More sources of information on the World Wide Web.

Worldwide information is available to anyone with a computer and an internet connection to a service provider. Hardly a day goes by that something new is not “put on the web” which can make us more knowledgeable and thus more productive.

This connection to information can also remind us of the responsibility we have to perform our jobs to the best of our ability. For instance if you were to visit the first site on the list below, you could find out that IDEM has issued 54 agreed orders so far this year; has sent 77 notices of violation to wastewater and water systems throughout the state during the same time period. Anyone can read most of these documents immediately on their computer terminal.

If you would like for someone else to do the reading for you, on the Indiana Environmental report site, one can subscribe to a free email which briefly summarizes and supplies links to newspaper articles from all over Indiana and national articles which may affect Indiana.

If you are looking for a funding source or help, the Indiana Rural Development Council is the best place to start. The USDA Rural Development also can put you in touch with loan and grant dollars.

As most of us know the federal government is where regulations start, and a good site to get links is the official government web portal, firstgov.gov. When you may be interested in another point of view go to the Natural Resources Defense Council site. They track the happenings on capital hill which concern the environment.

To find out about safety and labor concerns, go to the OSHA or the IOSHA sites. For an educational site for small systems and their neighbors visit the National Environmental Services Center.

Need a map? Go to INDOT or Earth Explorer from USGS.

Security of water and wastewater facilities is on everyone’s minds. Look at the Office of Homeland security and the EPA water infrastructure site.

Indiana sites:

IDEM Notices of Violation and agreed orders- search

http://www.in.gov/serv/idem_oe_order

IDEM Press releases

http://www.in.gov/serv/presscal?PF=idem&Clist=16

IDEM Phone numbers

http://www.state.in.us/idem/owm/phone.html

Indiana Environmental Report

http://www.iereport.com/

Indiana OSHA/Department of Labor

http://www.in.gov/labor/iosha/

Indiana Rural Development Council- source of funding help

http://www.in.gov/irdc/index.html

Indiana Department of Transportation

http://www.in.gov/dot/

National Sites:

USA government Official Web Portal

http://www.firstgov.gov/

Natural Resources Defense Council brief

http://www.nrdc.org/legislation/legwatch.asp

Occupational Safety and Health

http://www.osha.gov

Rural Development/ USDA

http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/

National Environmental Services Center

http://www.nesc.wvu.edu/nesc/nesc_about.htm

United States Geological Survey source for maps

http://edcsns17.cr.usgs.gov/EarthExplorer/

Office of Homeland Security

http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/

EPA water infrastructure security

http://www.epa.gov/safewater/security/index.html

You owe it to yourself to become familiar with the sources of information available in today’s world. Learn something everyday. The day you stop learning is the day you die.