Background

A state’s environmental agency, which manages Tier II Reports for their entire state, suffered from a chronic inability to complete compliance reviews for the thousands of facilities that reported annually and respond to citizen requests in a timely manner. Identified problems included the cumbersome, manual, paper based process, complex business rules, and shortages in resources.


Obstacles


Old Process was Cumbersome for Businesses

  • Large companies storing large chemical inventories usually submitted forms that were hundreds of pages long.
  • Businesses outsourced filing to third party consultants.
  • Forms sent to the state using the Tier 2 Submit disks received from facilities had import problems.
  • Each year, companies would have to go through the same process of entering and verifying their chemical inventories.

Manual Process was Daunting for Compliance Admins

  • One full year of reports were not reviewed.
  • Back year reports were stored in six rolling shelves.
  • On average, it took the program team more than 6 months to complete inventory data entry and review.
  • Inaccurate facilities counts, chemical counts, and report results.
  • Information was shared to First Responders only after the review and data entry was complete,making the information more stale for First Responders.
  • A single Citizen Right-to-Know and Freedom of Information Act request processing took one week.

Critical Data sharing to First Responders was Slow

  • Data shared to first responders was at best 6 months old and at worst 18 months old.
  • Data stored on disks or on paper were difficult to retrieve.
  • Reports did not provide first aid or other chemical profile information, requiring Responders to consult several sources.


New Capabilities Boost Productivity

 

  • On average, 7-10 months have been reduced for report review and data sharing.
  • The user-friendly features significantly reduce data entry, which also reduces error.
  • Administrators are up-to-date on compliance review.
  • The online system reduced the administrative workload of 3 data entry personnel annually to focus on more value added activities like enforcement, education, and outreach.
  • Approximately 500 double reporting or under reporting facilities were identified.
  • System imports from Tier 2 Submit for facilities still submitting by disk, increasing submission options while reducing time for importing data.
  • Responding to Citizen Right-to-Know requests takes just an hour as opposed to one week.

“The Hazconnect provides regulated industries with an easy-to-use data input method while consolidating chemical inventory processing, invoicing, compliance monitoring, facility notifications and mapping capabilities into one computer application.”

-State Director of Technical and

Regulatory Services Administration

Critical Data sharing to Counties

  • All data is shared to metropolitan Counties. Hundreds of hours are saved by compliance administrators at each local government.
  • Access to updated chemical inventories is available online, along with updated Material Safety Data Sheets, Chemical Profiles and First Aid Profiles for first responders.
  • Users have access to mapping of chemical sites,vulnerability assessments, vulnerability analysis.
  • The system exports to CAMEO.

Technology Implementation

  • The program leverages GIS technology from ESRI.
  • Customization and Installation services are available.
  • Support services include upgrades to Tier 2 Submit and Cameo.

Indiana Achieve 100% reporting with Hazconnect

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