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Allan, Thanks for the comments. There are also some comments below
from Grant and Carlos. It sounds like this will be a major future issue for
many states in the inventory preparation. If EPA Region 5 is able to arrange
training, I can coordinate date with them so that it coincides with our next
meeting, which would probably make travel much more possible. We should certainly follow-up more on this topic in the near
future. Jon From: Hetherington, Grant
D - DNR [mailto:Grant.Hetherington@Wisconsin.gov] Jon, Ideally, we want a tool to convert the new RAPIDS format to
the EIS XML format for submission to EPA. However, EPA is providing a
converter from NIF3.0 to XML. Therefore, we could manage with a tool that
converts the new RAPIDS format to NIF3.0. Unfortunately, some of the new
EIS data elements can't be converted into NIF3.0. Consequently,
converting to NIF3.0 as an intermediate step is not a good permanent
solution. For the QA process, I'm assuming that the EPA QA reports would be
used to revise the data in RAPIDS that would then be resubmitted to EPA
with any corrections incorporated. At the other end of the process, it would be useful to have a tool
that could read the EPA final EI from whatever format is available (XML?)
into the new RAPIDS format. Perhaps, it could be stored in RAPIDS in
a separate database for comparison with the current state version. I don't imagine that these tools are readily available.
Rather, they would have to be developed. Instead, tools that would
convert data from RAPIDS and XML formats to intermediate formats may need
to be used. Hope this helps. Grant Grant D. Hetherington -----Original Message----- It's very important to have some knowledge of the
program. This is the best way to help our IT office, (that right now is making
the conversion NIF to XML) if any problem happens with the inventory. We should
learn XML the same way we learned RAPIDS. Thanks ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jon Dettling 734-274-5183 dettling@glc.org From: Allan Ostrander
[mailto:ostrandera2@michigan.gov] 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 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 |