October 12, 2009 — The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality has regulatory authority over more than 31,000 facilities across the state, all of which may now be readily identified on an interactive Web-based map.

ADEQ launched its easy-to-use interactive map viewer, known as “EnviroView,” earlier this month. The feature is available to the public and is accessible from the department’s Web site, www.adeq.state.ar.us.

The mapping system was built by the Arkansas Geographic Information Office using environmental data sets provided by ADEQ and information from GeoStor, the state’s official Geographic Information System (GIS) platform. Users may choose to view the data overlaid on aerial, topographic, relief or street maps.

EnviroView can be used to search for ADEQ-regulated facilities within a specific jurisdiction, such as a city or voting district. Facilities are identified by name, address, permit holder and ADEQ-assigned permit number.

“The department sees EnviroView as a great tool for anyone, whether it be engineers, consultants or Arkansas residents who just want to know what types of regulated businesses may be located in their neighborhoods,” said ADEQ Director Teresa Marks. Developing EnviroView as an educational tool for the public was a priority for ADEQ officials.

The map viewer also helps department employees, who may use data collected from EnviroView to prepare for field work or determine the possible effects of site location on existing geographic features.

Emergency responders will benefit from the tool, Marks said. For instance, EnviroView provides emergency response officials with the data needed to locate possible pollution-causing facilities that may have been in the path of a storm.

If members of the public are interested in detailed information about ADEQ-regulated facilities located nearby, they can stay on the department’s Web site and view additional databases that include information such as compliance history.

The interactive map viewer also contains data with the locations of properties on the state’s controlled substance-contaminated properties list. The list, maintained by ADEQ, is comprised of properties in Arkansas that law enforcement agencies have determined to be contaminated by methamphetamine or other hazardous controlled substances.

The site also identifies a variety of sensitive waterways in Arkansas, including extraordinary resource waters, ecologically sensitive streams and waterbodies and natural or scenic waterways.

“This is a powerful, user-friendly feature and we hope all Arkansans will take advantage of it,” Marks said.