Benefits

The Exchange Network was designed to provide a more effective and efficient way of sharing information. Decision makers from the growing number of Network Partners are now able to access timely, accurate, and consistent environmental data. This approach to sharing data is providing governments and the public with a wide range of benefits. While the Network is a powerful tool for improving access to higher quality data, it also delivers financially. Faced with the reality of tightening budgets and competing priorities, managers need to ensure that their technology investments will improve business processes and reduce operating costs. Partners that invest in the technology of the Exchange Network can realize a substantial financial return through more efficient ways of doing business.

EPA has developed a slide presentation to introduce the benefits of using the Exchange Network to new Partners: EPA Introduction to the Exchange Network.

The Environmental Council of the States convened a team to estimate the potential for returns on investments (ROI) in Exchange Network technologies: Exchange Network ROI.

Success Stories

• Delaware Department of Natural Resources Underground Injection Control (UIC) - Delaware used an Exchange Network grant to design, develop, and deploy a comprehensive database to track and report UIC data.

• NWIFC Tribal Water Quality Exchange - Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC) member Tribes have similar data management and data exchange needs. A “build once, use by many” approach allows each Tribe to efficiently share data using Exchange Network technologies. It also created supporting data management systems to meet each Tribe’s needs.

• TRI State Data Exchange – The TRI State Data Exchange (SDX) allows facilities to submit data to EPA and have it forwarded to states automatically. The effort began as a four-state pilot in 2005. TRI SDX now has 28 participating states, each able to receive raw TRI data in real time.

• MassDEP Creates MassAir – To reduce costs and increase efficiency, Massachusetts integrated its air quality data internally and used the Exchange Network to automate data quality assurance processes and provide real-time air quality data to the public.

• NetDMR – Building on earlier work to develop tools for the electronic submission and exchange of DMR data, a team of States developed NetDMR. It is a web-based, open-source application that allows facilities to securely submit data directly to EPA’s discharge permit data system (ICIS-NPDES). NetDMR allows agencies to access the reported data easily and automatically.

• New York Groundwater Data Exchange – New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation and Department of Health used the Exchange Network to develop the New York Groundwater Data Exchange. This exchange allows them to better protect groundwater resources and respond to contamination.

• Networking Begins at Home: Intrastate Data Sharing in Pennsylvania – Pennsylvania DEP is using their Exchange Network infrastructure to meet enterprise business needs throughout the commonwealth. The power of the Network has brought them improved data quality, lower operating expenses, and more efficient business processes.

• Yurok Tribe: Sharing Data for a Healthy River – The Exchange Network has helped to improve the Yurok Tribe’s capacity to identify watershed management issues and share real-time information with users of the Klamath River–all while streamlining business processes and allowing for more efficient deployment of limited staff resources.

• Integrating 84 Local Agencies and 140,000 Facilities in California – Cal/EPA built a new hazardous waste inspection and enforcement information system and connected it to their Exchange Network Node. Now they can more easily share information on regulated hazardous waste facilities with local agencies, U.S. EPA, emergency responders, the public and other stakeholders.
• Air Quality Data Exchange – This project allows partners to use their Exchange Network Nodes to share air monitoring data with each other automatically—almost as quickly as it is collected.

• Homeland Emergency Response Exchange (HERE) – With HERE and the Exchange Network, the latest environmental data is quickly delivered to emergency personnel, so they can most effectively plan for and respond to situations that threaten public safety or the environment.

• Water Quality Exchange (WQX) – WQX is bringing timelier and more comprehensive information to water quality managers and the public so they can make better decisions about our environment.

• Pacific Northwest Water Quality Exchange – In a region with many shared water resources, this data exchange provides a single point of access to a comprehensive source of real-time water quality monitoring data.

• Michigan eDMR Project – The State of Michigan used an electronic reporting system along with the Exchange Network to save time and money by streamlining its process for handling Discharge Monitoring Reports.

• Other Exchange Network Success Stories – This brochure highlights other Success Stories that demonstrate how Exchange Network Partners have worked together to address the electronic access and sharing of data.