WDNR BRRTS on the Web

WDNR BRRTS on the Web - Basic Search Help
  Basic Search >> Search Help

Using Basic Search to Find Activities in BRRTS

General Information
Capitalizing Criteria
Automatic Operators
Abbreviations
Wildcard Searching
Search Accuracy
Activity Name
Location Address
Municipalities
 Zip Codes
Wisonsin Counties
DNR Regions
Jurisdiction
Activity Type
Activity Status
Facility Id
Activity Number
Commerce Number

General Information
Basic Search provides a simple way to locate Activities using the most common search values. Simply enter or select one or more of the search values and hit the 'Enter' key or click on the Search button. You may receive an error message if some part of the criteria you've entered is incorrect. Clicking the 'Clear' button removes all values from the search form and resets each field to defaults. If you use a web browser with a pop-up blocker, some of the help windows in BRRTS may not open. Turn off the blocker while using BRRTS on the Web (BOTW). After submitting your search, you will see a list of Activities matching your criteria covering one or more pages. The number of Activities found and the number of pages produced are shown at the top of each page. Use the 'Previous Page', 'Next Page' links to move between pages.top

Capitalization
BOTW searches are NOT case sensitive. All letters, no matter how they are entered, will be converted to the correct case that matches the values in the database. top

Automatic 'AND' Queries
By default, the BOTW search engine only returns Activities that match all of your search values. "And" is used by default to join each separate search value. Unlike some web search engines, separate values entered into the same field will not be searched for independently. For example, entering 'ACME PIPELINE' in the Activity Name field does not search for 'ACME' separate from 'PIPLELINE'. To restrict a search further, just include or select additional values. top

Abbreviations in BRRTS
ASSOC = ASSOCIATED
ASSN = ASSOCIATION
AVE = AVENUE
BLVD = BOULEVARD
BUS HWY = BUSINESS HIGHWAY
CTY = CITY
COMM = COMMISSION
CO = COMPANY
CONST = CONSTRUCTION
COOP = COOPERATIVE
CORP = CORPORATION
CNTY = COUNTY
CTH = COUNTY TRUNK HWY
DIST = DISTRICT
DIV = DIVISION
DR = DRIVE
E = EAST
FS = FARM SERVICE
HWY = HIGHWAY
INC = INCORPORATED
LN = LANE
MFG = MANUFACTURING
N = NORTH
OFC = OFFICE
PLT = PLANT
RD = ROAD
SAN = SANITARY
S = SOUTH
STH = STATE TRUNK HWY
ST = STREET
TN = TOWN
USH = UNITED STATES HWY
UW = UNIVERSITY
VIL = VILLAGE
W = WEST
WI = WISCONSIN
WBS = WOOD BURING SITE
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Searching with 'Wildcards'
The BOTW search engine automatically determines how each search term should be searched for to return the optimum results. It isn't necessary to enter '*' or '%' to force a search with 'begins with' or 'contains'. In fact, entering these symbols will interfere with your search. See the information below on each search value and how the search is executed. On the Search Results page header, you will see 'You searched on:' and the details of your search. This will indicate how each of your criteria values was searched for. top

Incomplete Data and Search Accuracy
Some fields in the BRRTS database have incomplete entries. Please refer to the accuracy indicator next to each criteria field and click on 'Search Accuracy Indicators' at the bottom of the search page for more information. top

Activity Name Field
Often, but not always, the same as the Location name - there can be more than one activity at a contaminated site. The activity name may be more specific to the location of a discharge e.g.: 'spill at intersection of 1st and 2nd Ave'. By default, the BOTW search engine searches for Activity Names using 'CONTAINS'. top

Location Address Field
When a value is entered into this field, the search will look for matching location addresses that CONTAIN the entered criteria. For example, entering First Ave will return addresses such as '123 FIRST AVE' or '89 FIRST AVENUE' or entering '800' would return addresses like '8000 STH 178TH', '1800 HARRISON ST', etc. It is a good idea to use less specific, fuzzy, address criteria in this field. This way you won't miss finding addresses with spelling differences or that use abbreviation. top

Municipality Field
Name of the city, township, village or unincorporated name where the Activity is physically located. This may differ from the municipality used for the mailing address. In the BRRTS database, Municipalities are not input using a standard list and therefore abbreviations and order may vary (e.g. 'St. Favre, TN', 'TN of Saint Favre', etc). Search criteria should be entered with this in mind and multiple searches attempted if initial searches don't find desired results. Municipality names should contain the suffix 'TN' for Townships and 'VIL' for Villages. When searching by municipality, a BEGINS WITH search is automatically performed. For example, searching with 'GR' in the municipality field will return Activities located in 'Green Bay', 'Grand Marsh', etc. top

Zip Code List
To further limit your search, you may select a value from the drop down comprehensive list of Wisconsin Zip Codes. Please keep in mind, Zip Codes for Activity locations are incomplete in the BRRTS database. If you search using Zip Code, you should not consider the search results complete for that Zip Code area. top

WI County List
Select a Wisconsin County from the drop down list to limit the search by County. top

DNR Region List
Select a DNR Region from the drop down list to limit the search by Region. Click on the 'DNR Region' link next to the criteria field for maps and more information. top

Agency Jurisdiction List
Indicates the agency, or bureau within the agency, which holds jurisdiction for cleanup actions at an Activity. Click on the 'Agency Jurisdiction' link next to this list for an explanation of each searchable jurisdiction. top

Activity Type List
Select the RR Activity type (program) to limit your search. Click the 'Activity Type' link next to this list for more information. top

Status List
Select a status (or statuses) for the Activities you are searching for. Status indicates the current 'state' of an Activity's cleanup process. 'Open' indicates the Activity is still in need of cleanup or the cleanup is underway. 'Conditionally Closed' indicates most clean-up actions have been approved but the Activity is awaiting formal closure upon the receipt of closure documentation. 'Closed' indicates an Activity has completed all cleanup requirements and has received a case closure letter from DNR or SPILL Activities that require no further cleanup. The Status List allows you to choose multiple statuses, such as 'Open or Closed', etc. Activity status has been a required field since 1996. Some Spill cleanups completed prior to 1996 have been closed. For other old Spill Activities, the status has been set to 'Historic' because these were not formally closed.top

Facility Identifier (FID) Field
Not all locations in BRRTS contain a FID number. Other DNR programs also use these numbers. Searching by FID is useful when focused on the physical location where more than one Activity may be present. top

Activity Number Field
If you know the 10 digit BRRTS tracking number (e.g. from DNR correspondence), you may search for a specific site by entering the number in this box. You may enter the full number with dashes or omit them. The first two digits of the Activity Number indicate the 'type' or 'program' of the Activity (e.g. '02' = ERP, '03' = LUST, '04' = SPILL, etc.). The next two digits contain the county code. The BOTW search engine search for Activity Numbers using 'CONTAINS'. A quick way to find ERP Activities in Milwaukee County would be to enter '0241' in this field. top

Commerce Number Field
For those Activities whose jurisdiction is the Department of Commerce and/or are tracked in the Department of Commerce's PECFA database, this is the number assigned by Commerce to an Activity. top

BRRTS data comes from various sources, both internal and external to DNR. There may be omissions and errors in the data and delays in updating new information. Please see the BOTW disclaimers page for more information.
Release 2.6.1 | 11/28/2007