Dirty Data: The Behind the Scenes Threat to Environmental Projects

Data quality for EHS compliance or sustainability management isn’t a glamorous topic — especially when it comes to analytical data management.

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A Planet of Environmental Data

Today, every discussion about changes in environment must begin with data. In its exponentially increasing volume, velocity and variety, environmental data is becoming a new corporate and natural resource. It promises to be for the 21st century what steam power was for the 18th, electricity for the 19th and hydrocarbons for the 20th. This is what we mean when we say environmental data management.

Thanks to a proliferation of measurement devices, lower detection limits,  and the infusion of technology into all things and processes, the environmental industry is now generating huge amounts of data and 80 percent of it is “unstructured”—everything from images, video and audio to social media and rivers of data from embedded sensors and distributed devices. Managing these data in databases built only 10 years ago is either not possible or is very expensive.

Managing this data at enterprise level is our core business. To capture this growth potential, we have built the world’s broadest and deepest capabilities in environmental and sustainability Big Data and analytics—both technology and domain expertise. Two-thirds of Locus Research’s work is now devoted to environmental data, analytics and automated reporting. Locus provides the full array of capabilities our clients need to extract the value of Big Data. They can mine multiple structured and unstructured data sets across their business. They can apply a range of analytics—from descriptive to predictive to prescriptive. And importantly, they can capture the time value of data. This matters, because the battle for competitive advantage in this new world can be lost or won in fractions of a second.

Our data and analytics portfolio today is the deepest in the industry. It includes decision management, content analytics, planning and forecasting, discovery and exploration, business intelligence, predictive analytics, data and content management, stream computing, data warehousing, information integration and governance.  “Traditional computing systems, which only do what they are programmed to do, simply cannot keep up with Big Data in constant motion.” For that reason late last year we launched the all new Locus EERP platform. In the process, we believe Locus will change the nature of environmental management and reporting.

At the same time that industries and professions are being remade by data, the information technology infrastructure of the world is being transformed by the emergence of cloud computing—that is, the delivery of IT and business processes as digital services. It is estimated that by 2016, more than one-fourth of the world’s applications will be available in the cloud, and 85 percent of new software is now being built for cloud. Locus pioneered cloud computing in environmental industry since its inception in 1997. No other company has a track record of 15 years of managing enterprise environmental and sustainability data in the cloud with no down time.

Locus Technologies Receives 2013 EBJ Business Achievement Award

Environmental Business Journal Recognizes Locus for Growth and Innovation

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., 22 January 2014 — Locus Technologies (Locus) announced today that the Environmental Business Journal® (EBJ) granted the company the 2013 award for Information Technology in the environmental and energy industry for the eighth time in the last 10 years.

Locus was recognized for significantly enhancing its suite of software products, and adding new customers and renewing current ones for both software and verification services.

In 2013 Locus generated record software revenue and added customers in the food and beverage, manufacturing, mining, and railroad industries, as well as had its contract with Los Alamos National Laboratory significantly expanded and extended for an additional four years. The company introduced the Locus platform for sustainability, energy, health and safety, and environmental compliance management and reporting, which offers fully integrated cloud-based software that brings all mission-critical environmental applications together in an ERP-like system. Locus also added new functionality to its flagship EIM software system, including the generation of Annual Radiological Environmental Operating Report (AREOR) Data Summary Tables, the automation of Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs), and the ability to support imports and exports from ERPIMS: the system the U.S. Air Force uses for validation and management of data from all environmental projects at its bases.

Additional achievements for Locus in 2013 include earning a Microsoft Gold Application Development competency for demonstrating a “best-in-class” ability and commitment to meet customers’ evolving needs, being recognized as one of the top 10 sustainability management software providers by the market analyst firm Verdantix, being listed as the only software provider to make the list of top 200 environmental companies by Engineering News-Record (ENR) magazine, and being named the second largest environmental firm in Silicon Valley by the Silicon Valley Journal.

“We are very proud to receive the prestigious EBJ Information Technology award in environmental business for the eighth time. No other company has accomplished anything close to this level of recognition in the emerging space of cloud-based environmental information management, the on-demand computing space for data management in the environmental industry that Locus pioneered in 1997,” said Neno Duplan, President and CEO of Locus. “I believe this highlights Locus’ relentless dedication to developing top-notch environmental and sustainability management software systems, and would like to thank both the Locus team, and our customers who have trusted us with the management of their data for making this award possible.”

