The Office of Air Quality Planning & Standards
Electronic Reporting Tool (ERT)

NEW VERSION 3.0

(9/30/07)

Welcome!

Thank you for agreeing to test this version of EPA’s Electronic Reporting Tool (ERT) and for your comments. This application is used to electronically create and submit stationary source sampling test plans to a regulatory agency, and, after approval, to calculate and submit the test results as an electronic report to the regulatory agency.

***New***   The ERT version 3.0 is now available for use.  Any modifications and resulting updated versions of the ERT will be posted on this website. A Version Control Sheet will detail the modifications as well as any other information needed for each new version. Please continue to visit this site to see the latest version of the ERT. 

New features of ERT 3 include:

1. Minor modification of the screens to facilitate entry of relevant information.
2. Incorporation of current Stationary Source Classification Codes and descriptions to standardize the selection and identification of the process unit for which the test is conducted.
3. Expansion of test methods to include manual isokinetic and instrumental test methods.
4. Expanded list of pollutants to include.
5. Provided for saving the ERT file as a template for use in subsequent emissions test programs.
6. The Data Quality Questions have been tailored for the test method and pollutants selected.
7. Incorporating the ability to export a XML formatted file for use in WebFire or other suitable application.

User Comments and Accolades

We request that reviewers and users help in evaluating and enhancing The ERT by submitting suggestions and comments on:

You can now use the Discussion Board for posting comments and suggestions.  Of course you can still email your comments to Ron Myers at Myers.Ron@epamail.epa.gov.  Comments are due by June 16, 2007.

EPA QA Handbook Volume III

Information in the current and previous version of Volume III of the QA Handbook may provide the basis for much of the context sensitive help for this tool.  For information on the QC criteria of the methods, use EPA’s website and read/use the QA Handbook Volume III (the old QA Red Book) and the revision of the handbook, located and discussed at http://www.epa.gov/ttn/emc/email.html#qaqc

User's Guide

General instructions on using ERT are given in the User's Guide.  Note that some of the screenshots shown of the ERT program are only partial screens and that the User's Guide is a work in progress.  We welcome your comments on this as well.

The ERT Explained

The ERT is a Microsoft Access database application that has 4 parts: 1) The Application; 2) the Project Data Set; 3) an Excel Spreadsheet; and 4) the ability to create an XML Export File for WebFire. The Application is the part that you will run and has all the screens, reports, calculations and other items necessary to create and distribute the Test Plan and Test Report. The Project Data Set (PDS) is also a Microsoft Access Database that contains the Test Plan and Test Report Data. This is the file that will be exchanged between the source test contractor, the client and the State Agency. Each PDS contains information for one test report. When the ERT is started initially, you are prompted to name the PDS that is created automatically in a “ProjectData” directory by the ERT. Thereafter, the last PDS used is remembered by the ERT when restarted. There is no limit on the number of PDS files but only one PDS can be opened at a time. The Excel Spreadsheet is the final part of the ERT. This spreadsheet can be used in the field (or office) to enter the run information. The ERT has the ability to import data from this spreadsheet into the selected PDS.  After the report is finished and reviewed by the Agency, an XML export file can be created and sent to EPA.  This file contains Emission Factor information that can be  imported into WebFire.  This will allow information from this test report to be included in Emission Factor calculations by users of WebFire.


The basic work flow is as follows:

  1. Create the Test Plan

  2. Print and attach draft Test Plan into PDS (optional)

  3. Test Plan (via PDS file) is submitted to the Agency

  4. Agency approves or returns (via PDS file) to submitter for revisions

  5. Test Plan (via PDS file) is revised and re-submitted to the Agency

  6. Field data is entered into the ERT Excel Spreadsheet

  7. After test is performed, test and process data is entered into The ERT PDS file

  8. PDS file is submitted to Agency

  9. Agency reviews PDS

  10. WebFire Export File is created and sent to EPA
     

Downloads

ERT Application and Spreadsheet (You must have Microsoft Access 2000 or higher to run this application)

ERT version 3.zip     (639kb) - A zipped file containing the ERT version 3.0 Microsoft Access file and the Excel Spreadsheet.  To run ERT, unzip this file to any folder (we suggest "c:\program files\ERT") and double click on ERT3.mdb.

ERT Application and Spreadsheet with Microsoft Access Runtime (You do NOT need Microsoft Access to run this)
           *** DO NOT USE THIS VERSION IF YOU HAVE MICROSOFT ACCESS, USE THE VERSION ABOVE ***

ERT v 3 with runtime.zip    (35,297kb) - A zipped file that contains the setup routine that will install the ERT application, the Excel Spreadsheet, and the Microsoft Access Runtime.  Use this only if you do not have Microsoft Access.  To run this, unzip this this file in a temporary folder and run the SETUP.EXE.  After the setup, you can launch ERT from your desktop icon or from the Start Menu.  The unzipped files in the temporary folder may be deleted after the setup is run.

ERT Project Data Set and Spreadsheet (this is a populated PDS and Spreadsheet for example purposes. They are meant to be used with one of the above applications.)

ERT Example Data.zip    (438kb) - A zipped file that contains an example PDS and the associated spreadsheet.  To use this, upzip this file and then use ERT to select the Example Data.mdb.