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CSRR Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

  

FAQs

These FAQs are associated with GIS questions for the Contaminated Site Remediation and Redevelopment (CSRR) program.

A) General:

  1. Why do I have to submit certain maps in a GIS format?

    The Administrative Requirements for the Remediation of Contaminated Sites (N.J.A.C. 7:26C) and Technical Requirements for Site Remediation (N.J.A.C. 7:26E) provides guidance on how to submit certain maps in GIS compliant format. The citations are:

    Deliverable Type Citation
    Areas of Concern N.J.A.C. 7:26E-1.6(a)6
    Site Boundary N.J.A.C. 7:26E-1.6(a)6
    Classification Exception Area N.J.A.C. 7:26C-7.3(c)1.
    Current Known Extent of Contamination N.J.A.C. 7:26E-1.11(a)7.vi.
    Deed Notice N.J.A.C. 7:26C-7.2(a)2.i.
    Well Receptor Searches N.J.A.C. 7:26E-1.14(a)1.iv.

  2. What are metadata?

    Metadata or "data about data" documents the content, quality, condition and other characteristics of data. Metadata answers who, what, when, where, why and how about the data. Metadata standards can be found at the following location - Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Geospatial Metadata Standards and Guidelines and N.J.A.C. 7:1D - Appendix A.

    The citation requiring the submittal of metadata can be found at N.J.A.C. 7:26E-1.6(a)5.iii.

  3. What metadata is required for a GIS Deliverables and how do I submit it?

    A fully rendered FGDC metadata submittal is not required for a CSRR GIS Deliverable. A minimized version has been developed that identifies: 1) the environmental company / LCSRR overseeing the work, 2) the name of the GIS professional who created the GIS submission and should be contacted if there are GIS technical issues, and 3) the site identification information.

    Each GIS deliverable shall include metadata consisting of responses to the following.

    Program Interest Number for Site:
    Activity Number, if known:
    Name of Site as known to NJDEP:
    Street address of Site:
    Municipality of Site:
    County of Site:
    Submission Type Acronym:
    Submission Description:
    Name of LCSRR (or consultant) overseeing work:
    LCSRR's license number:
    LCSRR's Email Address:
    Name of GIS author Company:
    Mailing address:
    Name of Professional performing GIS work:
    Email for Professional performing GIS work:
    Phone Number for Professional performing GIS work:

B) CSRR GIS Submittal:

  1. How do I Submit a GIS Deliverable?

    Most GIS Deliverables are emailed to CSRR's GIS Unit. The specifics for the submittal of a GIS deliverable are outlined in the Administrative Requirements for GIS Deliverables.

  2. When do I have to submit a GIS Deliverable?

    The GIS deliverables shall be submitted concurrently with the remedial report, form or key document that required the submittal of the GIS deliverable.

    For example, the CEA GIS Deliverable is submitted to the CSRR's GIS Unit when the CEA/WRA Fact Sheet Form is submitted to the Bureau of Case Assignment and Initial Notice (BCAIN). The GIS submittal is then managed using an automated process that attempts to create a GIS feature class shape from the GIS Deliverable. The feature class will be approved and included in the CEA GIS layer in NJ Geoweb when the document associated with the GIS deliverable is administratively approved.

  3. How can I find the Preferred ID for the submittal?

    If you do not have the CSRR Program Interest number, go to DEP DataMiner. Using Search by Category, select Site Remediation, then scroll down to Site Search Reports and run either the "All CSRR Sites by Selected PI Address" report or the "All CSRR Sites by Selected PI Name" report to obtain the CSRR Program Interest Number for the case of interest.

