EFACTS

eFACTS, or "Environment Facility Application Compliance Tracking System" is a tool created by Pennsylvania's Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which allows individuals to search for authorizations, clients, sites and facilities. Users can also search the database to find inspection and pollution prevention visits as well as inspection results data, including enforcement information when violations are noted. DEP has also provided a name search to use when it is not known if the entity is a client, site or facility.

Usability Issues

• Unclear Formatting: When the user arrives at the eFACTS page, it is not immediately apparent how to enter the database, or how to search. Users should note that the left sidebar contains the links of how to begin their search.
• Specificity in Search Terms: Within any of the searches, it will either ask for a specific permit/site/facility/etc. number in a specific format, or for at least 3-4 search criteria to be met. This limits the ability to search for all of any one item (ex: users cannot get a comprehensive list of "Centralized Impoundments"-only centralized impoundments in a specific county, with a specific subtype of authorization, or within a specific township), forcing users to either conduct repetitive searches ad nauseum without guarantee they have found every result they were looking for, or give up entirely and search by operator, which also does not guarantee a complete list.
  • This issue could be improved by allowing users to search using fewer search terms, and requiring less specificity in format surrounding things such as "name" (ex: Instead of "BEST IMPOUNDMENT - DAM PERMIT," a user should be able to search "best impoundment" and come up with results.)
• Search Type Confusion: When making a search, a user may choose to do one of several searches:
  • Authorization Search
  • Client Search
  • Facility Search
  • Inspection Search
  • Mammography Search
  • Name Search
  • Pollution Prevention
  • Sites by County/Municipality
  • Site Search

The difference between a "site" and a "facility" is not defined anywhere (nor are any other terms defined), nor are the searches linked especially well or coherently.

• Empty Links: While eFACTS makes some effort to internally link (for example, a specific permit page might have a link to the operator requesting the permit, and the site the permit is for), it is a fairly frequent occurrence for an internal link--especially to sites--to say it leads to a specific page, but after clicking, it will say that no such page exists.
• Page load times: The server supporting eFACTS is underwhelming, and the page loading times (not just for searches, but for even reaching the search page) are exceptionally long. It will eventually get the user to the page, however it typically takes between 2 and 8 seconds, making eFACTS frustrating to use.