EPA Launches Environmental Reporting Portal

Compiled ByGlenn Hasek The Environmental Protection Agency has established a single Web portal that eventually will handle all environmental data entering the agency. The Central Data Exchange (CDX) offers companies a way to report data for certain air, water, waste and toxic programs that is designed to be easier, faster and more secure. The site eventually will expand to support all EPA reporting by 2004. The CDX allows companies, states and other entities to report data via flat files, Web forms, electronic data interchange and extensible markup language. To facilitate data exchange, CDX will accept electronic and paper compliance submissions from industry, states, EPA systems and other stakeholders; verify the digital signatures and other security indicators; and retain records of all submissions. It also will convert between data formats as necessary, perform requested data checks and route all data received to the appropriate destination systems. The CDX also serves as a central component of the National Environmental Information Exchange Network being planned to facilitate environmental information sharing across the states, the EPA and other entities.