We updated the Location Setting valid value “Source-ManMade”to “Source-HumanMade”

EIM Check Data – New Check

We added a new check to “Check Data” in EIM Loader, when you submit data in the Results Template. We think this check will prevent common mistakes that create bad data.

New Rules

• Data with Field Collection Type “Sample” (collected in the field and sent to a lab) must pair with a Result Method in Method Category “Analysis.”
• Data with Field Collection Type “Measurement” (done in the field) must pair with a Result Method in Method Category “Measurement.” 

New Error Messages

• “The Result Method needs to be an Analysis method when the Field Collection Type is Sample or Blank.”
• “The Result Method needs to be a Measurement method when the Field Collection Type is Measurement.”

Retired Methods

We retired Result Methods appended with "-Field" or "-F" to indicate they were done in the field. Example: EPA150.1-Field. 

For certain methods, you can now use a single Result Method for samples or field measurements. Example: EPA150.1.

Note: Sometimes “generic” alternative methods for field measurements are a better choice than published methods if you can’t verify that the method was performed exactly as written. Examples of generic methods: COND-METER, PH-METER, TEMPHG. See the EIM Help Center Methods Valid Values list for more options.

Nutrient Parameter Name Changes

Beginning June 3, 2024, submit nutrient data using parameters that include speciation in the name. We deactivated the nutrient parameter names that don’t show speciation.

The new names have been available for a while, so you might already be using them.

Note: none of the new parameters have CAS registry numbers.

Make sure you check with your lab if they didn’t report speciation, or if you are unsure. We reached out to labs as part of this process, so most should be aware of the new requirement.

See our Nutrient Speciation help document in the EIM Help Center for a crosswalk of old and new nutrient parameter names.

We are also updating existing EIM nutrient data where possible. This includes Ecology's Manchester Environmental Lab, King County Environmental Lab, and Edge Analytical. If you submitted nutrient data and want it updated to include speciation, contact the EIM Team.

New Bioassay Search Fields

Looking for Bioassay data? We added six new fields to EIM Search to help you find it! 

• Bioassay Type: The type of Bioassay test. Normally defined by the taxonomic name of the Bioassay organism concatenated with the test duration, e.g., “AMP10 - Amphipod 10 day.”
• Bioassay End Point: Attribute measured at the end of the Bioassay, e.g., “ABNM – Abnormality.”
• Bioassay Taxon : Taxonomic name (scientific or common) or taxonomic serial number (TSN) of the Bioassay organism, e.g., "Rhepoxynius abronius” or “94732.”
• Bioassay Method: Procedure or method used to derive a result, e.g., “EPA-BIO100.1-2.”
• Bioassay Qualifier: Standard annotations indicating deviations from the Bioassay protocol, e.g., “WQ - Water Quality Issues (pH, temperature, salinity, or dissolved oxygen).”
• Bioassay Basis: Physical state in which the analyte concentration was reported - either as the sample was received by the lab (wet weight) - or adjusted to remove moisture (dry weight) or both moisture and organic matter (ash-free dry weight).

You can also specify whether you only want Bioassay data for samples that have associated chemistry data (checkbox). 

We match bioassay data to associated chemistry data using these fields:

• Study ID
• Location ID
• Field Collection Start Date
• Field Collection Upper Depth
• Sample Matrix
• Sample Source

Updated Eurofins Lab Names

We are dropping "TestAmerica" from our Eurofins lab names. For example, "Eurofins TestAmerica, Buffalo NY" is now "Eurofins, Buffalo NY"

We are retaining the old names containing "TestAmerica" as synonyms, so you can still submit them that way. However, we encourage you to use the new names.

New name list:

• Eurofins, Buffalo NY
• Eurofins, Burlington VT
• Eurofins, Cleveland OH
• Eurofins, Corvallis OR
• Eurofins, Chicago IL
• Eurofins, Denver CO
• Eurofins, Nashville TN
• Eurofins, Pensacola FL
• Eurofins, Pittsburgh PA
• Eurofins, Savannah GA
• Eurofins, Seattle WA
• Eurofins, Spokane WA
• Eurofins, St. Louis MO

Valid value change for "parts per thousand" unit

EIM used to accept ppt and ppth for "parts per thousand" units. EIM no longer accepts ppt because it can be mistaken for "parts per trillion." Use ppth for "parts per thousand" and pptr (no change) for "parts per trillion."

Changes to Results Template for Low Level PCB Data

We made changes to the Results Template to support low-level PCB congener data. Changes are effective June 29, 2023. They include four new fields that must be included in all submittals. See news article document for more information.

