United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Administration And
Resources Management
(PM-211D)
EPA/220-B-92-021
July 199X
vvEPA
Public Access:
A "How To" Guide
Printed on Recycled Paper
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Public Access: A "How To" Guide
Information Access Branch
Information Management and Services Division
Office of Information Resources Management
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
PM-211D
401M Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20460
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION 1
CHAPTER H IDENTIFYING AND UNDERSTANDING YOUR AUDIENCE 7
Introduction 7
User Studies 11
FOIA Request Examination 12
Internal EPA Survey 15
External Survey 21
Feedback Mechanisms 26
Product Evaluation Cards 27
Telephone Evaluations 30
CHAPTER in DELIVERING THE MESSAGE 33
Introduction 33
Publications 38
Multimedia Products 45
Electronic Media 52
Floppy Diskettes 52
Magnetic Tapes 55
CD ROM 57
CHAPTER IV DEVELOPING ACCESS POINTS 63
Introduction 63
Access Points 66
Hotlines 67
Dockets 74
Electronic Bulletin Boards 79
Databases 85
Clearinghouses 92
Public Information Centers 98
Libraries 102
CHAPTER V UTILIZING DISTRIBUTION MECHANISMS Ill
Introduction Ill
EPA Distribution Mechanisms 113
EPA Publications & Information Center (EPIC) 113
Center for Environmental Research Information (CERI) 116
Headquarters Public Information Center 119
Regional Public Information Centers 121
Federal Government Sponsored Distribution Mechanisms 123
Government Printing Office (GPO) 123
Federal Depository Library Program 126
National Technical Information Service (NTIS) 128
General Services Administration's Consumer Information Center (CIC) 131
Partnership Opportunities 135
State Environmental Organizations 137
Other Federal Agencies 141
Interest Groups 143
Private Companies 149
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TABLE OF CONTENTS (continued)
CHAPTER VI REACHING OUT FOR EFFECTIVE ACCESS 153
Introduction 153
Public Information Materials 154
Access EPA 155
Information Systems Inventory 156
Online Library System 157
EPA Telephone Directories 158
Program Reference Manuals 160
Outreach Tools 161
APPENDICES
Appendix A: Attachments 163
Public Access Principles
Electronic Bulletin Board Policy
"Public Access" by Jerry Slaymaker
National Water Clearinghouse Questionnaire
Memorandum on Printing Control Officer Dissemination Role
Appendix B: List of Contacts 191
Appendix C: Acronym List 197
Appendix D: Comment Form 199
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I. INTRODUCTION
Over the last several years, EPA has been experiencing an increase in
demand from the public for information maintained by the Agency. In order
to meet this demand, EPA's offices have been responding in a variety of ways,
including using information centers, clearinghouses, dockets, hotlines, and
databases to make this information available. The Office of Information
Resources Management (OIRM), in its role as National Program Manager for
Public Access, has been promoting coordination and enhancement of these
public access activities to increase efficiency in providing information. This
Public Access guide is another one of the steps that OIRM is taking to promote
this increased efficiency.
Definition of Public Access
As defined in EPA's Public Access Principles, a draft copy of which is
included in Appendix A, public access and dissemination enhance the ability
of concerned parties to obtain information generated, collected, maintained,
and stored by the government. For EPA this definition includes:
• Responding to hard copy or electronic requests for
information from one of the Agency's information
sources
• Disseminating, or distributing, solicited and unsolicited
information to the public or to publicly available sources.
The public is a very broad term that is used to describe the following:
• Citizens
• Federal, state, local, tribal, and international governments
• Specific interest groups, such as health organizations,
trade associations, and environmental groups
Academia and the research community
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Introduction
• Industry and the regulated community
• Press.
Currently, the primary users of EPA information are those audiences who can
interpret the vast amounts of technical information collected and maintained
by the Agency. Therefore, the smallest user of environmental information is
the general public although demand from this audience is continuing to
increase.
Background
EPA's current Public Access Program is an informal network of
individual systems and services primarily maintained and operated by
program offices. The systems and services facilitate access and dissemination
to paper-based and electronic information. The four main objectives of EPA's
Public Access Program, as defined in the August 6,1991, Public Access Strategy
Document are to enable EPA to:
• Better understand its audiences
• Reach the public in the most effective and efficient
manner
• Make quality data available to the public, within available
resources, and ensure confidentiality of sensitive
information
• Coordinate its public access initiatives at all levels in the
Agency so as to improve efficiency and service.
EPA's Public Access Program has used various means to promote
achievement of these objectives. These means include developing the Public
Access Status Document, a document which describes ongoing public access
efforts and which identifies issues confronting managers with regard to public
access. The Program also sponsored Public Access Forums for Headquarters
senior managers in the Fall of 1990. At these forums, senior managers
discussed various public access issues and provided suggestions on how EPA
should address these issues. Other Public Access Program activities have
included:
• Sponsoring an interagency committee on public access to
share information on how each agency is addressing
public access issues and providing information to the
public
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Introduction
• Developing the Access EPA series, a directory of EPA
information sources.
• Developing another document entitled Public
Information Access, abstracts of articles on general public
access issues
Throughout these activities, several common themes have emerged. One of
these themes involves the need for practical information that could be used
in initiating or enhancing public access efforts. Practical and useful
information has been identified as critical for assisting Headquarters,
Regional, and Laboratory offices in more efficiently providing information to
the public.
Benefits
EPA's Public Access Program, including its principles, strategy
document, forums, and this guide offer many benefits to EPA, including the
following:
• Promote attainment of EPA's environmental mission
• Ensure fulfillment of federal requirements for public
access
• Improve the public's ability to obtain EPA's information,
thus strengthening EPA's relationship with the public
• Encourage a proactive response to demands for
information
• Promote efficient handling of requests for information
within EPA.
Information contained in this guide will assist users to address public access
issues efficiently and effectively and to realize the maximum benefits from
these efforts.
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Introduction
Purpose
The purpose of this document is to provide EPA managers in all offices
with practical, implementation-oriented information to assist with initiating
or enhancing existing public access efforts. The purpose will be accomplished
through:
• Providing information to complement EPA's Public
Access Principles
• Outlining information to assist with defining users and
their needs
• Providing practical information to assist with responding
to public requests for information. This document
provides practical information through:
Informing staff of relevant policies, procedures, and
other public access information
Serving as a reference tool for locating information
within EPA
Promoting information sharing across offices.
• Providing a contact list for quick reference to public access
experts and an acronym list (included in the Appendix of
this guide).
In defining the format and content of this guide, numerous interviews were
conducted with EPA Headquarters, Regional, and Laboratory staff. This
document reflects the suggestions expressed in these interviews. The Office
of Communication, Education, and Public Affairs (OCEPA) has also produced
a document which complements this guide entitled "Communicating with
the Public." The document discusses other public affairs issues which are
related to information resource issues outlined in this guide. In order to
obtain a copy of this document, please contact OCEPA's Editorial Services
Division at (202) 260-4359.
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Introduction
Future Plans for Guide
Potential users interviewed during the development of this guide
indicated that regular updates would be required to keep it current and useful.
Therefore, this guide will be viewed as a "living document" which will be
updated and expanded to allow the document to be as useful as possible for an
extended period of time. Planned updates and enhancements include:
• Update information on public access initiatives ongoing
within EPA
• Include information on potential applications of new
technologies as they become available.
To facilitate the updating process through identifying areas for improvement
and update, a user survey, entitled "Update and Comment Form" has been
developed. Any comments or suggestions should be given on the form,
which is located in the Appendix D of this document, and forwarded to Brigid
Rapp, Chief, Information Access Branch, Information Management Services
Division (IMSD), OIRM, (202) 260-8710, PM-211D. Comments and suggestions
will be reviewed for incorporation in the next edition of this guide.
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II. IDENTIFYING AND
UNDERSTANDING
YOUR AUDIENCE
INTRODUCTION
Purpose
The purpose of this section is to assist EPA offices in:
• Identifying members of the public (i.e., audiences) interested in
information maintained by the particular office
• Understanding the needs of these audiences with regard to
obtaining and using EPA's information (e.g., type of
information, format, delivery mechanism).
This section is intended to serve as the building block for offices developing
public access programs. Prior to determining which media, access point, or
distribution mechanism to use to convey a message, an office must first
understand the audience that needs to be reached and its needs with regard to
obtaining EPA's information. This section will provide an approach to
acquiring this type of information.
Approach
To determine how best to approach identifying audiences and
understanding their information needs, an office should first:
• Define its requirements and objectives for obtaining audience
information
• Evaluate and select an approach for collecting relevant
information.
These steps are discussed in the following text.
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
Objectives and Requirements
The following questions need to be answered when formulating an
objective with respect to identifying and understanding audiences:
• For what specific sets or types of information does an office want
to identify audiences? For example, does an office want to try to
identify all potential audiences for its information (i.e., all
audiences for information maintained by the Office of Water) or
should only one specific topic area (e.g., lead in drinking water)
be investigated? In general, the more targeted and focused the
set of information, the easier and less resource intensive it will
be to determine audience needs.
• What specific user needs should be investigated? Typical user
needs that should be targeted include:
Format - Would the audience like to receive data
in electronic, hard copy, or another format?
Level of Detail - Would the audience prefer to
receive summary information, raw data, or both?
Quality Assurance - What level of quality is
required in the data, and how current must it be to
be useful to the audience?
Time Requirements - Does the public need to
receive information within a certain time frame for
it to be helpful?
Language Requirements -- What language would
the audience prefer (e.g., English, Spanish)?
Access/Delivery Points - Do members of the public
want to access the information in their public
library, through a clearinghouse, or a hotline?
Would the audience purchase the information at
the Government Printing Office (GPO), the
National Technical Information Service (NTIS), or
another distribution mechanism?
Outreach Mechanisms - How does the public find
out what information is available from EPA?
Through public service announcements, news
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
releases, newsletters, hotlines, electronic bulletin
boards, conferences, or through an association?
Cost - When and how can cost recovery
mechanisms be implemented? Is cost a prohibitive
factor in obtaining the Agency's information?
• Should only current audiences be investigated or should
potential audiences be considered as well? Current audiences
are easier to investigate as some information is already known
about them. Focusing solely on known audiences, however,
may continue to exclude other groups who are not currently
aware of EPA's information.
• Should only a specific subset of the public be targeted? For
example, should the user study be focused on only the general
public? Or the scientific community?
• Should only audiences in a limited geographic area (e.g., a
Region) be investigated or should a national or international
perspective on needs be obtained? Again, the more focused the
objective, the easier it will be to collect information about the
audience. However, especially in terms of a national
clearinghouse, a broad perspective on the needs of its audiences
may be required to make the access point truly responsive to
users' needs.
Further questions will become apparent as the types of information required
to enhance public access efforts are identified.
Regardless of the specific objective, the office should ensure that the
objective is sufficiently defined to facilitate collection of useful information.
Ambiguous or overly broad data collection objectives will result in the
unnecessary expense of resources and the collection of information which
may not facilitate decision making. Another important factor to consider
when formulating the objective is existing organizational or resource
constraints. All data collection objectives ought to be achievable within
existing or projected organizational and resource constraints, or these data
collection efforts will not be useful in enhancing public access efforts.
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
Evaluating and Selecting Potential Approaches
An office next needs to decide upon the best approach to collecting the
necessary information. In this section, two collection approaches are
discussed.
• User Study - Collects information on existing audiences or assists
with identifying and learning about new audiences
• Feedback Mechanisms - Can be incorporated into ongoing
operations to collect information on the degree of user
satisfaction with existing products or services.
In this chapter, each approach is discussed in further detail along with its
benefits and limitations. Additionally, offices that have conducted such a
study are provided as contacts for further information.
To select a specific approach, an office should evaluate each one
relative to the previously defined objective to determine if the approach will
allow the appropriate information to be collected. Certain approaches may be
initially eliminated based upon their inability to collect relevant information.
To decide between remaining approaches, the office will need to consider
which best satisfies its data collection objective while taking into account any
organizational or resource constraints. For instance, certain approaches may
provide a comprehensive set of information, but may be too expensive to be
realistic. To facilitate this evaluation, a graphic is included at the end of this
chapter which summarizes each approach and its primary benefits and
limitations.
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
User Studies
Purpose
This section discusses the following types of user studies.
• Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Request Examination
• Internal EPA Surveys
• External Surveys.
Various approaches to conducting each type of study are discussed as well as
benefits and limitations of particular approaches. Also included is contact
information for offices within the federal government that have utilized this
approach to learn more about their audiences.
Before starting any information collection effort, EPA offices must first
consider the Office of Management and Budget's (OMB's) regulations
concerning information collection. These regulations state that federal
agencies cannot collect information from more than nine sources external to
the Agency without the express permission of OMB as part of an Information
Collection Budget request. Related issues can be discussed with more than
nine sources if a structured questionnaire or survey instrument is not
utilized. To obtain OMB clearance, Standard Form 83 must be completed and
submitted with a narrative statement explaining why the information needs
to be collected. OMB then has 60 days to approve or deny the request. To
facilitate receiving approval, the office that submitted the request should
closely monitor the progress of the request through OMB. Contacts that can
assist in this process are provided at the end of this chapter.
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
FOIA Request Examination
This section examines FOIAs as a means of gathering audience
information as well as the benefits and limitations of this type of user study.
Approach
FOIAs are a primary means by which members of the public request
information from EPA. In 1990, the Agency received a total of 39,254 requests,
the fourth largest volume of requests among all federal agencies. Due to the
increasing interest in environmental information, EPA's Executive
Secretariat estimates that the number of requests will continue to grow at a
rate of 20% per year. Because of the large volume of FOIAs, an examination
of these requests can reveal the following:
• Types of audiences requesting an office's information
• Types (i.e, subjects or topic areas) of information in which the
public is interested
• Number of requests for particular types of information.
With this information from FOIA requests, an office can develop a basic
profile of its current audiences and their interests.
Each Headquarters program office and each Region has a FOIA liaison
who can assist with compiling lists of appropriate FOIAs. Additionally, the
Agency's Freedom of Information Officer within the Office of the Executive
Secretariat maintains records of FOIAs requests and responses.
Benefits and Limitations
There are a number of benefits and limitations associated with
examining FOIAs to help identify and understand audiences for a particular
office's information. These are:
Benefits
FOIA examination does not require extensive investment in
data gathering as the information already exists and is available
within EPA.
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
• Examining FOIAs can be relatively inexpensive due to the fact
that much of the information has already been collected.
• FOIAs provide basic information about audiences and the types
of information in which they are interested.
Limitations
• FOIAs may not present an accurate assessment of the audiences
demanding the Agency's information. Instead, they may only
reflect sophisticated audiences, knowledgeable about the FOIA
process and with the funds to pay for any costs which are
incurred in the process. (In 1990, 80% of all EPA FOIAs were
from commercial requesters which does not provide a complete
profile of the audiences interested in EPA's information.)
• FOIA examination may not reveal extensive information about
audience needs (e.g., format, level of detail). Instead, the
requests may indicate only the type of information in which the
party is interested and the demand for that information as
exhibited through the FOIA process.
• FOIA examination may not provide information on the topic in
which an office is interested. If that information is already
readily available from another source, such as a hotline or
docket, then the number of FOIAs in this area may be limited.
• FOIA examination will exhibit information on current
audiences only. It does not investigate needs of potential
audiences.
Although FOIA examination may be fairly quick and easy to accomplish, it
often only provides limited information about audiences which may not be
sufficient to satisfy an office's data collection needs. Therefore, FOIA
examination may best be viewed as a starting point for identifying basic
information that then provides the basis for targeting a more extensive
investigation. The box on the following page provides contact information
for offices that can provide further assistance in this area.
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
CONTACTS
Staff from the Permit Compliance System (PCS) recently undertook an
examination of FOIAs as a means of assessing the public access
requirements for their system. The Office of Water Enforcement and
Permits should be contacted for further information on this study, (202)
260-8304, 8-202-260-8304 (FTS).
Agency Freedom of Information Officer, (202) 260-4048, 8-202-260-4048
(FTS).
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
Internal EPA Survey
This section will discuss opportunities for surveying EPA staff to help
identify and understand audiences.
Approach
Requests from the public for information enter the Agency at a variety
of points. Examples of these include the following:
• Headquarters Public Information Center (PIC)
• EPA libraries
• Office of the Administrator
• Office of Communications, Education, and Public Affairs
(OCEPA)
• Office of the Administrator
• Center for Environmental Research Information (CERI)
• EPA Publications and Information Center, (EPIC) Cincinnati
• Hotlines
• Clearinghouses
• Dockets
• Electronic bulletin boards
• Individual programmatic or administrative offices within
Headquarters, the Regions, or the Laboratories.
Each of these points have valuable information concerning public demand
for EPA's information.
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
Two approaches for eliciting information from EPA staff about
audience needs are discussed below:
• Interviews - Individuals or groups of individuals can be
interviewed to gather information on audiences. The interviews
can be conducted: by telephone, in person, using a computer, or
through the mail. The particular means used will impact the
amount of time, the level of effort, the number of responders,
and the quality of the information. To promote and facilitate
relevant discussion in an interview, a questionnaire should be
developed. This questionnaire can be in hard copy format with
specific "skip" instructions provided to guide the
inter viewer/interviewee through the questionnaire based on
responses, or the questionnaire can be administered using a
computer. In the latter case, appropriate questions will be
automatically retrieved based upon interviewee responses. A
successful data collection effort depends upon:
Questionnaire Content - All designated issues must
be addressed.
Question Order - A logical flow to the questions
aids the respondent. Additionally, bias must be
considered in that information raised in an earlier
question may affect subsequent responses.
Question Wording - The questions must be clear
and understandable. Ambiguous questions and
unfamiliar terms will inhibit useful responses.
Questionnaire Format - This relates to a
questionnaire that would actually be seen by the
interviewee. The format should be attractive, and
the design should facilitate completion by guiding
the respondent to the next question and reducing
the likelihood of errors.
Cover Letter - If a questionnaire is mailed, a cover
letter must be sent with it explaining the survey
and the incentives for the requester to reply.
These factors influence the results from the data collection
effort in two ways - response rate and validity. The
clearer, more logically designed, and attractive a
questionnaire is, the higher the response rate and the
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
quality of the data collected. Difficult questionnaires are
likely to be ignored.
• Focus Groups - Focus groups will bring together a variety of EPA
staff receiving requests from the public. In a focus group, the
staff members have a chance to share information and to make
suggestions on appropriate means for meeting the needs of
audiences. Focus groups differ from group interviews in that
the participants are expected to interact and develop potential
solutions. Group interview participants are essentially just
required to respond to questions posed by the interviewer. If a
focus group is chosen as the means for obtaining information,
the following items should be considered:
Groups should be between eight and ten people.
Groups should last a maximum of two hours.
A facilitator with expertise in conducting focus groups and
more generally in group dynamics will be required to
ensure that the focus group is conducted successfully.
Someone besides the facilitator should be taking notes if
the session is not being taped to ensure that all relevant
information is recorded.
A flip chart or white board is helpful in structuring and
promoting discussion.
A discussion guide should be prepared to provide an
overall framework for the focus groups. This guide does
not have to be strictly followed, instead the facilitator
should follow the discussion within the framework
provided by the guide.
Facilities where the focus groups are being held should be
comfortable and sufficiently spacious to accommodate the
group.
Through the use of focus groups, an office can not only gather basic
information on audiences and their needs, but can also benefit from the
suggestions on meeting these needs stimulated through group interaction.
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
Regardless of the approach used, these basic steps should be followed
(not all of which may be present in any given effort).
• Define universe - Estimate the total number of members
of the perceived audience.
• Draw sample - The size of the sample chosen to survey
will be dependent upon the size of the overall universe
and the desired level of statistical accuracy.
• Hold two to three focus groups - These groups will aid in
the identification/refinement of issues for the
questionnaire.
• Draft survey questionnaire - Follow suggestions given in
the preceding text.
• Pretest instrument - The questionnaire should be
pretested with a small sample to identify any problems.
• Review pretest results - Pretest results should be reviewed
and used to revise the questionnaire accordingly.
• Distribute the questionnaire - The revised questionnaire
should be fielded to the entire sample.
• Conduct mail or phone follow-ups - Follow-up with those
who do not respond to the initial questionnaire.
• Analyze results - Compile and analyze results from the
survey to provide the basis for developing conclusions.
Following these steps will enable the user to develop a successful data
collection effort.
Benefits and Limitations
The benefits and limitations of the various approaches to conducting
internal EPA surveys are:
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
Benefits
Internal surveys allow an office to obtain extensive information
on EPA's current audiences and their needs.
Internal surveys do not fall under OMB information collection
regulations as information does not have to be collected from
outside of the Agency.
Both interviews and focus groups can involve EPA managers
and staff in the public access process. This process will facilitate
sharing information across offices and may promote the
identification of opportunities for coordinating public access
efforts.
Follow-up interviews conducted in person or over the phone
provide the opportunity to clarify or ask additional questions to
ensure that high quality, relevant information is collected.
Interviews conducted through the mail require less staff time to
conduct than those over the phone or in person.
Focus groups provide the opportunity to clarify or follow-up
responses and provide an interactive environment to exchange
ideas on how to best meet the needs of EPA's audiences.
Limitations
Internal surveys collect information primarily on current
audiences. They do not gather extensive information on
potential audiences as many of the interviewees may not be
familiar with audiences who do not contact EPA.
Internal surveys can be resource intensive, especially if focus
groups are chosen or if extensive numbers of interviews are
conducted, because EPA employees are required to facilitate or
conduct all of these focus groups/interviews.
Questionnaires that are mailed may not elicit sufficient
responses to gather useful information. Additional staff time
will be needed to track down individuals who did not respond to
the questionnaires.
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
• Questionnaires that are mailed may not elicit as high quality
responses as those conducted over the phone or in person
because questions can be misinterpreted, and there is no
opportunity for clarification.
• Individual or group interviews may not provide as high quality
responses as focus groups because they do not promote group
interaction and discussion during which unique, creative ideas
often emerge.
• Focus groups require more expertise to facilitate than interviews.
• Scheduling focus groups or group interviews can be challenging
due to the need to coordinate various participants' schedules.
Internal EPA surveys are an excellent means of gathering information on
current audiences without having to obtain OMB clearance. However,
various operational constraints need to be weighed against these benefits.
The following box provides a contact office that can assist with determining
the appropriateness of this approach.
CONTACTS
Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, Science, Economics, and
Statistics Division (202) 260-4005, 8-202-260-4005 (FTS).
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External Survey
This section describes how to survey individuals outside of EPA to
identify and collect audience information.
Approach
Members of the public interested in EPA's information are the best
sources of information about their needs. These individuals can represent:
• Industry (i.e., regulated community)
• Government (i.e., international, federal, state, or local)
• Interest groups (e.g., trade associations, environmental groups)
• Academia (e.g., university researchers)
• General public (e.g., citizens, elementary school students).
These audiences can provide EPA with valuable insight into the types of
information in which they are interested as well as the formats, levels of
detail, and methods of access and distribution most suited to their needs.
Additionally, an external survey can be used to assess the level of user
satisfaction with an existing product or service.
Various approaches can be utilized to conduct an external survey,
similar to those discussed in the Internal EPA Survey section. Two main
approaches are discussed in this section:
• Interviews - As discussed under the Internal EPA Survey
section, interviews can be conducted either with individuals or
groups to obtain information. To provide structure for the
interview and to ensure that the information obtained is
responsive to the data collection objective, a questionnaire with
targeted questions should be developed. Potential topic areas
are:
Type of information
Use of information
Frequency with which information is demanded
Level of detail required to be useful
Format in which information needs to be obtained
Appropriate access points
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
Appropriate distribution mechanisms
Level of quality which is required
Acceptable costs.
