Q:

Where are the requirements for electronic data deliverable stated, and in what situations must they be applied?

A:

The Administrative Requirements for the Remediation of Contaminated Sites (ARRCS Rule)(N.J.A.C 7:26C-1.6) and the Technical Requirements for Site Remediation (N.J.A.C. 7:26E-1.6) require that the results of analysis must be provided in electronic format as specified in the SRP Electronic Data Interchange Manual (SRP-EDI). These requirements apply to samples collected after July 18, 1997.

See Technical Requirements for Site Remediation (N.J.A.C. 7:26E-1.6) and Who Needs to Submit Data for exemptions.

Q:

What are the requirements for electronic data deliverable?

A:

A complete electronic data deliverable consists of a minimum of three files. The three files make up a "dataset." The dataset can be defined as the "electronic" equivalent of the hard copy of analytical results that are being submitted to the SRP. The electronic submission must be provided to the SRP. The three files that make up the dataset are the Dataset Table (DTST.TXT), the Sample Table (HZSAMPLE.TXT), and the Result Table (HZRESULT.TXT).

Q:

Do I need to submit electronic data for cases where there were no releases of contaminants (i.e., "clean" sites, where all samples are below detection limits)?

A:

Yes, it is important for SRP, the Remedial Priority System and other potential users of the information to know that a site is "clean" and the extent of the samples that indicate this.

Q:

What do I enter into the CONCENTRATION field for results that are "non-detect"?

A:

All analytical results must be included in the HZRESULT file, including results that are "non-detect."

The correct entry in the CONCENTRATION field will depend on the laboratory contract under which the samples are analyzed. In general, the entry should be 0. The preparer should never use a non-numeric entry (such as ND or <MDL). The laboratory should either include this information in the HZRESULT table, or submit it to the person completing the HZRESULT table.

It should be noted that the MDL value or the Quantification Level must still be entered into the appropriate column in the HZRESULT table.

Q:

May I submit the same tables that I prepare for the written report?

A:

No, the tables required to be submitted electronically must be in the specific format identified in the SRP-Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) Manual.

Q:

Who is responsible for submitting this information?

A:

An EDD may be prepared by a LSRP or a qualified data preparer on behalf of the responsible party, but the obligation of submitting an accurate EDD lies with the person responsible for conducting the remediation

Q:

What is the Dataset table?

A:

The Dataset table provides basic information about the sampling event: site description, phase, consultant, submittal date, etc. There should only be one record in each Dataset table.

The Dataset may represent more than one sampling episode at a site. For example, the analytical results of four rounds of quarterly monitoring (at the same site) can be submitted as a single dataset. Even thought the dataset represents four quarters of sampling, the submittal itself is still identified by only a single record in the dataset table.

Q:

What is the Sample table?

A:

The Sample table contains information about each sample collected at a site. The information is roughly equivalent to field notes, such as: sample number, date, matrix, field id, location information, etc. There should be one Sample record for each sample collected. A unique sample record is created by the SRP ID, Sample Date and Sample Number fields, so if need be, there can be duplicate Sample Numbers in a dataset as long as those samples were collected on different dates.

Q:

What is the Result table?

A:

The Result table contains the result of the analysis of the sample. The Result table includes the Sample Number, Sample Date, Lab ID, the name of the analyte or parameter, the concentration of the result, QA Qualifier, Method Detection Limit, etc. Each compound analyzed at each sample collected requires a result record. Although the lab is chiefly responsible for submitting data in this format, the overall submission is still the obligation of submitting an accurate EDD lies with the person responsible for conducting the remediation.

Q:

How are the tables structured?

A:

There is a hierarchical (i.e., parent-child) relationship between the Dataset, Sample and Result tables. One dataset will have many samples, and each sample will have many results.

For example, if reporting on one dataset, where five samples were collected and they were each analyzed for twenty different compounds, the tables submitted should be constructed as follows: one Dataset table with one record, one Sample table with five records, one Result table with 100 records.

Q:

What are the tables to be named?

A:

The Dataset table is to be named DTST, the Sample table is to be named HZSAMPLE, and the Result table is to be named HZRESULT. All three tables should be followed by the extension .TXT and saved as text, tab delimited files.

If you are maintaining several datasets, you will need to put each set of three files into a separate directory. You should use the Directory field (in the DTST file) for the name of the directory to distinguish between datasets. If you compress ("zip") the files before submitting them to the SRP, the ZIP file should be named using the directory name with the .ZIP extension.