“In what is widely regarded as a stable market, a number of companies exceeded the norms of low single-digit growth with double-digit growth or ambitious ventures into new practice areas or technology development,” said Grant Ferrier, president of Environmental Business International Inc. (EBI, San Diego), publisher of Environmental Business Journal. “Locus continues to influence the industry with its forward-thinking product set and eye for customer needs.”

The 2013 EBJ awards will be presented at a special ceremony at the Environmental Industry Summit XII in San Diego, Calif. on March 12-14, 2014. The Environmental Industry Summit is an annual three-day executive retreat hosted by EBI Inc.

ABOUT EBI
Founded in 1988, Environmental Business International Inc. (EBI, San Diego, Calif.) is a research, publishing and consulting company that specializes in defining emerging markets and generating strategic market intelligence for companies, investors and policymakers. EBI publishes Environmental Business Journal®, the leading provider of strategic information for the environmental industry, and Climate Change Business Journal®, which covers nine segments of the Climate Change Industry. EBI also performs contract research for the government and private sector and founded the Environmental Industry Summit, an annual three-day event for executives in the environmental industry.

Versar, Inc. Selects Locus’ EIM as its Standard Environmental Data Management System

Locus EIM to assist Versar by supporting ERPIMS exports for U.S. Air Force remediation projects

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., 7 January 2014 —Versar, Inc. (NYSE MKT:VSR) has selected Locus Technologies’ (Locus’) Environmental Information Management (EIM) software to be its preferred environmental data management system for the firm’s Performance Based Remediation (PBR) program for the U.S. Air Force (USAF).

Versar will take advantage of EIM’s ability to support analytical data compatible with Environmental Resources Program Information Management System (ERPIMS), the electronic system that the Air Force uses for validation and management of data collected from environmental projects at its bases. In addition, Versar will utilize the ERPIMS regulatory export feature and the EIM data validation module.

Versar is currently providing PBR services to the USAF under the 2009 Worldwide Environmental Restoration and Construction (WERC 09) contract through September 2020. The Versar Program, as both Prime contractor and Team subcontractor, presently includes nearly 200 contaminated sites at 15 Air Force bases in 10 different states across the U.S. The total value of the work (if all options are awarded) is approximately $110M; Versar is the Prime contractor with direct responsibility for 128 sites valued at $93M under three separate Task Orders (TOs) and is a Team subcontractor on a fourth TO.

“We are very proud Versar has determined that EIM has the robust and versatile functionality to meet the company’s data management requirements for its USAF PBR Program,” said Neno Duplan, President & CEO of Locus. “We are constantly striving to incorporate specific features into our software, such as the ERPIMS compatibility, that will make a big difference for our customers.”

ABOUT VERSAR, INC.
Versar, headquartered in Springfield, VA, is a publicly traded global project management company providing sustainable, value-oriented solutions to government and commercial clients in engineering, construction management, environmental services, and munitions response market areas. For more information, visit www.versar.com.

Climate Change Poses Threat to the World’s Water Supply

According to the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) in Germany, climate change is threatening the world’s water supply, increasing the number of people at risk of absolute water scarcity by 40 percent in this century alone.

PIK heeds the warning that if the Earth should warm by 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit above pre-industrial levels and if populations grow, ten in 100 people would have access to less than 132,000 gallons of water in a year- which is up from one to two in 100 today. This prediction is particularly alarming considering PIK’s announcement in October that 1.3 billion of Earth’s 7 billion people already live in water-scarce regions.

The UN gives a similar forecast that the world is on track to experience a temperature increase within the next century, which at the very least would be the catalyst for higher sea levels and more intense storms.

The study that PIK references was based on an analysis of 11 global hydrological models, and conducted by research institutes from around the world. PIK also states that different regions of the world would have varying experiences as the world’s temperature increases: the southern U.S., Mediterranean, Middle East and southern China most likely seeing lower water availability, while southern India, western China and parts of East Africa possibly experiencing noticeable increases.

