nVIRO Basics
Overview
Through a single integrated platform, nVIRO supports the full regulatory lifecycle and connects the people and information involved in regulatory work, including:
Regulated entities submitting applications and reports
Agency staff reviewing permits and managing compliance
Field inspectors collecting on-site inspection data
Program leadership monitoring environmental outcomes
Functional Areas
Functional areas are the major modules within nVIRO, representing the core steps in the regulatory lifecycle. There are six primary functional areas:
Sites: Sites are the centerpiece of nVIRO, with which all other information in the system is associated. In nVIRO, a “site” is a flexible record type used to represent any entity being tracked or regulated, including physical locations, individuals, and organizations involved in environmental activities.
Submissions: The regulatory lifecycle begins with the receipt of an application, change request, complaint, compliance report, or service request from a member of the public or regulated community. Submissions are based on forms designed in nFORM. If paper applications are accepted, agency staff can also enter forms into nVIRO on behalf of applicants to initiate the regulatory process. Once a submission is received and assigned to a processor, workflows and tasks track the progress of the submission through to completion.
Permits: When a submission is approved, agencies may issue permits, licenses, registrations, or other authorizations. Permit versioning tracks changes over time, including modifications, transfers, renewals, and terminations. Permit conditions, monitoring requirements, and other details are also fully managed within nVIRO.
Evaluations: Agency staff conduct on-site inspections, off-site record reviews, and desk audits to confirm sites are in compliance with the terms of their permits. If configured, inspections can be conducted using nSPECT, an integrated mobile inspection application. System-generated evaluations can also occur when required schedules or reports are not submitted by their due date. Evaluations may result in violations if deficiencies are found.
Compliance actions: Violations identified during an evaluation may yield compliance or enforcement actions. These actions can be informal, such as a warning letter, or formal, such as a consent decree.
Environmental projects: Environmental projects are used to track ongoing environmental efforts, such as hazardous waste cleanup, site monitoring, and remediation activities.
Shared Attributes
Functional area records can be searched using list pages and managed using detail pages (for more information on these pages, see the Getting Around the Platform page). Each detail page includes several navigation tabs where users can view and edit shared attributes such as:
Workflows and Tasks: Sets of tasks to be completed for a given business process.
Documents: Files uploaded to nVIRO manually, submitted via a form, or automatically generated within the system.
Events: Records of calls, meetings, correspondence, and other actions related to a functional area record.
Contacts: Contact information for individuals or organizations associated with a functional area record. This allows agencies to efficiently reach stakeholders when needed and supports automated features such as populating contact information in generated documents.
Program Components: Customized groups of data elements associated with a specific program or functional area. Program components provide a flexible way to store and manage data not captured elsewhere in nVIRO and can also serve as a repository for historical data migrated from legacy systems.
Schedules: Reports or other deadlines required of a site as a condition of a permit, compliance action, or environmental project.
Although some attributes are shared across records, not all attributes are available in every functional area. Certain attributes, such as holds, features, violations, samples, fines, and financial assurances, are available only in select functional areas.