This questionnaire can be used in a telephone interview,
in person, or can be mailed to members of the public. As
mentioned previously, the method chosen for conducting
the interview will impact the amount of time, the level of
effort, the number of responders, and the quality of the
information. More specifics on the questionnaire are
given in the previous Internal EPA Survey section. The
benefits and limitations are discussed below.
• Focus Groups - Focus groups can be used to bring together
various members of the public to discuss the types of
information in which they are interested and the characteristics
necessary for that information to be useful to them.
Additionally, participants could provide EPA with suggestions
on how to provide access to the Agency's information. In a
focus group, the members of the public can interact and
formulate ideas on innovative means of satisfying their
information needs. The issues listed under the focus groups
section of the Internal EPA Survey section should also be
considered here.
In order to implement one of these data collection approaches, the steps
defined in the Internal EPA Survey section should be followed. One of the
first steps in this process is identifying the members of the public which the
Agency is interested in contacting. These types of audiences can fit into two
categories:
• Current EPA Audiences - Audiences currently requesting
information from the Agency. These audiences can be identified
through abbreviated FOIA examinations or surveys of internal
staff. They could also be identified through any statistics
maintained in an office on public phone calls or mail.
Additionally, an office could perform a literature search to see
how and by whom their information has been used.
• Potential EPA Audiences - Potential audiences are those that
may have a use for EPA's information, but are not currently
requesting it. These individuals or groups can be identified
based upon an examination of current audiences and then an
identification of additional audiences who are not requesting
information, but for whom uses of the information are
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
apparent. Additionally, discussions with EPA staff and external
organizations may elicit ideas on other groups that could be well
served by obtaining EPA's information, but are not currently
doing so.
To a certain extent, the number of individuals contacted will be dependent
upon resources, however, the office must also be certain that sufficient
numbers are contacted to ensure an accurate portrayal of audience needs. The
geographical location of the members of the public to be contacted should also
be considered. Is information required on only a certain Region or state, or is
a national perspective required? The answers to these questions will help
further target whom should be contacted.
Benefits and Limitations
The following benefits and limitations can be associated with
surveying external parties to obtain audience information.
Benefits
External surveys allow an office to obtain extensive information
on the needs of EPA's current and/or potential audiences as well
as the best approaches for meeting these needs.
External surveys provide an opportunity to strengthen
relationships with EPA's audiences as they perceive that the
Agency is interested in learning about their needs.
External surveys also provide an opportunity to involve state
and local governments in EPA public access efforts as these
organizations can assist in identifying interviewees or focus
group participants and in conducting data collection efforts.
External surveys conducted in person or over the phone provide
the opportunity to clarify or follow up responses with additional
questions to ensure that high quality, relevant information is
collected.
External surveys conducted through the mail require less staff
time than those over the phone or in person.
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
Limitations
• Most external surveys fall under OMB information collection
regulations which, because of the clearance process, require
additional preparation time.
• External surveys can be resource intensive, especially if focus
groups are chosen or if extensive numbers of interviews are
conducted, due to the staff required to facilitate or conduct these
activities.
• If external surveys are conducted by phone, the number of
individuals who can be contacted may be limited by the
availability of phone numbers.
• Questionnaires that are mailed may not elicit sufficient
response. Additional staff time will be needed to track down
individuals who did not respond to the questionnaires.
• Questionnaires that are mailed may not elicit as high quality
responses as those conducted over the phone or in person
because questions can be misinterpreted, and there is no
opportunity for clarification.
• Individual or group interviews may not provide as high quality
responses as focus groups because they do not promote group
interaction and discussion which often prompts the emergence
of unique, creative ideas.
• Focus groups require more expertise to facilitate than interviews.
• Scheduling focus groups or group interviews can be challenging
when coordinating various participants' schedules.
Although external surveys offer the greatest potential of all methods for
identifying and understanding audiences, there are also significant
operational challenges in conducting this type of survey, such as OMB
clearance and resource limitations. These challenges must be weighed against
the benefits obtained from the survey. Contact information for offices that
have conducted external surveys is given below.
24
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
CONTACTS
In 1990, the Interstate Council on Water Policy and the U.S. Geological
Survey conducted workshops with the public to determine the need for
water information and to develop practical ideas for meeting these
needs. The approach to completing these workshops and the results
are presented in an Executive Report which can be obtained through
the National Water Information Clearinghouse, 1-800-H2O-9000.
Sample questionnaires are contained in Appendix A.
The Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Office of Program
Management and Evaluation is contacting external parties as a
component of developing an outreach strategy for TRI, (202) 260-3938,
8-202-260-3938 (FTS).
The Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, Office of Regulatory
Management and Evaluation can provide information on OMB
information collection regulations, (202) 260-2706, 8-202-260-2706 (FTS).
Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, Science, Economics, and
Statistics Division (202) 260-4005, 8-202-260-4005 (FTS).
25
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
Feedback Mechanisms
Purpose
Virtually any of the user studies described in the last section can be
used to obtain feedback on existing products and services. However, beyond
that, there are two types of mechanisms that can be integrated into ongoing
procedures with the specific aim of obtaining feedback on products or
services. These mechanisms are:
• Product Evaluation Cards - Forms which are utilized to measure
the degree of user satisfaction with an EPA product
• Telephone Evaluations - Short surveys conducted by hotline or
other staff to assess user satisfaction with the response given.
For each type of feedback mechanism, approaches to using this mechanism
are discussed as well as benefits and limitations of the approaches. In
addition, organizations within the federal government that have utilized
feedback mechanisms to learn more about their audiences are listed.
26
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
Product Evaluation Cards
This section describes how to utilize product evaluation cards to collect
information on EPA's audiences.
Approach
Measuring user satisfaction with EPA products can give managers
information on the characteristics and needs of their current audiences.
Products can include any of the following:
• Publications or letters of response
• Exhibits
• Videos
• Databases or text files in electronic format (online or via diskette,
magnetic tape, or CD ROM).
Attainment of this type of information can allow EPA managers to improve
upon existing efforts or to create new products which are responsive to the
needs of their audiences.
When developing product evaluation cards, staff members need to first
define the type of information they are interested in gathering. The following
list includes several questions that could promote helpful responses from
audiences:
• Were you satisfied with the content of the EPA product you
received? Did it contain helpful information?
• Did it lead you to alter your environmental behavior in any
way?
• Was the information at the appropriate level of detail and
complexity? (e.g., Did the product provide summary
information when you needed raw data? Was the product too
technical or too general for you?)
27
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
• Was the product easy to read and understand (for publications
only)? If not, what was wrong with the product?
• Was the product easy to use? (electronic products only)? If not,
please describe any difficulties that you had.
• Was the format (e.g., hard copy, CD ROM, magnetic tape) of the
product useful to you? Would you prefer to receive this kind of
information in another format? If so, what?
• Was the means of product delivery acceptable to you?
• Do you feel that the price of this product was appropriate for the
information you received?
• In which category would you place yourself, student/teacher,
interest group, industry, government, individual citizen, etc.?
Each question needs to be very focused. This will promote appropriate
responses. Additionally, the number of questions on the evaluation card
should be limited as large numbers will adversely affect the response rate.
Evaluation cards, which are often simply post cards, can be enclosed
with each publication, diskette, or CD ROM that is sent out to a member of
the public. These cards can be enclosed each time a product is distributed or
just during a selected time period each year. If the product is an exhibit
displayed at a conference, the evaluation cards could be handed out and
returned during the conference.
Benefits and Limitations
The following benefits and limitations can be associated with product
evaluation cards.
Benefits
These cards allow an office to evaluate the success of current
products in meeting audience needs.
Evaluation cards do not require extensive effort or resources to
develop or use.
Evaluation cards provide information on audience
characteristics that can be factored into future public access
efforts.
28
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
Limitations
• Production evaluation cards may fall under OMB information
collection requirements.
• Product evaluation cards only allow limited information to be
collected on current audiences.
• There is the potential for the response rate to be low.
The benefits and limitations of utilizing product evaluation cards to collect
information must be weighed against one another and against the previously
established data collection objective to determine if this method is
appropriate for an office's purposes. Contact information for organizations
that are knowledgeable about product evaluation cards is given below.
CONTACTS
GSA's Consumer Information Center, EPA Liaison, (202) 501-1794.
Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, Science, Economics, and
Statistics Division (202) 260-4005, 8-202-260-4005 (FTS).
29
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
Telephone Evaluations
The following section discusses how to use telephone surveys to obtain
feedback on products.
Approach
Telephone surveys can be used to obtain feedback on EPA public access
products and services. Prior to conducting a telephone survey, a guide should
be developed to ensure that appropriate information can be obtained during
the interview. Similar topic areas to those suggested in the preceding Product
Evaluation Card section are appropriate for this type of feedback mechanism.
Additionally, the tips provided in the Internal EPA Survey section on
developing and administering questionnaires should be applied here.
Telephone evaluations for hotlines can be conducted by surveying a
caller to determine his/her level of satisfaction with the response received at
the conclusion of a request. This can be achieved by having a hotline
manager or information specialist ask a caller if he/she would be able to
provide feedback by responding to questions at the end of the call.
Obtaining evaluation information over the phone allows the office to
obtain an immediate response to questions and to ask follow-up questions
when necessary. OMB clearance is usually required for this type of
information collection.
Benefits and Limitations
The following benefits and limitations can be associated with
telephone surveys.
Benefits
Allow an office to evaluate the success of current products in
meeting audience needs. They also provide information on
audience characteristics that can be factored into future public
access efforts.
Do not require extensive amounts of effort or resources to obtain
feedback.
Allow offices to obtain immediate feedback.
30
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Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
Limitations
• Allow only limited information to be collected on current
audiences.
• Are limited by how cooperative users are with respect to
responding to the questions.
The benefits and limitations of telephone surveys must be evaluated relative
to each other and to the overall data collection objective to determine if this is
an appropriate means of obtaining feedback. Contact information is given
below.
CONTACTS
Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation, Science, Economics, and
Statistics Division (202) 260-4005, 8-202-260-4005 (FTS).
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page 32
Identifying and Understanding Your Audience:
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-------
III. DELIVERING THE
MESSAGE
INTRODUCTION
This section identifies several available media (i.e., formats for storing
and transmitting data) that can be used to deliver information to the public.
In order for the public to understand the message being transmitted,
information must be presented in formats that can be easily used and
understood. The type of medium in which information is transmitted may
influence how the message is interpreted and its impact on the public. The
availability of a variety of media will allow an office to choose a medium
appropriate to the needs of the audience.
This section will help EPA offices identify and understand the
characteristics, benefits, and limitations of several of the more widely used
media.
• Hard copy (e.g., publications)
• Multimedia (e.g., videotapes, graphics)
• Electronic (e.g., computer disks).
In many cases, an audience will request a specific medium, in order to meet
its own needs. It is important, however, to understand the benefits and
limitations of each medium to ensure that an audience will not be excluded
due to the selection. A summary chart at the end of this section provides the
various attributes associated with the different types of media.
Additional information on media, can be found in OCEPA's
publication entitled, Spreading the Word: A Guide to OCEPA Services. The
sections entitled "Editorial Services" and "Multimedia Services" present
further information on the media available for communicating with the
public. Contact the Editorial Services Division in OCEPA at (202) 260-4359, 8-
202-260-4359 (FTS) for information on obtaining this handbook.
33
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Delivering The Message
Applicable Policies
All publications, multimedia products, and electronic media
containing information intended for public distribution are subject to review
under EPA's product notification and review process, administered by the
Communications Planning Division of OCEPA. By working directly with
program and other offices, OCEPA's communications planners ensure that
the information contained on public oriented products is of consistently high
quality and creativity and supports EPA's overall themes and goals. A
reference manual, Developing Products for the Public: A Handbook for EPA
Communicators, available through OCEPA's Communication Planning
Division, further explains the review process and various steps for
developing products intended for public use. Program or administrative
offices should seek counsel from their communication strategists, who will
contact the Communications Planning Division for complete guidance on
producing communications products subject to the review process.
Another OCEPA publication entitled, Communications Planning
Guidance, available through OCEPA's Communications Planning Division,
should also be referenced for developing an internal communication plan
which is required before informing the public of new policy or other major
Agency issues. The communication strategist assigned to each program or
administrative office should be consulted when developing such a
communication plan. Besides outlining the steps to take for designing a
communication plan, the guidance presents a chart which suggests audiences
to notify, the actions to take, and the tools (e.g., letters, fact sheets, videos)
needed to inform the public of the intended message.
In order to efficiently track the production and dissemination of
environmental information, an Agency-wide numbering system has been
developed. The numbering system will be managed by EPA Publications and
Information Center (EPIC) in Cincinnati, and the Center's Manager will
assign publications, multimedia, and electronic media numbers to the
program offices for all products developed. Introduction of the new
numbering system is being made through the Facilities Printing Manual. For
information on this publication, contact the Office of Administration and
Resources Management (OARM), Facilities Management and Services
Division at (202) 260-2030, 8-202-260-2030 (FTS). Publication numbers may be
obtained by calling EPIC at 8-513-569-7980 (FTS).
Other manuals and guidelines exist that provide additional
information on the use of publications, multimedia products, and electronic
media. Several of these documents are listed below.
34
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Delivering The Message
Publications
• Publications Management: A Guide to Processes,
Standards, and Style, available through OCEPA's Editorial
Services Division at (202) 260-4359, 8-202-260-4359 (FTS)
• Standards and publication manuals produced by
individual program offices. Examples include:
The Office of Emergency and Remedial Response
(OERR)'s OERR Publications Standards Handbook
which identifies program and Agency-wide
publication policies can be obtained by calling (202)
260-2180,8-202-260-2180 (FTS)
Handbook for Preparing Office of Research and
Development Reports, produced by the Center for
Environmental Research Information (CERI) at
(513) 569-7391,8-513-569-7391 (FTS)
Micrographic Products
Contact the Information Management and Services Division within
OARM at (202) 260-5911, 8-202-260-5911 (FTS) for additional details on these
policies and regulations.
• NARA Regulations at 36 CFR Parts 1230 ,1232 - Establishes
standards for creating, using, maintaining, securing,
preserving, and disposing of audiovisual and
micrographic records
• Information Resources Management Policy Manual 2100;
Chapter 10, Records Management - Provides overall policy
direction on creating and maintaining and disposing of
audiovisual and micrographic records
• EPA Records Management Manual 2160 - Contains
guidance on creating, managing, storing and disposing
micrographic records
• EPA Model Regional Records Management Operating
Procedures Manual - Describes procedures on using and
managing different formats of micrographic records
35
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Delivering The Message
Electronic Media
Contact the Information Management and Services Division within
OARM at (202) 260-7732, 8-202-260-7732 (FTS) for additional details on these
policies and regulations.
• Electronic Communications Privacy Act (P.L. 99-508) -
Mandate agencies to provide safeguards for access to
electronically transmitted information
• NARA Regulations at 36 CFR Part 1234 - Provides
procedures for managing electronic records, selecting and
maintaining electronic storage media, and meeting legal
requirements for the disposition of records
• National Security Decision Directive (NSDD) 145,
September 17, 1984 - Specifies agencies must meet
minimum security requirements for civilian federal
agencies for maintaining sensitive data on computer
systems
• EPA Information Security Manual (December 1989) -
Explains how to comply with electronic security
requirements outlined in the 1987 Information Security
Policy.
• Circular 90-1 Federal Information Resources Management
Regulations (FIRMR): FIRMR Bulletin B-1-Electronic
Records Management Regulation - Establishes guidelines
associated with creating, maintaining, using, and
disposing of electronic records
The offices listed above can be contacted for information, including how to
obtain copies of each publication.
Approach
In order to make an informed decision when selecting a particular
media for an audience, several issues should be considered:
• Define the needs of the intended audience - It is important that
offices first identify the type of information the public wants, the
level of detail needed on the subject, how the information will
be used, if a particular medium is preferred by the audience, and
36
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Delivering The Message
types of equipment are available to the users (i.e., audiovisual or
electronic).
• Identify the monetary resources available for medium
development - Limited funding, for example, may narrow the
types of media that can be used.
• Consider the material or equipment needed for making products
available - Some offices might need to make special
arrangements for producing certain products, such as CD ROMs
and video tapes.
• Determine when the audience must receive the message or
information - Since certain types of media could take
considerable time to develop and distribute, the information
contained in them may quickly become outdated, requiring
frequent updates.
These guidelines will help narrow the choices when selecting appropriate
media for an audience.
The descriptions provided in the remainder of this chapter can help to
assess each medium for its potential usefulness and value for transmitting
the desired information or message. If there are questions regarding a specific
medium, the offices identified as contacts can be reached for additional
information or guidance.
37
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Delivering The Message
Publications
Basic Description
Publications consist of any information printed on paper which may
contain varying combinations of text, graphics, illustrations, or photographic
images. Published material includes technical reports, newsletters, brochures,
fact sheets, policy directives, or journals.
Issues Associated With Use
Before preparing any publication, an office should refer to EPA
guidance on program-specific or Agency-wide publication standards. It is also
important to consult with the office's communication strategist for advice on
procedures and policies. When preparing any publication, there are several
key issues to consider.
• Determine the nature and size of the audience to be
reached in consultation with OCEPA.
• Determine if there will be a need to publish the
information in different languages.
• Consider what type of information is needed to satisfy the
audience's demands or EPA's policy or program
objectives.
• Consider the level of technical depth and detail that is
appropriate for the relevant audience. For example,
technical material should not be included in "consumer"
publications.
• Determine the appropriate mix of text and illustrations
and the type of publication which will best convey the
information. For example, general information intended
for public use may best be presented in a small brochure
using text and illustrations.
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Delivering The Message
• Determine printing specifications prior to submitting
documents to the EPA print shop. Allow at least three
weeks for printing.
• Consider costs of document preparation, printing, and
distribution.
• Consider how long the document should be available to
the public and whether it will need to be reprinted.
Resolution of these issues will allow EPA offices to determine if publications
are the appropriate medium for their audiences.
Offices also have the option to publish printed material as a stand-
alone document, or as part of an existing periodical. The publications listed
below are examples of several sources which accept Agency-wide articles.
• Program newsletters - Approximately 70 program
newsletters are published and contain articles on
program-specific events. Program newsletters are
distributed to Agency staff and external organizations who
have an interest in program activities. EPA also publishes
EPA InSight, an Agency-wide internal newsletter for all
employees. OCEPA's Editorial Services Division can be
contacted for the name of each newsletter and editor. The
editor can provide information on the newsletter's focus,
and how to submit articles for publication.
• EPA Journal - The Journal is published by OCEPA
bimonthly and is suitable for general audiences. The
environmental themes contained in each issue vary, and
the EPA Journal editor often asks program offices to
contribute articles for the publication. OCEPA also
welcomes suggestions for topics and articles to be included
in the Journal.
For specific inquiries and additional information on other sources which
accept Agency-wide articles in their publications, contact the OCEPA Editorial
Services Division.
39
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Delivering The Message
Applicable Procedures
When a document has been prepared for printing, it must be submitted
to an EPA print shop at either Headquarters or in a Region. All offices are
required to use an EPA print shop. There are several options available
through the print shop:
• Documents can be printed at no charge at EPA's print
shop. (Limit 60,000 pages per job.)
• The print shop can send material to the Government
Printing Office (GPO) for printing and distribution.
Additional details on the services offered by GPO and
NTIS can be found in Chapter V of this guide, or by
contacting an EPA print shop.
The EPA print shop selects which option to use based on volume and type of
printing to be done. All questions concerning printing policies should be
addressed to an EPA print shop. The OCEPA guidance entitled Publication
Management: A Guide to Processes, Standards, and Style further details
federal as well as EPA-specific regulations governing printing at EPA,
including prohibitions on contractor printing, as well as information on the
EPA recycling policy.
Benefits and Limitations
There are a number of benefits and limitations associated with
utilizing publications to communicate information to the public.
Benefits
Printed publications are automatically made available to
the Federal Depository Libraries and EPA's Library
through the EPA print shop.
EPA offices and other users are already familiar with
using publications to disseminate Agency information.
Publications can reach a wide audience because the
materials can be directly sent to and used by almost
anyone.
Publications do not require the use of special or expensive
equipment.
40
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Delivering The Message
• Publications can easily be scanned through to determine
the location of relevant information.
Limitations
• Printed material can take up large amounts of storage space. To
mitigate this limitation, the EPA Publications and Information
Center (EPIC) can provide storage of printed publications.
• Integration and manipulation of data is more difficult with
printed material.
• Publications are more expensive to produce or reproduce in
large numbers than most electronic information.
• Updating publications may require expending considerable time
and money for researching, writing new information, or
printing.
Although publications are a good way to reach almost any audience and are
likely to retain their popularity over time, there are many standards and
guidelines to follow when preparing materials for print, as indicated in this
section's introduction. The contacts listed on the following page can provide
additional details on the various policies and procedures associated with
publication production at EPA.
41
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Delivering The Message
CONTACTS
Editorial Services Division, OCEPA - Publications production and
inventory, fact sheets, newsletters, EPA Journal EPA InSight, (202) 260-
4359,8-202-260-4359 (FTS)
Headquarters Print Shop - Document printing policies, GPO Liaison,
Federal Depository Library distribution, (202) 260-2125, 8-202-260-2125
(FTS)
Headquarters Library - Federal Depository Library distribution, (202)
260-5922, 8-202-260-5922 (FTS)
EPA Publications and Information Center (EPIC), Cincinnati - Agency
numbering system, fact sheets, storage of documents, (513) 569-7980, 8-
513-569-7980 (FTS)
42
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page 43
Great Lakes Pursuit
In an effort to promote environmental
understanding of the Great Lakes Region,
the Sea Grants Program developed an
innovative type of publication, the Great
Lakes Pursuit board game.
This trivia game, originating in Ohio, consists of 500
questions about the Great Lakes Basin environment. It is
suitable for ages fourteen through adult and is currently
primarily sold to educators. Great Lakes Pursuit is
promoted through the Sea Grant Network, Center for
Great Lakes, and various state agencies, workshops and
newspapers.
For more information contact the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, Office of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research, National Sea Grant Program, in
Columbus, Ohio at (614) 292-8949.
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page 44
Fact Sheets
EPA
Many program and administrative offices publish
fact sheets, which are short documents that present
environmental information. Fact sheets convey
program-specific or general information to the
public. They often highlight specific events and
identify the status of various programs.
Fact sheets can be obtained from any office that
produces them. Also, the Headquarters Public
Information Center contains a collection of fact
sheets available to the public and EPA staff. Fact
sheets are also distributed at exhibits and are sent
out to the public to follow up on phone inquiries.
They can also be used by a program office to keep in
touch with other offices' as well as federal agencies'
current projects and issues of interest.
For additional information on fact sheets, contact the
Editorial Services Division within OCEPA at (202)
260-4359, 8-202-260-4359 (FTS), or the Public
Information Center at (202) 260-7751,8-202-260-7751
(FTS).
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Delivering The Message
Multimedia Products
Basic Description
Multimedia products are materials designed to aid in learning and
transmitting information or messages using both sight and sound. Materials
are often in graphic forms, with minimal written text. Multimedia materials
may take the form of videos, audio tapes, slides, pictures (e.g., posters,
photographs, charts), filmstrips, microfilm, or microfiche.
Issues Associated With Use
Multimedia products are widely used by EPA to transmit information.
However, various considerations and requirements are associated with using
multimedia products. Key considerations are:
• Audience - The intended message may not be clearly
understood unless products are developed for specific
audiences with a specific purpose (e.g., a video for
elementary school students about pollution prevention).
• Equipment - Some multimedia materials require the use
of special equipment, such as a projector, in order to view
and/or understand the product.
• Facilities - There are often facility requirements, (e.g., a
meeting room) that are necessary for audiences to view a
presentation.
• Cost - Depending on the specific product to be developed
or updated, there can be significant costs and labor
associated with multimedia product development, such as
video production. There may also be a need to charge the
public for using multimedia materials.
