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NARSTO Workshop on Innovative Methods for Emission Inventory Development and Evaluation University of Texas, Austin October 14-17, 2003 |
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GIS-Integrated Emissions Inventory Software Solution
Dr. Jesse L. Thé, Mike Johnson, Steve Koo, Mark Hilverda, Cris Thé
Lakes Environmental Software, Inc., Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 5J2
The Tribal Emissions Inventory Software Solution (TEISS) provides a graphical, user-friendly application for creating and maintaining a comprehensive emissions inventory. The system includes an integrated GIS platform providing all users with the tools to visualize and query inventory data within a spatial environment. TEISS incorporates all related emissions guidance and models into one central, unified interface where results and computations are compiled and stored in an SQL database. The data handling solution allows database vendor independence, allowing for easy data-sharing and making the system compatible with any of the major Database Management Systems, such as ORACLE, MS-SQL Server, MySQL, and Interbase.
The system supports emissions estimations based on AP-42, NEI, and EIIP guidelines through a series of real-time, Windows-based calculators. Over 200 calculators address emissions from a variety of sources and processes while also providing extensive descriptions for each process. Flexibility is extended with an intuitive interface to create and implement user-defined emissions calculators at any time within the system.
Emissions estimation models are tightly integrated allowing for seamless model execution and sharing of data from models such as NONROAD, MOBILE6, WATER9, and TANKS. An integrated graphical interface for MOBILE6 was developed for inclusion with TEISS, removing much of the complexity commonly associated with vehicle emissions estimation.
TEISS allows for rapid review of emissions data and enables production of reports and data import and export to several formats including EPA NEI Input File format (NIF 2.0/3.0) for easy incorporation of data into national databases. Complete support for GIS standard metadata is provided through an integrated utility that fully implements the Federal Geographic Data Committee´s Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata. The technologies and database design behind TEISS are explained while demonstrating the importance of a unified, GIS-based emissions inventory solution.