Environmental Hazards Geospatial Data Content Standard

Document number

not applicable

Maintenance authority

not applicable

OBJECTIVES

To develop a nationally focused Environmental Hazards Geospatial Data Content Standard (hereafter called Environmental Hazards Standard) that will establish a consistent approach to sharing information about natural and manmade substances, materials, and conditions that are, or have the potential to be, detrimental to ecosystems on the earth.

Specific goals of the standard are:

1. To compile common definitions for environmental hazard data that will facilitate the effective, use, understanding, and automation of geospatial information.

2. To standardize entities, attributes, and domain values that will improve the creation, management and data sharing of environmental hazard data.

3. To resolve discrepancies related to the use of similar terms, thereby minimizing duplication within and among systems.

SCOPE

The environmental hazards standard will address data concerning the evaluation and investigation of the existence of environmental hazards, monitoring the presence of hazards, preparedness and protection from hazards, and remediation of their effects. This standard will include the management of information about chemical and biological substances, hazardous materials, and physical conditions that affect the earth's ecosystems, including air, soil, and water systems (both surface water and ground water.) This standard will not address natural disasters (e.g., volcanoes, earthquakes.)

Sponsored by

Facilities Working Group

Project history