Although there are several key issues that must be considered with
multimedia use, these products provide an alternative and often interesting
and entertaining way of effectively transmitting information.
45
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Delivering The Message
Applicable Procedures
Besides conducting the internal product notification and review
process for all multimedia products, OCEPA's Multimedia Services Division
will function as a liaison between program offices using contractors, (e.g.,
private filmmaking companies) to ensure that the product conforms with
EPA's quality standards. Program offices should contact Multimedia Services
for complete guidance on producing multimedia materials and using a
contractor. Multimedia Services should also be contacted for advice on
producing and designing public giveaway items such as bumper stickers, pins,
posters, magnets or T-shirts.
Although there are a variety of multimedia products available, videos
may be one of the more widely used types of multimedia. Besides informing
and educating, videos can be entertaining for all types of audiences, (i.e.,
technical to general public) and are appropriate for any age group. One of the
first steps in planning a video, like all public outreach efforts described in this
section's introduction, is to identify the intended audience and define the
goals of the outreach effort. Each office's communication strategist or the
Multimedia Services Division should be contacted for assistance and
guidance in the actual video production. Spreading the Word: A Guide to
OCEPA Services further describes the services available to individuals
planning to develop all multimedia products, including videos.
Benefits and Limitations
There are various benefits and limitations associated with using
multimedia products to convey information to the public.
Benefits
Videos (includes video cassette tapes and reel to reel
films) - Videos can be used effectively for conveying any
message, regardless of how simple or complex the subject.
Whether portraying action oriented events or
informational lectures, videos often generate interest,
while entertaining and educating the audience.
Slides (also applicable to filmstrips) - Slides can be easily
used when traveling as their small size makes them
convenient to store and transport. Projector type slides
may also be preferred to larger 8 1/2" by 11" overhead
slides because the images appear sharper, and they do not
46
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Delivering The Message
have to be manually switched for viewing. In addition,
costs for slide production are minimal.
Pictures (Le., posters, photographs, charts) - The content of
a picture is often easier to remember than words. As a
result, pictures are a very effective means of conveying
simple ideas, such as conference themes or the main
points of a program. Minimal costs are often associated
with their development. OCEPA's Editorial Services
Division can assist with locating photographs for use in
public access projects.
Microfilm and microfiche - Large quantities of
information can be stored on microfilm and microfiche
using limited space. Their small size makes them easier
to distribute. Minimal costs are associated with
microfilm/microfiche production.
Computer-based graphics - Computer-based multimedia
presentations create visual interest and can convey either
simple or complex messages using text and illustrations,
with or without a speaker or audio cassette presenting the
information.
Limitations
Videos (includes video cassette tapes and reel to reel
films) - Considerable expenses can be incurred during
video production, and the production process can be very
time consuming. Several pieces of equipment are
normally required for viewing, and the equipment can be
cumbersome to transport. Additionally, audiences may
have to travel to view the presentation. This may be
overcome with multimedia teleconferencing.
Slides (also applicable to filmstrips) - Even though the
slides themselves are easily transportable, they require
both a projector and screen to view.
Pictures (i.e,, posters, photographs, charts) - In order for
pictures to have the intended effect, the subject matter
must be carefully chosen and presented so that the
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Delivering The Message
audience understands the message. Pictures are not
useful for portraying complex or detailed ideas or issues.
• Microfilm and microfiche - The machines used for
viewing and copying microfilm/microfiche can be
difficult to operate, and information can be hard to locate
and read. Public access to viewing machines may be
limited to specific locations, such as libraries and
universities.
• Computer-based graphics - Presentations require
computer, projection equipment, or a large screen
television which may be difficult to transport or assemble
for viewing.
The offices referenced below can be contacted for additional guidance or
information on experience with multimedia products.
CONTACTS
OCEPA Multimedia Services Division - Multimedia productions, (202)
260-2066, 8-202-260-2066 (FTS)
Environmental Response Branch, Emergency Response Division,
Edison, NJ, - Video productions, (908) 321-6740, 8-908-321-6740 (FTS)
Communication Strategist, Office of Water - Slide shows, (202) 260-
2285, 8-202-260-2285 (FTS)
EPA Publications and Information Center (EPIC), Cincinnati - Agency
numbering system, (513) 569-7980, 8-513-569-7980 (FTS)
OIRM/IMSD Information Access Branch - Federal regulations and EPA
IRM policies relating to audiovisual and micrographic records, (202)
260-5911, 8-202-260-5911 (FTS)
OIRM/IMSD Information Access Branch - Federal regulations and EPA
IRM policies relating to electronic records, (202) 260-5636, 8-202-260-
5636, or (202) 260-7732,8-202-260-7732 (FTS)
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Videos
In an effort to inform the public of its research
projects, the Environmental Research Laboratory in
Corvallis, Oregon, produced a video for the general
public on the laboratory mission and programs.
The video now takes the place of tours through the
lab, which were disruptive to the work taking place
throughout the facility.
For additional information, contact the Environmental
Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development at
(503) 757-4601, 8-503-757-4601 (FTS).
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Use
Videos
The Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics
produced a video in a collective effort with
industries and environmental groups.
The video, which is entitled, "In Partnership With Earth:
The Future of the Environment" attempts to change
companies' previous emphasis from pollution control to
pollution prevention. Highlights include companies
such as 3M, General Motors, General Electric, and
McDonalds, which are establishing programs and
initiating efforts that specifically promote pollution
prevention. Public service announcements made by
John Denver and Administrator William Reilly, address
pollution prevention, agriculture, and community
recycling. This, as well as other videos focusing on
pollution prevention, are available through the
Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse and
can be loaned free of charge.
For additional information, contact the Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics at (202) 260-3557, 8-202-260-3557
(FTS).
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Videos
The Environmental Response Branch
within the Emergency Response Division
has been active in the production of
several videos. One of its videos entitled, "Operation
Wildfire - A Hazardous Materials Response Simulation,"
was produced by one of its technical contractors with
connections to commercial filmmakers. The video, which
was a taped training event involving three counties in the
Salinas, California area, emulates a full scale hazard
materials accident and the response of federal, state, and
local authorities. The video documents activities in an
Emergency Operations Center, and at the accident site,
and follows the many decisions made to save lives and
property.
As described in the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency
Response's Source Book: Training and Technology Transfer
Resources, the video is intended to be used as a training
tool for police, fire, hazard material and emergency
planning personnel, health and safety workers, and
community leaders. This 16 minute video is available
free of charge. The Environmental Response Branch has
sent the video to fire academies for use as a training tool,
where it has proven an effective means to transmit
information.
Contact the Environmental Response Branch in Edison, NJ
for information on this video and its other productions, at
(908) 321-6740, 8-908-321-6740 (FTS).
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Electronic Media
Depending on the information to be provided and the demand from
the public, program offices may choose to provide information to the public
in an electronic format. Electronic media consist of devices that contain
information/data that are accessed through computer systems. Floppy
diskettes, magnetic tapes, and optical disks (e.g., Compact Disk Read Only
Memory (CD ROM)) are several means of transmitting information to the
public electronically. Each of these types of electronic media is described
below, with contact offices provided at the end of this chapter. For
information on online systems, such as electronic bulletin boards and
databases, refer to Chapter IV, Developing Access Points.
Floppy Diskettes
Basic Description
Floppy diskettes are thin, flexible disks with one or two magnetic read,
write recording surfaces. Disks are available in two sizes, either 5 1/4" or 3
1/2," and are both available in double density or high density. Generally, the
high density diskettes have a higher data storage capacity.
Issues Associated With Use
Information contained on diskettes can be viewed from any computer
that has a compatible disk drive. Before making information available on
diskettes, there may be several issues to consider.
• Audience - It is important to be familiar with the needs of
the intended audience. There may be some audiences that
do not have easy access to a personal computer or do not
possess the required level of technical expertise to use a
computer.
• Level of user friendliness - The type of software chosen for
accessing and displaying the data from the diskette will
have implications for the ease with which users can access
information. Additionally, in order to view the data
contained on a diskette, users may need to reference
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documentation/user manuals on software applications
that can read the disk (e.g., MS DOS) or display the
information (e.g., WordPerfect).
• Formats - Consideration should be given to the type of
computer technology available to the users. Diskettes
need to be prepared, or formatted, so they can be used on
specific computer systems, such as Macintosh or IBM
compatible. There may also be preferences or
requirements for the type of software used.
• Cost and distribution - Generally, there are minimal costs
associated with diskette production and purchase.
Variations in cost depend on the number of diskettes
required to store the information, and the organization
from which they will be distributed. (Refer to Chapter V
for additional information on distribution mechanisms.)
Because diskettes are being used by more and more people, it is important to
realize their capabilities as a valuable means of information transmittal.
Benefits and Limitations
Various benefits and limitations can be associated with delivering
information to the public on diskette.
Benefits
Information on diskettes can be accessed on a personal
computer very quickly.
Diskettes require limited storage space and are easily
transportable.
With the appropriate disk format and level of user
knowledge, information contained on diskettes can be
easily manipulated or analyzed.
Diskettes are relatively inexpensive to purchase.
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Limitations
• In some instances, after considerable use, diskettes can
wear or become damaged, and information can be lost.
• Compared to other types of electronic media, a single
diskette has limited storage capacity. Several diskettes
may be required to store very large amounts of
information/data.
• Not all audiences have access to computers.
• If information/data contained on a diskette is not
adequately indexed, it can be difficult to use.
Although their limited storage capacity may not be suitable for large amounts
of information, continued wide use of personal computers may make floppy
diskettes an increasingly desirable medium in which to receive information.
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MAGNETIC TAPES
Basic Description
Magnetic tape is a type of film on which data can be read or written.
The tape can be wound on individual reels or inserted in cartridges or
cassettes. With appropriate equipment, magnetic tapes can be used on
mainframe, mini, or micro computers
Issues Associated With Use
Although magnetic tapes are primarily accessed from mainframe
computers, with various adapters the tapes can also be read on mini and
micro computers. Before making information available on a magnetic tape,
there are several issues to consider.
• Audience - It is important to be familiar with the
audiences that will most likely make use of magnetic
tapes. The current user audiences include libraries, state
and federal organizations, business/industries, and
associations. A number of important audiences, however,
do not have computer systems equipped to handle
magnetic tapes.
• Level of user friendliness - The type of software chosen for
accessing and displaying the data will have implications
for the ease with which users can access information.
Additionally, in order to view the data contained on a
magnetic tape, users may need to reference
documentation/user manuals on software or hardware
that read the tapes, or display the information.
• Formats - Consideration should be given to the type of
computer technology available to the user audience.
Magnetic tapes may need to be prepared, or formatted, so
they are compatible with specific hardware or software.
• Cost and distribution - Generally, there are minimal costs
associated with magnetic tape production and purchase.
Variations in cost depend on the number of tapes required
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to store the information, and the organization from
which they will be distributed. (Refer to Chapter V for
additional information on distribution mechanisms.)
Although not every audience can make use of magnetic tapes, information
maintained on magnetic tape can be very appropriate for certain audiences
who need to access and manipulate large volumes of data.
Benefits and Limitations
Magnetic tapes offer various benefits and limitations to members of the
public.
Benefits
• Magnetic tapes have a relatively high data storage capacity.
• With the appropriate equipment and level of user
knowledge, information contained on magnetic tapes can
be easily manipulated and analyzed.
• Development/purchase costs per tape are low.
Limitations
• Special training may be required to learn to use a
computer that accesses magnetic tapes.
• Compared to other types of electronic media, such as a CD
ROMs, information contained on magnetic tapes may take
more time to access.
• Not everyone has access to the equipment required for
reading information contained on magnetic tape.
Magnetic tapes are currently used to access data maintained on mainframe
computers and are often requested by organizations to receive large volumes
of data.
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CD ROM
Basic Description
A CD ROM is a type of optical disk that stores information
approximately equal to 300,000 pages of written text. CD ROMs contain
prerecorded text or image information that can only be read, not changed.
Issues Associated With Use
CD ROMs can be accessed from any computer using an adaptable, CD
ROM read-only drive. Before making information available on a CD ROM,
there are several issues to consider.
• Audience - It is important to be familiar with the
audiences that will most likely make use of CD ROMs.
The current user audiences are libraries, state
organizations, business/industries, major environmental
groups, and some segments of the public. There may be a
number of audiences, however, that do not have access to
computer systems equipped to handle CD ROMs.
• Level of user friendliness - The type of software chosen for
accessing and displaying the data from the CD ROM will
have implications for the ease with which users can access
information. In order to view the data, users may need to
reference documentation/user manuals on the software
applications.
• , Formats - Consideration should be given to the type of
computer technology available to the user audience. A
CD ROM can be made to run on one computer system
(e.g., either an IBM or Macintosh), or a single disk can be
made for use on several computer systems (e.g., both an
IBM and Macintosh), each using special software to read
or display the data. Certain software packages may also be
easier for the users to operate.
• Cost and distribution - Generally, the first/master disk of a
CD ROM order may cost approximately $1,500, while
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following reproductions may run about $1.50 each.
Significant costs can be incurred during the process of
gathering, converting, indexing, and generally preparing
data to go on the disk. Also, costs can increase depending
on the type of search/retrieval software that is selected.
CD ROM production costs are most reasonable when data
is already in machine readable form, indexing is
straightforward, and inexpensive search/retrieval
software is selected. Specific costs associated with CD
ROM production and dissemination should be researched.
(Refer to Chapter V for additional information on
distribution mechanisms.)
• Ease of updating information - CD ROMs are currently
used for text/image, such as policies, reports, and journals,
or certain databases that are not subject to frequent
adjustments and changes as information can only be
written once on CD ROMs. If information changes
frequently, the office should consider another type of
optical disk or electronic medium. Even though they are
used less frequently, other types of optical disks are
available. In some instances, a write once read many
(WORM) disk, or an erasable optical disk may be more
suited to specific information needs.
Discussion and resolution of these issues will allow an office to determine if
CD ROMs are appropriate for their purposes.
Benefits and Limitations
CD ROMs offer various benefits and limitations to the public.
Benefits
• CD ROMs are capable of storing large amounts of textual,
image, or other information.
• CD ROMs do not take up much physical storage space.
• With appropriate equipment, software, and level of user
knowledge, information/data contained on a CD ROM
can usually be very quickly searched and retrieved.
• Information contained on CD ROMs can be accessed for
viewing and analysis on a personal computer.
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Limitations
• Although CD ROMs are becoming more popular, they
require special equipment for use, which may not be
accessible to all audiences.
• Because a CD ROM does not have any writing/editing
capabilities, the entire disk must be reproduced if the
information contained on it becomes outdated.
Before deciding to use CD ROMs to convey information to the public, it is
important to weigh the benefits and limitations associated with their use.
Floppy diskettes, magnetic tapes, and CD ROMs are several of the
electronic media frequently being used by the public to access Agency
information. For additional information on these forms of electronic media
contact the offices listed below.
CONTACTS
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Toxics Release Inventory -
diskettes, tapes, and CD ROMs, (202) 260-7248, 8-202-260-7248 (FTS)
Office of Administration and Resources Management, National Data
Processing Division, RTP, NC
- CD ROMs general, (919) 541-1057, 8-919-541-1057 (FTS)
- CD ROM pilot project, (919) 541-5373, 8-919-541-5373 (FTS)
EPA Publications and Information Center (EPIC), Cincinnati - Agency
numbering system, (513) 569-7980, 8-513-569-7980 (FTS)
GPO Superintendent of Documents, (202) 783-3238
Federal Computer Products Center, (703) 487-7807
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Electronic Media
The Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics
(OPPT) utilizes various electronic media,
depending on the demands from the
audience, to make information available.
The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) is available to the
public on floppy diskettes, magnetic tapes, and CD
ROMs. OPPT uses GPO and NTIS to produce and
distribute TRI in any electronic format requested. By
offering a variety of products, OPPT is able to meet the
information needs of its constituents, regardless of the
level of computer literacy they possess. If an
organization does not wish to purchase an electronic
product, copies of TRI are available for loan on
diskettes, tapes, and CD ROMs directly from OPPT.
OPPT also maintains a CD ROM information and
reference service. The CD ROMs are used to store
indexes and complete databases for the OPPT
Chemical Library. Currently the Chemical Library
contains the following CD databases: CHEMBANK,
MEDLINE, TRI, and TOXLINE. The CD databases are
continually updated, and easy for library staff and
patrons to access.
For more information on OPPT's use of CD ROMS,
contact (202) 260-7248, 8-202-260-7248 (FTS).
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Electronic Media
EPA's National Data Processing
Division (NDPD), Office of Air Quality
Planning and Standards (OAQPS) have
completed a CD-ROM pilot project.
Information previously
contained on two databases and 30 paper reports has
been published on a single CD, which is referred to as
Air CHIEF (Clearinghouse for Inventories and
Emission Factors). It contains data on various toxic
substances and volatile compounds, used for
estimating air emissions. The vast amount of data
contained on the CD ROM can be quickly searched,
and the disk itself is easy to distribute and is very
affordable. Air CHIEF is currently used by industries
and consultants. Nearly 600 orders have been placed
for the Air CHIEF.
For additional information on the CD ROM pilot project or
to order Air CHIEF, contact NDPD at (919) 541-5373,
8-919-541-5373 (FTS).
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Delivering the Message:
A Summary and Comparison
Considerations for Selecting Media
Type of
Media
Costs vary
manipulate
information
«n
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IV. DEVELOPING
ACCESS POINTS
INTRODUCTION
Purpose
The purpose of this chapter is to discuss how to build upon
information gathered about audience characteristics and needs to determine
the type of access point that is most appropriate for making EPA's
information available to the public.1 This section further offers issues and
information to consider when developing an access point. The types of access
points that are discussed include the following:
Hotlines
Dockets
Electronic Bulletin Boards
Databases
Clearinghouses
Public Information Centers
Libraries.
This chapter provides an approach to evaluating the various access points as
well as issues to consider for each access point. In addition, the chapter
provides benefits and limitations of employing each type of access point and
offers specific examples of EPA uses of the various access points. A list of
existing access points within EPA is provided in the Access EPA publication.
This resource is described in further detail in Chapter VI of this document.
1 Chapter II "Identifying and Understanding Your Audience" provides detailed information on
approaches for gathering information on audience characteristics and needs with regard to
public access to information.
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Approach
Prior to selecting and developing a particular type of access point, an
office should consider the following steps:
• Establish overall objectives for what the access point is
intended to accomplish
• Investigate options for making information available (e.g.,
types of access points) and then evaluate and select an
access point.
These steps are discussed in the following text.
Establishing Objectives
The following pieces of information must be identified in order to
establish objectives for developing access points:
• Determine the type of information that the office is
interested in communicating
• Identify the audience it is trying to reach
• Understand the needs of this audience with respect to
obtaining information.
Once this basic understanding of communication needs exists, EPA managers
can establish an overall objective that they wish to accomplish with regard to
developing an access point. This objective, which ought to be achievable
within known or projected organizational and resource constraints, will
provide the basis for evaluating alternative approaches.
Identifying, Evaluating, and Selecting Potential Access Points
Descriptions are given of each of the seven types of access points along
with discussions of applicable standards, policies, and procedures in this
chapter. Additionally, benefits and limitations of each type of access point are
discussed as well as examples of EPA uses of these points.
To select a specific access point, an office should evaluate each type
relative to the previously defined objective while taking into account any
organizational or resource constraints. For assistance in addressing resource
constraints, the relevant Senior Budget Officer should be contacted. To
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facilitate this evaluation, a graphic is included at the end of this chapter that
summarizes each approach and its primary benefits and limitations.
Once an access point has been established and is operating, the
responsible office should consider using one of the methods discussed in
Chapter II to assess the degree of user satisfaction with the services provided.
Offices should consider performing these evaluations annually.
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ACCESS POINTS
Purpose
This section discusses the seven types of access points listed previously.
For each type of access point, the following will be presented:
• A brief description
• Issues associated with utilizing this type of access point
• Benefits and limitations
• Innovative uses within Headquarters, the Regions, or the
Laboratories
• Individuals to contact for additional information.
A graphic summarizing the access points is located at the end of this chapter.
Although there are no specific standards, policies, or procedures for
most access points, all must conform to the Agency's standards, policies, and
procedures in relevant areas. Examples of these include the following:
• EPA's Information Security Policies
• EPA's Publications and Printing Policies.
Mandatory policies and procedures for individual access points are given
within the appropriate section.
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Hotlines
This section will discuss the use of hotlines to make information
available to the public.
Description
Hotlines are points of contacts for parties external to EPA to ask
technical or general questions. EPA hotlines have been established to meet
the demand for verbal responses to queries. Additionally, hotlines are often
utilized as a means of accessing clearinghouse information. Currently within
EPA most of the hotlines specialize in regulatory or risk-related issues and are
utilized by state and local governments, industry, special interest groups, and
the general public. Hotlines depend upon program personnel to formulate
responses. Many hotlines use distribution mechanisms, such as NTIS, GPO,
and EPIC to assist with the dissemination of documents.
Additionally, some hotlines are experimenting with a feature that
allows for automated distribution of documents. When a caller reaches a
hotline, an automated attendant feature allows the caller to choose to speak
directly to an operator or to move to a document ordering menu through
pressing the appropriate number. The document menu, through use of
audio text technology, asks a caller a series of questions or provides a list of
available documents. The caller can then choose a document based upon
his/her interest. The document can be automatically faxed to a telephone
number entered by the caller or mailed to an address that the caller registers at
the appropriate prompt.
Issues Associated with Use
The following issues should be considered when evaluating the
potential usefulness of a hotline and when developing plans for establishing
a hotline.
• Accessibility - The EPA office needs to consider which
audiences they are trying to reach and audiences' needs
with regard to accessing information. Additionally to
further ensure access, EPA needs to attempt to project call
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volume to make certain that sufficient lines are available
for callers to get through.
Special Audience Needs - The office should consider if the
hotline needs a foreign language capability. Would
having someone available who is fluent in Spanish
significantly increase the hotline's ability to inform the
public? Should the hotline have a Telecommunication
Device for the Deaf (TDD) capability?
Information Collection - How are the responses given out
by the hotline operators formulated? What procedures
should be established to ensure that the hotline has the
latest information in the particular topic area?
Information Quality - What level of quality is going to be
required by the audiences demanding information from
the hotline? How is the necessary level of quality going to
be ensured with verbal responses? Various approaches to
ensuring quality are currently used, including developing
canned responses and monitoring selected conversations.
Information Searching - When hotline operators are
responding to calls, what types of information will they
need at their immediate disposal? How will they search
through this information - in an automated or manual
fashion?
Services - The types and extent of services that the hotline
is going to offer must be clearly defined and then the
resources must be provided to support these services. For
example, is the hotline going to answer questions in a
certain area or is it intended to serve as a referral point for
an office? Even if the hotline intends to answer calls, a
referral list should be developed as many calls will not be
relevant to the hotline. Another example would be
whether or not the hotline is going to distribute
publications or is it going to use another distribution
mechanism? Does the hotline receive sufficient requests
for documents that an automated distribution capability is
appropriate?
Staffing - Hotline operators need to possess not only a
knowledge of the particular issue area for the hotline, but
the staff members must also possess appropriate
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interpersonal skills to assist callers in defining their
queries. An office needs to consider what methods it will
use to recruit, train, and retain appropriate individuals.
• After Hours Calls - The hotline should consider having a
mechanism in place (e.g., an answering machine) to take
after hours calls, especially a national hotline which will
be receiving calls from different time zones.
• Cost - Cost must be considered not only from the
viewpoint of the cost of the hotline to EPA, but also with
regard to deciding if and how to charge members of the
public for the phone call and any corresponding
information which is mailed to the member of the public.
Is the hotline going to be toll-free or toll? This can also
have implications for the volume of calls received as toll-
free access tends to generate more interest.
• Publicity - For a hotline to be utilized, the public must be
aware of it. Therefore, EPA needs to consider means of
publicizing the hotline and its functions and services.