C) CSRR GIS Deliverables:

  1. CSRR's Naming Conventions differ from the Department's guidance. What guidance should I follow?

    Follow CSRR guidance for all submissions that are submitted to CSRR. Submittals to all other programs should follow guidance provided by the Department and/or the specific program that requires the submittal. Differences between CSRR and Department guidance are:

    Convention CSRR Department
    Starting character Start with letter or number start with a letter
    Case Upper or lowercase only lowercase letters
    Length of name no restriction 10 characters or less

  2. Do I need to zip my GIS Deliverable before submitting it to CSRR?

    Zipping a GIS Deliverable is required when GIS deliverable files are submitted via the online service. If the GIS deliverable files are emailed, it is not mandatory that they are provided in a zipped format. There is a 10 MB size limitation on an individual email.

  3. What type of GIS Deliverables are acceptable?

    Both Esri Shapefiles and CAD DWG or DXF files are accepted by CSRR. Other programs in the Department may only allow for Shapefiles as an acceptable format.

  4. What is a shapefile and why is it required?

    A shapefile is an open geospatial vector data format for GIS software. It can be created by several different GIS software programs. It is the preferred format for the CSRR GIS Deliverables.

  5. What files are required for a shapefile submittal?

    There are six main files that usually comprise a shapefile (.shp, .shx, .dbf, .sbn, .sbx and .prj); however, only four of the files are required for CSRR to process the shapefile. At a minimum, CSRR requires the submittal of the .shp, .shx, .dbf and .prj files.

  6. Are CAD submittals acceptable?

    Yes, CAD files are acceptable if the file is georeferenced using NAD 83 New Jersey State Plane feet, is submitted in a DWG or DXF file format, and complies with the requirements in the Administrative Requirements for GIS Deliverables.

  7. Can I submit additional shapes, such as Tax Parcel and streets, along with the object of concern within the Shapefile?

    No, only required features, such as CEA Boundary or Deed Notice Boundary, should be included in a shapefile. The Department does not want to introduce potential issues by including shapes that are not related to the required elements in the shapefile.

  8. Can I submit additional shapes, such as Tax Parcel and streets, along with the object of concern within a CAD file?

    Yes, CAD files do not have to be stripped of other elements prior to submittal, but additional features could introduce potential errors when importing the CAD file so it is recommended (but not required) that they only include the object of concern.

D) GIS Process:

  1. How is the GIS Deliverable processed by CSRR?

    Upon receipt of the GIS Deliverable, the CSRR GIS Unit catalogs the submittal, evaluates the information about the Submittal (including the metadata contained in the body of the email), and imports the shapes attached to the submission. If a valid GIS shape can be created, the shape is added to our in-house pending layer, which is used for internal review of the submittal, and a confirmation email is then sent to the submitter. If a valid shape can NOT be created, CSRR will send an email to the submitter outlining the reasons for the failure. All failures need to be corrected and resubmitted to the CSRR within 10 working days. Once the GIS shape and associated documentation are administratively approved, the GIS shape is then moved to a GIS layer that is viewable by the public via NJ Geoweb and the CSRR Profile in AGO.

  2. If I submit a GIS deliverable and realize it contained incorrect information, do I need to request that the submittal be discounted?

    If you would like to recall an email with incorrect information, please send an email to srpgis@dep.nj.gov with the subject line "Recall Submission", and the Preferred ID for the case (i.e., Recall Submission, 012345).

    If the shape was incorrect, adjust the shape and submit a new email to the appropriate GIS deliverable mailbox. If the metadata were incorrect, send an email to the appropriate GIS deliverable mailbox using the subject line "Corrected Metadata", and the Preferred ID for the case (i.e., Correct Metadata, 012345). If the shape is the same do not resubmit with this email.

E) Institutional Controls:

  1. I have historic fill on my site and need to submit the same shape for a Deed Notice and a historic fill CEA. How do I submit both submittals?

    Since the GIS Deliverables are for two different types of Institutional Controls, a GIS deliverable for both needs to be submitted in two different emails.

    The email for the historic fill CEA Deliverable is sent to srpgis_cea@dep.nj.gov and the email for the Deed Notice Deliverable is sent to srpgis_dn@dep.nj.gov. Each email shall include its own applicable metadata and the fields in the deliverable filled out accordingly.

