Application Of EDI Technology To Pretreatment Compliance Reporting

Linko Data Systems, Inc.
4251 Kipling Street
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033

Abstract

Keywords

Electronic Reporting, Self-Monitoring Reporting, Regulatory Compliance Reporting, Electronic Data Interchange, EDI

Introduction

The Electronic Reporting Pilot Project (ERPP) was initiated as a part of the Strategic Goals Program (SGP) for applying Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) to the regulatory reporting process at Metro Wastewater Reclamation District (Metro). The Region 8 offices of USEPA funded this pilot project in the fall of 2000 at the request of electroplating businesses participating in the SGP. The Electroplaters wanted to simplify and reduce the cost associated with regulatory compliance reporting through the use of electronic reporting or EDI.

The pilot project involved three distinct entities: Metro, Electroplating Manufacturing businesses (Electroplaters) and Environmental Testing Laboratories (Labs). A software company with experience in industrial pretreatment was chosen to develop and deploy the software. The software was designed to allow the Electroplaters to build electronic Periodic Compliance Reports (ePCRs), digitally sign the ePCRs and then transmit the ePCR to Metro via EDI.

The ERPP software was built and installed at three Electroplaters and Metro in the summer of 2001. The software enabled the Electroplaters to import analytical results from the Lab, manually enter additional compliance information, then digitally sign the ePCR and finally transmit the ePCR to Metro via EDI.

This paper describes the development of the project from needs analysis, thru software design, and finally implementation. The results of the project are presented and the author's conclusions are discussed. This paper is of particular interest to other parties considering implementing electronic reporting.

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