BEV BUTULA: Site digs up dirt in environmental records

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In search of environmental records and data? One option is NETR Online, a free database provided by Nationwide Environmental Title Research.

The Environmental Records Database contains environmental information “pertaining to Superfund sites, suspected contamination, compliance and violation concerns, permitted sources of toxic vapors and other characteristics that may be harmful.” The data was collected from a variety of local, state and federal resources.

The only search option for the environmental data is to enter an address or location into the search box. However, since most researchers using the database will have a specific area in mind, this may not be too limiting. Search criteria as basic as a city or street will produce results.

Once a search is executed, the user can select the “radius viewer” to view all concerns within a one mile radius of the selected location. Once a specific site is identified, a report can be created and sent to your email.

A nice feature is that the user can identify what specific information should be contained within the report. Historical aerial maps of the area can also be viewed.