrying out communications to the public regarding UAS activities. Communications materials include: ¦ EPA OMS Desk Statement Template ¦ EPA Communications Planning Tool ¦ UAS Communications Plan (Region 1 Example) ¦ UAS Fact Sheet (Region 1 Example) EPA UAS Community of Practice (CoP) The best way to find out what is happening with UAS activities at EPA is through participation at the EPA UAS CoP. Members share their experiences, lessons learned, and ongoing efforts with UAS technology at EPA to leverage advances in knowledge with this technology at EPA. An overview of the CoP, including links to resources and ways to sign up are provided below. Goals • Share UAS news, requirements, experience, and technical information. • Standardize UAS practices across EPA. • Contribute to EPA UAS resource development. • Build technical and practical knowledge base. Membership • Signup sheet available here. • Recommended to have at least one member from all NPMs and Regions. 12 ------- • All EPA personnel and contractors supporting EPA are welcome. • Materials at CoP Teams Channel • Internal EPA UAS Website https://usepa.sharepoint.com/sites/EPAUASCommunitvofPractice/SitePages/UAS- Community-of-Practice.aspx Sample Language for Contracts Contract Language and Statements of Work submitted by EPA Regions and Program Offices are provided at the EPA CoP Teams/SharePoint site. • Open the Sample Contracts and SOWs Page in SharePoint • Open the Sample Contracts and SOWs Page in Teams Content within this folder will be added as EPA offices conduct UAS missions and contribute to the collection. The examples are intended as basic language that may be of value to others in writing UAS contracts, agreements, or grants. 13 ------- |