Some potential outreach mechanisms are presented in
Chapter VI.
Resolution of these issues will enable EPA managers to decide if a hotline is
appropriate and, if so, to begin developing the hotline.
Benefits and Limitations
There are a number of benefits and limitations associated with
utilizing hotlines to make information available to the public. These are
described below:
Benefits
Hotlines can be accessed via a telephone, which does not
usually restrict access or exclude any audiences.
Hotlines allow for immediate access to information and
allow for requesters who do not have clearly defined
needs to receive assistance.
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• Hotlines offer a "personalized" touch and promote a
relationship between EPA and members of the public.
• Hotlines allow EPA to receive immediate feedback on the
quality of its response to the public.
• Hotlines that employ automated distribution features
allow callers to receive quick access to documents and free
hotline staff to respond to callers who require more
assistance.
Limitations
• Hotlines must be adequately staffed to ensure an adequate
level of service. Therefore, hotlines can be resource-
intensive.
• Hotlines face challenges in finding and retaining staff that
are qualified in the technical area of expertise and that
have appropriate interpersonal skills.
• Hotlines that are not adequately staffed or that do not
have sufficient phone lines (i.e., the user is on hold for
lengthy periods of time or cannot get through at all) can
annoy users and create a negative image of the Agency's
public access efforts.
• Hotlines can have difficulty identifying and obtaining
current, appropriate information to give out to users.
• It is more difficult to ensure quality and consistency in
responses with a hotline than other types of access points.
Hotlines can provide a level of individual attention that other access points
cannot. However, this feature must be balanced against resource
requirements and other limitations. Examples of how EPA Headquarters and
Regional offices have used hotlines to provide access to information are
given on the following page. Additionally, offices that can be contacted for
more information on developing and operating hotlines are given on the
next page.
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CONTACTS
Region 5's, Office of Public Affairs, (312) 886-2072, 8-312-886-2072
(FTS)
RCRA/Superfund Hotline, (202) 260-4646, 8-202-260-4646 (FTS)
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Hotlines
The Air Risk Information Support Center
hotline was established in response to state
and local agency demand for information in the areas
of health, risk, and exposure assessment for toxic air
pollutants. This hotline provides three levels of service
to callers:
• Quick Response - providing an initial quick
response based upon available health and
exposure data and the expertise of EPA.
• Detailed Technical Assistance - requesting through
the hotline the detailed, technical assistance of an
EPA staff member. This could include assistance
in understanding risk assessment methodologies
or review and interpretation of toxicological
literature.
• General Technical Guidance - addressing health,
exposure, and risk assessment issues that have
broad national interest.
Currently, no fees are charged for these services.
For more information contact the Air Risk Information
Support Center, at (919) 541-0888, 8-919-549-0888 (FTS).
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Hotlines
Several EPA Regions have established
hotlines within their Public
Affairs Offices as central points-of-contact for Regional
information. For example, Region 5 has a toll-free
hotline which performs three main functions:
• Answers many questions directly (e.g., radon,
ozone)
• Distributes publications
• Refers callers to appropriate offices within the
Region, other parts of EPA, or other agencies.
This service is advertised in news releases, and the
number is placed in every Regional publication and
phone book.
Region 5 has found consistent staffing to be the biggest
challenge in operating a hotline. It currently utilizes
hotline jobs as the entry-level position into the Public
Affairs office to ensure qualified individuals.
Region 10 also has a toll-free hotline which performs
many services similar to Region 5's. This service is
advertised through publications and fact sheets.
••^••••^••^^^^•^•^•••^^^^^•^^^^•^^^•^^•^^•a
For more information on the Region 5 hotline, contact the
Office of Public Affairs at (312) 353-2072,8-312-353-2072. For
the Region 10 hotline, call Office of External Affairs at (206)
442-1107,8-206-442-1107.
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Developing Access Points
Dockets
This section will discuss the use of dockets to make information
available to the public.
Description
Dockets are often used to provide public access to documentation
supporting rulemaking. In addition, dockets often serve as a repository for
program directives. The dockets rely upon EPA program personnel to
compile and deliver the information to the docket. Docket information is
accessed primarily by walk-in visitors although some dockets accept mail and
phone requests for information. Users, currently including lawyers, interest
groups, and EPA staff, usually photocopy the information that they require,
but for major studies they are referred to EPA's Publications and Information
Clearinghouse in Cincinnati or NTIS.
Issues Associated with Use
The following issues should be considered when evaluating the
potential usefulness of a docket and when establishing plans for developing a
docket. EPA's Docket Policy and Guidance should also be consulted for
information. This policy and guidance is available from OIRM's Information
Management and Services Division.
• Accessibility - The EPA office needs to consider the
audience they are trying to reach as currently the primary
means of accessing many dockets is in person. This
greatly restricts access.
• Information Collection - How is the information
maintained in the docket going to be collected? Should
procedures be established to ensure that the docket
receives copies of the public comments, directives, etc.
related to the particular law?
• Information Quality - What level of quality is going to be
required by the audiences requesting information from
the docket?
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Information Searching - How will users locate
information within the docket? Will there be an
automated or a paper-based index?
Information Security - Since members of the public will be
directly accessing the information, how can EPA make
certain that documents are not taken or mutilated?
Services - The types and extent of services that the docket
is going to offer must be clearly defined and then the
resources must be provided to support these services. For
example, will there be docket staff available to assist users?
If so, what types of services will they offer?
Staffing - Docket staff members need to possess not only a
knowledge of the particular law, but the staff members
must also possess appropriate interpersonal skills to assist
users in locating information.
Cost - Cost must be considered not only from the
viewpoint of the cost of the docket to EPA, but also with
regard to deciding if and how to charge members of the
public for copies and if there needs to be a limit on the
number of copies which can be made. Dockets must
conform to the June 1988 interim fee schedule policy
which was approved by the Office of General Counsel and
the Office of the Comptroller, Financial Management
Division. This policy establishes the following fees:
If 267 pages or less are copied, there is no charge
If more than 267 pages are copied, an
administrative fee of $25 plus $.015 for each page
starting with page 268.
Photocopying charges are to be paid by a personal or
business check or by money order made out to the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency.
Publicity - For a docket to be utilized, the public must be
aware of it. Therefore, EPA needs to consider means of
publicizing the docket and its functions and services.
Suggested outreach approaches are given in Chapter VI.
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Discussion and resolution of these issues will enable EPA managers to decide
if a docket is an appropriate means of making information available to the
public.
Benefits and Limitations
There are a number of benefits and limitations of utilizing dockets to
make information available to the public. These are described below:
Benefits
• Dockets allow users to search through information, so
they can locate exactly what they need.
• As users are usually searching through information
themselves, dockets do not require as many EPA staff.
Therefore, they are less resource intensive than other
access points.
• Users are able to copy free of charge up to 267 pages which
minimizes the expense to the user.
Limitations
• Many dockets can only be accessed on a walk-in basis,
greatly reducing the ability to obtain the information.
• Dockets can face challenges in finding and retaining staff
that are qualified in the technical area of expertise and that
have appropriate interpersonal skills.
• Dockets can have difficulty identifying and obtaining
current, appropriate information to give out to users.
• The potential for lost or destroyed information from a
docket is real since the public is usually directly accessing
paper information.
Dockets can provide access to regulatory or rulemaking information fairly
inexpensively for EPA. Examples of how EPA Headquarters and Regional
offices have used dockets to provide access to information are given on
subsequent pages. Additionally, an office that can be contacted for more
information on developing and operating dockets is given below.
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CONTACT
Office of Information Resources Management, Information
Management and Services Division, (202) 260-5914, 8-202-260-
5914 (FTS)
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Dockets
The SUPERFUND Docket provides the
public access to SUPERFUND decision
making documents. The docket is a repository for
supporting documents to proposed and final regulations
and for receipt and storage of public comments. In 1989,
the SUPERFUND docket was expanded to provide a
repository for a variety of SUPERFUND-related
information and is now called the SUPERFUND Docket
and Information Center. Access to the docket is obtained
primarily through the telephone with some written and
walk-in requests. The primary audiences for this docket's
information are:
• EPA staff
• Federal agencies
• La w/ consul ting firms
• Environmental organizations
• States
• General public.
In addition to the Headquarters docket, each Region has a
SUPERFUND National Priorities List (NPL) Docket.
For more information contact the SUPERFUND Docket
and Information Center, at (202) 260-8864,8-202-260-8864
(FTS).
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Developing Access Points
Electronic Bulletin Boards
This section will discuss the use of electronic bulletin boards in making
information available to the public.
Description
Electronic bulletin boards, which are accessed by computers equipped
with a modem and appropriate communications software, are established to
satisfy demands for electronic access to information on a particular subject.
These bulletin boards generally promote information sharing among users by
providing lists of other users, lists of expert contacts relevant to the subject
area, and a means for leaving messages. Some bulletin boards rely upon
voluntary input of information by the users who currently include mainly
EPA staff, contractors, state and local governments, and some private citizens.
Other bulletin boards are established to provide audiences with convenient
access to information that is accurate and current. Bulletin boards often
utilize other distribution mechanisms (e.g., GPO, NTIS) to disseminate
publications; attempts are being made to establish online ordering capabilities
with some of these mechanisms.
Issues Associated with Use
The following issues should be considered when evaluating the
potential usefulness of an electronic bulletin board and when establishing
plans for developing the bulletin board.
• Accessibility - The EPA office needs to consider the
audience it is trying to reach because accessing an
electronic bulletin board requires a computer with a
modem, appropriate communications software, and the
skills to utilize these tools. This can restrict access for
certain audiences or require EPA to provide significant
technical support. Additionally, the office must consider
providing documentation for bulletin board access in
clear, understandable language. An office should also
consider whether a new bulletin board is needed or if an
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existing bulletin board could be used to provide access to
the information.
Information Collection and Quality - How is the
information maintained in the electronic bulletin board
going to be collected? If users add information to the
bulletin board, what types of quality assurance procedures
need to be established?
Software - EPA has an Agency-wide policy on electronic
bulletin boards. This policy, a copy of which is provided
in Appendix A, specifies a standard Agency software for
bulletin boards. This policy is intended to promote
effective Agency-wide technical support and provide
guidance on systems recommended for optimal
performance within the EPA telecommunications
environment.
Information Searching and Use - How will information
within the bulletin board need to be structured to facilitate
users locating the proper information? What type of user
interface is needed to facilitate use? What analytical
capabilities should be provided? How should the
information be displayed?
Information Security - What types of security are
necessary on the bulletin board to prevent information
from being altered, etc.?
Services - The types and extent of services that the
electronic bulletin board is going to offer must be clearly
defined, and then the resources must be provided to
support these services. For example, an electronic bulletin
board may want to consider providing or identifying
support for assisting users with questions on the content
of the bulletin board as well as user support for
operational questions.
Cost - Cost must be considered not only from the
viewpoint of the cost of the bulletin board to EPA, but also
with regard to deciding if and how to charge members of
the public for access. For instance, should the system be
accessed via a toll-free or toll line?
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Developing Access Points
• Publicity - EPA needs to consider various means of
publicizing the electronic bulletin board and its functions
and services to promote usage. Chapter VI provides
suggestions in this area.
Discussion and resolution of these issues will enable EPA managers to decide
whether an electronic bulletin board is an appropriate means of making
information available to the public.
Benefits and Limitations
There are a number of benefits and limitations associated with using
electronic bulletin boards to make information available to the public. Some
are described below:
Benefits
Electronic bulletin boards provide virtually immediate
access to data and information.
Knowledgeable users can download data and then
manipulate or use it in their own analyses.
Electronic bulletin boards promote information sharing
among users.
Electronic bulletin boards are not as staff-intensive as
other access points except in the development and start-up
phase.
The accuracy and currency of information made available
through electronic bulletin boards can be maintained
through central and relatively easy update procedures.
Limitations
Computers with modems and the appropriate software
are required to access electronic bulletin boards. This will
restrict usage to those with access to this type of
equipment.
Electronic bulletin boards can pose data quality problems if
the data entered by users is not adequately screened.
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• Electronic bulletin boards have the potential to fail unless
they are sufficiently promoted to ensure there are users to
interact online.
• Electronic bulletin board operators face the challenge of
notifying users, who may have downloaded information,
that the information has been updated or revised.
Electronic bulletin boards can provide quick access to certain types of Agency
information for users who have access to computers, modems, and
appropriate software. Examples of how EPA Headquarters and Regional
offices have used electronic bulletin boards to provide access to information
are given on subsequent pages. Additionally, offices that can be contacted for
more information on developing and operating electronic bulletin boards are
given below.
CONTACTS
Office of Administration and Resources Management, RTF,
National Data Processing Division, Telecommunications
Branch, (919) 541-0849, 8-919-541-0849 (FTS)
Office of Research and Development, Office of Environmental
Engineering and Technology Demonstration, (202) 260-2600,
8-202-260-2600 (FTS)
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Electronic Bulletin Boards
The Pollution Prevention
Information Clearinghouse (PPIC)
was established to promote pollution
prevention through efficient information transfer. The
clearinghouse contains technical, policy, programmatic,
legislative, and financial information to aid in reducing or
eliminating discharges and emissions through source
reduction and environmentally sound recycling. The
primary mechanism for accessing PPIC information is an
electronic bulletin board, the Pollution Information Exchange
System (PIES). PIES was designed to encourage interaction
and information exchange between technical assistance
professionals. The primary audiences for this bulletin board
are:
• Industry
• International, federal, state, and local governments
• Academia
• Interest groups
• International organizations.
A sister program to PIES, the International Cleaner
Production Information Computer System (ICPIC) was
mandated by UNEP in 1989. The ICPIC is intended to
transfer technical, policy, programmatic, legislative, and
financial expertise on cleaner production internationally.
For more information, contact the Office of Research and
Development, Office of Environmental Engineering and
Technology Demonstration, (202) 260-2600, 8-202-260-2600 (FTS).
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Electronic Bulletin Boards
l-i
The Office of Research and
Development (ORD) operates an
electronic bulletin board to facilitate
exchange of technical information and ORD products. The
bulletin board, which is sponsored by ORD's Center for
Environmental Research Information, contains the following
information on ORD products:
• Title
• Publication number
• Abstract
• Author
• Performing organization
• Availability of the product.
Additionally, the bulletin board offers an electronic message
system, brief bulletins discussing ORD products and
activities, and online databases which can be searched to
identify relevant publications. Weekly updates are made.
The bulletin board is available to all EPA employees, other
federal agencies, states, universities, industry, and the public.
For more information, contact the Office of Research and
Development, Center for Environmental Research Information,
(513) 569-7391, 8-513-569-7391 (FTS).
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Developing Access Points
Databases
This section will discuss utilizing databases to make information
available to the public.
Description
Electronic databases are automated collections of data. Currently, many
of EPA's databases are mainframe databases which have been developed to
fulfill legislative requirements and to support the Agency's mission to protect
the environment. These systems are used primarily by EPA officials and
EPA's data sharing partners, such as state environmental agencies,
contractors, and grantees. Currently, direct online access is not provided to
many EPA systems due to security and confidentiality requirements.
However, NDPD has been developing technical solutions to these issues and
should be contacted for assistance. EPA also provides database information to
the general public through a variety of other means (e.g., clearinghouses,
hotlines, commercial and other government database vendors, such as NTIS
or NLM).
Recently, many EPA offices have been experimenting with Geographic
Information Systems (GIS) applications to display data from a system
geographically in a manner that facilitates understanding and analysis.
Although these applications are not yet used by EPA's more non-technical
audiences, there are ideas for moving in this direction.
Issues Associated with Use
The following issues should be considered when evaluating the
potential usefulness of a database and when establishing plans for developing
the database.
• Accessibility - EPA needs to consider the audience they are
trying to reach as accessing a database requires a computer,
a modem, and compatible software. This can restrict
access for certain audiences. The office should also
consider what types of help features or instructions are
necessary to facilitate access and usage. Additionally, the
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office needs to determine if the system is going to be
accessed directly on EPA's mainframe or through a third
party, such as NLM or NTIS.2
Information Collection - How are the data maintained in
the database going to be collected? What procedures exist
(or need to be established) to ensure that appropriate
information is captured and entered into the system?
Data Quality - What level of data quality is going to be
required by the audiences using the database's
information? What procedures are in place or are
necessary to ensure that this level of quality is achieved?
If errors are found, how will users report the errors and
how will they be corrected?
Information Searching and Use - What user interface and
query capabilities will be required to facilitate users
locating the proper information? What analytical
capabilities should be provided? How should the
information be displayed?
Information Security - What types of security are
necessary in the database to prevent information from
being altered or to prevent unauthorized access to other
data or databases?
Services - The types and extent of services that the
database is going to offer must be clearly defined and then
the resources must be provided to support these services.
For example, EPA may want to consider providing or
identifying support for assisting users with questions on
the data content as well as user support for technical,
operational questions.
Staffing - Databases will require sufficient staff support to
assist users with hardware, software, and
telecommunications problems, as well as to develop and
operate the system.
Cost - Cost must be considered not only from the
viewpoint of the cost of developing and maintaining the
system to EPA, but also with regard to deciding if and how
2 Additional information on NTIS online access services is given in Chapter V on distribution
mechanisms.
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to charge members of the public for access. Will a toll or
toll-free number be available to access the system? Should
the user be charged for CPU time?
• Publicity - EPA needs to consider means of publicizing the
database and its functions and services to promote usage.
Chapter VI provides additional information on this area.
After considering these and any other identified issues, EPA managers should
be in a position to decide if a database is appropriate for meeting the needs of
the particular audience.
Benefits and Limitations
There are a number of benefits and limitations of utilizing databases to
make information available to the public. These are described below:
Benefits
• Databases provide virtually immediate access to data and
information.
• Knowledgeable users can download data and then
manipulate or use it in their own analyses.
Limitations
• Computers with modems and appropriate
communications software are required to access databases.
This will restrict usage to those with access to this type of
equipment.
• Compatible software (e.g., database management or
spreadsheet) is required to manipulate data electronically.
This will restrict usage to those with access to appropriate
software.
• Database operators face the challenge of notifying users,
who may have downloaded information, that the
information has been updated or revised.
Databases can provide quick access to certain types of Agency information for
users who have access to computers, modems, and compatible software.
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Further information on public access to databases is given in a paper by Jerry
Slaymaker, Deputy Director, National Data Processing Division, which is
provided in Appendix A. Additionally, examples of how EPA Headquarters
and Regional offices have used databases to provide access to information are
given on the following page. Offices that can be contacted for information on
utilizing databases to provide public access are given below.
CONTACTS
Office of Administration and Resources Management, RTP,
National Data Processing Division, (919) 541-0613, 8-919-541-0613
(FTS)
The Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Office of Program
Management and Evaluation, Toxics Release Inventory, (202)
260-3938, 8-202-260-3938 (FTS)
Office of General Counsel, (202) 260-8040, 8-202-260-8040 (FTS) or
Regional Counsels for assistance with confidentiality and
liability issues
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Databases
The Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) was
mandated in the 1986 SUPERFUND
Amendments and Reauthorization Act.
This Act requires EPA to make information on the presence
of hazardous chemicals and release of these chemicals in the
environment available to the public. TRI information is
made available electronically to the public through the
National Library of Medicine's TOXNET System.
Additionally, TRI data are available through the following
means:
• Mail, phone, and walk-ins to the Title III Reporting
Center located in Washington, D.C.
• Magnetic tape of database which is sold by GPO and
NTIS
• Hotline
• Various publications
• Microfilm, CD ROMs, and diskettes of data subsets
which are distributed in public libraries.
TRI information is requested by a diverse group of users,
including government organizations, the chemical industry,
and private citizens. TRI information is promoted through
environmental publications, press releases, conferences,
For more information on TRI, contact the Office of Pollution
Prevention and Toxics, (202) 260-3938, 8-202-260-3938 (FTS).
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Databases
EPA's Region 4 receives a substantial
number of requests for data from EPA's
national systems (e.g., the Facility Index
Data System). These requests are currently satisfied by
printing out a report from the computer. As this is very
resource intensive, Region 4 has developed a tool which
allows a standard set of data to be downloaded from the
national system onto a 3 1 /2" diskette. The user then places
this diskette into his/her computer disk drive and types "go."
A menu appears which allows the user to choose from one of
a variety of standard reports.
Region 4 plans to add latitude and longitude values to this
data set so that the user would be able to perform searches
and structure reports by location. Once these values are
added, a user could then extract relevant data and produce a
hard copy report at such a scale that it could be laid over a
U.S.G.S. quad map to perform further analysis.
Requests for this type of information are currently received
from mortgage companies, financial institutions, banks,
engineering firms, and the press. Initial plans are to make
these diskettes available at as low a price as possible.
For more information on this project, contact Region 4,
Information Management Branch at (404) 347-2316,
8-404-347-2316 (FTS).
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Databases
The Online Library System (OLS)
references the information resources
maintained in the EPA library network.
OLS consists of several related databases that contain
bibliographic citations from books and other federal
agency's technical reports, conference proceedings, indices,
audiovisual materials, maps, journals, and a variety of other
documents. The information in OLS is obtained from EPA
program offices, Regional offices, and NTIS. The primary
users of OLS are:
• EPA staff
• Consultants
• General public
• States.
OLS is available at any EPA library.
In addition, EPA is piloting a program for the public to
directly access OLS via the mainframe. The member of the
public dials into the EPA mainframe, types two commands,
and then is connected to OLS. Once access has been
established, the user can select, from a menu, the database
(e.g., Clean Lakes, Hazardous Waste) within OLS that he/she
is interested in accessing.
For more information, contact the Office of Information
Resources Management, Information Access Branch, (513)
569-7183, 8-513-569-7183 (FTS).
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Developing Access Points
Clearinghouses
This section will discuss the use of clearinghouses to make
information available to the public.
Description
Clearinghouses are consolidated reference sources established to
provide information on specific subjects to members of the public.
Information is usually voluntarily given to clearinghouses by program office
staff. Clearinghouses provide requesters with documents or abstracts, as well
referrals to other expert contacts, when appropriate. Currently,
clearinghouses are primarily used by Regions, state and local governments,
contractors, and industry. Access to clearinghouses occurs through a variety
of means:
• Primarily by phone
• Limited use of mail
• Limited electronic access (e.g., electronic bulletin board).
Clearinghouses often combine various other access points, such as hotlines
and electronic bulletin boards, into their clearinghouse operations.
Additionally, many clearinghouses use distribution mechanisms, such
as NTIS, GPO, CERI, and EPIC to assist with the dissemination of documents
and other information. These distribution mechanisms often fulfill many
functions similar to a clearinghouse, but they are not focused on a specific
subject of information. Instead, they cover a variety of topic areas. Full
descriptions of the distribution mechanisms are given in Chapter V.
Issues Associated with Use
The following issues should be considered when evaluating the
potential usefulness of a clearinghouse and when developing plans for
establishing the clearinghouse.
• Accessibility - The EPA office needs to consider which
audiences it is trying to reach and these audiences' needs
with regard to accessing information. For example, if the
majority of the audience is the general public, a
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clearinghouse should not just have electronic access.
Instead, telephone, mail, and fax alternatives need to be
considered.
• Information Collection - How is the information
maintained in the clearinghouse going to be collected?
What procedures need to be established to ensure that the
clearinghouse has the latest publications, videos, etc. in
the particular topic area?
• Information Quality - What level of quality is going to be
required by the audiences demanding information from
the clearinghouse? What procedures need to be
established to ensure that this level of quality is attained
in each document, data set, etc. that will be made available
to the public?
• Services - The types and extent of services that the
clearinghouse is going to offer must be clearly defined and
then the resources must be provided to support these
services. For example, is the clearinghouse going to
distribute publications or is it going to use another
distribution mechanism? Is the clearinghouse going to
directly answer questions or refer callers to "experts"
within the Agency?
