Locus Announces EIM Support for EPA SEDD Format.

Business Editors/Environment Writers

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 11, 2004

Locus Technologies (Locus), a leader in environmental information management, today announced that it has expanded its award-winning, web-based Environmental Information Management(TM) (EIM(TM)) system, a part of their LocusFocus(SM) environmental web portal, to include the capability of importing electronic data deliverables (EDDs) in the Staged Electronic Data Deliverable (SEDD) format. SEDD is an inter-agency effort spearheaded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) to create a generic format for electronic delivery of analytical data for environmental programs. A major advantage for analytical laboratories is that SEDD can be implemented in stages. This fact allows laboratories to meet EDD requirements for multiple programs without having to overhaul their EDD-producing systems as agency or program needs change. The SEDD is based on Extensible Markup Language (XML), which has quickly become the de facto standard for information exchange over the Internet. XML provides data integration and communication backbone for Locus's EIM system.

EIM now accepts SEDD files in Stage 2a format, which contains the basic analytical results (including the sample ID, analyte, result, and qualifier) plus method quality control data. The EIM import module includes data verification and consistency checks outlined in the Document Type Definition (DTD) for Stage 2a, as well as forms for viewing the data in the imported SEDD file. EIM then lets users create reports, build graphs, query selected results, and download selected datasets into Microsoft Excel, ESRI's ArcView, or other third-party packages. These modifications to EIM reflect Locus's commitment to building an enterprise system that allows or multi-national companies or governmental agencies to meet their diverse data management needs and reporting requirements across the U.S. and around the world. Other recent enhancements to the system give companies even more flexibility in customizing the requirements for a given facility or site, while still allowing all the company's data to reside in a single repository.

"There are many different government-derived or commercial formats of electronic data delivery or reporting produced by analytical laboratories nationwide. While Locus intends to match all these various format requirements by different states or regulatory agencies, the SEDD format facilitates environmental data interchange among various project participants by providing a staged set of standard EDD formats. Today, the advent of Web Services based on XML is making it possible to build, test, and deploy an application of XML-based EDDs that can be used beyond labs and consultants. Because it contains both the specific data required for a transaction or request, as well as the metadata, which describes the data, XML is used to exchange data between different computer systems and different software applications, therefore making EDDs more usable. Locus is pleased to support the EPA in its efforts to have SEDD widely accepted and used by analytical laboratories and data end users," said Dr. Neno Duplancic, president and CEO of Locus.

About Locus Technologies

Locus Technologies specializes in providing comprehensive information management, automation, consulting, design, and construction services for the environmental industry. Locus's multi-channel dynamic web portal, LocusFocus, provides for all aspects of environmental site management and is designed to eliminate the many inefficiencies and incompatible technologies that afflict the industry. For more information about the company, visit their website at http://www.locustec.com.