RCRAInfo Data Exchange

1
RCRAInfo Data Exchange

• Dwane Young, US EPA
• Office of Resource Conservation and Recovery
• Exchange Network National Meeting
• April 28-30, 2009

2
RCRAInfo Background

• RCRAInfo is EPA's comprehensive information
  system, providing access to data supporting the
  Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of
  1976 and the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments
  (HSWA) of 1984. RCRAInfo replaces the data
  recording and reporting abilities of the Resource
  Conservation and Recovery Information System
  (RCRIS) and the Biennial Reporting System (BRS).
  RCRAInfo
• enables cradle-to-grave waste tracking data on
  regulated RCRA Subtitle C hazardous waste
  handlers
• characterizes facility status, regulated
  activities, permits, corrective action
  activities, and compliance histories
• captures detailed data on the generation of
  hazardous waste from large quantity generators
  and on waste management practices from treatment,
  storage, and disposal facilities.

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Major Components

• Handler basic data necessary for tracking and
  monitoring a handler (facility name, address,
  contact information, what facility is doing,
  etc.). Handler information is obtained from
  Notification and Part A forms submitted to the
  appropriate agency, including assignment of
  temporary and emergency IDs, and implementer
  defined submissions.
• Permitting, Closure, and Post-Closure allows
  tracking facilities through the permitting
  process, facilities conducting closure and
  post-closure activities.   
• Corrective Action allows tracking the specific
  corrective action information needed to regulate
  facilities found to have hazardous waste
  releases. Includes the specific authority driving
  the corrective action activities such as permits
  or corrective action orders, the areas affected
  by the release, and the events that track the
  progress of the corrective action. There are also
  Voluntary CA actions.

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Major Components (continued)

• Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement (CME)
  basic data necessary for determining a handler's
  level of compliance with regulatory requirements
  (including inspections/evaluations, violations,
  and enforcement actions).
• Waste Activity Monitoring (WAR) information
  about the generation, management, and final
  disposition of hazardous waste (including the
  quantities, nature, and disposition of generated
  hazardous waste). The WAR module contains the
  Biennial Report data and has tables which
  correspond to the forms (the Site Identification,
  GM, and WR forms).
• Geographic Information System (GIS) Allows for
  the capture of spatial information, including
  points and polygons, to better describe the
  location of an activity.
• Financial Assurance (FA) Tracks the financial
  assurance cost estimates and mechanisms that
  permitted facilities have in place to ensure that
  they have funding for proper closure, corrective
  action, and to cover accidental occurrences.

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Definitions

• Handler A handler is any entity that handles or
  manages hazardous waste. The closest term to
  Handler would be facility, however Handler is
  broader than that. For example, it could include
  a hazardous waste generator, transporter,
  treatment or disposal facility, or a company
  responding to a spill.
• Biennial Report Report required every
  odd-number year that reports the quantities and
  types of waste being treated, stored, disposed or
  generated and how that waste is managed.
• Translation RCRAInfo allows for data to be
  batch-loaded into the system as an alternative to
  hand entering the data. This is beneficial for
  those states that already have their own RCRA
  data management systems. RCRAInfo uses the term
  Translation for this process.
• Flat-file Translation EPA has established a
  RCRAInfo formatted text file, complete with a
  control file, that can be used for batch-loading
  data into RCRAInfo.
• XML Translation As an alternative to Flat-file
  translation, EPA, via collaboration with ECOS has
  developed XML schemas for batch-loading data into
  RCRAInfo.

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RCRAInfo Version 4

• RCRAInfo V4 was released December 15, 2008
• Contained significant updates to the Corrective
  Action and Permitting modules, and introduced the
  GIS and Financial Assurance modules
• Direct flat-file translation was built into
  RCRAInfo
• Translation via CDX (both flat-file and XML) no
  longer worked

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RCRAInfo V4 and CDX

• In January, EPA ORCR, EPA OEI, and ECOS began a
  collaborative effort to update the schemas and
  CDX components to match RCRAInfo V4.
• Key Decisions
• Focus on Handler and CME modules first
• Ignore GIS for now
• Split schemas by module
• Flat-files would be submitted via RCRAInfo, no
  longer through CDXWeb.
• Develop Back-end RCRAInfo Node
• Remove Converter Service
• Get it all done by June 2009!

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RCRAInfo V4 CDX Schedule
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Changes to the Schemas

• No longer a Corrective Action or Permitting
  Schema (those will come later)
• GIS data elements removed from Handler
• Some data elements renamed to comply with
  Exchange Network standards
• Removal of duplicative data elements (i.e.
  primary key fields are no longer repeated)
• Overall, the changes to Handler and CME were
  fairly minor

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Changes to the Process
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Changes to the Process (cont.)

• No more converter process
• Flat files go directly to RCRAInfo (not through
  CDX)
• Better error reporting
• Existence of a RCRAInfo back-end node
• States can use either Nodes or Node Clients
• Supports both Node 1.1 and Node 2.0

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RCRAInfo Version 5 is coming

• Two new Rules (Definition of Solid Waste Rule and
  the Lab Rule) require EPA to make changes to
  RCRAInfo
• These changes will be implemented by the next
  Biennial Report cycle (scheduled completion
  March 2010)
• Changes will mostly affect the Handler module
• EPA will try to keep the impact as low as
  possible. The Handler module would be affected,
  and the changes should not be significant

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Where do we go in the Future

• Some items to consider
• Granularity of the translations
• Web Services
• e-Manifest
• Well need input from the user community as we
  move forward on these items

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Outstanding issues that we can work on as a
community

• Communication
• Ensuring that communication is happening between
  program, data, and IT staff
• Ensure that all groups are represented in the
  Change Management Process
• Education
• Educate the data and program staff on the
  Exchange Network, and why its important
• Educate on XML, web services, and why that makes
  peoples lives easier
• How can RCRAInfo better meet the communitys
  needs?

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How do I get involved?

• Participate in the Integrated Project Team (IPT)
  Contact me to get added to the list
• Get to know the RCRA staff in your agency. Find
  out what they know about the Exchange Network
• Come to the RCRAInfo discussion session on
  Thursday, 830-1000 am
• Come to the RCRAInfo Conference in March 2010

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Contact Information

• Dwane Young, US EPA
• Phone [phone]
• Email young.dwane_at_epa.gov
• RCRAInfo on the Exchange Network
  http//www.exchangenetwork.net/exchanges/waste/rcr
  a.htm