• Staffing - Clearinghouse staff members need to possess not
only a knowledge of the particular issue area for the
clearinghouse, but the staff members must also possess
appropriate interpersonal skills to assist callers or walk-in
visitors. EPA offices should consider how feasible it will
be to recruit, train, and retain staff for a clearinghouse.
• Cost - Cost must be considered not only from the
viewpoint of the cost of the clearinghouse to EPA, but also
with regard to deciding if and how to charge members of
the public for information obtained from the
clearinghouse.
• Publicity - For the clearinghouse to be utilized, the public
must be aware of it. Therefore, EPA needs to consider
means of publicizing the clearinghouse and its functions
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and services. Publicity alternatives are discussed in
Chapter VI.
If these issues are considered initially, EPA offices can promote the
development of a clearinghouse that is truly responsive to user needs.
Benefits and Limitations
There are a number of benefits and limitations of utilizing
clearinghouses to make information available to the public. These are
described below:
Benefits
• Clearinghouses usually offer several means of access (e.g.,
telephone, mail, electronic, and walk-in), so they do not
exclude users based on access capabilities.
• Clearinghouses are often equipped to disseminate
information in a variety of media which meets the needs
of diverse users.
• Clearinghouses with hotlines or electronic access allow for
immediate access to information and allow requesters
who do not have clearly defined needs to receive
assistance.
Limitations
• Clearinghouses can be labor and, therefore, resource
intensive depending upon the level of services that is
offered.
• Clearinghouses with hotlines and walk-in services have
additional challenges in finding and retaining staff that
are qualified in the technical area of expertise and that
have appropriate interpersonal skills.
• Clearinghouses can have difficulty identifying and
obtaining current, appropriate information to give out to
users.
Clearinghouses clearly have real benefits in terms of providing access to
information. However, these benefits must be weighed against potential
operational challenges. Examples of how EPA Headquarters and Regional
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offices have used clearinghouses to provide access to information are given
on the following page. Offices that can be contacted for further information
on developing and operating clearinghouses are given below. Additionally,
the EPA Headquarters Library maintains a file which provides information
on developing clearinghouses.
CONTACTS
Office of Information Resources Management, Information
Management and Services Division, INFOTERRA, (202) 260-
5914, 8-202-260-5914 (FTS)
Office of Atmospheric and Indoor Air Programs, Indoor Air
Clearinghouse, (202) 260-8470, 8-202-260-8470 (FTS)
EPA Headquarters Library, (202) 260-5922, 8-202-260-5922 (FTS)
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Us®
Clearinghouses
The United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP) identified a need to
promote information sharing amongst
environmental experts and interested
parties worldwide. To fulfill this need, UNEP
established INFOTERRA to serve as an international
environmental research and referral system. Today,
this network encompasses 137 participating countries,
each of whom is a focal point for information
exchange. The EPA component of INFOTERRA serves
as a clearinghouse for all U.S. international
environmental requests. Through responding to
telephone and written inquiries, INFOTERRA serves
the needs of the following audiences:
• Governments
• Businesses
• Policymakers
• Academia
• General public.
For more information on INFOTERRA, contact (202)
260-5914, 8-202-260-5914 (FTS).
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Clearinghouses
The Center for Environmental Learning
in Region 3 was created to serve as a
clearinghouse for general environmental education
information. The Center's objective is to improve the
public understanding of current and emerging policy
issues and to increase oppprtunities for the public to
communicate with EPA. The Center disseminates
information in the following manners:
• Sponsoring environmental lectures and seminars
• Presenting Region 3 Environmental Education
Awards to exemplary education programs in
various categories
• Participating in the President's Environmental
Youth Awards Program and the Adopt-a-School
Program.
In the future, the Center plans to develop partnerships
with nonprofit organizations, industry, state and local
governments, and academia.
For more information on the Center, contact (215)
597-9076, 8-215-597-9076 (FTS).
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Developing Access Points
Public Information Centers
This section will discuss utilizing public information centers (PICs) to
make information available to the public. PICs can be considered from two
standpoints: using an existing PIC to provide an office's information to the
public; or developing a PIC (Regions or Laboratories).3
Description
PICs have been established in Headquarters and in several Regions to
provide non-technical information to the public. The Headquarters PIC is the
Agency's primary point-of-contact for those interested in non-technical
information provided by the program offices or OCEPA about the
environment and EPA. PICs are usually accessed via the mail, phone, or
walk-in. PICs also refer technical questions to the appropriate program or
administrative offices, clearinghouses, hotlines, dockets, etc. PICs distribute
some information themselves but often use other distribution mechanisms
for large volume orders.
Issues Associated with Use
The following issues should be considered when evaluating the
potential usefulness of a PIC and when establishing plans for developing a
PIC:
• Accessibility - The office needs to consider which
audiences they are trying to reach and these audiences'
needs with regard to accessing information. As the
majority of a PICs audience is usually the general public,
the Center should be accessible through several means,
including telephone, mail, and fax.
• Information Collection - How is the information
maintained in the PIC going to be collected? What
procedures need to be established to ensure that the PIC
has the latest publications, videos, etc. in the particular
topic area?
3 The distribution capabilities of PICs are also discussed in Chapter V on distribution
mechanisms.
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• Information Quality - What level of quality is going to be
required by the audiences demanding information from
the PIC? How current does the information need to be?
What procedures should be established to ensure that
high quality, current information is made available to the
public?
• Services - The types and extent of services that the PIC is
going to offer must be dearly defined and then the
resources must be provided to support these services. For
example, is the PIC going to distribute publications or is it
going to use another distribution mechanism? Is the PIC
going to directly answer questions or refer callers to
"experts" within the Agency? Is the PIC going to provide
onsite, walk-in services?
• Staffing - PIC employees need to possess not only a general
knowledge of the Agency and of environmental issues,
but also appropriate interpersonal skills to assist callers or
walk-in visitors.
• Cost - Cost must be considered not only from the
viewpoint of the cost of the PIC to EPA, but also with
regard to deciding if and how to charge members of the
public for information obtained from a PIC.
• Publicity - For a PIC to be utilized, the public must be
aware of it. Therefore, EPA needs to consider means of
publicizing the PIC and its functions and services.
Chapter VI provides further outreach information.
After considering these and any other identified issues, EPA managers should
be able to decide if a PIC is appropriate for meeting the needs of the particular
audience.
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Benefits and Limitations
There are a number of benefits and limitations of utilizing PICs to
make information available to the public. These are described below:
Benefits
• PICs usually offer several means of access (e.g., telephone,
mail, and walk-in), so they do not exclude users based on
access capabilities.
• PICs usually focus specifically on the needs of the general
public, so all brochures, pamphlets, and other documents
are targeted for that audience.
• PICs with telephone service provide immediate access to
information and allow requesters who do not have clearly
defined needs to receive assistance.
• PICs offer Headquarters and Regional offices expertise and
assistance in disseminating information to the general
public.
Limitations
• PICs can be labor and, therefore, resource intensive
depending upon the level of services that is offered.
• PICs with hotlines and walk-in services have additional
challenges in finding and retaining staff that have an
appropriate level of EPA and environmental knowledge
and that have good interpersonal skills.
• PICs can have difficulty identifying and obtaining current,
appropriate information to distribute to users.
PICs clearly have real benefits in terms of providing the general public access
to information. However, these benefits should be weighed against the
limitations to determine if this is an appropriate access point. Offices that can
be contacted for more information on developing and operating PICs are
given on the next page.
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Developing Access Points
CONTACTS
Office of Information Resources Management, Information
Access Branch, (202) 260-8710, 8-202-260-8710 (FTS)
Region 10, Office of Public Affairs (206) 553-1107, 8-206-553-1107
(FTS)
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Developing Access Points
Libraries
This section will discuss utilizing libraries to make environmental
information available to the public.
Description
Both EPA and non-EPA libraries can be utilized to make information
available to the public. EPA libraries primarily support EPA decision making
with special "corporate" information products and services. However, EPA
library collections are also open to the public. EPA's library network is
comprised of 28 Headquarters, Regional, and Laboratory Libraries which
maintain paper-based information as well as information in microform and
electronic (e.g., CD ROMs) formats. EPA libraries provide information on a
variety of environmental subjects ranging from technical to non-technical as
well as on the Agency itself. References to this information are listed on the
Online Library System (OLS) as well as on the national cataloging system, the
Online Computer Library Catalog (OCLC). OLS is available to the public at no
charge. Libraries also refer requesters to program and administrative offices
or other access points as necessary. EPA libraries are accessed onsite and
through phone calls and letters.
State environmental libraries, Federal Depository Libraries, and public
libraries also provide access to environmental information. State
government environmental organizations (e.g., Departments of Natural
Resources) usually have libraries dedicated to environmental information.
Additionally, GPO's Federal Depository Library Program makes federal
information available to any of the 1,400 depositories across the country who
request environmental information.4
Issues Associated with Use
The following issues should be considered when evaluating the
potential for using libraries to make information available to the public.
• Accessibility - EPA programs must enable their Printing
Control Officer to assure that the local EPA library receives
4 Further information on the Depository Library Program is given in Chapter V on distribution
mechanisms.
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Developing Access Points
two copies of each publication. EPA offices may also want
to provide publications access through public, academic,
or special interest libraries. All of these libraries also
provide access to electronic, microfiche, and multimedia
information products.
Information Collection - How will the information be
given to the library? What procedures need to be
established to ensure that the library has the latest
publications, etc. in the particular topic area?
Information Quality - What level of quality is going to be
required by the audiences demanding information from
the library? How current does the information need to
be? What procedures should be established to ensure that
this level of quality is attained in each document, etc. and
that information made available to the public through
libraries is current?
Services - The types and extent of services that a library
offers must be understood to ensure that they match the
needs of the audiences. For example, does the library
provide adequate onsite services? These types of services
could be especially important for general audiences who
are not as certain about the types of information they
need.
Cost - Cost must be considered not only from the
viewpoint of the cost of using a library to EPA, but also
with regard to deciding if and how the library charges
members of the public for information. The fact that
public services are already provided by the library will
make using libraries less expensive than developing an
access point especially for a certain type of information.
Publicity - For members of the public to access
information in a library, they must be aware that the
library is the place to go. Therefore, EPA needs to consider
means of publicizing that its information is available
through libraries. Chapter VI provides suggestions in this
area.
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Developing Access Points
After considering these and any other identified issues, EPA managers should
be able to decide if making information available to a library is appropriate for
their audiences.
Benefits and Limitations
There are a number of benefits and limitations of utilizing libraries to
make information available to the public. These are described below:
Benefits
• Libraries usually offer several means of access (e.g.,
telephone, mail, electronic, and walk-in), so they do not
exclude users based on access capabilities.
• Libraries are often equipped to disseminate information
in a variety of media which meets the needs of various
users.
• The onsite services offered by libraries provide an
individual touch as they are usually staffed by individuals
skilled in assisting requesters in locating and using
information. EPA libraries are staffed by librarians with
environmental knowledge as well.
• Use of libraries allows the EPA office to capitalize upon
the expertise that libraries have in responding to public
requests instead of building the expertise themselves.
• Many libraries already possess the equipment required to
access microfilm, microfiche, and CD ROMs, so each office
does not have to invest in these themselves.
• EPA and Depository Libraries exist across the country, so
information can be made available in diverse geographic
locations.
• Depository Libraries can choose selected topics and,
therefore, can have sections tailored to local needs and
issues.
• Regional Depository Libraries permanently maintain
government publications so they can offer an ongoing
record of information.
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Developing Access Points
Limitations
• Due to the breadth and depth of material that many
libraries maintain, it may be difficult for each library to
have a staff member who has an appropriate level of
technical knowledge in each environmental area.
Therefore, users may have some difficulty having detailed
questions answered.
• Libraries can have difficulty identifying and obtaining
current, appropriate information to distribute to users.
Libraries offer real benefits for making information available to the public,
particularly for information that does not require extensive explanation or
interpretation. Discussions of how libraries have been used to provide access
to information are given on the following pages. Additionally, offices that
can be contacted for information on using libraries are given below.
CONTACTS
Office of Information Resources Management, Information
Access Branch, (513) 569-7183, 8-513-569-7183 (FTS)
Agency Printing Officer, (202) 260-2125, 8-202-260-2125 (FTS)
The Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Office of Program
Management and Evaluation, Toxics Release Inventory, (202)
260-3938, 8-202-260-3938 (FTS)
EPA Headquarters Library (202) 260-5922, 8-202-260-5922 (FTS)
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page 106
Libraries
The Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) utilizes libraries as the
primary intermediary for making information available to
the public. This includes the public library system (e.g.,
state, county, and city libraries) as well as the Depository
Library System. These libraries have access to the
following TRI information:
• TRI database through the National Library of
Medicine
• TRI diskettes for each state
• Microfiche copies of data for each state
• CD ROM versions of the database
• TRI National Report summarizing TRI data by
regions, manufacturing sectors, and a variety of
other measures.
For more information on the use of libraries, contact the
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Toxic Release
Inventory, (202) 260-3938 8-202-260-3938 (FTS).
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page 107
Libraries
EPA distributed at no charge copies of the Access EPA
series to public, school, and academic libraries throughout
the country. The purpose of Access EPA is to provide a
guide to EPA information resources, services, and
products and, thereby, to promote convenient access to
environmental information. Through providing easy
access to information, EPA hopes to promote citizen
involvement in environmental decision making.
Libraries were chosen as they are an information resource
with which the public is familiar and which the public
frequents to obtain other information. By making Access
EPA available through libraries, the Agency is promoting
public use of its information as well as encouraging
efficient access to its information. More efficient access
will, ideally, reduce the number of referrals that EPA
offices have to make when a member of the public
contacts the Agency.
For more information on the distribution of Access EPA to
libraries, contact the Office of Information Resources
Management, Information Access Branch at (202) 260-8710
or 8-202-260-8710 (FTS).
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page 108
Developing Access Points:
A Summary and Comparison
Considerations for Selecting an Access Point
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page 109
Developing Access Points:
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-------
V. UTILIZING
DISTRIBUTION
MECHANISMS
INTRODUCTION
This section describes organizations that EPA either actively uses to
disseminate information to the public or that have the potential to be more
actively used by EPA in the dissemination of information. These distribution
mechanisms, which are both internal and external to EPA, distribute
information in various forms including paper based and electronic formats,
such as CD ROM, floppy disk, or magnetic tape.
In this section, the distribution mechanisms are divided into three
categories:
• EPA distribution mechanisms
• Federal government sponsored distribution mechanisms
• Partnership opportunities for distributing information
(i.e., use of third party organizations to distribute or
produce information).
For each organization, practical information on the services is provided, as
well as a contact office. A list of contact people is included in Appendix B.
Purpose and Approach
The intent of this section is to better familiarize the reader with some
of the different ways in which information can be distributed to the public.
There are many issues that should be considered when choosing an
appropriate distribution mechanism, such as:
• The ultimate goal (i.e., the message that needs to be
communicated)
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
• The type (i.e., technical/non-technical) of information to
be distributed
• The audience that the information needs to reach, and the
audience's characteristics
• Whether the associated costs are within the designated
budget
• The services (e.g. advertising, feedback mechanisms)
provided by the organization.
The information provided in this section will help an office choose the
organization that best fits its needs. A contact office for each distribution
mechanism is given to answer additional questions pertaining to the practical
use of that particular organization. This section provides only a basic
discussion on distributing EPA's information. These mechanisms can be
utilized to distribute information in a variety of other manners, and offices
are encouraged to work with mechanisms to identify additional distribution
approaches.
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
EPA DISTRIBUTION
MECHANISMS
EPA Publications and Information Center (EPIC)
Basic Description
EPIC, located in Cincinnati, was formally established in April 1991 and
is supported by the Office of Administration and Resources Management. It
was established as an Agency information system to respond to the need for
enhanced access to an extensive body of environmental information.
Type of Information Distributed
• Non-technical environmental as well as scientific
publications
• Multimedia environmental information
• Educational material
Services
EPIC is available to assist programs with the storage, compilation of
information packages, and dissemination. Distribution is available on an
international scale with distribution for 1991 equaling over 103 million
copies. The Center also actively develops collaborative relationships with
organizations both internal and external to EPA to store, process, and
disseminate environmental information.
The Center operates the EPIC System, an online database updated
monthly, which provides search and direct ordering capabilities for over 7,000
current Agency publications and multimedia products maintained in the
Center. The system also provides a historical review of over 24,000 titles
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
available through Agency program offices, NTIS, or the library system. In
addition to its search and ordering capabilities, the system provides the user
with monthly inventory information as well as mailing lists and information
on customers. The EPIC system is being expanded to accommodate
information needs of program offices, Regional offices, dockets,
clearinghouses, and libraries. Users will be able to extract data to produce
subject specific "mini-catalogs." Additionally, efforts are underway to
develop a comprehensive Agency catalog using the EPIC system.
Audience Reached Through Distribution
State and local governments
Other federal agencies
T7T4 A
EPA
General public
Academia
Interest groups
Industry.
Access/Dissemination
EPIC responds to requests by mail, fax, telephone, the new EPIC system,
and work requests from the Agency. The Center distributes publications and
multimedia environmental information.
Associated Costs
There are currently over 40 clients throughout the Agency who have
established accounts with EPIC. Essentially, program offices pay for the
publications, postage, handling, and users can request them free of charge.
There are standard procedures for establishing an account. For further
information, contact (513) 569-7980.
Advertising Mechanisms
• Marketing brochures are being developed for wide
distribution.
• Informal advertising is conducted at Agency information
workshops and seminars
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
Feedback Method
In these early stages, no formal feedback mechanisms are
in place. Customer service is provided on a personal basis
with follow-up to ensure satisfaction.
CONTACT
EPIC, (513) 569-7980,8-513-569-7980 (FTS)
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
Center for Environmental Research Information (CERI)
Basic Description
CERI, located in Cincinnati, Ohio, was founded by the Office of
Research and Development (ORD) in 1977 to provide consistency in research
information. CERI provides a critical link between EPA's research and
development community and user groups through its Technical Information
and Technology Transfer Groups.
Type of Information Distributed
• Technical information related to research and
development and Superfund
• Multimedia information transfer through:
Publications
Workshops and seminars
Conferences
Videos
Electronic products (e.g., expert systems, data bases,
ORD bulletin board).
Services
CERI's Technical Information Group provides support for the
publication of technical information for ORD and Superfund. This includes
assistance with document preparation, numbering, printing and distribution.
The Technology Transfer Group assists in the development of projects to
support cost-effective implementation and enforcement of EPA regulations
for businesses and municipalities. This includes developing workshops and
seminars targeted at specific audiences as well as applying sophisticated
communication technologies to reach appropriate audiences. For example,
CERI has developed an expert system for environmental pollution control to
assist municipalities in the evaluation of pollution abatement technologies.
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
Audience Reached Through Distribution
• Regions
• States
• Municipalities
• Regulated community (design engineers, scientific and
technical personnel)
• Academia.
Access/Dissemination
CERI responds to written and telephone inquiries for specific
publications and products. CERI also develops and conducts seminars,
workshops, training sessions, and videoconferences for targeted technical
audiences on specific subjects. Additionally, the Center maintains an
electronic bulletin board which fosters communication between user groups
and distributes research and development information.
Associated Costs
• CERI's services are provided at no cost to users.
• EPA program offices who use CERI services pay for all or
part of the costs depending on the volume associated with
the request
Advertising Mechanisms
• Distributes newsletters highlighting the availability of
publications to an established mailing list and other
requesters
• Distributes announcements of seminars and workshops to
selected target audiences
• Advertises informally through seminars, conventions,
newsletters, and professional journals and magazines.
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Feedback Method
Surveys participants in workshops and seminars for
feedback
Refers all questions of a specific technical nature to
relevant EPA project officers.
CONTACT
CERI, (513) 569-7391, 8-513-569-7391 (FTS)
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
Headquarters Public Information Center (PIC)
Basic Description
The Headquarters Public Information Center (PIC) was established to
provide non-technical, citizen-oriented information about the environment
and EPA to the public. The PIC is operated by the Office of Information
Resources Management.
Type of Information
• Brochures on EPA programs
• Fact sheets and pamphlets on environmental topics
• Consumer guides
• Educational materials.
Services
The Headquarters PIC works with program offices to distribute
documents, fact sheets, and other types of information to the general public
and assists program offices with assessment of public demand for information
on key topics. The staff members work closely with the Regions to provide
equitable allocation of public information materials. In addition, the PIC
provides on-site information services for EPA staff and visitors, as well as
providing EPA staff with materials for display and distribution at conferences
and other outreach opportunities. The PIC also serves as a central referral
point for the Agency. Technical questions are referred to program offices,
clearinghouses, hotlines, dockets, and other access points, where appropriate.
Audience Reached Through Distribution
Teachers
Students
Consumers
Special interest
Federal, state, and local governments
Industry.
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
Access/Dissemination
The Headquarters PIC responds to telephone, written, and walk-in
inquiries for non-technical information (approx. 6,000/month). It distributes
mainly paper-based information in the form of fact sheets, pamphlets, and
brochures. Requests for distribution of high volume documents are
forwarded to CERI, GPO, EPIC, and NTIS. *
Associated Costs
• Users are not charged.
Advertising Mechanisms
• Informal advertising is conducted through scholastic
magazines, newspapers and home journals.
Feedback Method
• Monthly reports are provided to programs on frequently
asked questions and most heavily demanded information
• There are no formal mechanisms to obtain feedback from
users.
CONTACT
OIRM, Information Access Branch, (202) 260-8710, 8-202-260-8710 (FTS)
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
Regional Public Information Centers
Basic Description
The Public Information Center in Region 10 was established in
response to the high volume of requests for environmental information
from the general public. Other regions utilize libraries, in a similar manner,
to fulfill requests.
Type of Information
• Brochures on EPA programs
• Fact sheets and pamphlets on environmental topics
• Consumer guides
• Educational materials.
Services
The Regional PIC provides walk-in informational services in addition
to access by mail and telephone. Additionally, the PIC refers technical
requesters to appropriate sources within program offices. Region 10 also
operates a toll-free hotline for the PIC.
Audience Reached Through Distribution
General public
Teachers
Students
State and local governments
Industry
Interests groups.
Access/Dissemination
The Regional PIC responds to telephone (a toll free hotline in Region
10), written, fax, and walk-in inquiries for non-technical information. It
distributes mainly paper-based information in the form of fact sheets,
pamphlets, and brochures.
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Associated Costs
• No costs are charged to the user. Program offices pay for
publications, etc.
Advertising Mechanisms
The Region 10 PIC advertises its services and information through:
• Including its phone number in all Region 10 publications,
press releases, and general information
• Including a Region 10 PIC bookmark with every
publication that is sent out.
Feedback Method
• No formal feedback mechanisms are used, although
informal follow-up calls are made to requesters of
information.
CONTACTS
Region 10 Public Information Center, (206) 553-4973, 8-206-553-4973
(FTS)
Region 10 Hotline for Region 10 States, 1-800-424-4EPA
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
SPONSORED
DISTRIBUTION SERVICES
The following section provides details on distribution services
sponsored by the federal government.
Government Printing Office (GPO)
Basic Description
GPO was established by Congress in 1861 for the purpose of producing
and procuring printing for Congress and federal agencies. GPO's mission also
includes the dissemination of information to the public through the
Superintendent of Documents publication sales and Depository Library
programs.
Type of Information
• All federal government documents
Services
GPO provides a full range of printing, binding, graphic art services,
distribution, and electronic product development. This is accomplished
through GPO's in-house production facilities or by procurement from the
private sector. Products range from state-of-the-art electronic publishing to
hand binding and all phases of Compact Disk Read Only Memory (CD ROM)
development, including preparing data, acquiring information search and
retrieval software, and contracting for disk manufacture. Through GPO's
Typography and Design Division (T&D), typography, design, illustration,
photography, video, and quality control services are provided. This division
provides free preliminary consultations with graphic arts and design
specialists to resolve document style and production questions. A "Dial-Up"
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
Composition Service is also offered by GPO for customers to view
information online prior to printing. GPO's procurement power extends
nationwide with a network of 13 regional and 6 satellite offices located in
areas of high volume work. These offices offer the same type of services to
regions as the main office provides to customers in Washington, D.C.
