OOON92003
Up Frony
P1
^
ITHBILLREILLY
Integrity: A Coirstohe
eDo
s many of you may already
know, EPA's Inspector
General, John Martin, has
issued a draft report on contract
management at the Agency. I am deeply concerned
with the findings in this report, particularly the
characterization of our management culture as
inattentive to Federal procurement regulations and
overly dependent on contractors. What makes these
allegations all the more disturbing is that they have
been raised before. We cannot allow this situation to
continue.
The attitudes and behaviors involving contract
management at all levels in the Agency must be
transformed. I have instructed the Agency's senior
managers to get a firm grip on the contract program
in their offices and to ensure that the culture is above
reproach. I have also instructed Chris Holmes, as
acting AA for OARM, to lay out an immediate course
of action for the Agency to correct the deficiencies
identified in the IG Report.
The real and potential abuses found in this report
undermine all that we've done to make integrity and
Continued on page 5
Managing Contracts —
Responding to the Challenge
by Chris Holmes, Acting Assistant Administrator, OAHM
a first step in laying out a
course of action for improving
contract management, I
recently visited with management
officials and contract specialists in four
regional offices and two field locations.
I also met with Headquarters Delivery Order Project
Officers and joined Administrator Bill Reilly in a
meeting with senior managers from Headquarters.
Our message was clear. We need to manage contracts
"by the book" or not at all.
' It will not be easy to change attitudes and
behaviors involving contract management at EPA.
Nor wiH^t be quick. But we must commit ourselves
to both short- and long-term actions that will lead to
essential changes to the Agency's culture.
Our first long-term action is to establish a Standing
Committee on Procurement to identify needed reforms
and to ensure their implementation. The Administra-
tor has asked me to chair this committee and to use
Total Quality Management tools to bring about
fundamental change.
Continued on page 6
Inside
Heads Up 2
In the News 3
Total Quality 4
TQM Success Stories 5
On the Hill 6
People and Progress 7
Calendar, Your Turn 8
Printed on Recycled Pape
-------
Weade Up
A QUICK LOOK AT EPA NEWS AROUND THE NATION
EPA LABORATORIES
/ Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory,
RTF—In cooperation with the Electric Power
Research Institute, the Gas Research Institute, the
U.S. Energy Department, Ohio Coal Development
Office, and Combustion Engineering, scientists at
AEERL have worked out an arrangement with the
Commonwealth of Independent States (formerly the
Soviet Union) to share valuable research data. The
United States will get data on the reburning
technology used in a wall-fired boiler in the Ukraine;
the CIS will get data from our research with cyclone-
type boilers in Niles, Ohio. (Contact: Bob Hall,
FTS-629-2477.)
/ Environmental Research Lab,
Athens—Steven C. McCutcheon, Ph.D.,
P.E. was named EPA's "Engineer of the
Year" for 1991. Along with similarly-
designated engineers from 3 5 other Federal
agencies, Steve was honored by the
National Society of Professional Engineers
at a recent awards ceremony. An
environmental engineer who develops
computer models for managing pollution, Steve is the
second engineer from ERL-A to receive this award.
Bob Ambrose won it in 1989. (Contact: Bob Ryans,
FTS-250-3306.)
S Health Effects Research Lab, RTF—Scientists at
HERL are analyzing air samples collected in Czecho-
slovakia. This research is part of a joint effort with the
Czech government to characterize the country's air
pollution. Summer and winter air samples were taken
using a device attached to people's clothing that
collects fine air particles. (Contact: Randall Watts,
FTS-629-2491 or Joellen Lewtas, FTS-629-3849.)
EPA REGIONS
/" Region 2—Administrator Bill Reilly recently
signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the
University of Puerto Rico. Under this MOU, Region
2 will sponsor activities with faculty and students to
help meet the Agency's need for science and
engineering professionals. EPA has hired over 100
UPR graduates in the past five years. Herb Barrack,
ARA for Policy and Management, was recently
named "Campus Executive" for UPR. (Contact: Paul
Hedley,FTS-264-5381.)
S Region 3—EPA and the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services have joined together to
sponsor the MidAtlantic Environmental Hygiene
Resource Center to provide training and educational
materials on indoor air quality. It is the first center of
its kind in the United States. (Contact: Joan Goodis,
FTS-597-6728.)
/ Region 7—Earth Day
continues to be a major event
in this area. One of the most
successful activities has been the
Kansas City, KS/Wyandotte
County Environmental
Education Fair, which drew &TH
more than 2,000 students last year from Wyandotte's
parochial and public schools. (Contact: Rowena
Michaels, FTS-276-7003.)
/ Region 8—In a consent agreement with EPA °ne
of Utah's largest companies has agreed to pay a
penalty of $500,000 for violating its RCRA permit.
U.S. Pollution Control Industries was charged with
failing to follow key sampling, analysis and record-
keeping requirements at its Grassy Mountain
hazardous waste facility near Clive, Utah. The wastes
in question, organic halogens, are part of a family of
chemicals used in industrial processes. (Contact: Rich
Lathrop,FTS-330-1120.)
