The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has unveiled a new public information Web resource, the Discharge Monitoring Report Pollutant Loading Tool, to unify millions of waterway pollution records. Users can search discharge data (2007 to 2010) by location, facility type and pollutant, and review details of state and EPA actions against permit violators.
Developed under President Obama’s transparency initiative, the new tool puts important water quality information at the fingertips of utility managers, discharging facilities, environmental groups and everyday citizens alike. For more details, visit sister publication Storm Water Solutions’ estormwater.com news posting and the Discharge Monitoring Report Pollutant Loading Tool link it provides.
Quick zip code searches offered me a wealth of data about my hometown and the city where I work: top pollutants, top discharges by industrial classification and top facility discharges (each sorted by pound and by toxic-weighted pounds). Please share your local findings—and your thoughts on this new public information resource—in the comments field below.