Audience Reached Through Distribution
General public
Regions/labs
States/local governments
Federal agencies
Industry
Interest groups
Depository libraries
International organizations.
Access/Dissemination
GPO sells publications through government bookstores and provides
access to information (publications, microfiche, and CD ROMs) through
Depository Libraries. GPO also responds to telephone and written inquiries
for specific publications.
Associated Costs
• Users are charged a fee based on the cost of the product or
document plus 50%
• Discount offered to bulk distributors.
Advertising Mechanisms
• Formal advertising program through brochures,
pamphlets, television, and radio.
Feedback Method
• Informal feedback through interaction with Depository
Libraries.
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
CONTACT
EPA/GPO Liaison, (202) 260-2125,8-202-260-2125 (FTS)
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
Federal Depository Libraries
Basic Description
The Depository Library Program was created by Congress in the early
1800's in order to promote the American public's awareness of the federal
government. Title 44 of the United States Code established the Federal
Depository Library Program, which requires federal government agencies and
their contractors to print publications according to Federal printing
regulations. GPO then distributes these documents to approximately 1400
Depository Libraries across the country. The Depository Libraries are required
by law to make their depository collections open to the public and provide the
public access to government information at no cost.
Type of Information
• All federal government documents
Services
Each year Depository Libraries select titles from a list of more than 6,000
categories of publications. Therefore, each library tailors its collection to local
needs. Fifty regional Depository Libraries receive every unclassified
government publication of interest to the public and have undertaken the
responsibility of retaining this material permanently on paper or microfiche.
Inter-library loan and reference services are also provided.
Audience Reached Through Distribution
• General public
Access/Dissemination
The Depository Libraries are required by law to make their depository
collections open to the public and provide the public access to government
information at no cost.
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
Associated Costs
No costs are charged to users.
Program offices pay the cost of the publication.
Advertising Mechanisms
Formal advertising through brochures, pamphlets, and
television
Feedback Method
Informal feedback is available through the Depository
Libraries.
CONTACT
Office of Information and Resources Management, Information Access
Branch, (513) 569-7183, 8-513-569-7183 (FTS)
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
National Technical Information Service (NTIS)
Basic Description
The Department of Commerce was directed by Congress in 1950 to
operate a national clearinghouse to collect, store, and distribute scientific and
technical information. In 1970, the national clearinghouse was reestablished
as the National Technical Information Service and expanded to include
business, health, and statistical information in the collections.
Type of Information
• Scientific, technical, business, health, and statistical
information in the form of publications, periodicals,
computer data files, and computer software.
Services
NTIS provides a complete, centralized information management
system that stores, processes, and distributes an agency's information. When
information products are provided to NTIS, the staff members create a
bibliographic record for each item, lists the item in the NTIS online database,
and maintains the item in the archive. NTIS also handles all administrative
and accounting details for the sale of products, takes care of subscription
details, stores information, and makes it available for retrieval. NTIS also
provides online access to numerous databases located on EPA's mainframe
(IBM and VAX Cluster). NTIS prepares the online agreement, gains approval
from the proper program authority, prepares the customer registration
records, and bills the customer for computer time used. EPA is then
reimbursed for these charges.
The Federal Computer Products Center, as part of NTIS, works with
agencies to collect and announce computer products that are useful to
businesses and the scientific community. The Center manages subscriptions
for data files on tapes or diskettes and provides services to convert data
contained on magnetic tapes to diskettes. The NTIS Federal Research in
Progress (FEDRIP) Database lists an agency's current research projects, making
them easy to access through private sector vendors. This database, which is
updated monthly, lists project title, start date, project summary, and various
other information. For a free copy of the NTIS Products and Services Catalog
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
that details NTIS services, call (703) 487-4650 and request catalog number PR-
827.
Audience Reached Through Distribution
Government
Industry
Academia
Libraries
Interest groups.
Access/Dissemination
Publications requests are taken by telephone, mail, commercial online
database information companies, or by direct access to the automated NTIS
ordering system. Documents are in both printed and microfiche format, and
NTIS distributes magnetic tapes, diskettes, CD ROMs and digital tapes.
Associated Costs
Users are charged a fee for products. Agencies may be charged a
registration fee per document for permanent archiving and other services.
Advertising Mechanisms
• Formal advertising through announcement media and
promotional material
Governments Report Announcement and Index
Weekly subject-specific newsletters
NTIS Bibliographic Database
FEDRIP
Catalogs, directories, and direct mail
Trade announcements
Media.
Feedback Method
• Requests reviewed periodically to determine usage
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
CONTACT
NTIS, (703) 487-4650, 8-703-487-4650 (FTS)
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
Consumer Information Center (CIC)
Basic Description
The Consumer Information Center (CIC), which is funded by Congress,
is located administratively in the General Services Administration. The CIC
was established in 1970 to help federal agencies distribute information to the
general public and to make the public aware of the availability of this
material. The CIC's Pueblo, CO distribution center is now the central source
of federal information for the general public.
Type of Information
• Consumer booklets
Services
The CIC provides editorial assistance in planning, revising, and
evaluating publications. The CIC staff members also review outlines or draft
copies of publications for both clarity and consumer relevance. Another
service that is provided by the CIC is a cooperative publishing program which
assists federal agencies in the gathering, promotion and distribution of
consumer information developed collaboratively by several federal agencies
or by government working with private industry.
Audience Reached Through Distribution
• Primarily general public
Access/Dissemination
The CIC distributes publications through the mail, filling requests
within seven working days. It distributes paper-based documents through the
Colorado facility.
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
Associated Costs
The cost depends on which one of three methods of distribution is
used:
• The Free Booklet Program does not charge customers.
The appropriate federal agency pays for printing and
distribution. Promotion and evaluation services are
provided free of charge.
• The Low Priced Publication Program (LPP) charges
customers 50 cents for the publication. The appropriate
federal agency pays for printing. GPO administers the
billing and collects the 50 cents to pay for shipping and
handling expenses. The publication must weigh less than
4 ounces.
• The GPO Sales Program charges customers various prices
for publications. The appropriate federal agency develops
the publication, and GPO determines the cost to charge the
customer to cover printing and distributing the
document.
The CIC reviews the publication's subject and audience and recommends to
the agency which distribution option would be most effective. The agency
chooses the option based on the publication's message, and audience, as well
as the resources available to support it. The CIC weighs all these factors in
selecting publications to be listed in its quarterly catalog.
Advertising Mechanisms
• The CIC promotes selected consumer booklets by listing
them in the free quarterly Consumer Information Catalog
• The CIC also regularly promotes selected publications
through "News for Consumers" press releases to
approximately 6,000 newspapers, magazines, and
consumer organizations. These press releases highlight
information from booklets in the catalog.
• Radio announcements.
• Special media promotions with selected magazines on
current topics.
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
Feedback Method
Once a year the CIC conducts surveys to find out customer
reaction to publications and new topics of interest.
Publication evaluation surveys can be done for free
publications.
CONTACT
CIC/EPA Agency Liaison, (202) 501-1794,8-202-501-1794 (FTS)
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PARTNERSHIP
OPPORTUNITIES
INTRODUCTION
This section describes ways in which EPA can work with other
organizations (e.g., state environmental organizations, other federal agencies,
interest groups, and private companies) to produce or distribute information
to the public. The Office of Environmental Education in OCEPA can also
identify opportunities for forming partnerships with schools to disseminate
environmental information. Often times it is better to work with another
organization who has mutual goals and interests because through working
together each party benefits. The benefits for both parties may include:
Lower costs
Positive public reaction
Increased expertise on subject matter
Pooling of staff time
Creation of a positive working relationship
Increased distribution by expanding number of outlets.
There are some general guidelines that should be taken into consideration
when deciding whether it would be beneficial to engage in a partnership.
These guidelines include:
• Determine what the goal/message is that needs to be
communicated
• Determine who the audience is that the message is to
reach
• Identify the key players with similar interests, goals, and
audiences
• Determine the budget of the project
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• Contact an EPA legal advisor (e.g., Office of General
Counsel or Office of Regional Counsel) if any questions
arise as to whether this partnership is in violation of EPA
rules.
The following pages provide examples of how EPA offices have entered into
partnerships with third parties to distribute information. OCEPA's manual,
"Communicating with the Public," also illustrates ways in which Agency
offices can form partnerships with other organizations.
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STATE ENVIRONMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS
State Environmental Organization: Individual States
Description of Organization:
Approximately 90 percent of EPA laws are implemented by the states.
States, therefore, can serve as a useful partner in the dissemination of
information. Each program has a contact at the state level, and EPA staff
members can work with that person to disseminate information.
EPA Partnership Experience:
The Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) has cooperated with the states to
distribute publications. When producing a brochure, Pesticides has produced
extra sets of negatives (the cost is minimal) and sent the negatives to the state
contact. These negatives are accompanied by a letter stating the intent of the
brochure and encouraging states to add state-specific information to the
brochure and distribute it to the public.
CONTACT
OCEPA, (202) 260-4355,8-202-260-4355 (FTS)
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State Environmental Organization: Association of State and
Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
Description of Organization:
ASTHO represents the nation's state public health officials.
EPA Partnership Experience:
OPP maintains a cooperative agreement with ASTHO which provides
for improved communication between OPP and state health officials.
ASTHO communicates relevant information to the public and collaborates
with EPA on projects which promote understanding of environmental issues
from the health perspective. In addition, the cooperative agreement provides
avenues for keeping the regulatory community appraised of OPP actions
regarding health issues.
CONTACT
Office of Pesticide Programs, (703) 305-7371,8-703-305-7371 (FTS)
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State Environmental Organization: National Association of State
Departments of Agriculture (NASDA)
Description of Organization:
NASDA represents the interests of state departments of agriculture.
EPA Partnership Experience:
On September 9,1991, Deputy Administrator Habicht entered into a
memorandum of understanding with Mr. C. Alan Pettibone, President of
NASDA, to provide a coordinated structure for conducting communication
activities with the public and other interested parties. The scope of
information covered by the memorandum includes pesticides and the
American food supply, pesticide use in general, and related programs.
CONTACT
Office of Pesticide Programs, (703) 305-7371, 8-703-305-7371 (FTS)
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State Environmental Organization: State FIFRA Issues Research
and Evaluation Group (SFIREG)
Description of Organization:
SFIREG was created under a cooperative agreement between the Office
of Pesticide Programs and the Association of American Pesticide Control
Officials (AAPCO). The Pesticide Control Officials are the state personnel
with primary responsibility for enforcement of pesticide use.
EPA Partnership Experience:
As an independent, but related body of the American Association of
Pesticide Control Officials (AAPCO), SFIREG identifies, analyzes, and
provides state comments to the Office of Pesticide Programs on matters
relating to pesticide registration, enforcement, training and certification,
ground water protection, disposal, and other areas of environmental concern.
In addition, SFIREG provides a mechanism for EPA to keep the State Lead
Agencies informed and up-to-date on its pesticide regulatory program.
Contact
Office of Pesticide Programs, (703) 305-7371, 8-703-305-7371 (FTS)
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OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES
Federal Agency: The Consumer Information Center (CIC)
Description of Organization
The many services provided by the CIC are discussed in detail in the
section focusing on Federal Government Sponsored Distribution
Mechanisms. The CIC does, however, operate a program that focuses on
partnership opportunities. This program identifies partners for joint
production of a publication and provides editorial and design assistance for
the publication. The CIC publishes a pamphlet entitled "Industry and
Government: Publishing Together for Everybody's Benefit." This pamphlet
presents the details of producing and distributing joint consumer booklets.
For information on cooperative publishing, contact CIC's EPA Agency
Liaison, at (202) 501-1794/8-241-1794 (FTS).
EPA Partnership Experience:
The following EPA publications were produced through the CIC's joint
publishing program:
• Recycling Used Oil. Produced by the Office of Solid Waste
and Emergency Response and reprinted by Pennzoil
Company
• A Home Buyer's Guide To Environmental Hazards .
Produced by the Federal National Mortgage Association
with EPA, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation,
Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office
of Thrift Supervision, and the Department of Veteran's
Affairs.
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Subjects Under Consideration for Joint Publication:
Ozone
Packaging
Recycling
Composting
Recycling plastics/number system
Disposing of wastes properly
Lead
Environmental labeling/definitions
Emissions control/clean air.
CONTACT
EPA Agency Liaison, (202) 501-1794, 8-202-501-1794 (FTS)
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INTEREST GROUPS
Interest Group: Alliance for a Clean Rural Environment and the
Food Marketing Association
EPA Partnership Experience:
Often times non-profit organizations will work with EPA and print
publications provided to them by the Agency at their own cost. For example,
the Office of Pesticide Programs worked with the Alliance for a Clean Rural
Environment. EPA provided the Alliance with negatives for the "Pesticides
in Your Drinking Water" brochure, and the Alliance printed the brochure at
its own cost. This type of partnership was also entered into with the Food
Marketing Association. The association printed copies of a publication that
was funded by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Office of
Pesticide Programs.
CONTACT
OCEPA, (202) 260-4355,8-202-260-4355 (FTS)
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Interest Group: National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides
EPA Partnership Experience:
Interest groups are an effective way to reach audiences with specific
areas of interest. There are numerous ways to disseminate information
through an interest group, such as participating in its conferences, giving it
information to disseminate to members, or giving it a contact point in an
EPA office to list in its newsletter. The Office of Pesticide Programs has
worked with the National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides in
distributing information in this manner.
CONTACT
OCEPA, (202) 260-4355,8-202-260-4355 (FTS)
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Association: American Lung Association (ALA)
Description of Organization:
The American Lung Association is the oldest nationwide voluntary
health agency in the United States. It is dedicated to the fight against lung
disease.
EPA Partnership Experience:
The Office of Radiation Programs maintains a cooperative agreement
with many groups, including the ALA. Specifically the Office of Radiation
Programs has cooperated with the ALA on activities ranging from holding
professional conferences and radon home show exhibits, to having children
and community leaders test their schools for radon. ALA and EPA have even
put messages on the blimps that fly over national football games to inform
the public about radon.
CONTACT
Office of Radiation Programs, (202) 260-9617, 8-202-260-9617 (FTS)
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Association: Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals in Business
(SOCAP)
Description of Organization:
SOCAP is an international professional organization of individuals
whose purpose is to:
• Foster and maintain the integrity of business in dealing
with consumers
• Encourage and promote effective communication
between business, government, and consumers
• Define and advance the consumer affairs profession.
SOCAP has numerous members from local, state, and federal government,
including USDA, Department of Commerce, Food and Drug Administration,
and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.
SOCAP provides a forum for communication among all segments
involved in the consumer affairs field. The bringing together of individuals
with common interests and objectives encourages the exchange of ideas and
stimulates personal and professional growth. SOCAP conducts seminars
around the country on useful topics, such as:
• Establishing and/or managing an 800 number
• Innovative uses for 800 Numbers
• Managing for customer focus and quality service
• Effective consumer affairs staff management.
SOCAP also produces a monthly newsletter, a quarterly professional journal,
special reports, and a membership directory which lists contact information
for all members and provides an extensive network of consumer affairs
professionals. SOCAP is establishing a "Skills Data Base" which lists members
skills, experiences, and backgrounds. This will be on computer and can be
used to locate individuals with particular skills or experiences. For example,
if someone was interested in establishing an 800 number this database would
be able to generate a list of people who have had such experience.
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
CONTACT
SOCAP, (703) 519-3700
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
Interest Group/Private Company: Alliance for Environmental
Education and Time Warner Brothers
EPA Partnership Experience:
EPA, Time Warner Brothers, and the Alliance for Environmental
Education have teamed together in a long-term national campaign to increase
the public's awareness and understanding of environmental issues and to
promote pollution prevention, recycling, and conservation. The program,
which is aimed at the general public, particularly elementary school students,
is designated the "Tweety Global Patrol" (TCP) and features Warner Brothers
cartoon characters, Tweety bird and Sylvester the cat. TCP will distribute
environmental messages through television and radio media, publications,
such as magazines, and through the sale of merchandise, such as school
lunch boxes. School systems across the country will receive teaching guides,
lesson plans, student activity sheets and posters from TGP. Tweety will also
make visits to schools and hand out environmental learning materials.
Approximately 2.7 million third and fourth graders are likely to be exposed to
TGP through the educational system. The educational track of the project,
currently being field tested in .schools, is expected to be implemented in
September 1992. Through this mass media campaign, EPA expects to educate
and inform vast segments of the public.
CONTACT
OCEPA, (202) 260-2066,8-202-260-2066 (FTS)
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PRIVATE COMPANIES
Private Company: Supermarket Communication System
Description of Organization:
The Supermarket Communication System is a private company which
operates the "Good Neighbor Boards" at local supermarkets. These boards
provide booklets, factsheets, and information cards which allow individuals
to request information on certain topics free of charge. The company
provides many services to promote the booklets on this information board,
such as housing, distribution, and restocking of booklets, targeting the
appropriate audiences, distributing the accompanying public service
announcement (PSA) to appropriate television stations for viewing, and
administering follow-up surveys.
EPA Partnership Experience:
The Office of Water (OW) successfully used this company to distribute
its "Lead in Your Drinking Water" booklets. The Office of Water wanted to
target the distribution of this booklet to the general public, and the
Supermarket Communication System was an effective way to reach that
audience. Supermarket Communication Systems worked with the Office of
Water in distributing a video PSA. They distributed 40,000 booklets in the
Washington D.C./ Baltimore area in a three month period, and then went
nation-wide and distributed over 385,000 booklets in three months. The
Office of Water found this organization to be very cost-effective because it was
able to reach a large audience. OW highly recommends the use of this
organization for specific issues that would be of interest to the general public
who frequent supermarkets. Cost to users varies with the distribution area,
type of information distributed, etc.
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Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms
EPA Partnership Experience:
The Office of Radiation Programs' Radon Division has also successfully
used the Supermarket Communication System twice to get its message out to
the public. On one occasion, it distributed the "Guide to Radon in Schools," a
brochure which informed the reader of the hazards of radon in schools, and
provided them with information on testing their schools for radon. The
Office of Radiation Programs also teamed up with the American Lung
Association for National Radon Action Week and distributed coupons
through the Good Neighbor Board for the purchase of radon test kits at cost.
The Office of Radiation Programs was pleased with the services provided by
the Supermarket Communication System because it was able to target its
audience, and distribute a large quantity of brochures at a reasonable cost.
CONTACTS
Office of Water, (202) 260-2285, 8-202-260-2285 (FTS)
Office of Radiation Programs, (202) 260-9617, 8-202-260-9617 (FTS)
Supermarket Communication System, (203) 852-0888
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page 151
Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms:
A Summary and Comparison
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page 152
Utilizing Distribution Mechanisms:
A Summary and Comparison
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-------
VI. REACHING OUT
FOR EFFECTIVE
ACCESS
INTRODUCTION
This section focuses on public outreach; the Agency's means of actively
keeping the public informed on environmental issues and promoting their
involvement with the environment. The Agency currently participates in a
variety of outreach activities to foster this type of interest and involvement.
The purpose of this section is to encourage usage of these outreach activities
within the Agency through discussing:
• Public information materials
• Outreach tools.
The intent is to inform EPA offices of the potential for promoting effective
access through outreach. Information on the full range of public
communication opportunities is available in Spreading the Word: A Guide
to OCEPA Services, available through OCEPA's Communication Planning
Division.
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PUBLIC INFORMATION MATERIALS
Public information materials include available directories that can be
used by the public or Agency to locate information on any given
environmental topic. These reference materials are valuable resources in
promoting both the public's and EPA's awareness of and ability to locate
information. Most of these materials are compilations of EPA program
information for the purpose of providing effective access. A better
understanding of the various sources of information within the Agency can
facilitate the process of responding to public requests.
This subsection identifies a selection of EPA's key public information
materials and describes how they can be used and obtained. The directories
indicated below will be discussed in further detail.
Access EPA
Information Systems Inventory
Online Library System
EPA Telephone Directories
Program Reference Manuals.
This sample of public information materials should be used as a starting
point for identifying the types of information available at EPA and where this
information is located. EPA offices are encouraged to utilize these tools to
promote effective public access.
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ACCESS EPA
Basic Description
Access EPA consists of a series of directories that are produced by the
Office of Information Resources Management to facilitate locating
environmental information and services provided by EPA and other public
sector organizations. The directories contain contact information and a
description of services provided by each information resource. Current
directories in the series are identified below.
Public Information Tools
Major EPA Dockets
Clearinghouses and Hotlines
Records Management Programs
Major EPA Environmental Databases
Library and Information Services
State Environmental Libraries.
Access EPA is updated annually and is available in a single, consolidated
volume or as a set of booklets. Access EPA is available to the public at many
libraries throughout the country and is also for sale through GPO at (202) 783-
3238, order number 055-000-00378-5, or NTIS at (800) 553-NTIS, order number
055-000-003738-5. There are forms contained in the directories for updating
and commenting on information. Once completed, these forms can be
submitted to the office designated in the directory for inclusion in the next
issue. For additional information on Access EPA, please contact the
Headquarters Library as listed below.
CONTACT
OIRM Information Access Branch (202) 260-8710, 8-202-260-8710 (FTS)
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Information Systems Inventory
Basic Description
The Information Systems Inventory (ISI) is a collection of information
on 600 EPA automated data systems, models, and databases. It can be used to
identify specific environmental information often requested by the public
from various program and administrative offices. The ISI is routinely
updated and maintained by the Information Management and Services
Division within OIRM. For each system listed, the ISI identifies the full
system name, the system acronym, if applicable, and the name and phone
number of the individual responsible for its development, and/or
maintenance. Descriptions of the system contents are not included.
The Inventory is available in both hard copy and automated forms for
EPA libraries and specific contacts in Headquarters and Regional offices. The
ISI can also be ordered through NTIS at (800) 553-NTIS. For additional
information regarding the ISI and its distribution, please contact the office
below.
CONTACT
Information Management Branch, OIRM, (202) 260-9732, 8-202-260-9732
(FTS)
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Online Library System
Basic Description
The Online Library System (OLS) is a computerized catalog system of
the holdings of EPA's 28 network libraries. OLS has been designed to offer an
efficient way to search these holdings. For each document listed in the
system, OLS provides the author, title, and keyword access to document titles.
There are also abstracts of selected titles. OLS can be used by any Agency
employee and is available to the public through EPA's libraries. EPA is
currently piloting a program which allows the public to directly access OLS on
the Agency's mainframe from a personal computer (see Chapter IV for
further information on this pilot).
The Information Access Branch of the Information Management and
Services Division within OIRM sponsors OLS which is updated every two
weeks. For additional information concerning OLS, please refer to the offices
referenced below.
CONTACTS
OIRM/IMSD, Cincinnati - general inquiries, (513) 569-7183, 8-513-569-
7183 (FTS)
EPA National Computer Center, RTF NC - pilot project, (919) 541-2794,
8-919-541-2794 (FTS)
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EPA Telephone Directories
Basic Description
EPA publishes several phone directories which contain a variety of
information on Headquarters or Regional organizational structures, services,
and employees. The directories can be used to facilitate locating relevant
individuals to respond to requests. The directories are described in more
detail below.
• Headquarters Telephone Directory - This main directory is
organized in sections which identify offices, their
structure, and employees. The following list includes
each main section contained within the directory.
Emergency Telephone Numbers
How to Use Your Telephone
Organizational Directory
Alphabetical Directory
Headquarters Subject Directory
Regional Directory
Electronic Mail Directory
Facsimile Directory
Selected Washington Agency Directory
General Information.