New help for entering grain size data

We have a new help document for entering grain size data into EIM. We also updated our grain size parameter names. Highlights:

• Added new parameter names to cover ASTM scales.
• Modified existing parameter names to say “Wentworth.” Old parameter names still work, but we suggest converting to the new ones.
• Created tables showing methods, parameters, and synonyms (aliases)s for Phi/Wentworth and ASTM scales.
• Explained how and when to “roll up” to general grain size ranges (e.g., clay, silt, sand, etc.).
• Provided examples of how to convert from lab datasheets to EIM spreadsheets.

Visit the EIM Help Center to see Grain Size help.

EIM Search Updates

We made some updates to EIM Search. Here are the highlights. 

Search Form

• Restored search by CAS Number
• Added search by Ecology Contact
• Made search fields behave consistently
• Most are now Multi-select
• Start typing and values pop up
• You can select multiple values

Study Details Page

• Revised date displays for Study:
• Field Collection Date Range
• Data First/Last Loaded Date
• Data Last Updated Date
• Made links to Study-related publications and documents easier to find
• Publications are from Ecology’s Publications system
• Documents are from Toxics Cleanup Program studies
• Example: Study ID “FS32584416”

Location Details Page

• Enlarged Location Description box to reduce need to scroll
• Added Suspect Data section
• Only displays if we marked data as suspect
• Example: Location ID “SITE A1 UP”

Map

Note: You might need to clear your browser’s cache before these changes work.

• Identify tool
• Added Location ID to pop-up box
• Lat/Long tool
• Points you add to map don’t disappear when you add more than one. They are also labeled.
• Fixed issue with USGS elevation service - was defaulting to the 10MDEM
• Buffer Feature tool
• When you highlight a feature like a stream segment, it doesn’t disappear when you zoom or pan

Updates to EPA537 PFAS Method Codes

New Code               Old Code

EPA537.0-V1.1        EPA537

EPA537.0-V1.1M     EPA537M

EPA537.1-V1.0        EPA537.1

EPA537.1-V1.0M     EPA537.1M

New name for ARI lab

Analytical Resources Inc (ARI) recently changed their name to Analytical Resources LLC. Use the new name for analyses conducted on or after October 4, 2021. Use the revised old name for older data.

• New name: Analytical Resources LLC, Seattle WA
• Revised old name: Analytical Resources Inc (ARI), Seattle WA (through 10/03/2021)

Well Water Level Template and Help - Updated Color Coding

We updated our help for naming EIM field locations

Key points

• Location Name no longer needs to be unique to EIM. But make it descriptive of the location. Examples:
• Anderson Creek at Roberts Road bridge.
• Boring 233.
• Location Description doesn’t need to be as specific for cleanup sites. Examples:
• Northeast corner of property.
• Parking lot west of former building.
• UST excavation, south wall.
• New document name, “EIM Help: How to Name and Describe Field Locations.” (Old name, EIM Help: Naming Conventions for EIM Field Locations”).

Download here: EIM Help: How to Name and Describe Field Locations.

We have new guidance to help you enter groundwater well information and data into EIM. It covers:

• Permanent monitoring wells.
• Water supply wells.
• In-water piezometers.
• Irrigation and stockwater wells.

Data types include:

• Groundwater chemistry samples.
• Groundwater field measurements like pH, temperature, oxidation-reduction potential, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen.
• Well water levels, both discrete (manual) and time-series (transducer).
• Vertical hydraulic gradient between instream piezometer and stream stage.

Here’s what we rolled out for February 2019!
          
New Monitoring Program

We added River and Stream Flow to the Monitoring Programs section on our Search homepage. Monitoring Programs are usually subsets of EIM data. This data isn’t in EIM yet, but it is Ecology monitoring data. We wanted to make it easier to find.

New Search Tools

• Filter out unwanted Data Qualifier Codes by choosing Not Including. (Default is Including.)
• Multi-select in more fields:
• Study Type
• Ecology Program or Other Responsible Entity
• Data Collector
• Facility/Site ID
• Cleanup Site ID
• Fraction Analyzed
• Data Qualifier
• Result Method
• Made Contains the default search type for all fields.
• Multi-select drop-down lists have a 140-item limit. We now alert you, so you can further filter the list by adding more characters (or switch to a Contains or Begins with search).

Groundwater Search

• Renamed Water Quality and Groundwater Quality to Chemistry Data.
• Added Multi-select for Groundwater Location Type.

