Reference · § I–VII
The Environmental Protection Agency's master integration layer for federal environmental records. Parcelscope queries Envirofacts for several datasets:
A specialized federal interface for underground storage tank records, drawing from state UST programs and federal LUST data. We use UST Finder to cross-reference TDEC's state-level UST and LUST databases and surface tanks that may not appear in current TDEC records due to closure, change of operator, or historical reporting gaps.
The federal interactive environmental atlas. We use EnviroAtlas for tree canopy coverage at the HUC-12 watershed level — the EPA's standard hydrological unit for sub-basin scale environmental analysis.
County-level designation of predicted indoor radon potential. Zone 1 (highest), Zone 2 (moderate), Zone 3 (lowest). Davidson County is Zone 1. The designation is geological — based on uranium content of the underlying rock, soil permeability, and historical indoor measurements — and applies countywide rather than parcel-level.
Federal database of municipal solid waste landfills, including operational status, methane emissions, and energy recovery projects. We query LMOP within a three-mile radius of the parcel.
Airport operations data, runway diagrams, and DNL (Day-Night Average Sound Level) noise contour models. For Davidson County, the relevant facility is BNA — Nashville International Airport. We use FAA DNL contour data to determine whether a parcel falls within the 65, 70, or 75 dB contour bands and to identify proximity to runway approach and departure paths.
Hourly weather observation data from FAA-collocated weather stations. We use NOAA's Climate Data Online (NCDC, NCEI) interface to retrieve the prevailing wind direction at BNA station, calculated from a ten-year window of hourly observations.
The federal address-to-coordinate translation service. Used to convert street addresses into latitude/longitude pairs for the spatial join. The Census geocoder is our primary geocoding source because it is free, accurate, and updated regularly.
UST — Underground Storage Tank Database. Active and closed underground fuel and chemical storage tanks registered with the state. Includes facility name, owner, address, tank count, tank size, contents, and installation date. Maintained by TDEC's Division of Underground Storage Tanks.
LUST — Leaking Underground Storage Tank Database. Documented releases from underground storage tanks: cases that are open, in remediation, or closed (No Further Action). Includes case identifier, status, opening date, closure date (where applicable), and responsible party.
DCERP — Drycleaner Environmental Response Program. State-administered program for tracking historical and current dry cleaner sites that have used or may have used PCE (perchloroethylene), TCE (trichloroethylene), or related chlorinated solvents. Includes registration status, closure status, and remediation history.
Division of Remediation. State-led contamination cleanups outside the federal Superfund framework. Includes brownfields, voluntary cleanup sites, and state-supervised remediations.
Used to supplement the EPA's county-level radon zone designations with state-level guidance and any locally-collected indoor radon data made publicly available.
Maintains records on public golf courses, designated event venues, and other municipally-owned environmental features. We use this dataset for confirming named public golf course locations within Davidson County.
The county assessor's parcel database — the source of record for parcel boundaries, parcel identification numbers, ownership, and assessed land use. We use parcel data to define the geometry of the spatial join. Each report includes the parcel ID for the address.
A globally maintained, openly licensed geographic database. We query OSM via the Overpass API for several feature types not consistently maintained by federal, state, or local agencies:
OSM data is community-maintained and varies in completeness. Where we use OSM data, we say so.
"Proximity to Golf Courses and Risk of Parkinson Disease." JAMA Network Open. 2025;8(5):e259198. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.9198
The peer-reviewed study underlying Parcelscope's golf-course proximity finding. A case-control study from Barrow Neurological Institute and the Mayo Clinic, drawing on data from the Rochester Epidemiology Project (1991–2015). The study found that living within one mile of a golf course was associated with a 126% increased risk of Parkinson disease compared to living more than six miles away, with the strongest effects in water service areas where golf courses sat in vulnerable groundwater regions. Pesticides applied to golf courses are identified as the most likely route of exposure.
We surface golf-course proximity findings within one mile of the parcel and link to this study by name. We do not paraphrase its conclusions.
"Traffic-related air pollution: A critical review of the literature on emissions, exposure, and health effects."
The methodological foundation for Parcelscope's major-road proximity finding. Establishes the documented association between proximity to high-traffic roadways and elevated PM2.5 and ultrafine particulate exposure. Used to inform the radius and scoring weight applied to highway and major-arterial proximity.
"A citizen's guide to radon" and "Map of Radon Zones methodology."
Background documentation for radon zone designation methodology and recommended action levels. Referenced in radon findings.
"Aviation noise effects." DNL contour methodology and aircraft noise impact research.
Underlies Parcelscope's aircraft noise contour band finding.
ASTM E1527-21 Standard Practice for Environmental Site Assessments: Phase I Environmental Site Assessment Process.
Referenced as the methodological boundary between what Parcelscope is (a hyperlocal records search) and what a Phase I ESA is (a comprehensive licensed environmental professional review). Search radii for several Parcelscope categories align with the radii that ASTM E1527-21 recommends for Phase I scoping.
Public datasets update on each agency's own schedule. EPA Envirofacts datasets are typically updated quarterly. TDEC datasets vary: UST and LUST records are updated as cases progress; DCERP is updated when sites enter or exit the program. NOAA weather data is continuous. OSM data is community-maintained and updates whenever a contributor adds or edits a feature.
Each Parcelscope report shows the retrieval date for each finding. If you order a report and a new TDEC LUST case is opened the following week, that case will not appear in your report. We do not push report updates. Order a fresh report if currency matters to your decision.
For completeness, the following are NOT in Parcelscope's data sources:
These categories are deliberately excluded. Some are well-served by other products. Others are categories Parcelscope chooses not to enter for editorial reasons. The Method page explains why.
This bibliography is updated as we add or refine data sources. For corrections or questions about a specific source, write to hello@getparcelscope.com.