Cool websites for learning about a place on the map.

The last two weeks at work I have been buried in a huge Phase I ESA project for a very complex chemical plant. While writing this report, I also ended up having a prepare a training presentation for some of our junior staff on how to do a Phase I. One of my topics was online resources for environmental information.

I thought folks might find some of these websites interesting. So here's a list of the Federal websites I often use to ferret out the environmental dirt on my Sites:

• United States Geological Service (USGS) Topographic Map Locator and Downloader: This provides you with the basic topographic map. It will show you your Site's elevation, general contours of the land, geographic features like water bodies, & some cultural features like schools, churches, graveyards, etc. The environmental information on these maps includes large above-ground storage tanks, pipelines, & other random tidbits like electrical generating stations.
  
• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) Service Center: This website will let you make a tiny FIRM (called a FIRMette) showing the various floodplains around your Site. This is important information for any property owner to know. From an environmental perspective, it tells me two things - Sites in the floodplain are more likely to have wetlands on them, & if the water body that causes the flood is contaminated, the soils at the Site can be impacted.
  
• United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) National Wetlands Inventory Mapper: Speaking of wetlands, here's a great resource for seeing if any have been identified on your Site. Each wetland area is marked with a little code. Using Google you can figure out what these codes mean & learn more about the natural habitats at or near your Site.
  
• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Web Soil Survey: This website will tell you about what kinds of soils are present at the Site. This is important if there are underground storage tanks or pipelines at the Site, because some soil types encourage metal structures to corrode (& leak). It's also great information for any gardener.
  
• United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) EnviroFacts: This is the USEPA's one-stop shop for accessing their databases for information about a given location. Type in your Site's address & get a map showing you all the nearby Superfund sites, registered generators of hazardous waste, users or emitters of toxic waste, locations of spills, & a ton more information. These databases are not particularly user-friendly, being loaded down with codes & regulation-speak, but if you seriously want to know what something means, ask me & I'll try to translate.
  
• USEPA Map of Radon Zones: This is a county-level map that gives you an idea of how prevalent radon is at your Site. If you live or work in a basement space, this is a good piece of information.
  

There are a ton more websites like these that are maintained at the state or local level. Google is your friend for finding them for your specific location. Again, if they contain arcane tech-babble, I'm happy to help try to clarify.