How do we make data more accessible? A simple question with complex answers. While data accessibility takes many forms, one component is data freshness. Ensuring data is up-to-date is vital for accessibility, particularly for applications supporting environmental and social protection. The Maryland Violation Tracker, a tool that we built for Chesapeake Legal Alliance conveying water related permit and inspection data, is just that. Keeping the application current ensures affected residents and environmental advocates can act in real-time to issues in their community.
Originally built in 2021, our team recently released a new round of updates to the Violation Tracker, These updates employ an automated system for pulling data from Maryland’s Open Data Portal and updating the application daily. Utilizing open source technologies like R, Docker, and Airflow, the Violation Tracker Worker update demonstrates the value of technology and is a significant step forward in protecting Maryland’s ecosystem and residents from pollution. To read more about the application updates, point-source water pollution, and the legislative efforts paving the way for data accountability, check out the full article Automation for Accountability on Common Knowledge.*
*Common Knowledge is The Common’s program for connecting technology, data, and community to build a better environmental movement.
