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A Publication Featuring The Information
Services Technology of Maine State Government
| Volume VII, Issue 3 | March 2004 |
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Maine DEP Joins South Carolina in Environmental Information SystemBy Carmel Rubin |
Maine and South Carolina have signed a five-year agreement to share an environmental information system, with an expected development cost savings between $100,000 and $300,000 per year. "This joint venture will allow the states of Maine and South Carolina to establish new and innovative information management capabilities -- and at the same time save monies for taxpayers of both states by cooperatively sharing work-product and software," said Maine DEP Deputy Commissioner David P. Littell.
"The pact between the Maine Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) will benefit both states by serving as the framework for future additions and updates to the existing information system," according to Robert W. King, DHEC’s Deputy Commissioner for Environmental Quality Control. King said, "We are very excited about this agreement and the opportunities it presents for the states of Maine and South Carolina." Under the agreement DHEC will retain all ownership, rights, title, and interest in EFIS (Environmental Facility Information System) and has granted to MDEP a non-exclusive, non-transferable license to allow MDEP to use EFIS for their environmental information management system, and to extend and modify the system for both agencies’ use. MDEP has begun to provide developmental services by converting EFIS to a multi-state system. The work includes segregating the code base, upgrading to Oracle 6i and installing EFIS in Maine’s test and production environments.
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DHEC and MDEP will share internal EFIS and EFIS-related progress reports and schedules, and coordinate and share work on their respective Network Nodes, GIS, and Internet applications that interface with EFIS. EFIS was selected as the best fit for use at DEP by staff who tested three products in late 2002. The first phase of implementation will include the following program areas:
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When fully implemented EFIS will consist of core capabilities such as a common facility identifier information, enable license condition tracking, assist in permit generation and will support compliance and enforcement activities and will ultimately be GIS-interfaced.
Carmel Rubin is Director of Special Projects in the Office of the Commissioner at the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and is currently serving as the One Stop Project Manager. She may be reached by e-mailing carmel.a.rubin@maine.gov or by calling (207) 287-7823.
