diff --git a/awips/dataaccess/DataAccessLayer.py b/awips/dataaccess/DataAccessLayer.py
index 7f02e55..ecfea5a 100644
--- a/awips/dataaccess/DataAccessLayer.py
+++ b/awips/dataaccess/DataAccessLayer.py
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-# #
-# #
-
-
 #
 # Published interface for awips.dataaccess package
 #
@@ -30,7 +26,6 @@
 
 
 import sys
-import subprocess
 import warnings
 
 THRIFT_HOST = "edex"
diff --git a/awips/dataaccess/DataNotificationLayer.py b/awips/dataaccess/DataNotificationLayer.py
index 8c549d0..ac8abec 100644
--- a/awips/dataaccess/DataNotificationLayer.py
+++ b/awips/dataaccess/DataNotificationLayer.py
@@ -1,6 +1,3 @@
-# #
-# #
-
 #
 # Published interface for retrieving data updates via awips.dataaccess package
 #
@@ -51,7 +48,6 @@ each time a METAR is received from there.
 
 import re
 import sys
-import subprocess
 from awips.dataaccess.PyGeometryNotification import PyGeometryNotification
 from awips.dataaccess.PyGridNotification import PyGridNotification
 
@@ -95,9 +91,9 @@ def getGridDataUpdates(request):
             calling its subscribe() method
     """
     response = router.getNotificationFilter(request)
-    filter = response.getNotificationFilter()
+    notificationFilter = response.getNotificationFilter()
     jmsInfo = _getJmsConnectionInfo(response)
-    notifier = PyGridNotification(request, filter, requestHost=THRIFT_HOST, **jmsInfo)
+    notifier = PyGridNotification(request, notificationFilter, requestHost=THRIFT_HOST, **jmsInfo)
     return notifier
 
 
diff --git a/awips/dataaccess/PyGeometryData.py b/awips/dataaccess/PyGeometryData.py
index c7bec79..a2c626a 100644
--- a/awips/dataaccess/PyGeometryData.py
+++ b/awips/dataaccess/PyGeometryData.py
@@ -60,6 +60,6 @@ class PyGeometryData(IGeometryData, PyData.PyData):
         return unit.decode('utf-8')
 
     def getType(self, param):
-        param = param.encode('utf-8')
+        param = param
         type = self.__dataMap[param][1]
-        return type.decode('utf-8')
+        return type
diff --git a/awips/dataaccess/PyNotification.py b/awips/dataaccess/PyNotification.py
index 95cc4e3..a2f70eb 100644
--- a/awips/dataaccess/PyNotification.py
+++ b/awips/dataaccess/PyNotification.py
@@ -34,11 +34,12 @@ class PyNotification(with_metaclass(abc.ABCMeta, INotificationSubscriber)):
     specified filtering criteria.
     """
 
-    def __init__(self, request, filter, host='localhost', port=5672, requestHost='localhost'):
+    def __init__(self, request, notificationFilter, host='localhost',
+                 port=5672, requestHost='localhost'):
         self.DAL = DataAccessLayer
         self.DAL.changeEDEXHost(requestHost)
         self.request = request
-        self.notificationFilter = filter
+        self.notificationFilter = notificationFilter
         self.__topicSubscriber = QpidSubscriber(host, port, decompress=True)
         self.__topicName = "edex.alerts"
         self.callback = None