EPA GIO Seeks Ways to Communicate Directly with the Public

Speaking at MetaCarta’s Public Sector User Group Meeting, Dr. Jerry Johnston, the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Geographic Information Officer (GIO) said he envisions a day when the public will utilize EPA’s data prior to a house-hunting trip. Johnston said he hopes that the public would ask:
"What’s nearby? Are there hazardous waste facilities nearby? What is the drinking water quality? What’s the air quality? What’ it like on a typical summer day? Where is the closest recycling facility? How do we move toward a seamless adoption of place as a keystone concept in providing ascess to relevant environmental information?"

I think the problem for EPA is that you just don’t think of going to the EPA to find this kind of information. You may look to local government agencies to find this but not the Federal Government. Perhaps we should? Even Johnston himself mentioned that information on the EPA’s website was hard to find. And that the EPA does not have a common operating picture, a common view within the agency. Johnston wants a data fusion center where people can begin to do things with EPA’s data. Most of the data that EPA has is collected from other agencies and produces very little on their own. They are massive consumers of information so the agency is looking to do a better job of distributing what it collects.

EPA has just signed an agreement to acquire a license for Google Earth Enterprise and looks to create an EPA globe in an "Environmental Decision Support Center." EPA also utilizes Microsoft’s Virtual Earth platform as well.