The Headquarters directory is published semiannually,
normally in February and September, by the Government
Printing Office (GPO). Headquarters directories are
distributed to all Headquarters employees and to each
Region. Additional copies can be ordered directly through
GPO at (202) 783-3238. Updates to the alphabetical listings
are made by using a locator change form provided in the
directory.
• Research Triangle Park (RTF) Phone Directory - Similar to
the Headquarters directory, the RTP directory contains the
organizational structure for RTP, as well as the
Headquarters offices. The directory also contains
alphabetical listings for federal and contractor employees.
Although it is distributed to employees at the RTP office,
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Reaching Out for Effective Access
anyone can obtain it through GPO by calling (202) 783-
3238.
Regional and Laboratory Phone Directories - Phone
directories are maintained by and published within each
Regional and laboratory site. To obtain information on
acquiring these directories, refer to either the
Headquarters Telephone directory or to Access EPA which
list telephone numbers for the Regional offices and field
offices, which can offer assistance.
CONTACT
Telecommunications Manager, Office of Administration and
Resources Management, (202) 260-2082, 8-202-260-2082 (FTS)
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Program Reference Manuals
Basic Description
Many program offices produce their own reference manuals which
contain program specific information as well as program materials and
resources. These manuals can be used to facilitate the process of locating
information in response to specific programmatic requests. These manuals
may provide information on the following topics.
• Training
• Videos
• Publications
• Information Systems.
The OSWER Source Book, for example, contains information on
training courses, publications, videos, information systems, and software
developed by OSWER. The Pollution Prevention Training Opportunities in
1991 Manual, published by the Office of Environmental Engineering and
Technology, provides references and lists for industry specific fact sheets,
videos, educational opportunities, pollution prevention contacts,
clearinghouses, and other related resources. Similarly, the Office of Water,
published the Office of Water Environmental and Program Information
Systems Compendium, which identifies the various information systems
maintained by water program offices. These are just three examples of the
many different references sources available within program offices.
Individual program offices should be contacted for further information on
their reference manuals.
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OUTREACH TOOLS
There are a variety of outreach tools, such as exhibits, press releases,
and public service announcements, available to the Agency for actively
addressing and engaging the public. These tools are often used to transmit
information during various outreach opportunities such as special interest
conferences, community activities, special events (e.g., Earth Day), etc.
OCEPA's guidance entitled Spreading the Word: A Guide to OCEPA Services
should be referenced prior to developing outreach tools.
Not only does the guide identify services provided by each of OCEPA's
offices, it also provides information on the types of tools or products that each
office can help produce. For example, if a decision is made to create an exhibit
for an upcoming environmental conference, the Multimedia Services
Division could be contacted for guidance and advice on developing an exhibit
which best portrays the overall theme of the conference. Similarly, when
planning to inform school students about pollution prevention and recycling,
the Office of Environmental Education should be contacted for assistance
with developing an environmental education project or training program.
Because of its expertise in product development, OCEPA should always be
contacted to ensure that the methods used, or media developed, comply with
Agency standards.
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OCEPA CONTACTS
Communications Planning Division, (202) 260-4361, 8-202-260-4361
(FTS)
Public Liaison Division, (202) 260-5195, 8-202-260-5159 (FTS)
Press Relations Division, OCEPA, (202) 260-4355, 8-202-260-4355 (FTS)
Multimedia Services Division, OCEPA, (202) 260-2066, 8-202-260-2066
(FTS)
Environmental Education Division, OCEPA, (202) 260-4962, 8-202-260-
4962 (FTS)
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APPENDIX A:
Attachments
This appendix contains the following:
• Public Access Principles
• Electronic Bulletin Board Policy
• "Public Access" by Jerry Slaymaker
• National Water Clearinghouse Questionnaire
• Memorandum on Printing Control Officer Dissemination
Role
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PRINCIPLES OF PUBLIC ACCESS TO EPA INFORMATION
PURPJ2SE
These principles guide public access to and
dissemination of information gathered and maintained by
EPA as Agency information.
BACKGROUND
• An informed public is essential to meeting the
Agency's mission to protect human health and the
environment. Many Agency priority initiatives,
such as pollution prevention and risk reduction,
require active public involvement. Effective
access to environmental information facilitates
public participation in environmental protection.
• Public demand for environmental information
continues to increa'se. To respond to this demand,
EPA is enhancing its public access efforts across
programs and media. It is essential that these
various efforts be coordinated and consistent
across the Agency.
• In order to carry out our Agency Program missions
and policies, EPA is committed to conveying clear,
accurate, and timely information to the public, and
incorporating information from the public in
EPA activities.
• With the increased public interest in environmental
information, Congress has focused on the need to
provide information to the public. Numerous
Federal laws and regulations require the government
to make information available to the public in
useful format. Some EPA-specific laws and
regulations include public access requirements.
Examples of Government-wide and Agency legislation
include:
— OMB Circular No. A-130, "sets basic guidelines
for the collection, processing and
dissemination of information by the Federal
agencies."
The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-
Know Act of 1986 or Title III of the Superfund
Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA)
requires EPA to make toxic release "data
-------
-2-
accessible by computer telecommunications and
other means to any person on a cost
reimbursable basis."
National Environmental Education Act, 1990,
requires government agencies to increase public
understanding of the environment by developing
and providing educational information and
training to the public.
Pollution Prevention Act of 1990 expands SARA
Title III to include collection and
dissemination of information to assist the
public and industry in efforts to encourage the
reduction or prevention of pollution.
PRINCIPLES
When access to information, as it is collected or
maintained, is restricted by Federal or State
requirements for confidentiality, privacy, national
defense or enforcement sensitivity, the information
shall be processed (e.g., aggregated, summarized,
or characterized) as appropriate to provide access
while meeting requirements for restriction.
The Agency shall provide appropriate access to the
Agency's information in a cost effective manner.
Design of all new and enhanced data systems, data
collections, and databases, manual or electronic,
shall consider the need to permit and facilitate
public access to that information.
All Agency information, regardless of format, shall
meet all applicable Federal and Agency standards,
such as EPA data standards. These standards help
to guarantee the integrity and preservation of
Agency information, including the protection of
legally restricted information.
The Agency shall encourage and facilitate the
integration of data and information exchange across
programs and with Federal and State agencies to
improve the usefulness of the information to the
public.
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-3-
The Agency shall make information available in
forms that are useful to the public. It shall
identify a point of contact for each major program
and information system to receive questions and
comments and to coordinate public access
activities. Comments may be forwarded by the
Program official to the appropriate source, such
as a State, for appropriate action.
The Agency shall leverage its resources by actively
exploring alternative mechanisms to permit
additional or better access to information, such as
public/private partnerships.
DEFINITIONS
"Access" to information refers to the function
of providing to the public, through dissemination
mechanisms or upon request, government information.
"Confidential Business Information" includes trade
secrets, proprietary and commercial/financial
information, and other information that is afforded
protection from disclosure under certain
circumstances as described in statutes administered
by the Agency.
"Data" are a collection of facts that have not yet
been processed into information. On a continuum
ranging from data to information, the point at
which data become information depends on the
recipient, the question being asked, and its
intended use.
"Dissemination of information" refers to the
function of active distribution of government
information to the public, whether through printed
documents or electronic or other media.
Dissemination is distinct from sharing, exchanging,
or providing access to data and information.
"Enforcement Sensitive Information" refers to
information or records which are compiled for law
enforcement purposes and whose disclosure could
reasonably be expected to:
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-4-
(1) interfere with enforcement proceedings
(2) constitute an unwarranted invasion of
personal privacy
(3) disclose the identity of a confidential
source.
(4) risk circumvention of the law by revealing
techniques, procedures or guidelines for
investigations or prosecutions.
"Information" is any communication or reception of
knowledge such as facts, data or opinions,
including numerical, graphic or narrative forms,
whether oral or maintained in any medium, including
computerized data bases, paper, microform, or
magnetic tape.
"Privacy" is the right of an individual to control
the collection, storage and dissemination of
information about himself/herself to avoid the
potential for substantial harm, embarrassment,
inconvenience or unfairness.
"Public" includes all the people of the United
States of America including:
(1) U.S. citizens
(2) Federal, State, tribal and local governments
(3) Special interest groups such as health
organizations, trade associations, and
environmental groups
(4) Academia and the research community
(5) Industry and the regulated community
(6) Journalists/Press
"Sensitive Information" is information that
requires protection due to the risk and magnitude
of loss or harm that could result from inadvertent
or deliberate disclosure, alteration or
destruction of the information.
"Telecommunications" is the transmission and/or
reception of information by telephone, telephone
lines, telegraph, radio or other methods of
communication over a distance. The information may
be in the form of voice, pictures, text and/or
encoded data.
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U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
NDPD OPERATIONAL POLICIES MANUAL
TITLE: NDPD PC Bulletin Board Services NO. 100.19
APPROVAL: O^/0/..A C\~0 DATE:/r__J.
1.0 PURPOSE
This policy specifies the support to be provided by NDPD in the use of Agency-wide electronic
Personal Computer Bulletin Board Services (PC BBS).
2.0 SCOPE tt APPLICABILITY
This policy applies to all levels of NDPD's data processing support organization and to all PC
bulletin board services that EPA and its contractors operate.
3.0 RESPONSIBILITIES
NDPD is responsible for providing data processing support services to customers throughout
the Agency. Within NDPD, the Information Centers Branch (ICB) and the Telecommunications
Branch (TCB) are responsible for computer support activities most directly affected by this
policy. All employees of EPA, EPA contractors, and EPA grantees are responsible for
compliance with the provisions of this policy.
4.0 POLICY
Various EPA offices support over thirty electronic bulletin board services. These BBSs fulfill
an essential need for communication throughout the Agency, keeping BBS customers updated
on strategic information. Agency BBSs provide services such as electronic distribution of
documentation, notices of meetings, electronic conferencing and messaging on environmental
areas of study, software updates, and computer programs. As the interest in BBSs has grown
within the Agency, so has the need for better PC BBS communications. Advertising the
existence of specialized BBSs is difficult for EPA offices. Various offices have requested
NDPD to provide BBS EPA network access and advertising for PC BBSs.
This policy defines the NDPD PC BBS network strategy and describes the management
requirement associated with connecting a PC BBS to the EPA network. Software and hardware
components necessary to provide PC BBS telecommunications services are enumerated. This
policy outlines procedures for applying for networked PC BBS connections and announces
NDPD advertising support for PC BBSs. This policy defines NDPD BBS system manager and
operator support.
An alternative to starting a new PC BBS is using an Agency MAIL BBS. A MAIL BBS can
provide electronic conferencing and binary file exchange, while retaining BBS management
under a system manager's control. NDPD encourages offices investigating how to start a PC
BBS to discuss the capabilities of MAIL BBS with NDPD's Program Management Support
Branch.
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NDPD OPERATIONAL POLICY NO. 100.19 Page 2 of 5
4.1 PC BBS MANAGEMENT
NDPD requires that an EPA employee (BBS system manager) sponsor a proposed PC BBS for
connection to the EPA network. This employee will apply for an EPA network connection by
completing an NDPD Telecommunications Service Request (TSR). The TSR will be submitted
to the NDPD Telecommunications Branch with a memo stating whether the proposed network
PC BBS is available for public access. Refer to Section 4.3 for a detailed description of public
access PC BBS issues. The public access BBS system manager will ensure that there is no BBS
posting of EPA network access directions or telephone numbers. System managers converting
to public access will notify NDPD Telecommunications Branch 30 days before conversion
occurs. Public access through the EPA network to the BBS is prohibited and will be blocked
electronically. Public access through the PC BBS to the EPA network is also prohibited.
Duties of the BBS system manager include:
• Managing the availability of the BBS.
• Enforcing practices to ensure that the message and file information available to
BBS customers is appropriate and,virus-free.
• Maintaining and upgrading the BBS hardware and software as necessary.
• Acting as "central point of contact" for NDPD management to resolve procedural
problems that may arise.
The technical operations of the BBS can be provided by the system manager or a system
operator who is sometimes a contractor. The system operator's duties include:
Creating bulletin board categories.
Working with NDPD technical staff to troubleshoot telecommunications
problems.
Providing regularly scheduled tape backups for the PC BBS.
Running virus checker programs to maintain a virus clean PC BBS.
Purging old information.
Performing other PC BBS software and system-related duties.
4.2 PC BBS EPA NETWORK ACCESS
Bona fide EPA employees, state agency representatives, other government agency representa-
tives, EPA contractors, and EPA grantees will gain access to EPA PC BBSs through the EPA
network. NDPD Telecommunications Branch will support an X.25 synchronous communica-
tions connection to a PC BBS. giving customers 9.6 kb or 19.2 kb access through EPA's packet
switched network. The X.25 PC BBS communications link can, theoretically, provide service
for up to 64 concurrent customers. Network service levels will vary with the speed of the
bulletin board service PC. the number of simultaneous customers, and the type of network
traffic generated by the customers (i.e., file transfer vs. reading BBS Email).
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NDPD OPERATIONAL POLICY NO. 100.19 Ptge 3 of 5
4.3 PUBLIC ACCESS TO EPA PC BBSs
This policy defines public access to a BBS as totally unrestricted access to an Agency-sponsored
PC BBS. Typical customers who are not classified as public access include EPA personnel,
EPA-related contractors, EPA-specified grantees, and members of EPA-associated state and
government organizations.
Public access to the PC BBS using the EPA network is prohibited. A system manager of a
public access BBS must service these customers by request from NDPD for dial-in lines or toll-
free number lines to the BBS. Toll-free lines will be directly connected to the BBS and paid for
by the system manager's organization. Public access PC BBSs will be blocked from using toll-
free exchanges that permit direct access to the EPA network.
The technology connecting a public access BBS to the EPA network simultaneously provides
service to customers from the EPA network without interfering with dialup public access. The
BBS can service both types of customers at the same time since the telecommunication traffic
is not being mixed between dialup and EPA network access. It is the responsibility of the PC
BBS system manager that public access users do not gain access to EPA network dialup
procedures or telephone numbers, but remain limited to the direct dialup services of the PC
BBS.
4.4 HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIRED FOR EPA NETWORK ACCESS
NDPD is certifying standard BBS telecommunications hardware, PC hardware, and PC BBS
software for EPA BBSs. Galacticomm is the only vendor whose BBS communications hardware
and software have been certified and approved with NDPD.
Certification of other BBS hardware and software configurations is possible. The requesting
office must set up a working PC BBS at the RTF National Computer Center and invest several
days testing a proposed configuration onsite with the Telecommunications Branch support
staff. BBS system managers can obtain more information about the certification program by
contacting the NDPD Telecommunications Branch. It is anticipated that from two to five
certified configurations will be supported in FY1992.
The difference between a certified and noncertified PC BBS is that NDPD will provide
software, telecommunications, and hardware system operator support only for certified BBSs.
Noncertified PC BBSs can be connected to the network, but the Telecommunications Branch
will support telecommunications up to the PC. PC hardware and software troubleshooting will
not be provided for noncertified BBSs.
Noncertified PC BBS configurations will be studied when an office submits a BBS TSR. NDPD
Telecommunications Branch will develop the best technical solution for connecting the BBS to
the EPA network.
Reference Section 4.8 for further information about NDPD PC BBS support.
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NDPD OPERATIONAL POLICY NO. 100.19 Page 4 of 5
4.5 RESPONSIBILITIES FOR FUNDING PC BBS NETWORK ACCESS
The Telecommunications Branch will decide whetheT connecting a specific BBS to the EPA
network will result in a telecommunication savings to the Agency. This analysis will be based
on usage data for grandfathered BBSs, projected usage for proposed BBSs, number of
simultaneous EPA customers, and projected BBS longevity. This information must be submitted
with the BBS Telecommunications Service Request.
If placing a BBS on the EPA network is not a substantial savings to the Agency, the owner of
the BBS system must fund (non-timeshared funds) all telecommunication costs for connecting
the BBS to the network. The owner will fund NDPD-suppIied modems and a dedicated line for
the EPA network connection. If the BBS is available for public access, the owner will always
fund all telephone dial-in lines and any toll-free requested lines. The BBS system manager can
contact the NDPD Telecommunications Branch for an estimate of the costs associated with
network access.
The BBS system manager will purchase the BBS PC hardware and software.
4.6 PROCEDURE FOR APPLYING FOR BBS NETWORK ACCESS
The BBS system manager must complete a BBS TSR and a memo stating whether or not the
proposed BBS will be made available for public access. The TSR must be signed by the system
manager's EPA ADP coordinator or IRM chief. The TSR must include a BBS deployment
schedule, software and hardware configuration, and information requested in Section 4.5.
NDPD Telecommunications Branch will process the BBS TSR and provide the installation cost
and yearly cost estimate to the submitting office. The office will then furnish NDPD with a
reimbursing purchase requisition.
4.7 ADVERTISING BBS ACCESS TO EPA CUSTOMERS
At the discretion of the system manager, the appropriate user communities will be notified of
each newly established BBS service. Each Region will have BBS as a telecommunication service
selection on the EPA network. NDPD will include a listing of the BBS in the National Locator
System and telephone directories.
4.8 SOFTWARE/HARDWARE/TELECOMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT
NDPD Telecommunications Branch will provide network and dial-in line troubleshooting
support in cooperation with the BBS system manager. NDPD Information Centers Branch will
provide BBS system operator support for each certified software configuration. BBS system
operator support is NDPD Information Centers Branch (ICB) provided telephonic support for
BBS system operators who need certified software setup, troubleshooting, and/or consultation
assistance.
When new bulletin board software and hardware is certified by the NDPD Telecommunications
Branch, NDPD Information Centers Branch will obtain the software, hardware, and training
necessary to support the new certified BBS system operators.
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NDPD OPERATIONAL POLICY NO. 100.19 Pa^ 5 of 5
4.9 SYSTEM OPERATOR/SYSTEM MANAGER SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP
NDPD will establish an Agency MAIL-based BBS (named PCBBS) for system managers and
system operators. ICB will be responsible for the management of the PCBBS Email bulletin
board. PCBBS will provide improved communications among BBS system managers, system
operators, Information Centers Branch software support, and Telecommunications Branch
support staff. PCBBS will provide such services as announcing scheduled network mainte-
nance, status of network problems, availability of new software releases, and information on
common points of interest.
NDPD Telecommunications Branch will notify NDPD Information Centers Branch when a new
PC BBS joins the EPA network. This notification will alert NDPD Information Centers Branch
that an additional system manager is to be added to the PC BBS MAIL system. The notification
will indicate the type of bulletin board software used by the new BBS.
4.10 DEFINITIONS
BBS System Manager EPA employee legally responsible for management of an Agency
BBS as described under Section 4.1. A contractor may not be a
BBS system manager.
BBS System Operator EPA or contractor technical support employee who provides day-
to-day BBS operational, troubleshooting, and user support. The
BBS system manager may be the BBS system operator.
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Federal Data Center Issues 1901 - A View to the Future
Council of Federal Data Canter Directors
Technology /
Management Issues
Public Access
Jerry Slaymaker, Environmental Protection Agency
The 20th century is living up to its billing as
the information age. Literally terabytes of data
are being collected, stored, and utilized
throughout the country. A lion's share of this
data is being collected and stored by the United
States Government.
As both the general public and legislative bodies
are becoming more computer literate, a new
public policy is emerging. This policy is based
on the idea that any data that is collected
utilizing public money belongs to the public and
appropriate considerations must be made for
providing access to that data to the taxpayers.
Public access to government data appears to
be based on a very sound principle - that the
public has an inalienable right to the data that
affects its lives and livelihood.
Jerry Slaymaker hag ovu fi >»mrt of experience in
federal data proceeding tr4 m pretenOy Deputy Director
of the National Data /Voreiing Drmion of the
Environmental Protecton Agency- He it also a member
of the CFDCD Board of ff* Directors.
An obvious problem exists. Beyond a general
concept, public access has never been
adequately defined in practical implementation
objectives for government departments and
agencies. However, even without a specific
definition, there appears to be four
characteristics of public access as described
in current public policy.
• Public access must allow for the
unrestricted search and retrieval of ail
data collected and stored by the federal
government (within the limits of national
security and confidentiality.
• Data accessed by the public must be
intuitively useful by the general public.
• Public access should be cost effective.
which means the cost of providing the
data should not be prohibitive to
participating federal agencies or the
public.
• A consistent model for public access
should be used by all agencies of the
federal government
Public Access
ll-H-1
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Federal Data Center latuet 1091 -A View to the Future
Council of Federal Data Center Directors
Although contradictory and difficult to
implement, these characteristics capture the
essence of the emerging public policy. It is
clear that absolute adherence to these
objectives will be difficult Nevertheless, the
data center director must respond positively to
the concept of public access (in spite of the
fact that public information is stored in a variety
of media, utilizing a variety of database
technologies). The fact is that the vast majority
of these systems are too immature for even
the owner to access the data with 100%
confidence, due to either the lack of system
sophistication or inadequate data quality.
Core information
For the practical-minded data center director.
the real challenge of public access will be to
develop a clear set of expectations for your
total enterprise. The major risk borne by the
data center is that technology can easily be
perceived as the panacea for public data
access. In fact, public access will only be
successful if both the data center and the
enterprise as a whole understand the
infrastructure which must be in place to support
general public access.
The remainder of this paper proposes that this
public access preparedness begins with the
development of a public access assessment
through which both the data center and the
larger organization can determine who will
tt-H-2
Public Access
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Federal Data Cantor Issues 1991 -A View to the Future
Council of Federal Data Cantor Directors
provide and support public access and what
investments will have to be made in order to
be successful. It cannot be overemphasized
that it is in the best interest of the data center
director to initiate this assessment Otherwise,
it will be assumed that all the technical and
support resources already exist within the data
center to support public access. The trick is
to convince your management that the public
access assessment is also in their best interest
Hopefully, what follows will be helpful in building
your case.
As you undertake to initiate your
enterprise-wide public access assessment. H
should be remembered that the purpose of the
exercise is educational as well as tactical. That
is, the assessment will be identifying for senior
management the scope of the impact to the
organizations infrastructure as well as
determining the best course to prepare for that
impact. Although the data center may be the
group to raise the consciousness of the
enterprise on issues associated with public
access, it certainly should not be the owner
of public access for the whole organization.
Public access, in order to be successful, must
be a program of its own within the organization
- not just at the data center. As the public
accesses information within the context of the
total organization, the total organization must
be prepared to provide the support necessary
to make the information meaningful to the
public. This notion has major support resource
implications.
Public Access Assessment fPAAl
Although the ultimate public access
assessment must be addressed by the total
organization, what follows are some technical,
billing, security and support issues which are
of specific interest to the data center director.
Technology
Assuming that the public will want to access
your mainframe directly, the data center must
develop a set of guidelines on the type of
interface it will be prepared to accept Since
the impetus for much of this policy is the advent
of personal computers, the data center must
address which types of PCs can access the
data center. If the data center cannot provide
access to any PC, a statement of requirement
and associated costs should be developed to
prepare it to do so.
Providing the next link in public access requires
addressing telecommunications connectivity.
Once the public access terminal types have
been defined, the modem types need to be
addressed. From the data center perspective,
modem pooling must be available. Developing
a modem pool means the data center must
estimate the amount of telecommunications
traffic. Decisions must also be made on
whether the telecommunications costs will be
billed or absorbed by the data center.
Once telecommunications connectivity has
been established, the data center must deal
with mainframe log-in procedures. The
average user of the mainframe is familiar and
comfortable with the log-in process. This will
not be true for the public. There must be a
mechanism within the log-in process that
"shunts" the public customer to a smoother
entry point. This mechanism should also point
the public customer to the set of functions that
can be performed. There probably needs to
be a context-sensitive help function available.
For the first time, the data center might have
to consider the use of menus for selecting public
access activities. The plan for assisting the
public in logging into the mainframe must be
included in the PAA.
