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Automated Metrics |
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Overall Progress this Milestone
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Identified 5 data improvements for this quarter
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See below |
Primary Uses
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Agency data is used on various third-party analyses, especially using Web based and mobile applications. Much of EPA’s inventory and source data are used to identify regulated facilities or other sources that are near users’ property, schools, hospitals, and any area of interest. It is also used to examine and understand pollution sources and their impacts on the environment. For datasets like the FRS Power Plant Map Service, which combines data from serval agencies, users can identify which power plants are burning natural gas, coal, and petroleum or identify which power plants are solar, wind, geothermal or nuclear. |
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Value or impact of data
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Primary data discovery channels
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The Agency has a wide variety of mechanisms through which users learn about EPA data. These include: Environmental Dataset Gateway (EDG) website MyEnvironment; Various EPA Program System websites and applications including AirNOW, Waters, Enforcement and Compliance History Online (ECHO), EJScreen, Clean Ups in My Community Envirofacts website; EnviroMapper; Facility Registry Service (FRS) website; National Geospatial Program website EPA GeoPlatform websites, EPA GeoPlatform press releases and EPA GeoPlatform listserv; EPA GeoPlatform training classes and webinars; EPA GeoPlatform Exhibit booths at various conferences; EPA GeoPlatform (GIO) weekly newsletter; Various EPA GeoPlatform working groups; EPA GeoPlatform blog entries; Error correction tool – located on numerous websites allows the public to submit corrected information about specific data points. EPA prize competitions tap the ingenuity of people outside the agency, across the U.S. and the world using EPA data to provide solutions to important issues. EPA outlines the specifications and criteria for a problem, and the public can submit ideas and proposals for successful solutions. Information on recent challenges can be found at: http://www2.epa.gov/innovation/examples-epa-prize-competitions Two EPA Challenges which are currently open are: 1. Nutrient Sensor Challenge Enters Phase 2! The Nutrient Sensor Challenge is launching the next phase of the effort to develop affordable, accurate, and reliable nutrient sensors. Now accepting submissions for final verification testing of nitrogen and phosphorus sensors, applications due December 18, 2015. Apply now! and the 2. Visualize Your Water Challenge Coming in January 2016! A mapping challenge for high school students in the Great Lakes basin and Chesapeake Bay watersheds in collaboration with Department of Education, U.S. Geological Survey, the Great Lakes Observing System and ESRI. Find out more EPA also regularly participates in non-agency sponsored hackathon events where users can learn more about our data and use our data to build applications. Over the summer the EPA collaborated with the Water Innovation Project which hosted the 2015 Water/Energy Nexus Hackathon. The Hackathon bridged a gap between technology, water and energy – allowing students, professionals and technology enthusiasts the opportunity to showcase their talents and innovation over a 36 hour period. The hackathon focused on leveraging data to help us better understand the dynamics of the water/energy nexus, using the latest software available. Some of the goals of the 2015 Water/Energy Nexus Hackathon were to: Engage a variety of water industry stakeholders in a collaborative learning environment with one another. Introduce individuals with a technology background to water issues and engage them in understanding the issues through competitive problem solving. Provide a high level of awareness within the industry to showcase the value of innovation and collaboration Develop software/hardware that may be commercially viable to encourage entrepreneurial endeavors |
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User suggestions on improving data usability
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There has been suggestion from developers to improve documentation on APIs and datasets and to improve browsing and searching of available APIs and datasets. We are working to address these comments by developing a Shared Service Catalog which features improve search and browse capabilities for finding APIs. In addition, users have asked EPA to make it easier to integrate EPA GeoPlatform system (including this EPA FRS Power Plant Map service) with various other EPA projects and provide a user-friendly interface to visualize the available EPA data hosted within the EPA GeoPlatform. |
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See below |
User suggestions on additional data releases
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Improved formats for Air Quality System data, Chemical Data Reporting data, and Facilities Registry Services data (released as JSON or RDF format). Improved access to pesticide data in the form of a Web service. Users have asked for access to Drinking Water intake locations. Some EPA data services have been published on EPA systems that are not easy to find or easy to use. Users have asked EPA to make these additional EPA data services easier to find and easier to use from a user-friendly system like the EPA GeoPlatform system. |
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Digital Analytics Program on /data
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