EPA awards $2 million for environmental data-sharing.

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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced more than $2 million environmetal informarion grants to four states, the District of Columbia, and two Native American tribes. This is the first phase of fiscal year 2003 funding for ongoing work on the National Environmtal Information Exchange Network, which enables sharing of environmental data between the EPA, states, tribes, and other partners via the Internet. When completed, the network will integrate state and federal environmental data, facilitate the reporting of data to EPA head-quarter by the state and impro data quality.

"One of the biggest obstacles to states and private companies reporting data to EPA is incompatible computer systems that do not allow the smooth transfer of data online," said Acting Administrator Marianne Horinko in a press release. "The grants ... will allow states and tribes to continue important work in resolving technology transfer issues, with the long-term goal of a national environmental management system that gives both...