Environmental Progress - Spring 2002

Environmental Progress : Spring 2002

Fourth Graders Meet Earth Stewardship 1,100 pupils participate IEPA staff members spin the Air Wheel to determine categories of air quality questions for the fourth graders to answer. The State Fairgrounds in Springfield was the site of the 11th annual Earth Stewardship Day on April 30. The event attracted approximately 1,100 pupils attending fourth grade classes at 21 Sangamon County schools. The yearly environmental awareness outreach event is jointly sponsored by the Illinois Departments of Natural Resources, Agriculture, and Commerce and Community Affairs and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. A total of 45 presenter stations were manned. Three special guest attractions included Brian "Fox" Ellis, of Fox Tales International at Peoria, presenting "Adventures in Nature." His appearance was funded by the IEPA. The Kaleidoscope Kids of Monticello offered "The Earth Protectors" and staff from Wildlife Prairie Park at Peoria presented a "Feathered Friends" event. At the six spots sponsored by the IEPA, youngsters played "Environmental Jeopardy" in which losers are "trashed" for failing to correctly answer various environmental questions; participated in the "Recycle Dash" and the "Toxic Relay" where participants help clean up a "contaminated" site. Micro invertebrates were the focus of "It's a Bug's Life," while other stations offered "Putting for Clean Water" and "How Wet is Our Planet." To underscore the day's "stewardship" focus, youngsters were asked to pack waste-free lunches.

Electronic Monitoring Reports Coming

Regulated sector indicates strong support for paperless data submittals.

Every month, each of the more than 2,600 holders of basic permits to discharge to state waters must submit to the IEPA discharge monitoring reports including sample analyses required by those permits.

Soon, using a system being implemented through federal grants from U.S. EPA, those permit holders will have the option of entering the data into an online form and submitting it electronically to the Agency. Utilizing Public Key Infrastructure and digital certification provided through the Illinois Certificate Authority, the electronic data will provide security and procedures that ensure the data remains unaltered during transmission over the Internet, storage and retrieval. The data submitted through the web-based DMR form will be posted into the federal permit compliance system where it will be accessible for compliance processing.

Participation will be entirely voluntary, but the IEPA is strongly encouraging NPDES permitees to consider using the electronic reporting method when it becomes available. A survey of permit holders indicated 78 percent of the NPDES permit holders were interested in using such a system.

The eDMR system has been designed so that permitees with a computer and an Internet connection will be able to complete, sign, submit, edit and re-submit eDMR forms online. Once access has been gained to the system, using the state's PKI mechanism, the eDMR for a specific permit, discharge location and monitoring period can be selected for completion. Forms may be completed by entering the data directly into the forms, or by importing a standard file generated by the permit holder's existing computer system. If permitees choose the import option, they will be responsible for all necessary programming to produce the standard file. To assist in accurate and complete reporting, various quality assurance checks will be performed during completion of the eDMRs. The authorized facility representative will sign the completed eDMR using a digital signature and the state's PKI process. The IEPA will provide an acknowledgement of the date and time of receipt of completed, signed reports.