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

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

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.

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

The GEOSS ArchitectureUsers and Scientific Communities Served By

GEOSS Common Approaches Systems within their Mandates

Access

Indicators Forecasts

Capacity Building

Services

THE SPECTRUM OF USERS

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

From observations

To societal benefits

The GEOSS ArchitectureUsers and Scientific Communities Served By

GEOSS Common Approaches Systems within their Mandates

EPA is principally on this side of the diagram

EPA Organization Chart

EPA HQ Organization Chart

EPA REGIONS

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.

www.epa.gov/enviro/html/em/

Current AQI - Ozone

Current AQI - Particle Pollution(PM2.5)

http://www.epa.gov/geoss/eos/epa_eos.htmlEPA’sGEOSS Tools

http://www.epa.gov/geoss/metresources.html

GEOSS Videos on the EPA Website

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.

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

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.

Access

Indicators Forecasts

Capacity Building

Services