United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Solid Waste and
Emergency Response
(OS-305)
EPA530-N-92-003
Summer 1992
&EPA
RCRA Information
Access
to e I c
to RCRA Information Access
by Sylvia K. Lowrance
Director, Office of Solid Waste
During the last several years, we have seen a
significant increase in the use of the RCRA Infor-
mation Center (RIC). For example, in 1989 RIC
responded to over 45,000 requests for information
or materials from 24,000 requestors; by 1991, the
number of requests had jumped to 256,000 from
87,000 indi-
viduals and
institutions.
This growth
can be at-
tributed to
the expand-
. ing array of
services and
information
RIC offers.
The goal of
RCRA In-
formation Access is to keep RCRA staff abreast
of the changes and improvements at RIC. This
newsletter will feature articles on a variety of topics,
such as RIC's information technology and document
collections. We hope RCRA Information Access
will encourage you to capitalize on RIC's multi-
tude of services.
C Usage Trends
A STOREHOUSE
OF INFORMATION
geographies
version
The first phase of the RCRA
Docket Micrographics Conver-
sion Project is nearing comple-
tion. During this phase, EPA has
been converting to microfilm
the dockets of all finalized rules,
Administrative Record files,
j and proposed rules published
before 1988 but never finalized.
More than 170 cubic feet of pa-
per documents have been
filmed, and the originals have
been sent to the Federal Record
Center.
The motives for launching the Conversion Project were
simple: to save money/ increase efficiency, and prolong the
physical life of RCRA documents. Storage and document
management expenses have been cut by more than 90 percent
as a result of the project. Older materials take up less space,
leaving more room for new dockets and a growing number
of OSW publications and Federal Registers. In addition, micro-
film minimizes the risks of docket loss, theft, or misfiling.
In the second phase of
this project, OSW publica-
tions (including guidance
documents, technical re-
ports, booklets, brochures,
fact sheets, and Reports to
Congress) will be con-
verted to both microfiche
and microfilm formats.
OSW publications that are
no longer in print or that are
available only through
NTIS will be duplicated to
microfiche for state and
federal government em-
ployees. Using microfiche
rather than paper docu-
ments will reduce both
photocopying and postage
costs. The microfilm docu-
ments will be available for
all RIC patrons to use.
For information and in- Room M2427
struction on how to use the ^Waterside Mall
micrographics system, visit 401 M Street, SW,
the RIC staff in RoomM2427 Washington, DC
of Waterside Mall, or call (202)260-9327
(202)260-9327.
•r42X
<5g> Printed on recycled paper.
^Tours
Available:
8:30 - 9:00 a.m.
Public
Hours:
9:00 a.m. -
4:00 p.m.
RCRA Information
Center (RIC)
U.S. Environmental
^Protection Agency
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Know..
RIC patrons can access many
special collections and on-line
services, such as the EPA/NOAA
Library Information Network
Catalog (UNO. UNC zs a com-
puterized card catalog available
on CD-ROM, which contains re-
cords on all of the holdings in the 28
EPA libraries and the 22 National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration (NOAA) libraries
and information centers.
UNC users can access more
than 228,000 records of environ-
mental information, including
books, technical reports, maps,
conference proceedings, journals,
and other documents and materi-
als in a variety of formats. UNC's
CD-ROM media is highly user-
friendly, providing on-screen help
windows and various mecha-
nisms to prevent the user from
getting lostzoithin the system.
RCRA
INFORMATION
CENTER
STAFF OH
STAFFED BY LABAT-ANDERSON, INC.
COMMONLY REQUESTED
PUBLICATIONS
Ask for These Items at the RIC Reference Desk
Native American Network: A RCRA Information Exchange
Newsletter covers RCRA's solid waste management issues. Serves as a forum
to exchange experiences and ideas among tribes to enhance working relationships
among tribal governments, EPA, other federal agencies, and state and local
governments.
Recycle Today! Educational Materials for Grades K-12 (Pamphlet)
EPA/530-SW-90-025
Encourages children to recycle and conserve materials. Contains information
for ordering free educational materials (curriculum guide, how-to handbook,
comic book, and poster) available to teachers from kindergarten through 12th
grade.
Reusable News ~. . . , .
Quarterly newsletter by the Municipal and Industrial Solid Waste Division that
reports on EPA's and others' efforts to safely and effectively manage garbage.
Includes articles on recycling, procurement, markets, composting, and informa-
tion available for EPA and other organizations.
RCRA/Superfund Monthly Hotline Report: 1991 Annual Report
EPAJ530-SW-91-093N (PB92-131390)
Provides a compilation of Questions and Answers and Federal Register Summa-
ries from individual Monthly Hotline Reports for the period of January to
December 1991. It is divided into three sections: Questions and Answers, Federal
Register Summaries, and Indices to the questions, according to subject matter and
regulatory and statutory citations.
Technical Implementation Document for EPA's
Boiler and Industrial Furnace Regulations
EPA/530-R-92-011 (PB92-154 947)
Provides permit writers and owners/operators
with technical guidance for following BIF Rule
requirements. Addresses certainprecompliance
and compliance certification activities, per-
mitting, continued compliance with operating
requirements, and associated planning and
testing required for compliance with rules.
If you
ideas
¥FV%- ~* / ^ , •v
Kathy Bruneske
Veronica "Ronnie" McCrohan
Fabienne McGovern
Retta Williams
Gregg Baumgartner
Caleb Corkery
Audrey Dykes
Jonathan Smith
Aimee Soubier
Alvin Pulley
'Program Director
Head Librarian
Reference Librarian
Organization of New Docket Materials
and Public Comments; Maintains RCRADS
Document Distribution
Document Distribution
Microfilming Project
Reference Technician
Photocopying and Mailing
Microfilming and Archiving
for future articles
or questions con-
act: , ,
/ * , ' / ,
Barbara Both
*Chief, Information
Services Section
EPA, RCRA Docket
„ (202) 260-285& ' , .
/
Kathy Bruneske
- Program Director, RIC
Labat-Anderspn, Inc.
^(202)260-3986 ^ \
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