Enviro$en$e Project Background

Enviro$en$e is a free, public environmental information system resident on the Internet's World Wide Web. This Web site provides users with pollution prevention/cleaner production solutions, compliance and enforcement assistance information, and innovative technology and policy options. It also provides access to funding, grants, and environmental research publications. Enviro$en$e, which is currently part of the US Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Web site, was opened to the public in 1994 and was initially funded through the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP). In its first year of operation, Enviro$en$e usage increased from 3,000 users per month to over 30,000 users, with rapid and steady increases in usage in each successive year, including users from over 30 countries. To see the most recent Enviro$en$e usage statistics, click here.

The Enviro$en$e Cooperatives:

Enviro$en$e has evolved into a national and international "virtual" hub designed to link and synthesize the rapidly expanding network of environmental resources and Web sites. It is devoted to supporting communication and exchange of data among industry resources, as well as international, regional, national, provincial, and local governments. The Cooperatives' indexing system provides users with a central point of access and search capability for scores of pollution prevention/cleaner production Web sites and related data. This new user interface groups member Web sites into three distinct Cooperatives: 1) the US State, Local, and Business Assistance Cooperative; 2) the US Federal Cooperative; and 3) the International Cooperative. Users have the option to search any of the Cooperatives individually or any combination thereof. The Cooperatives also provide the user with the ability to conduct pre-selected topical searches on industry-specific data that is synthesized and frequently updated from the network of participating Web sites.

The Solvent Substitution Data System:

The Solvent Substitution Data System is an integrated set of databases that allows users to access solvent alternative information. It includes: EPA's Solvent Alternatives Guide (SAGE); Idaho National Environmental Engineering Lab's Hazardous Solvent Substitution Data System (HSSDS) and Solvent Handbook Data System (SHDS); the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center's (NFESC) P2 Library Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), and Solvent Alternative Databases. The Solvent Substitution Data System utilizes state-of-the-art electronic navigation, translation, and search tools in the Internet environment. It allows users to access solvent alternative information through a single, easy-to-use command structure that seamlessly accesses and retrieves information from its component databases. The search engine allows user queries to be ranked through a decision tree structure and will generate weighted search results based on the user's process-specific needs. The Solvent Substitution Data System allows the user to tap into applicable Mil-Specs, Technical Orders (TO), National Stock Numbers, and Material Safety Data Sheets, where appropriate.

Contacts, Resources, & Vendors:

This area of Enviro$en$e contains information on research pollution prevention experts, technical assistance professionals, and hotlines, clearinghouses, and on-line resources. Also available is vendor information from the extensive database, VendInfo, compiled by the Illinois Waste Management Research Center (WMRC) available through Enviro$en$e.

Technical R&D;:

Enviro$en$e has extensive case study collections available in this section of the Web site and also through topical searches in the Cooperatives. Additional information is available concerning research funding opportunities as well as abstracts of current and past research projects conducted through the National Center for Environmental Research and Quality Assurance (NCERQA). Other available technical materials include industry and process-specific fact sheets, economic and cost/benefit information, audit and guidance materials, and materials exchange.

News, Calendar, Training:

The Enviro$en$e Web site contains numerous announcements regarding upcoming conferences and training opportunities in the Calendar of Events database. In addition, numerous newsletters and newswires are available, as well as announcements from the National Enforcement Training Institute (NETI).

Enviro$en$e Project Sponsors and Contacts:

The Enviro$en$e Project received two multi-year grants beginning in 1993 from the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP). SERDP is a Department of Defense (DoD)-led interagency environmental partnership with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE). Enviro$en$e continues to receive sponsorship and funding from the US EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD); US EPA's Office of International Activities (OIA); and through the assistance of the National Pollution Prevention Roundtable (NPPR).

For further assistance, please contact the following individuals:

Enviro$en$e Project Manager:
Myles Morse, US EPA/Office of Research & Development
(202) 564-6827
morse.myles@epamail.epa.gov

International Cooperative Contact:
Mark Kasman, US EPA/Office of International Activities
(202) 564-6112
kasman.mark@epamail.epa.gov