Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC); Public Review of Data Content Standard for Facility Location and Identification

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.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

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

[email protected].

Reviewer's comments may be sent to the FGDC via Internet mail to:

www.fgdc.gov">[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]

BILLING CODE 4310-31-M