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Release Date: 1/5/2001
Contact Information: David Tetta
[email protected]
(206) 553-1327
January 5, 2001 - - - - - - - - - - 01-002
As part of EPA’s efforts to expand the public’s right to know, EPA Region 10 announced today the debut of Environmental Compliance (EC) On-Line, a pilot Internet site that will provide for the first time comprehensive information on the environmental performance of thousands of regulated facilities in the Northwest.
“Putting high-quality environmental information into the hands of citizens is one of the most powerful tools for protecting public health and the environment in our communities,” said EPA Acting Regional Administrator Chuck Findley. “I am particularly gratified by the effective partnership we have had with state agencies involved in this effort.”
The web site is the result of a joint effort by EPA and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and the Washington Department of Ecology.
The new database covers several thousand facilities, and for the first time collects in one place information that the facilities must provide under a number of federal environmental statutes. The public can view facility reports detailing inspections, enforcement actions, facility compliance status, and reported releases of chemicals into the environment. Demographic data about communities near the facilities are also included.
The online service has multiple uses. Facilities can monitor their own regulatory performance. Environmental and community groups now have easier access to information about environmental performance of individual facilities. Government agencies at all levels can use the information as a planning tool.
As part of the effort to ensure the best data possible, over 4,500 facilities included in the data base received a notification of this project and were afforded the opportunity to review and comment on the quality of its own data. State agencies also received the information for review, since a large portion of the data is provided to EPA by state governments. The states and EPA have been working to modify the data as appropriate, based on these comments. EPA encourages all users of this data to provide feedback and will continue taking comments as this pilot project evolves.
The facility reports are available at Internet address https://www.epa.gov/r10earth/ec-on-line.html
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