This research serves as yet another reminder that water scarcity is a real thing, and the loss of this precious resource is a world-wide concern.

AWWA introduces updated cost assessment for impending perchlorate regulation

The American Water Works Association (AWWA) recently introduced a new assessment on the cost-impact of an impending perchlorate regulation. The decision to move forward with the development of this regulation “to protect Americans from any potential health impacts, while also continuing to take steps to ensure the quality of the water they drink” was officially announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in early 2011.

Perchlorate is both a man-made and naturally occurring chemical that can be found in some bleaches and fertilizers, and is used to manufacture flares, explosives, fireworks, and rocket fuel. Scientific research finds that perchlorate may negatively impact the thyroids ability to produce hormones that are essential to the development of fetuses and infants- propelling the EPA forward to develop a rule.

In an effort to further evaluate the feasibility of the new regulation, the AWWA’s new assessment updates a review of cost done four years ago. The new evaluation includes additional treatment strategies, accounts for regulatory limits already in place in California and Massachusetts, and considers costs associated with blending, source abandonment, and development of new sources.

The new assessment concludes that the estimated national compliance costs for a perchlorate maximum contaminant level ranging from 2 to 24 parts per billion (ppb) is smaller than estimated compliance costs for other drinking water regulations.

However, according to AWWA Government Affairs, the relatively small compliance cost is most likely attributed to the limited number of public water systems that are expected to be affected by a perchlorate regulation. Because of this, the economic impact to individual water systems is expected to be substantial. For example, smaller water systems could see treatment costs increase by three dollars per 1,000 gallons.

To view the AWWA’s full assessment:

https://www.locustec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/AWWA2013PerchlorateCostAssessment.pdf

For further information on perchlorate:

http://water.epa.gov/drink/contaminants/unregulated/perchlorate.cfm

Los Alamos National Laboratory Extends Contract with Locus Technologies for Four More Years

Locus to continue managing environmental data and information for the nation’s largest laboratory

SAN FRANCISCO, California and LOS ALAMOS, New Mexico, October 28, 2013 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the industry leader in Web-based environmental software, announced today that Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has chosen to extend its contract with Locus for four more years.

LANL is a United States Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory, managed and operated by Los Alamos National Security (LANS), located in Los Alamos, N.M. LANL conducts multidisciplinary research in national security, outer space, renewable energy, medicine, nanotechnology, and supercomputing. LANL is one of three laboratories in the United States at which the government conducts classified work to care for the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile.

Modifications that accompany the extended contract include additional functionality for air data management and reporting that involves better flexibility for increased data transparency. LANL also will put more focus on field and mobile devices, and significant enhancements will be made to Intellus New Mexico, the public-facing website that Locus created for LANL’s data.

The original contract between LANL and Locus began in 2011, with the option of extending the contract for four additional years. LANL will continue to use Locus’ Environmental Information Management software (EIM) to address legacy site contamination and to take a better aggregate view of its operations for environmental stewardship.

“We are very proud that LANL trusts our EIM software to continue assisting it with its environmental data management requirements,” said Neno Duplan, President and CEO of Locus. “We look forward to continuing to work with the team of talented professionals at LANL, and also continuing to assist DOE sites with their environmental data management challenges.”

“High-quality data is a crucial component in environmental stewardship and our commitment to transparency with the public,” said Chris Echohawk, office leader of the Laboratory’s Operations Improvement Office.

 

ABOUT LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY
Los Alamos National Laboratory, a multidisciplinary research institution engaged in strategic science on behalf of national security, is operated by Los Alamos National Security, LLC, a team composed of Bechtel National, the University of California, the Babcock & Wilcox Company, and URS for the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration.

Los Alamos enhances national security by ensuring the safety and reliability of the U.S. nuclear stockpile, developing technologies to reduce threats from weapons of mass destruction, and solving problems related to energy, environment, infrastructure, health, and global security concerns.

LANL news media contact: Fred deSousa, (505) 665-3430, fdesousa@lanl.gov

The Governor of California Signs Fracking Regulation Bill

Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation this past Friday that marks California’s first regulation for hydraulic fracturing.

The bill, which is most likely the toughest regulation yet for fracking, requires oil drillers to disclose the chemicals used and acquire permits before engaging in fracking. Other provisions of the legislation, which will take effect in January, call for oil companies to test groundwater, notify neighboring landowners before drilling, and to conduct a study about fracking’s impact on the environment by January 2015.

Although the bill was originally met with support from environmental groups, some of these groups have revoked their endorsements and now argue the regulation is not enough; whereas oil companies oppose it, claiming the bill will make it much harder to take full advantage of the oil from California’s southern San Joaquin Valley.

Gov. Brown has said the bill “establishes strong environmental protections and transparency requirements.” However, he also plans to explore further changes next year to clarify the new requirements.

Before this legislation, SB4, California did not have regulations for fracking. The new bill will undoubtedly require a great deal more reporting and permitting for the oil and gas industry. For companies engaging in hydraulic fracturing in California, the time is now to prepare for this new bill by organizing their information and automating reporting to ensure that regulations are met while their operational costs are lowered.

Locus Introduces Software Functionality to Support ERPIMS Imports and Exports

Companies can now use Locus’ EIM software to comply with the U.S. Air Force standard ERPIMS system

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., 16 September 2013 — Locus Technologies (Locus), the leader in cloud-based environmental compliance and information management software, has expanded its award-winning Environmental Information Management (EIM) software to support ERPIMS imports and exports.

The Environmental Resources Program Information Management System (ERPIMS) is the system that the U.S. Air Force uses for validation and management of data from all environmental projects at its bases. This data can be complex, containing analytical chemistry samples, tests, and results, as well as monitoring well specifications, descriptions of sites, and hydrogeological information. It can also be a challenge for organizations working on relevant Air Force projects to correctly abide by ERPIMS formatting. In order to support these organizations, Locus has added ERPIMS laboratory imports and critical regulatory exports to its EIM software.

“Locus’ EIM has been managing detailed analytical information since 1999, and today manages environmental data for some of the world’s largest companies,” said Neno Duplan, President and CEO of Locus. “Incorporating ERPIMS compatibility within EIM is just another example of how we are constantly striving to make processes simpler for our current and future customers.”

EIM was the first subscription-based application to organize, manage, and report sampling, analytical and subsurface data in the Cloud. The ERPIMS import and export functionality is the newest component in EIM, and is available for use immediately.

Cloud Apps Critical Requirement No. 5: World-Class Data Center and Security

A cloud application provider should be able to offer excellent security and data privacy better than its customers can do on their own, and at no additional cost. Processes and policies should encompass physical, network, application, and data-level security, as well as full backup and disaster recovery. The provider should be compliant with security-oriented laws and auditing programs, including SOC 1 Report on Controls over Financial Reporting (SSAE 16), (formerly known as SAS70 Type II), and SOC 2 Report on Controls over Security, Availability, Processing Integrity, Confidentiality, and Privacy; both developed and administered by the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) for use by practitioners in the performance of trust services engagements.

Reputable SaaS providers are proving that SaaS can be done at least as securely as most enterprise implementations, and in some cases more securely. For example, at Locus, direct access to the database is limited to a select set of people on Locus’ operations staff. A typical on-premises ERP implementation would grant this access to a much wider group, creating a security challenge. SaaS providers must take a holistic approach to security, ranging from technical safety guards such as encryption to understanding data privacy laws and compliance, and building those safety guards into every product and process.
Locus has adopted the following SOC 2 principles and related criteria:

  • Security. The system is protected against unauthorized access (both physical and logical).
  • Availability. The system is available for operation and use as committed to or agreed upon.
  • Processing integrity. System processing is complete, accurate, timely, and authorized.
  • Confidentiality. Information designated as confidential is protected as committed to or agreed upon.
  • Privacy. Personal information is collected, used, retained, disclosed, and destroyed in conformity with the commitments in the entity’s privacy notice and with criteria set forth in generally accepted privacy principles issued by the AICPA and CICA.

It should be the responsibility of CIOs to conduct due diligence on SaaS providers. Go in and see what they’re doing around data security and privacy.
No one should enter a relationship without thoroughly vetting the provider’s capabilities. Providers that won’t allow you a thorough examination, claiming all kinds of reasons, are the ones to avoid.