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Jon,
I believe that for state inventory staff here in Michigan (we're inventory people and not IT people) both training and software tools are sorely needed. Also, the final XML inventory files the state inventory staff will be getting back from EPA to review will be very big files and I am not sure that our desktop systems that staff have on their desks here in Michigan will be adequate to open the XML files even with proper software tools installed. We need EPA to get us the system requirements for what we will be ultimately working with, then we will have to come up with funds to obtain the systems and software.
I believe that training sessions would be very useful to staff that are not familiar with the XML format.
The emissions inventory staff here in Michigan are definitely lacking software for working with XML. I am not familiar with specific tools for working with XML so I would have to recommend the XML Spy you mentioned in your note below. It would probably be more successful for us here in Michigan if the regional project obtained the licenses for the software. Currently there is no money in the budget to obtain software licenses and trying to get our DIT to purchase software is a very long and sometimes unsuccessful process.
Allan G. Ostrander
Michigan Department of Environmental Quality Air Quality Division Ph. 517-335-2717 ostranda@michigan.gov >>> "Jon Dettling" <dettling@glc.org> 4/16/2008 11:33 AM >>> Steering Committee, One issue that came up during our recent meeting is the challenge of working with the XML format that is the new direction for the NEI. Both Region 5 and the regional project group may be able to offer some ways to help in making this transition and working with the new format. Region 5 has expressed an interest in perhaps having some sort of training course for state staff. The regional project may be able to support some kind of software tools that could help in working with the files. It’s important we get a clear understanding of what the state agency staff feel they need to be better equipped to handle the new data formats. Is it a matter of training, tools (software), both and/or something else? If Region 5 were to have a training session on this topic in the next 6 months, would this be useful and what should be included? Are there any functionalities for working with XML that you’re currently lacking from a software side and are there any tools out there that would save a lot of time if the regional project had a license or licenses for them? One that was mentioned during the meeting is XML Spy: http://wwwaltova.com/products/xmlspy/xml_editor.html. Please let us know your input on this. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jon Dettling Great Lakes Commission 734-274-5183 dettling@glc.org |