EPA Publishes Online List of U.S. Toxic Waste Sites
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created an online XML database to warn of hazardous waste and other environmental dangers lurking in backyards. Launched early Wed., Envirofacts -- epa.gov/enviro/geo_data.html -- combines several EPA databases into a single file where users can download information about 1,600 so-called national priority Superfund toxic waste sites that can affect property values, quality of life and neighbors’ health. As the project develops, the EPA said, it expects the list to include 100,000 data points.
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“Rather than cutting those CDs and waiting for FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) requests, we know what you want,” said Pat Garvey, a manager with the EPA Office of Environmental Information. Speaking at a public comment session, Garvey said EPA.gov has always “served up data through a variety of different queries, but this is the first time a separate, well-formatted file has been available through the Web.”
The project reflects the agency’s dedication to the president’s E-gov program and to keeping the public informed, Garvey said. The EPA wants public comment on all aspects of the project, from technical matters such as coding to the physical addresses of toxic waste sites featured in the file.
Users can click on a red “error correction” button to alert the agency to mistakes or missing information.
Other agencies, including the Dept. of Housing & Urban Development and the Centers for Disease Control will use the data to update their own sites, Garvey said. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) integrated the EPA information into an “environmental channel” -- water.usgs.gov/eap/env_data.html -- on its site. Also on the USGS site, users can view maps layered with air release, toxic waste, water discharge permit details drawn from EPA XML data. Similar state, tribal and territory projects will probably pop up, financed by grants, Garvey said.