At the point in the access process where the
public meets the applications, most data centers
can now step aside and let the buyer beware.
Unfortunately, unless the proper support
infrastructure has been developed and
Public Access
ll-H-3
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Federal Data C*m*f tw* 1991-A View to the Future
Count* of F+o*r*tDaa Center Oirecton
identified to the public, it is the data center
director who will be personally dealing with the
public. Later, under the support section of the
PAA, this matter is discussed.
It can be assumed that a public session might
require printing of one or more documents that
the initiator will want delivered. This issue must
be considered by the data center. Even in
data centers where all output is printed
remotely, there may be a need for developing
printing capability and a process by which
output can be identified and mailed/delivered
to any point from which the public has accessed
the data center.
It is also possible that an individual might by
conscious thought or by accident, initiate a large
volume data "dump" to their terminal. The data
center needs to be prepared for this eventuality
and either carefully abort the request (these
folks know their congressman better then they
know you) or be prepared for a long data
transmission session through the 1200/2400
baud modem pool. A procedure needs to be
endorsed by management for handling this
requirement and should be part of the PAA.
Once a customer has initiated a few public
sessions, they will probably heighten their
expectations for continued access. In other
words, familiarity will breed contempt, and the
data center will need to recognize this possibility
and anticipate the need for introducing an expert
mode to any dialogue session normally used
for public access.
Charge-back
Because current Freedom of Information
legislation allows departments to charge for
obtaining and reproducing requested material,
it follows that the same will be true for public
access. The requirement to charge the public
for access will not be a trivial matter for the
data center. It will require the development of
both CPU and telecommunication rates. It will
require the ability to provide estimates to the
public for specific inquiries. It will require a
billing mechanism - invoicing. It will require
monitoring and collection notices if the public
is non-responsive. It will involve the sensitive
issue of barring further access to a member
of the public for failure to pay.
These are thorny issues that will require the
data center director to obtain clear guidance
from senior management. Recommended
guidance and a request for management
approval should be included in the PAA. A
data center director must be sensitive to the
public perception generated through
implementing any of these policies. It is
important to have the support of Agency policy
and senior management whenever public
access might be withheld.
Security
Some security issues are implied in the
mainframe log-in process, but this section
should specifically address a risk assessment
imbedded within the PAA.
The risk assessment should address controls
required to prevent any unauthorized use of
the computing resources. For most data
centers that have had to implement data
security procedures, this will be a major issue.
The security risk of providing direct access to
the mainframe should address safe guards
required to:
• insure the public access is limited to
specific applications and/or specific files
or data bases,
• insure that the application cannot
terminate/abort, leaving the session
open for non-authorized activity, and
• insure that the public session has no
potential for discovering password lists,
further compromising security.
Public access is an open invitation for "hacking,"
but the policy will not allow denial of all public
ll-H-4
Public Accee*
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Federal Daa Cantor Issues 1991 - A View to the Future
Council of Federal Data Center Directors
access because of this threat. The data center
must use the PAA to show the potential threats
and solutions.
Support
At this point the PAA must focus on the
infrastructure required in other parts of the
enterprise. Unless specifically addressed
within the PAA, the implementation of public
access might be considered to rest solely within
technology. It is vital that the data center provide
some guidance/education to those who will be
caught up in the implementation of a public
access program.
One fundamental requirement that is often
overlooked in implementing public access is
the notification to the public that access is
available. There must be a process by which
the public is given an inventory of information
available and, at a minimum, instructions on
how to begin the process and who to call for
further information. Technical information
concerning terminal types, modem types, and
sign-on protocols should also be included. This
collection of information, a 'public access
starter kit," must involve the owners, collectors,
and analyzers of the information to be made
public. This kit needs to be developed and
distributed prior to any public access program.
How it is to be developed, distributed, and
updated needs to be addressed.
A programmatic support staff will need to be
identified. The staff will perform a variety of
functions, including helping customers identify
specific data of interest, structure inquiries,
provide interpretations if needed, provide
follow-up, insure customer satisfaction, and
serve as an ombudsman between the customer
and the manager of each data system.
Finally, a clear escalation procedure needs to
be developed as part of the PAA. This
procedure should identify conditions under
which requests and complaints are to be
escalated, the timing of this escalation, the
timing for any response to the customer in cases
of escalation, the authority vested in someone
to address potentially sensitive issues, and a
regular reporting mechanism to management
on issues requiring escalation.
Alternative Technologies
The PAA from the data center perspective
should address for management any
alternatives that might help mitigate the
difficulties of public access. Any alternative
should address a specific problem area and
cost, as well as the organizational impact
One obvious alternative to direct access to the
mainframe data bases is access to text in the
form of data reports and publications that are
made available on demand to public requests.
This alternative would support people who could
not afford the equipment necessary for direct
data access. An emerging technology to
support this alternative is audio text, which
allows the customer to call a number and
through a series of questions and tone
responses identify documents of interest.
These documents can then be automatically
faxed to a telephone number entered by the
customer or mailed to an address that the
customer records at the appropriate prompt.
Several systems with this or similar functionality
are in use today by public organizations.
Another emerging technology is CD-ROM,
which allows the distribution of static information
on relatively inexpensive compact disks. Once
the master disk is developed, reproduction
costs are low. The CD-ROM disks are easy
to handle, hard to damage, and could be
available to be mailed on request It should
be noted, however, that recent implementation
of this technology has received negative
reviews ("cold" and "unresponsive") from those
considering it.
Along with the emergence of the popularity of
personal computers, the introduction and
expansion of service bureaus that provide
information on-line has burgeoned in the past
few years. These service bureaus have built
Public Access
ll-H-5
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Federal Data Center Issues 1991 -A View to the Future
Council of Federal Data Cantor Directors
the infrastructure to provide support and
chargeback for general public access to
information. An agency could provide the data
to these bureaus, who would in turn make it
available to the public and recover costs via
user fees. This alternative would significantly
reduce the impact of public access on the data
center director who would only have to provide
data to a single service bureau. All
telecommunications, support infrastructure,
and user fees would be administered by the
service bureau with these functions already in
place.
Recommendation
Each data center director should initiate a
dialogue with senior management to determine
the interest in public access. During the course
of this dialogue, the data center director should
remind management of emerging public policy
on public access. If it is determined that there
may be some interest or a future requirement,
the data center director should follow the
guidance included in this paper and initiate a
Public Access Assessment
The issue of public access is easy to
understand, so it is a natural candidate for public
debate. Public access will not go away, and
it will be difficult to implement The burden
will be on the data center, and the sooner
relevant issues are raised the better the chance
of agency support and success.
Appendix
One Proposal for Public Access through
Public Libraries
This proposal is provided for information only
and documents one possible government-wide
solution for public access.
This proposal recommends that the federal
government define strategically the model for
public access as being the access of
government data through the public library
system. This model means that each
department would provide tabulations,
analyses, and graphical presentations that
show all relevant material through CD-ROM,
which would be distributed to each of the county
public libraries in the United States on an
appropriate schedule.
Furthermore, any limited hardcopy publications
could be distributed in the same manner.
Where on-line interactive access to any of the
government's databases is required.
telecommunications circuits could be provided
to the Depository Library network only.
Citizens requiring this type of access would
travel to the nearest Depository Library to make
this type of retrieval.
It is believed that this model could actually be
endorsed by Congress through the introduction
of specific legislation that would capitalize the
investment to provide the CD-ROM reading
equipment and interactive terminals. The
legislation would require each agency and
department to submit to an oversight agency
(possibly the Library of Congress) a plan and
schedule for the implementation of this model.
In the meantime, the Library of Congress would
oversee the distribution of the necessary
equipment to support public access and to
identify these positions as positions for
handicapped citizens.
This model would provide several attractive
characteristics.
ll-H-6
Public Access
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Federal Data Center Issues 1991 -A View to the Future
Council of Federal Data Center Directors
Defines a tactical Implementation of
public access. Each department and
agency could be held accountable for
producing information to be distributed
through or accessed by the public library
system.
Eliminates the technical discussions
concerning wide-range
telecommunications access to
government databases. This reduces
the costs and makes the model
achievable in a shorter timeframe.
Focuses attention on an existing
Infrastructure. Everyone knows where
the public libraries are located and how
to get information out of them.
Puts the Interface with the public and
with reference material In the hands
of people who are trained to do the
work - public librarians and their staffs.
These people are used to working with
the public and would require no
additional training.
Aids the public library system
through the Introduction of new
technology (CD-ROM) for an existing
function (repository for federal
government public information).
Would not stress the overburdened
public library facility because the
information would be distributed through
terminals requiring less space than
hardcopy material.
Creates a viable political solution to a
potentially complex Issue by providing
public access through public libraries.
Public Access
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NATIONAL WATER CLEARINGHOUSE QUESTIONNAIRES
BREAKOUT GROUP QUESTIONS
CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA
GROUP 1
Identification of Users and Their Needs
1. Within your organization, who would be the principal users of the
Clearinghouse? (Rank in order of usage)
Technical
Policy / Decisionmakers
Non-Technical
Other
2. How would these groups access the Clearinghouse? (Rank in order of usage)
Phone
Mail
Computer
Other
3. What type of products would your users require? (Rank in order)
Reports
Data - Electronic/Hard copy
Referrals
4. Would your users want an 800 (toll-free) telephone number to call the
Clearinghouse for information?
5. What data, information and services would your organization be able to provide
the Clearinghouse?
Computer databases
Water resource information and data files
Access to other agency/organization data (i.e., sharing of existing data or
cooperative arrangements or agreements)
Other sources of data/information that could be accessible to the Clearinghouse?
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6. Could your agency/organization expect to serve as a local information center?
How and to what extent could your organization supply answers to public
inquiries?
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KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI
GROUP1
Identification of Users and Their Needs
1. Based on your experience, who would be the principal users of the
Clearinghouse? (e.g., technical, policy/decisionmakers, non-technical/public)
2. What access options should be made available to Clearinghouse users? (e.g.,
phone, mail, computer interface)
3. What type of products should be made available to Clearinghouse users?
(e.g., reports, general fact sheets, data - electronic/hard copy)
4. Would your users want an 800 (toll-free) telephone number to call the
Clearinghouse for information?
5. What data, information and services would your organization be able to
provide the Clearinghouse? (please check the appropriate item(s))
Computer databases
Water resource information and data files
Access to other agency/organization data (i.e., sharing of existing data
or cooperative arrangements or agreements)
GIS-based information
Other sources of data/information that could be accessible to the
Clearinghouse?
6. Might your agency/organization be interested in serving as a local
information center? How and to what extent does your organization
currently supply answers to public inquiries?
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CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA AND KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI
GROUP 2
Data and Information Issues
1. What are the major issues/problems of compatibility between the
Clearinghouse and collectors of data/information? How may these problems
be resolved? What first steps can be taken toward implementation of
data/information sharing/access?
2. How shall the Clearinghouse gain access to other agency data systems to allow
downloading of data to respond to requests?
3. From a user perspective, what form of data would be most useful to your
organization - electronic or hard copy (floppy, CD-ROM)?
4. Should the Clearinghouse establish standards to assure compatibility and
quality control of data? What should those standards be? Please define.
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CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA AND KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI
GROUP3
The Structure, Function and Services of a Clearinghouse
1. Would you want the Clearinghouse to operate as a referral center or as a
one-stop response center?
2. Would you want the Clearinghouse to be centralized or decentralized, i.e.,
local contacts or one national contact?
3. Should an interagency committee be formed (Federal, State, Private) to
coordinate the operation of the Clearinghouse?
4. How should the Clearinghouse obtain data/information from other agencies,
and should the Clearinghouse validate the quality of such information?
5. What services should the Clearinghouse provide?
6. Should a fee structure be included for Clearinghouse services?
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UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
flAK 28 1991 ADMINISTRATION
AND RESOURCES
MANAGEMENT
MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT: Printing Control Officer Dissemination Role
FROM: Charles L. Grizzle
Assistant Administrator
TO: Assistant Administrators
Associate Administrators
Regional Administrators
Inspector General
General Counsel
Inadequate access to EPA publications is currently a
source of frustration to Agency staff and the public. EPA
does not utilize existing mechanisms to provide access to
Agency published information. Better access to EPA
publications will assure full benefit of the significant
resources invested in collecting, developing, analyzing and
publishing information.
We have recently been notified by the U.S. Joint
Committee on Printing that we are in violation of regulations
that require Federal publications to be accessible through
the Federal Depository Library system. This system of 1400
libraries throughout the U.S. is a primary means of making
environmental information available to the public. The
Government Printing Office (GPO) produces the appropriate
number of publication copies at no cost to the Agency.
Recent analysis of EPA publications in our own Agency
network of 28 libraries reveals that many EPA publications
are not even available to Agency staff through our libraries.
It is unconscionable to develop publications without assuring
they will be made available to other EPA staff through our
library network.
Printed on Recycled Paper
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- 2 -
It is the responsibility of your Printing Control
Officer to assure that GPO receives two copies of each
publication for the Depository Library System, and that the
local EPA library receives two copies. If you have any
questions about procedures for GPO, please contact James
Anderson, Agency Printing Officer, at 8-382-2125. If you
have any other questions about access to EPA publications,
please contact Brigid Rapp, Chief, Information Acces"s Branch,
at 8-475-8710.
cc: Administrative Council Members
Senior Information Resource Management Officials
EPA Publications Taskforce
Printing Control Officers
EPA Librarians
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APPENDIX B:
Contacts
This appendix contains a list of individuals within EPA that can be
contacted for further information on the various topics covered in this
document. Also Access EPA should be consulted for comprehensive lists of
access point and distribution mechanism contacts.
In this appendix, personal names of contacts are included for
convenient access. However, name changes are much more frequent than
office changes. Therefore, at the end of each section of this Guide, only office
names are listed.
Clearinghouses
Susan Dolgin, Indoor Air Clearinghouse, (202) 233-9048, 8-202-233-9048
(FTS)
Emma McNamara at (202) 260-3522, 8-202-260-3522 (FTS) on
INFOTERRA
Lois Ramponi (contractor) EPA Headquarters Library, (202) 260-5922, 8-
260-5922 (FTS)
Bonnie Smith at (215) 597-9076, 8-215-597-9076 (FTS) Region 3, Center
for Environmental Learning
Databases
Vandiver Bradow, Telecommunications Branch, OARM, RTF (919)
541-3574, 8-919-541-3574 (FTS)
Jonda Byrd at (513) 569-7183, 8-513-569-7183 (FTS) or John Knight at
(919) 541-2794, 8-919-541-2794 (FTS) for information on the Online
Library System
Steve Newburg-Rinn, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Toxic
Release Inventory System (202) 260-3757, 8-202-260-3757 (FTS)
191
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Appendix B
Jerry Slaymaker, National Data Processing Division, OARM, RTF (919)
541-3483, 8-919-541-3483 (FTS)
Jack Sweeney at (404) 347-2316, 8-404-347-2316 (FTS) for information on
the Region 4 public access database project
Dockets
Gloris Butler, Docket Coordinator, Information Management and
Services Division, OIRM, (202) 260-3639, 8-202-260-3639 (FTS)
EPA Distribution Mechanisms
Jonda Byrd, OIRM, Cincinnati - Federal Depository Library Program,
(513) 569-7183, 8-513-569-7183 (FTS)
Earl Eastwood, EPIC, (513) 569-7980,8-513-569-7980 (FTS)
Calvin Lawrence, CERI, (513) 569-7391, 8-513-569-7391 (FTS)
Deborah McNealley, EPIC, (513) 569-7980, 8-513-569-7980 (FTS)
Renee Nicholas, Region 10 Public Information Center, (206) 553-4973, 8-
206-553-4973 (FTS)
Brigid Rapp, OIRM, Information Access Branch, Headquarters Public
Information Center, (202) 260-8710, 8-202-260-8710 (FTS)
Dennis Wagner, ORD, (202) 260-9617, 8-202-260-9617 (FTS)
Electronic Bulletin Boards
Vandiver Bradow, Telecommunications Branch, OARM, RTP, (919)
541-3574, 8-919-541-3574 (FTS)
Denis Lussier (513) 569-7354, 8-513-569-7354 (FTS)
Myles Morse, ORD, Pollution Information Exchange System, (202) 260-
5748, 8-202-260-5748 (FTS)
Electronic Products
Gerry Brown, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Toxic Release
Inventory - diskettes, tapes, CD ROMs, (202) 260-7248, 8-202-260-7248
(FTS)
192
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Appendix B
Tom Clemmer, Office of Administration and Resources Management,
National Data Processing Division, RTF, NC - CD ROMs, (919) 541-1057,
8-919-541-1057 (FTS)
Anne Pope, Office of Administration and Resources Management,
National Data Processing Division, RTP, NC - CD ROM pilot project,
(919) 541-5373,8-919-541-5373 (FTS)
External Survey
Jan Erickson, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics is contacting
external parties as a component of developing an outreach strategy for
TRI, (202) 260-9389,8-202-260-9389 (FTS)
Dave Schwarz, Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation can provide
information on OMB Information Collection regulations, (202) 260-
2706, 8-202-260-2706 (FTS)
FOIA Examination
Mike Mundell in the Office of Water should be contacted for further
information on PCS study, (202) 260-8324, 8-202-260-8324 (FTS).
Federal Government Sponsored Distribution Mechanisms
James Anderson, EPA/GPO Liaison, (202) 260-2125, 8-202-260-2125 (FTS)
Tom Bold, NTIS (703) 487-4785, 8-703-487-4785 (FTS)
Paula Moser, CIC/EPA Agency Liaison, (202) 501-1794,8-202-501-1794
(FTS)
Hotlines
Pat Bonner at (206) 553-8509, 8-206-553-8509 (FTS) for information on
the Region 10 hotline.
Barbara Roth, RCRA/Superfund Hotline, (202) 260-4646, 8-202-260-4646
(FTS)
193
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Appendix B
Libraries
James Anderson, Agency Printing Officer, (202) 260-2125, 8-202-260-2125
(FTS)
Gerry Brown, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, Toxics Release
Inventory, (202) 260-7248, 8-202-260-7248 (FTS)
Jonda Byrd, OIRM, Cincinnati, (513) 569-7183, 8-513-569-7183 (FTS)
Multimedia Products
Robert W. Cibulskis, Environmental Response Branch, Emergency
Response Division, OSWER, (908) 321-6746, 8-908-321-6746
Maggie Rea, Environmental Research Laboratory, Corvallis, Oregon,
Office of Research and Development - Video production on laboratory
activities, (503) 757-4601, 8-503-757-4601 (FTS)
Charlene Shaw, Communication Strategist, Office of Water - Slide
shows, (202) 260-2285, 8-202-260-2285 (FTS)
Michael Torrusio, Acting Director, Multimedia Services, OCEPA, (202)
260-2053, 8-202-260-2053 (FTS)
Partnership Opportunities
Wendy Butler, OCEPA, (202) 260-4355, 8-202-260-4355 (FTS)
Paula Moser, GSA's Consumer Information Center, EPA Agency
Liaison, (202) 501-1794, 8-202-501-1794 (FTS)
Region 10 Hotline for Region 10 States, 1-800-424-4EPA
Ruth Robenalt, OCEPA, (202) 260-1380, 8-202-260-1380 (FTS)
Charlene Shaw, Office of Water, (202) 260-2285, 8-260-2285 (FTS)
Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals in Business, (703) 519-3700
Supermarket Communication System (203) 852-0888
Arty Williams, Office of Pesticide Programs, (703) 305-7371, 8-365-7371
(FTS)
194
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Appendix B
Product Evaluation Cards
Paula Moser, GSA's Consumer Information Center, EPA Agency
Liaison, (202) 501-1794,8-202-501-1794 (FTS)
Public Information Centers (PICs)
Pat Bonner, Region 10, Office of Public Affairs (206) 553-1107, 8-206-553-
1107 (FTS)
Brigid Rapp, OIRM, Information Access Branch, Headquarters Public
Information Center, (202) 260-8710, 8-202-260-8710 (FTS)
Public Information Materials
John Knight, EPA National Computer Center, RTF, NC - Online
Library System pilot project, (919) 541-2794, 8-919-541-2794 (FTS)
Dwight Rodgers, Telecommunications Manager, Office of
Administration and Resources Management - Telephone directories,
(202) 260-2082,8-202-260-2082 (FTS)
Jeff Sabol, Information Management Branch, OIRM - Information
System Inventory, (202) 260-8974, 8-202-260-8974 (FTS)
Publications
Miles Allen, OCEPA - Deputy Director, Editorial Services, (202) 260-
6642,8-202-260-6642 (FTS)
Kym Burke, OCEPA - EPA InSight Editor, (202) 260-0336, 8-202-260-0336
(FTS)
Earl Eastwood, EPA Publications and Information Center, Cincinnati -
Agency numbering system, (513) 569-7980, 8- 513-569-7980 (FTS)
John Heritage, OCEPA - EPA Journal, Editor (202) 260-4393, 8-202-260-
4393 (FTS)
Charlie Osolin, OCEPA - Director, Editorial Services, (202) 260-4359, 8-
202-260-4359 (FTS)
195
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APPENDIX C:
Acronyms
AIR CHIEF
ASTHO
CD ROM
CERI
dC
DTFW
EPIC
FDIC
FIFRA
FIRMR
FOIA
CIS
GPO
GSA
HUD
ICPIC
IMSD
IRMD
ISI
NARA
NASDA
NDPD
NLM
NPL
NSDD
NTIS
OARM
OCEPA
OCLC
OERR
ACRONYM LIST
Clearinghouse for Inventories and Emission Factors
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
Compact Disk Read Only Memory
Center for Environmental Research
Consumer Information Center
Difficult to Filter Wastes
EPA Publications and Information Center
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act
Federal Information Resources Management
Regulation
Freedom of Information Act
Geographic Information Systems
Government Printing Office
Government Services Administration
Department of Housing and Urban Development
International Cleaner Production Information
Computer System
Information Management Services Division
Information Resources Management Division
Information Systems Inventory
National Archives and Records Administration
National Association of State Departments of
Agriculture
National Data Processing Division
National Library of Medicine
National Priorities List
National Security Decision Directive
National Technical Information Services
Office of Administration and Resources Management
Office of Communications, Education, and Public
Affairs
Online Computer Library Center
Office of Emergency and Remedial Response
197
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Appendix C
OIRM
OLS
OMB
OPPE
OPPT
ORD
OSWER
PCS
PIC
PIES
PPIC
RCB
RCRA
RCRIS
RREL
RTF
SFIREG
SITE
SOCAP
T&D
TCLP
TRI
UNEP
Office of Information Resources Management
Online Library System
Office of Management and Budget
Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation
Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics
Office of Research and Development
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response
Permit Compliance System
Public Information Center
Pollution Information Exchange System
Pollution Prevention Information Clearinghouse
Releases Control Branch
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act
Resource Conservation and Recovery Information
System
Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory
Research Triangle Park, NC
State FIFRA Issues Research and Evaluation Group
Super fund Innovative Technology Evaluation
Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals in Business
Typography and Design Division
Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure
Toxic Release Inventory
United Nations Environmental Programme
198
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APPENDIX D:
Comment Form
299
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PUBLIC ACCESS: A "HOW TO GUIDE"
UPDATE AND COMMENT FORM
Submitted by: Date:
EPA Office/Division:
Address: Phone:
I. UPDATE INFORMATION
New Entry:
Revision: Page Number:
Description of information to be updated or added:
II. IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PUBLIC ACCESS MANUAL
Please provide comments below which indicate areas that need improvement or
additional topics which should be covered:
How often do you use the manual?
When or why do you use the manual?
Do you find the manual to be a helpful reference tool?
Internal Use Only: Date Received
Please return this form to: Brigid Rapp, Chief, Information Access Branch, PM-211D
•ft [I.E. Government Printing office : 1992 - 312-014/40158
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