EPA Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Program
The goal of the EPA UAS program is to create a framework through which EPA regional offices, EPA headquarters offices and grant recipients can take advantage of UAS technology to protect human health and the environment. UAS offer data collection advantages by:
Increasing safety
- Affording operators safe monitoring distances
- Affording operators an opportunity to identify the location of hazards before entering into a hazardous zone
- Accessing difficult or dangerous to access locations with minimal risk
Reducing costs
- Providing cost-effective data
- Deploying fewer personnel
Increasing efficiency
- Can be quickly deployed (hours not days)
- Monitoring multiple locations simultaneously with fewer personnel
Deploying additional technologies for data collection and research, such as:
- High Resolution Imagery: optical photo/video, infrared/thermal, and multispectral
- Geophysics and remote sensing: LiDAR, magnetometry, and ground-penertrating radar
- Gas Sensors : H2S, SO2, NO, NO2, HCHO, VOCs, CO, Cl, HCl, HCN, NH3, CH3, dioxins, particulates, and more
- ERT VIPER integration, for real-time data collection and transmission
Where We Work
EPA works across the United States to fulfill its mission of protecting human health and the environment. View general information on what EPA is doing in your state.
EPA may use UAS for work, such as:
- Reconnaissance, response & mapping
- Ability to operate in hazardous situations
- Structural integrity assessment
- Investigating releases and chemical, biological, radiological events
- Logistics and planning support
- Site mapping (aerials for pre, post, or ongoing site documentation, volume/3D)
- Terrain modeling (erosion, deforestation, forest mapping, riverbanks)
EPA's UAS Community of Practice
- EPA has an EPA UAS Community of Practice made up of staff from across the Agency
- The purpose of the EPA UAS Community of Practice is to:
- Share UAS news, requirements, experiences and technical information
- Standardize UAS use practices across EPA
- Build a technical and practical knowledge base
More Information
Ana Greene, Deputy Geospatial Information Officer
Office of Information Management
EPA_UAS@epa.gov