/ Region 9—The Human Resources Management
staff has implemented a new form, called the
"FastStart Form," for employees who want "direct
deposit" of their paychecks. Employees no longer
have to get a signature from their bank to get this
service. (Contact: Heidi Erler, FTS-484-1558, or
Karen O'Toole, FTS-484-1557.)
EPA HEADQUARTERS
Administrator Bill Reilly invites all employees to join
him in opening the new Public Information Center at
2 p.m. on Earth Day in the Mall courtyard. The PIC
will provide public access to environmental
information and will feature exhibits of EPA activities
and programs. If you have materials you would like to
share with the public, please contact: Suzanne
Annand, OARM, FTS-260-8298.
EPAlnSight • April 1992
-------
In the News
33/50 — Business is Improving!
by Tom Kean, OPPTS
g^^ n March 18, Administrator Bill Reilly
announced that 734 U.S. corporations
have pledged to reduce their emissions of
17 toxic chemicals by 304 million pounds by 1995.
The 33/50 Program is a voluntary program
whose purpose is to reduce toxic waste from
industrial sources. The program gets its name from
the two goals which the Agency has set for it: a 3 3 %
reduction by 1992 and a 50% reduction by 1995 of
17 high-priority, toxic chemical wastes, using 1988
Toxics Release Inventory data as a baseline.
Over 6,000 companies reported that in 1988
about 1.4 billion pounds of these chemicals were
either released to the environment or transferred
off-site to waste management facilities.
Industry participation in EPA's 33/50 Program
has grown threefold (up from 236) since July 1991.
"Even more encouraging," says Susan Hazen,
Program Director, "is that some companies have
gone beyond the basic program by including
additional chemicals, overseas facilities, and
pollution prevention management plans in their
commitments." Dow Chemical, for example, has
targeted for reduction all 121 chemicals that Dow
generates that are listed in EPA's Toxics Release
Inventory. Companies are achieving reductions
largely through chemical substitutions and process
modifications.
For additional information about this program,
please contact the TSCA Hotline, FTS-554-1404
(Monday through Friday, 8:30AM to 4PM, EDT,
excluding Federal holidays). For copies of the 33/50
Program's Second Progress Report, call the Special
Projects Office, OPPTS, FTS-260-1763.
First Green Lights, Now Green Computers
by Susan Bu/lard and Cathy Zoi, OAR
By now, most of you have probably heard of
the Agency's Green Lights Program. ^Tiat
you may not know is that it is a voluntary
program. It is also a good example of EPA working
with industry to prevent pollution before it is gener-
ated. Flow? By increasing the use of energy-efficient
lighting technologies throughout the country.
Today the Green Lights Program has more than
425 participants, including seven states, three cities,
one county, several environmental groups, as well as-
large and small corporations. Collectively, their
commitment to convert to energy-efficient lighting
already totals more than nvo billion square feet. That's
equivalent to all the office space in New York City,
Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, Dallas and Detroit!
In a press conference on March 18, Administrator
Bill Reilly described the program as making "dollar
sense, energy sense, and environmental sense."
The success of the Green Lights Program has
encouraged the Agency to move ahead to ... Green
Computers! Like Green Lights, the program is
voluntary. Its purpose is to get industry to manufac-
ture and market highly energy-efficient computer
systems. EPA experts estimate that Green Computers
could result in a savings of at least 20 billion kilowatt-
hows of electricity every year and prevent the release of
15 million tons of carbon dioxide every year. Clearly, the
three E's of environment, energy and economy will
benefit a lot from these "green" initiatives.
Update on...
Administrator's Awards
for Pollution Prevention
by Carol Singer, OCEPA
EPA has received 840 applications for the second Annual
Administrator's Awards Program, which this year recog-
nizes achievements in pollution prevention. Applications have
come from five sources: citizens; non-profit, community and
environmental organizations; educational institutions; business
and industry; and all levels of government (excluding EPA).
Finalists will be identified by a non-EPA panel of experts
from among the nominations selected by the Regional
Administrators. An EPA AA-level panel will then recommend
award winners to the Adminstrator. Winners will be
announced on Earth Day.
EPAlnSight • April 1992
-------
Total Quality
A Message to All EPA Managers and Supervisors
from Hank Habicht
It's exciting to see a concept like Total Quality
becoming a reality at EPA. But, like anything else
that's good for the organization, it won't happen
without hard work.
Total Quality is not a passing fad—here today,
gone tomorrow. It's common-sense management
principles and behaviors that have been around for a
long time, but have not always been practiced
effectively. Its success depends on good leadership
and full participation by everyone in the organization.
The principles of Total Quality are:
/ Empower employees to make decisions
/ Do the right things right
•/ Get ideas and involvement from every single
employee in the organization
/ Make decisions based on facts
/ See the "big picture"
/" Solve problems jointly
/ Listen and be responsive to the customers
y Commit to continuous improvement
Let's look at the concept of empowerment.
