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IDEA Downloads

 ECHO Logo
ECHO is a Web interface that draws data from the Integrated Data for Enforcement Analysis (IDEA) system, which integrates facility data from different EPA databases. The IDEA system moved from its previous platform at EPA to a mainframe that does not provide direct access to the public. In the event that the data retrievals available through ECHO do not meet your needs, the following data sets from the primary enforcement and compliance history databases in IDEA have been compiled. Only certain data elements from the databases are incorporated into IDEA, and a subset of these are provided in the data sets. The download summary documents posted after each data set contain a list and definitions of included data elements. The data sets were downloaded in March 2008 and are updated annually.
The data sets provide information from the following sources:
  • AFS Data Set: Air Facility System for Clean Air Act stationary sources
  • PCS Data Set: Permit Compliance System for Clean Water Act permitted dischargers (under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System)
  • ICIS-NPDES Data Set: Integrated Compliance Information System for Clean Water Act permitted dischargers (under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System)
    Note: To see which states use PCS and which use ICIS-NPDES, please see the Water Data Search.
  • RCRAInfo Data Set: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act information for hazardous waste sites
  • ICIS FE&C Data Set: Integrated Compliance Information System for federal enforcement data
The downloads include data in IDEA from inception of the IDEA program to date. Compliance assurance and enforcement activities related to federal environmental laws are conducted by EPA, authorized states, and tribal and local jurisdictions. Each level of government has been working together for many years to ensure that information in national systems is accurate. However, while increased scrutiny has been given to the quality of data in the national systems in recent years, the data quality before November 2000 has not been assessed and should be considered unknown.

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