Data needs and priorities of EPA

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Data needs and priorities of EPA

• How the EPA and Federation can work together to
  reach our common objectives?

Gary J. Foley, EPA 2005 ESIP Federation Winter
Conference, January 6th, 2005
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EPA Earth Observations

• Currently, in its environmental protection role
• EPA continually collects and utilizes a wide
  variety of environmental data,
• Makes sound forecasts for env. conditions,
• Uses indicators that describe particular aspects
  of the natural, economic, and social environment,
  but
• Recognizes that earth system knowledge or data
  gaps can affect the strength of information and
  decision-making

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EPA Earth Observations

• For the future of environmental protection,
• EPA needs to become a much larger user of
  remotely sensed earth observation data,
• Through the use of its decision support tools,
  the observation, modeling and information needs
  are being defined, and
• Partnerships with the Earth Observation community
  are being sought.

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Who in EPA . . .?

• Are the Major Players in GEOSS through
• Determining the Data and Information needs,
• Identifying how fulfilling these needs will
  improve Environmental Decision Making, (Federal,
  State, Local and Private Sector) and
• Building the Infrastructure and Capacity

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The GEOSS Architecture
Users and Scientific Communities Served By GEOSS
Common Approaches Systems within their
Mandates
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Access
Services
Capacity Building
Indicators
Forecasts
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THE SPECTRUM OF USERS
From observations

• Earth observations earth system models
• Data-to-Information archiving services
• Decision support tool development
• Decision making
• Assessment of benefits

• Earth system scientists and modelers
• Earth system service providers
• Environmental process modelers researchers
• Enviromental managers
• Public officials, advocacy groups and the Public

To societal benefits
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The GEOSS Architecture
Users and Scientific Communities Served By GEOSS
Common Approaches Systems within their
Mandates
EPA is principally on this side of the diagram
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EPA Organization Chart
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EPA HQ Organization Chart
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EPA REGIONS
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Environmental Agencies

• 88 State Environmental Agencies, Departments,
  Commissions, Boards
• One to five per state
• See www.epa.gov/epahome/state.htm
• 570 Tribal Goverments Organizations
• See www.epa.gov/epahome/tribal.htm
• EPA is, for the most part, the pipeline for GEOSS
  data information to them.

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www.epa.gov/enviro/html/em/
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Current AQI - Ozone
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Current AQI - Particle Pollution(PM2.5)
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EPAs GEOSS Tools
http//www.epa.gov/geoss/eos/epa_eos.html
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GEOSS Videos on the EPA Website
http//www.epa.gov/geoss/metresources.html
Interview with EPA Administrator Michael
Leavitt discussing GEOSS.
Interview with EPA Chief Scientist Paul Gilman
discussing the scientific signifi- cance of
GEOSS.
Footage of GEOSS benefits and systems.
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Draft Report on the Environment

• Describes current national environmental
  conditions and trends using existing data and
  indicators
• Identifies data gaps and research needs
• Discusses the challenges government and our
  partners face in filling those gaps

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Building the Env User Community

• Obstacles
• Not needed in the past. Not invented here.
• No staff time available, skills are lacking.
• Cost to acquire, cost to store.
• Lack of trust in partnerships.
• Outside the boundaries of comfort.

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Access
Services
Capacity Building
Indicators
Forecasts