This appendix provides a list of data sources useful for compiling environmental
information. In several situations, data can be accessed through one or more sources, such
as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency or the Tennessee Department of Environment and
Conservation. Instructions for using the Internet for data retrieval are provided for
several key sources. It should be noted, however, that Internet sites are updated
periodically, and the instructions are current only as of January 1999. To assemble this
list of sources, we expanded upon the list of environmental indicators discussed in
Chapter 5; however, we also took into consideration ease of access. Thus, some data
sources were excluded due to their downloading difficulty or the space required on a hard
drive. We note the information that is GIS-specific. The information in this appendix is
organized under the following headings:
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Tennessee Conservation League:
GIS-based Maps
U.S. Geological Survey
SOURCES OF ENVIRONMENTAL DATA
In late 1996, the Tennessee Department of Environment and
Conservation created the Office of Reengineering. The Office of Reengineering is
developing a "single point of entry" system to direct inquiries to a regional
location. Environmental Assistance Centers (EACs) have been established to be that entry
point and act as a clearinghouse for departmental information. (See Chapter 7 for a list
of the EACs.) A state-wide toll free number (1-888-891-TDEC) has been established for EAC
assistance. The EACs are linked to electronic data management systems to allow field
offices and divisions to be on-line to program information and data, provide tracking of
all inquires and applications and provide quick access to regulations and other pertinent
information. For more information, see http://www.state.tn.us/environment/oor/index.htm.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides
"Environmental Profile" data via the Internet for five environmental media: air
quality, drinking water, surface water, hazardous waste, and toxics release inventory. The
data have been aggregated to the county level. The descriptive statistics in the
Environmental Profiles are based on databases managed by EPA. Data for each of the
individual statistics are not available for every county. Typically, data are available
for areas where environmental monitoring stations and/or regulated facilities are located.
To access the information, go to http://www.epa.gov/ceis:
1. Click on environmental profiles (on left side of web page)
2. Click on Tennessee
3. Select county
4. Choose one of the five environmental profile data areas
5. Click on submit
The environmental profile will report descriptive statistics, with
graphs and brief descriptions summarizing the existing information on the environmental
medium.
In addition, within each environmental medium, EPA has included an
"About the Data" description. In "About the Data," you can gain
information on such issues as: how the data are collected, the strengths and limitations
of the data, what the data tell about health risks, the data collection process, and
contaminants regulated under appropriate federal statutes. As an example, "About the
Data" for air quality includes:
pollutant standards index (PSI) based on criteria air
pollutant emissions
Most recent data available:
1996
Frequency of collection:
annual
Date first collected:
1986
Limitations:
PSI values are reported in local news media (television,
newspapers, and radio) serving metropolitan areas with populations exceeding 200,000. The
PSI provides information about daily levels of air pollution for five of the six major air
pollutants regulated under the Clean Air Act. As a measure of community-wide air quality,
the PSI may not be available for every county. Five of the six criteria pollutants are
reported: sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter less
than 10 micrometers (PM10), volatile organic compounds (VOC), and nitrogen oxides (Nox)
on an annual basis for counties.
Contact:
http://www.epa.gov/ceis.Additional air
quality data can be accessed at http://www.epa.gov/airsdata.
Paper copies of air quality data are available through the Tennessee Department of
Environment and Conservation, Environmental Assistance Centers,
1-888-891-TDEC (8332)
Four counties have air pollution control offices: Knox, Shelby, Davidson, and Hamilton.
Those offices can be contacted for PSI information based on criteria air pollutant
emissions. The date of most recent available data is 1997; data are collected annually;
and most of these offices began collecting data in the early 1980s.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of
Air Quality Planning & Standards has data on air quality available via the Internet.
The AIRSdata website has the following types of information:
Sources are the major point sources of air pollution. Source Reports
display the estimated annual emissions of air pollutants from individual sources (plants,
factories, etc.), and indicate whether the sources are complying with applicable
regulations. The reports also list the number of sources and total pollutant emissions in
each type of industry.
Monitors tell how much pollution is in the air. Monitor Reports provide
annual summaries of air pollution measurements at individual monitoring stations, and tell
where monitoring stations are located. Monitor Queries provide direct access to an interim
AIRS database which has more detailed information. Complete monitor descriptions and
summary data are available now, and individual readings of air pollution levels (raw data)
will be added.
Monitor Report Types include values (a summary, by year, of the
pollutant levels reported by each monitoring site); trends (indicator value of annual
pollutant level in multiple years for each monitoring site); address (the address of each
monitoring site plus additional descriptive information); count (the number of monitors at
each location, which indicates pollutants that are measured at each monitoring site); and
PSI (annual summary by county of Pollutant Standards Index values - maximum, median, days
with good/bad air quality).