Downloads

When you choose Download for a dataset, it sometimes exceeds the 6-million row limit. We now alert you and allow you to deselect some of the data, like time-series (notoriously large), so you can continue your download (instead of going back and redoing your search to include less data).

We updated our guidance for entering landfill monitoring data into EIM. Revisions include:

• Changed sample source landfill gas to soil gas. Landfill gas is a type of soil gas and it was too hard to delineate between them in some cases. We updated the data in EIM to reflect this. 
• Added link to our new guidance on air, vapor, and soil gas data entry.
• Reorganized structure.
• Reformatted for accessibility.

Download the guidance here: Landfill Monitoring Data, version 1.1.

We published new guidance for Benthic Invertebrates Identification and Counts.

Download it here: Benthic Invertebrates Identification and Counts

This guidance replaces these two documents:

• Benthic Organism Counts - Freshwater
• Benthic Organism Counts - Marine

We have new guidance for entering ambient air, vapor, and soil gas data into EIM.

Primarily for data from vapor intrusion and landfill sites. Also includes air deposition data.

Download the new guidance here: EIM Help - Air, Vapor, and Soil Gas Data

We updated our help for entering Spring and Seep data into EIM.

Main change - use Location Setting "Spring/Seep"

Download the new document here: EIM Help - Spring and Seep Data

We updated our help for entering well NAPL (free product) data into EIM.

Shows you how to enter:

• Depths to product and depths to water in wells with free product.
• Free product lab result data.

Main change - use these valid values for NAPL data from wells:

• Sample Matrix = "Other Liquid"
• Sample Source = "Groundwater"

Download the new document here: EIM Help – Entering NAPL (Free Product) Well Data

Contact your EIM Data Coordinator if you have questions.

We're improving EIM Search over the coming months!

We're updating our technology and adding features our users asked for. Here’s what’s new for October 2018.

News

• We added news to Search.
• Get the latest updates on new features.

Searching

• Search on field collection depth.
• Multi-select in many fields, like Location ID and Result Parameter.
• See your search criteria displayed above search results (formerly hidden in drop-down box).
  

Downloading

• We put your search criteria in the download summary description and download confirmation email.
• We added download date and record count to download filenames.
• We added the EIM Data Disclaimer to downloads.
• We normalize field collection depth in feet (from in, m, cm).

More changes are on the way. Stay tuned!

The login page for the EIM Loader got a new look on Friday, August 3. SecureAccess Washington (SAW), which provides our website security, updated their site.

Once you get by the login page, everything is the same.

If you have a colleague who needs to make a new user profile, the process has changed slightly. See How to Submit Data to EIM for the new instructions.

Let your Data Coordinator know if you have any questions.

We have new data entry help documents!

Landfill Monitoring Data

• Do you submit landfill monitoring data to EIM?
• Get help for entering landfill groundwater, leachate, and soil gas data.

pH, Alkalinity, Hardness, and Acidity

• Clears up confusion about these parameters. We hope for more consistent reporting.
• We revised parameter names for Alkalinity, Hardness, and Acidity, to reflect reporting in calcium carbonate (CaCO3) equivalents. We kept the old names as synonyms. You can still use them to load data.

Find these documents in the EIM Help Center

EIM's new Help Center is a central location where you can find comprehensive help for using Ecology’s Environmental Information Management System (EIM). The EIM Help Center consolidates all of our data entry templates and guidance, training videos and materials, EIM news and FAQ’s, valid values lookup, data dictionary, and contact information.

Additional changes

1. Retirement of Validate and Export template tools. These were popular tools, but they were getting old and hard to maintain. Also, too many users had issues with the macros that ran these tools.

2. No more XML files! Since the Export tool that generated XML files has been retired, EIM Loader will now only accept CSV files. Just save your template as a CSV file. This should make your uploads easier and faster. Files that have already been uploaded to the Loader are not affected by this change.

3. Check Data replaces template Validate tool. Since the Validate tool has been retired, use Check Data in EIM Loader once you have uploaded your template. The valid value lookup tab is still in the template.

4. Template help changes. We moved the template help documents from Excel to PDF format for accessibility reasons. The layout is also slightly different. We split field requirements, type, and size into separate columns. We also put a document revision history in each template help document.

5. New name for EIM Submittal Guidelines. The EIM Submittal Guidelines document is now called “How to Submit Data to EIM.”

6. Navigation overhaul. We made all the navigation the same across EIM Search, Submit Data/Loader, MyEIM, and Help. Navigation for each EIM application (e.g. Help Center) is in the top blue bar – this helps you move around within a particular application. Universal EIM navigation is at the bottom of the page, to help you move between EIM applications.