  2. Do I have to submit a shape if I am reestablishing or modifying an existing CEA or Deed Notice (Institutional Control)?

    Submittal of the GIS deliverable via email is required for a revision to an existing Institutional Control where the boundary has changed, or the correct boundary is not posted on NJ GeoWeb. If the proposed boundary has not changed from the shape on NJ GeoWeb, then a GIS deliverable is not required. The form submitted to the Department should be completed accordingly.

  3. Approximately how long after I submit my Deed Notice and or CEA boundary can I expect to see the shape displayed in NJ Geoweb?

    Before a shape can be promoted to the public layer, the shape needs to be confirmed and approved. For example, a CEA request needs to be reviewed and established by the appropriate staff in CSRR in a formal document. At that time the CEA shape is moved to the public layer and can be viewed in NJ Geoweb and the CSRR Profile in AGO. This GIS layer is updated on a monthly basis.

  4. What should I do if I see an incorrect Deed Notice or CEA Boundary in NJ Geoweb?

    If you are the LCSRR for the case or are responsible for submittal of the GIS deliverable and see an incorrect Deed Notice or CEA Boundary in NJ Geoweb, send an email with the corrected boundary to srpgis@dep.nj.gov with the following format:

    On the subject line of the email, include the following: "Revised CEA or Deed Notice Request", and the Preferred ID for the case (ie: Revised CEA Request, 012345). Be sure to include the metadata in the body of the email and provide an explanation as to why the revision should be made.

  5. Who should I contact to find out the status of the issuance/establishment of the institutional control I submitted?

    Depending on the type of submittal, email / call:

CAD Files
Help for CAD GIS deliverables is provided on a separate web page (See CAD help)

F) Map Projections / Coordinate Conversions

  1. What is the minimum accuracy required for a CSRR GIS Deliverable?

    Please refer to NJDEP Mapping and Digital Data Standards.

  2. What are map projections and coordinate systems and why are they important?

    All geographic data layers store locations in a map projection or coordinate system. Map projections and coordinate systems are important since data layers will only overlay correctly when they utilize the same coordinate system. Examples of coordinate systems include Latitude and Longitude, Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM), and New Jersey State Plane (NAD83) feet. These systems relate to the way locations on the Earth are stored in a data layer, and the need for adjustments when translating locations from a sphere-shaped Earth to a flat map. For more information go to the USGS Map Projections web site.

    The standard coordinate system used by NJDEP is the New Jersey State Plane Coordinate System, NAD83. Units of measure are in feet. All NJDEP data layers available for download are in NAD 83 New Jersey State Plane Coordinates (NJSPC) feet.

  3. Where can I obtain a coordinate conversion utility?

    The New Jersey Division of Water Supply and Geoscience provides a coordinate conversion utility for converting coordinates to/from Latitude/Longitude in decimal degrees or degrees minutes seconds and NAD 27 or NAD 83 NJ State Plane feet.

    Other geodetic software utilities are available to download for free at the web site of the National Geodetic Survey (NGS), including the NGS Coordinate Conversion and Transformation Tool (NCAT).

G) Aerial Imagery / Base Maps:

  1. Where can I find historic aerial photography, base maps, etc.?

    Both NJ Geoweb and the Site Remediation Profile in AGO include some historical aerial photography and an assortment of base maps. Digital orthoimagery in a GIS format can also be obtained via the NJGIN website. Non-digital historical aerial photography can be viewed at the NJDEP Tidelands Management Program aerial photo library. Appointments can be made by calling 609-292-2573. For information on New Jersey base maps, view the NJDEP Mapping and Digital Data Standards document and/or visit the NJDEP Maps & Publications web site.

H) NJDEP GIS Data

Additional FAQs regarding NJ GeoWeb, including training, GPS and other topics can be found on the NJDEP Bureau of Geographic Information Systems (BGIS) website.