Maps show the locations of major air pollution sources, monitoring
sites, and areas of the country where air pollution levels exceed health-based EPA
standards.
Contacts gives the names, addresses, and phone numbers of people in EPA
and state environmental agencies to contact about air pollution data.
Air quality data are available for carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide,
sulfur dioxide, ozone, particulate matter (particles smaller than 10 micrometers), and
lead.
The main website is http://www.epa.gov/airsdata/.
For specific information, go to http://www.epa.gov/airsweb/srcaddr.htm
(or click on address at main website) and choose Tennessee as the geographic location.
Click on "show list of counties" to access county information. Select pollutant,
and then click on generate report.
Local offices of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s
Natural Resources Conservation Office
How to access:
paper
Level:
county
Type of information:
soil, depth to bedrock, general types of bedrock, texture of
each layer in soil, in some counties engineering properties to use in consideration of
roads or septic tank use, etc.
Most recent data available:
depends on county
Frequency of collection:
depends on county
Date first collected:
depends on county
Limitations:
the types of information depend on age of soil map
Contact:
USDA’s county Natural Resources Conservation Office.
Soil conditions related to septic tank use are also available through the Tennessee
Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Groundwater Protection or
TDEC’s Environmental Assistance Centers, 1-888-891-TDEC (8332).
A bound volume showing the annual average 24-hour traffic volume on highways and
collector routes. Contains one map for each of Tennessee’s 95 counties and many of
its larger cities. Revised annually around April 1. Prices are established to cover the
expense of printing. Normally requests are handled the same day received. For large
quantities or requests requiring reproduction, allow 3 to 5 days for processing and
reproduction. All orders must be prepaid. For price information, contact:
federal, state, and county roads within each county--by mileage by different type of
road; historical information on state and federal roads; and plans for new construction
information on potentially contaminated sites, site inspections, preliminary
assessments, and remediation of contaminated sites
Most recent data available:
October 1998
Frequency of collection:
updated frequently as site information changes
Date first collected:
1980s
Limitations:
The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System
(CERCLIS) and record of decision (ROD) information data sets are enormous data files and
require large amounts of hard drive space.
Contact:
http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/index.htm;
paper copies of this information may be available from Tennessee Department of Environment
and Conservation, Environmental Assistance Centers,
1-888-891-TDEC (8332)
State superfund and voluntary cleanup sites
Source:
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Superfund
How to access:
paper
Level:
county
Type of information:
contaminated sites on the state priorities list as well as the National Priorities;
progress in cleanup process
Most recent data available:
list of state superfund sites, October 1998
Frequency of collection:
list of state sites is updated quarterly
Date first collected:
1980s
Contact:
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Environmental Assistance Centers,
hazardous waste generated by large quantity generators (those generating over 1,000
kilograms per month of hazardous waste regulated under the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act) and amount of hazardous waste managed by commercial and onsite facilities in
the county through recycling, treatment, and/or disposal
Most recent data available:
1995
Frequency of collection:
biennial
Date first collected:
1989
Limitations:
These data are for large quantity generators only; small quantity generators (those
generating between 100 and 1,000 kilograms per month) are excluded from this data set.
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Solid Waste
Management
How to access:
paper
Level:
county
Type of information:
Hazardous waste generated by small and large quantity generators regulated under the
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act. Information can also be accessed on amount of
hazardous waste managed by commercial and onsite facilities in the county through
recycling, treatment, storage, and/or disposal.
Most recent data available:
1996
Frequency of collection:
Annual
Date first collected:
1985
Limitations:
These data are more comprehensive than the information available from the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency; however, the data are available in paper copies only at
this point.
Contact:
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Environmental Assistance Center
1-888-891-TDEC (8332)
Waste--Hazardous Waste Recycling, Treatment, and Disposal
Facilities
Source:
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Solid Waste
Management
How to access:
Paper
Level:
county
Type of information:
permit status, amount, and types of waste managed or disposed at facility
Most recent data available:
1996
Frequency of collection:
annual
Date first collected:
1985
Contact:
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Environmental Assistance Centers,
1-888-891-TDEC (8332)
Waste--Solid and Hazardous Waste Land Disposal Units
Source:
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Division of Solid Waste
Management
How to access:
Paper
Level:
county
Type of information:
permit status and volumes of waste managed at commercial and onsite solid and hazardous
waste land disposal units
Most recent data available:
1997
Frequency of collection:
volumes of waste received on an annual basis
Date first collected:
depends on land disposal unit
Contact:
Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation, Environmental Assistance Centers,
report on approximately 600 designated chemicals released to air, water, and land.
