In 1969, the first real Internet connection called ARPANET was launched. That same year, one Richard Young founded Pollution Engineering magazine. Young did not know at that time just how important that development would become to his new publication.

As the Internet developed, people prophesied about the demise of the printed word. Although our issues are now available in digital format, according to our last survey[1], 99 percent of our readers prefer the printed version. Over 97 percent tell us they notice the advertisements in the magazine and use them to stay abreast of the latest technology.

However, the magazine is only a part of the methods we use to share information with our readers. There were nearly 9 million hits to our website last year, not counting Web robots, according to our statistical software. New this year is a section that holds white papers submitted by our advertisers. Also new is a section we call ePE-TV. This section, divided into air, water or waste categories, contains short videos about products and processes.

On the home page, near the top left, is a section titled This Just In. Daily news items are posted so the visitor does not have to search through all the available news agencies when something important happens. For those really tech savvy visitors, there is an RSS feed to alert them when new materials are posted.

Looking to find state regulations in another state and not sure where to find such info? Click on Industry Links on the left side of the page; PE's editorial staff have gathered dozens of Internet links that would be of interest to environmental professionals. The government information link will take you to an alphabetical list of each state's environmental agency page as well as others such as 40 CFR, the Federal Register or the Army Corps of Engineers.

Our goal is to provide information to those that really need and want it. To accomplish that, we require our readers to renew their subscriptions at regular intervals. This can easily be done online in just a couple of minutes. When a renewal notice comes to you, go to www.pollutionengineering.com and click on subscribe. Then choose the "Renew Subscription" button and follow the online instructions. Something new here that you may notice is a choice to get the issues in digital format.

We are continually looking to improve the information we provide. Please explore not only the issue but our website and drop us a note if there are changes you would like to see added. PE