Sharing Environmental Sampling, Analysis, and Results Information

1. Sharing Environmental Sampling, Analysis, and Results Information Mike Carter, ESAR Co-chair Public Health Data Standards Consortium March 18, 2004

2. Presentation Topics • EDSC and Data Standards • ESAR • What it is • Team Members • ESAR and Related Standards • ESAR Uses • Working and Integrating with Public Health

3. EDSC… The Environmental Data Standards Council—a body of State, US EPA and Tribal representatives who are fostering efficient data sharing partnerships

4. Data Standards… • Are the common language (i.e., terms, definitions, and formats) that allow sharing of environmental information • Improve • Data quality and utility • Consistency and efficiency of data collection • Reduce data redundancy

5. ESAR Is… • The Environmental Sampling, Analysis and Results (ESAR) data standard • Being developed since there was no common data exchange standard for sharing environmental sampling, analysis and results data • Based on the premise that environmental data collection uses similar principles and components--regardless of media or regulatory program • Available, in draft, for review and comment at • www.ecos.org/wiser/PublicLibrary/ • Click on Environmental Data Standards

6. EDSC Goal for ESAR To create common terms, definitions, and formats that facilitate the sharing of sampling, analysis, and reporting data generated by the field and laboratory activities.

7. ESAR Development… • Collaborative and consensus approach • Multi-disciplinary team • Based on business process

8. Team Members • State Environmental Agencies and US Environmental Protection Agency Staff • Full Spectrum of Activities and Programs • Field Biologists, Chemists, Laboratory Managers • Air, Water Quality , Drinking Water and Waste Management

9. Key Design Concepts… • Develop a core standard that is applicable to all media and then build/add components that relate to very specific program and/or monitoring requirements • Identify Re-usable Blocks -- those groupings of related Data Elements that can be used and re-used among different information flows • Adopt Other Standards in part or in their entirety as appropriate • Create core standard that “everyone can use”

10. ESAR Data Standard… • A multi-segmented standard based on the business processes and steps that most data collectors follow-- from planning, collection, and analysis to reporting results • Segments and data blocks organize information about environmental laboratory results • Generic terms to apply to broadest audience • Foundation/base/core for exchange of environmental laboratory data • Organized to follow the business process but don’t have to be used as presented

11. Systems, Electronic Deliverables, and ESAR… • Systems and Electronic Deliverables are the structures that organize and define the explicit relationships among data • ESAR provides data elements or blocks of data elements that populate the structure

12. The Standard at a Glance Environmental Sampling, Analysis, and Results Environmental Sampling, Analysis, and Results Project Sample Station/Location Sample Collection Activities Analysis and Results Point of Contact Point of Contact Point of Contact Point of Contact Identification Identification Field Collection Method Laboratory Identification Date Location Sample Identification Laboratory Batch Receipt Study Area Attached Binary Object Sample Collection Date/Time Reason Laboratory Sample Receipt Quality Depth/Altitude of Sample Collection Attached Binary Object Sample Preparation Observation Text Field Sample Handling Analysis Information QA/QC Sample Batch and Shipping Analysis Results Binary Object Attached Binary Object

13. Related/Dependant Standards • Sampling Treatment • Method Data • Measure Data • Attached Binary Object • Date and Time • Chemical Names • Biological Names • Contact, Facility, Location

14. ESAR Uses… • Laboratory to Laboratory • Laboratory to State & Federal Agencies • State to State • State to US EPA • Within States and US EPA • US EPA to Other Federal Agencies • Any Environmental Data Trading Partner

15. Public Health Coordination Opportunities… • Learning from each others data standards development experiences • Reviewing each others standards • Engage in discussion with the EDSC members

16. Additional Information… • http://www.ecos.org/wiser/PublicLibrary/ -- Click on Environmental Data Standards • Contact • ESAR Team Leaders • Pat Bickford – pbickford@des.state.nh.us • Mike Carter – carter.mike@epa.gov • EDSC Staff • Linda Spencer – spencer.linda@epa.gov • Mary Blakeslee – maryb@sso.org