[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 
[email protected].
    Reviewer's comments may be sent to the FGDC via Internet mail to: 
www.fgdc.gov">gdc-fid@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