Facilities report quantity of designated chemicals transferred offsite for disposal,
treatment, energy recovery, or recycling.
Most recent data available:
1996
Frequency of collection:
Annual
Date first collected:
1988
Limitations:
The figures present total annual reported toxics release inventory (TRI) chemical
releases of manufacturing facilities that are of a certain size and industrial output. TRI
does not account for all toxic releases for a given county. Since 1987, the inventory has
changed in chemicals included and reporting requirements.
violations of EPA standards for community water systems (systems providing drinking
water to more than 25 people located in an area year-round)
Most recent data available:
1997
Frequency of collection:
depends upon county
Date first collected:
1991
Limitations:
Information is not available for every county in Tennessee. Water systems often
provide drinking water to consumers in multiple counties. The population served does not
necessarily correspond with population residing in the county.
for more recent data, contact Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation,
Environmental Assistance Centers, 1-888-891-TDEC (8332); local health departments
The overall index of watershed indicators is a 5-point scale of water quality based on
14 characteristics. Information provides only a snapshot of watershed conditions. Only one
year’s data are available on the webpage.
Contact:
http://www.epa.gov/surf/iwi. To access:
(1) click on "Locate Your Watershed"; (2) At "Locate by geographic unit by
entering in your zip code, state, county, tribal nation, watershed number or stream
name," click on desired geographic unit (e.g., for county, enter county name) and
submit; (4) if county is desired geographic unit, choose appropriate county revealed
through "List of Counties produced by Search"; (5) click on "Watershed
health (Index of Watershed Indicators) information about this county"; (6) click on
the map to zoom in on desired watershed. The 5-point index of watershed indicators will be
provided.
Much of the following information is based on data collected by the U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS). It typically comes in the form of 1:24,000 scale quadrangle sheets. The
date of preparation depends on the geographic area of interest.
Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency and Tennessee Conservation
League:
GIS-based Maps
To access the following GIS-based maps available through the Tennessee Wildlife
Resources Agency, the local government may submit a request to:
Approval letter can then be forwarded to TWRA or the Lucius Burch Center.
Roads, etc.
Level:
county
Type of information:
roads, streams, power and utility lines, and railroads (Tiger 1995 data from the U.S.
Census Bureau)
Most recent data available:
1995
Frequency of collection:
depends upon county
Limitations:
The 1995 Tiger/line files are an extract of selected geographic and cartographic
information from the Census Tiger data base. Scale 1:100,000
Topography
Level:
county
Type of information:
topographic quad sheet images
Most recent data available:
depends upon county
Frequency of collection:
depends upon county
Date first collected:
depends upon region
Limitations:
Maps show and name prominent natural and cultural features. Cannot be analyzed, but can
be used as a base map for vector data. Map is as current as USGS topographic quadrangle.
Scale 1:24,000
Vegetation
Level:
county
Type of information:
vegetation land cover
Most recent data available:
1997
Frequency of collection:
1990-1997
Date first collected:
1990
Limitations:
Land use types taken from the Land Use/Land Cover file. Forest communities interpreted
from 1995 aerial videography and labeled using The Nature Conservancy Southeastern
Vegetation Classification system. Distributed as 1:24,000 quadrangles.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) systematically collects and analyzes
data to evaluate the quantity, quality, and use of water resources. The USGS:
(1) conducts
- water-resources appraisals describing the occurrence, availability, and
physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of surface and ground water and
- basic and problem-oriented hydrologic and related research that aids in
alleviating water resources problems and provides an understanding of hydrologic systems
sufficient to predict their response to natural or human-caused stress.
(2) coordinates the activities of Federal agencies in the acquisition of
water resources data for streams, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, and ground water.
(3) provides scientific and technical assistance in hydrologic fields to
other Federal, state, and local agencies, to licensees of the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, and to international agencies on behalf of the Department of State.
(4) administers the State Water Resources Research Institutes Program and
the National Water Resources Research Grants Program.
2. Click on type of data of interest. Choices are:
A. Real-time water data
B. National Water Information System (historical records of daily streamflow and peak
flows for around 20,000 stations).
C. Water-Quality (a collection of high-quality records from the Water Quality Monitoring
Network with explanations and quality-assurance information).
D. Suspended-Sediment Database (information on sediment flux in rivers).
E. Hydro-Climatic Data Network (HCDN) Streamflow Data Set, 1874-1988.
F. GIS Data for Water Resources.
G. Water Use Maps and searchable data by county and watershed.
H. Acid Rain (precipitation chemistry and atmospheric deposition data from over 200
stations provided by the National Atmospheric Deposition Program [NADP]).
Appendix
B
