Integrated Hazardous Waste System (eSMART)
A strategic information management assessment for the Division of Solid and Hazardous Materials of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation led to the design and development of an integrated hazardous waste information system that replaced the existing systems and created a state-of-the-art framework that will support information management into the future.
Background
Created in 1970, the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) connects the state programs that are committed to protecting and enhancing the environment. According to Section 1-0101 of the New York State Environmental Conservation Law, the DEC’s mission is to: "conserve, improve, and protect its natural resources and environment, and control water, land and air pollution, in order to enhance the health, safety and welfare of the people of the state and their overall economic and social well being."
The Challenge Presented
The Division of Solid and Hazardous Materials (DSHM) conducted an evaluation of the updates required to meet new business regulations for hazardous waste shipment manifests implemented nationally by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In conjunction with this analysis, DSHM also conducted a broader assessment of the current information management systems used to support the various aspects of the hazardous waste programs, including current and emerging issues facing the division.
Windsor at Work: Our Solution
The New York DEC contracted with Windsor to assist the DSHM with this assessment, which included an analysis of the current information management situation and explored options for future data management that DSHM might consider. This assessment resulted in a strategic work plan to help guide information management within the hazardous waste programs.
Based on the findings of this assessment, DSHM decided to design and build a new fully integrated hazardous waste information system to replace the variety of existing systems currently in place. DSHM contracted with Windsor to conduct this design and development work.
The overall scope of the integrated system has been broken down into a series of releases, each of which will address the needs of a specific functional area of the system, including:
- Hazardous waste manifest tracking
- Regulatory fees
- Annual reports
This approach reduces risk, simplifies project management, maintains program user engagement, and distributes overall workload to minimize impact on program staff.
Windsor designed and delivered a new system utilizing a Web-based, n-tier J2EE architecture, including a highly flexible, database-driven data validation component.
Results That Reward
Windsor’s solution to this project has provided the DEC with several benefits:
- The agency’s ability to support new, national manifest reporting regulations
- Enhanced business rule validation and reporting capabilities
- Foundation of an integrated information system that supports the entire division
- A state-of-the-art technical architecture framework
Details
CLIENT: New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation
DISCIPLINES: Land
SERVICES:
PRODUCTS: