[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 245 (Monday, December 22, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66878-66880]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-33342]
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DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
Geological Survey
Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC); Public Review of Data
Content Standard for Facility Location and Identification
ACTION: Notice; Request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The FGDC is conducting a public review of the Data Content
Standard for Facility Location and Identification. The purpose of this
public review is to provide data users and producers with an
opportunity to comment on this standard in order to ensure that it
meets their needs. Specifically, the FGDC requests responses in three
areas: (1) identify any ``ad hoc'' or ``defacto'' standards being used
that address data content for facility location and identification; (2)
identify additional data requirements or concepts not contained in this
standard that are necessary to meet a user's requirements; (3) identify
any issues that a user may have in implementing the standard in the
users information systems.
Participants in the public review are encouraged to provide
comments that address specific issues/changes/additions that may result
in revisions to the draft facility location and identification
standard. All participants who make comments during the public
[[Page 66879]]
review period will receive an acknowledgment of the receipt of their
comment. After comments have been considered, participants will receive
notification of how their comments were addressed. After the formal
adoption of the standard by the FGDC, the revised standard and a
summary analysis of the changes will be made available.
DATES: Comments must be received on or before April 10, 1998.
CONTACT and ADDRESSES: The complete proposal is included in this
notice. It is also posted at Internet address: http://www.fgdc.gov/
Standards/Documents/Standards/Facility__ID/.
Requests for written copies of the standard should be addressed to
``Data Content Standard for Facility Location and Identification'',
FGDC Secretariat (attn: Jennifer Fox), U.S. Geological Survey, 590
National Center, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston, Virginia, 20192;
or telephone 703-648-5514; facsimile 703-648-5755; or Internet at
gdc@usgs.gov.
Reviewer's comments may be sent to the FGDC via Internet mail to:
">[email protected]www.fgdc.gov.
Reviewer comments may also be sent to the FGDC Secretariat at the
above address. Please send one hardcopy version of the comments and a
soft copy version, preferably on a 3.5x3.5 diskette in WordPerfect 5.0
or 6.0/6.1 format.
For answers to general questions related to this standard, please
contact the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Facilities Working
Group, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, General Engineering Branch, 20
Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20314-1000; voice telephone
numbers: Kevin Backe (703) 428-6505, Nancy Blyler (202) 761-8893;
facsimile telephone number: (703) 428-6991.
For answer to questions related to the content of this standard,
please contact Bruce Bargmeyer, Facility Identification Working Group
Chairman, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of
Information Resources Management (OIRM), Enterprise Information
Management Division (EIMD), 401 M Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20460;
voice telephone numbers: Bruce Bargmeyer (202) 260-5306, Dave Catlin
(202) 260-3069; facsimile telephone number: (202) 401-8390.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Following is the complete proposal for the
``Data Content Standard for Facility Location and Identification''
Project Title
Development of a Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Facility
ID Data Standard
Submitting Organization
Facilities Working Group (FWG)
Objective
To develop a Facility Identification data standard that supports
identification of place-based objects that are generally known as
facilities.
Scope
This geospatial standard will consist of a set of standardized data
elements which identify and locate place-based facilities. This
includes a core set of identifying information such as a standard
identifier, latitude longitude, name, and facility type.
The effort will develop a set of ``type'' categories to classify
the type of facility identified and to assist in linking related place-
based facility objects such as parts of a facility (e.g., smokestack)
to a whole facility. Part of the effort will be to establish what is
included within ``facility'' types and to establish how extensions can
be made. The work on a facility typing scheme will consider
relationships to typing schemes developed in related standards.
Justification/Benefits
Currently, many organizations maintain facility data utilizing a
wide variety of identifiers. The lack of a standard data elements for
facility identification and the lack of a core set of locational and
identifying information makes sharing data very cumbersome (expensive)
and imposes a large reporting burden on regulated/managed facilities.
There is considerable interest, among organizations that share
information about facilities, in developing a data standard that
supports sharing, reporting, managing, linking and using data about
facilities. Development of this standard through the FGDC will ensure
broad participation including national, state, and local government and
private industry. Several organizations, inside and outside the federal
government have indicated an interest in this standard, including EPA,
DOD, USACE, FEMA, GSA, Applied Geographics, ASCE, and the New York City
Transit Authority.
The Facility Identification Standard will benefit Federal, state
and local governments, and companies that use or report facilities
information. This Facility Identification Standard may also be used to
support the FGDC's integrated standard database project. This standard
will provide new data sharing opportunities for the National Spatial
Data Infrastructure.
Approach
The FWG will establish a Facility Identification project team to
develop a draft of this Standard. Relevant standards such as ISO/IEC
11179 will serve as input to this work. The FWG or participating
agencies may establish and test this data standard based on existing
systems and proof of concept efforts. The FWG will package the standard
data element definitions as an FGDC standard. The standard may be
established to operate in a centralized (automated registration
authority), a decentralized or a hybrid fashion.
Related Standards
Related standards, such as ISO/IEC 11179 and the FGDC Utility (and
potentially Hazardous Waste) standards, will be identified and
reviewed. Many organizations have developed systems that record
facility identifiers. There will serve as input to this effort. It is
intended for this standard to be compatible with the use of existing
facility identifiers. This work is also related to the FGDC framework
concept.
Schedule
The FWG will form a Facility Identification project team and begin
work on the development of this standard as soon as this project is
approved by the FGDC Standards Working Group (SWG). The development of
a working draft Facility Identification Standard is expected to take 3-
6 months. A proof of concept demonstration may also be conducted in a
period of nine months. Once the FWG is satisfied with the content of
this Standard it will be forwarded to the SWG for consideration to go
out for public review. The FWG expects to accomplish the development of
this standard in 18 months.
Resources
The FWG has resources to work on the content development of this
Facility Identification Standard. We expect to pursue acquisition of
additional resources from the FGDC for coordination of this effort.
Potential Participants
The primary participants will be the members of the FWG which
includes representatives from federal agencies, municipalities, private
industry, and professional associations.
[[Page 66880]]
Target Authorization Body
The FWG proposes pursing the development of this Facility
Identification Standard as an FGDC standard. The FWG may consider
pursuing (at a later date) the development of the Integrated Standard
as an ANSI (American National Standards Institute) Standard within an
ANSI's technical committee. FGDC would serve as the Target
Authorization Body until this Facility Identification Standard becomes
an ANSI Standard.
Dated: December 15, 1997.
John Fischer,
Acting Chief, National Mapping Division, U.S. Geological Survey.
[FR Doc. 97-33342 Filed 12-19-97; 8:45 am]
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