Immediate Release

Contact: Joe Robertaccio
January 26, 2000

Environmental Health Engineer

(315) 798-5064

EANNACE ANNOUNCES AWARD OF GRANT

Oneida County Executive Ralph J. Eannace Jr. announced today that the Environmental Health Division of the Oneida County Health Department has received a generous grant from the Environmental Systems Research Institutes (ESRI) Environmental Protection Grant Program. Eannace said, "I congratulate, the County Health Department and in particular the efforts of Mr. Joseph Robertaccio, Oneida County Health Department, Public Health Engineer for the Water Supply Division, whose efforts made this award possible".

 

The division was one of 100 nationwide local environmental governmental agencies to receive this award of approximately $6,875 worth of Global Information System and Support Software. Robertaccio said, "We are receiving two additional add-ons from an Environmental Systems Research Institutes (ESRI) Business partners along with an air release hazardous waste add-on module with a combined value of almost $5,000. The total value of the package we receive should exceed $12,000".

 

The grant will enable the department to utilize the latest technology in database management. The department’s receipt of the software will help simplify and inter-link databases and maintain new databases in a dynamic way that will aid the department in their decision-making processes. Robertaccio further stated, " Information will soon be available at our fingertips rather than stuffed away in filing cabinets. The taxpayers will see the true rewards from this grant." Information that used to take days and weeks to explore will be moments away, once the databases are maintained. Office functions will become more efficient. The GIS software will be able to analyze trends in environmental behavior, which in the past may not have been so easy to recognize because cases were handled on paper. Eannace added, "Now we can see information in a global view". The program will be used to track communicable and food disease outbreaks, contaminated food products, diseases, lead poisoning, groundwater and surface water contamination, and be able to source water protection efforts. Eannace said, "Using our services sharing initiatives we will be able to assist in planning efforts of Oneida County and its communities to better serve the community water systems."