Empowerment does not mean abandonment of
responsibility by management. It means giving
employees the tools and the authority to do their jobs
effectively. It means communicating clearly what you
expect of your employees and the rewards and
consequences if those expectations are met or not.
For empowerment to
work, you need to
communicate regularly
with employees so they will know if they are meeting
your expectations. If they aren't, you'll have enough
time to work things out jointly. (Please keep this in
mind as you conduct your mid-year performance
reviews this month.)
If you've read the messages in this newsletter from
Bill Reilly and Chris Holmes on contract
management, you know that the Inspector General
has found serious problems with the way we manage
contracts in EPA. Total Quality gives us the tools to
address the root causes of this problem so it doesn't
happen again. I'm convinced that, had we followed
the principles of Total Quality in managing our
contracts, we would not be in this situation. Now that
we are, let's treat it as an opportunity for growth and
deal with it constructively.
Throughout the Agency, Total Quality has
already helped many of you make a difference. The
two "success stories" on page 5 are good examples of
what Total Quality can do.
Total Quality can change our culture where it
needs to be changed, but only if we truly commit
ourselves to continuous improvement. Let's make this
commitment together—and let's make it NOW!
The Infrastructure for TQM: It's Everybody's Eusiness
by Jim Mangino, OHRM
You probably know what TQM is, but you may not
know some of the people involved. Here they are!
Regional QC's:
1 Stephen Perkins
2 Marilyn Quinones
3 Pat Krantz
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Annie Godfrey
Kathv Gunn
William Rhea
Charles Hensley
Pat Smedly
Jerry Bock
Michehne Ward
Note: All numbers listed
FfS- extensions.
835-3355
264-5381
597-7808
257-3837
353-3405
255-2100
276-7519
330-1404
484-1533
399-0309
are
Headquarters QC's:
OAR Ann Goode
OARM Michael Pritz
OCLA Deborah Aiwood
OCEPA
OE
OGC
OIA
OIG
OPPE
OPPTS
ORD
OROSLR
OSWER
Linda Zarrow
Boh Heiss
Eudora Edwards
Joan Fidler
Tom Maloney
Gary Kau
Eom I looven
George Alapas
Dick Cantor
Nancy Alhnson
260-1101
260-1101
260-5200
260-5615
260-8777
260-8070
260-0076
260-2234
260-4001
260-2906
260-7468
260-4719
260-5615
Quality Improvement Board: The purpose of the
QIB is to define the objectives and specify the
actions necessary to implement TQM. The
members know first-hand the real-world
considerations involved in putting it into practice.
Dick Bauer, Region 5, chairs the Board; Ed
Hanley, OARM, is the Vice Chair.
Quality Coordinators: Each AA and RA has
designated an employee to serve as the QC for their
organization. The QC's function is to coordinate
TQM training, disseminate information, and
provide implementation support. Regional and
Headquarters Quality Coordinators are listed at left.
EPAInSight • April 1992
-------
Getting a Handle
on FOIA Requests
by Kathy Gunn, Region 5
I am sure you all know what FOIA (Freedom of
Information Act) requests are. Employees in the
pre-Remedial Unit of the Region 5 Superfund
Program Management Branch used to handle FOIA's
as an "additional duty." The process involved
forwarding FOIA requests to the appropriate
Remedial Program Manager or attorney with a cover
memo asking for a quick response. The volume of
requests? About 300 a month—an overwhelming
amount for an already busy staff. Needless to say,
efficiency was low and so was morale.
Then, in February 1991, Region 5 formed a
Quality Action Team to come up with a new way of
doing business. It didn't take long to figure out what
the problems were. And they had plenty of ideas on
how to fix them. Here's what Region 5 agreed to do:
/ Detail six additional clerical employees from other
offices to catch up on the backlog of requests;
«/ Have employees handling FOIA's u'ork as a team
with the RPM/attorney drafting the response by
doing the file and document searches themselves;
/ Develop and implement a FOIA database and
tracking system to monitor the workload; and
-------
On the Hill
by Diana White, OCLA
Great Lakes
Senate—The Governmental Affairs Committee
(Chairman John Glenn, D-OH) will hold a hearing
on April 7 to discuss concerns about contaminated
fish and non-point source pollution.
House—The Public Works and Transportation
Subcommittee on Water Resources (Chairman
Henry Nowak, D-NY) has scheduled a similar
hearing on April 8.
Superfund
Senate—The Environment and Public Works
Subcommittee on Superfund, Ocean and Water
Protection (Chairman Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ)
will hold a hearing on the Agency's Superfund
Managing Contracts
Continued from page 7
Meanwhile, we must also act quickly and decisively
to take care of the problems reported by the
Inspector General. With the concurrence of the
Administrator, I have asked the Agency's senior
managers to take the following actions:
/ Designate an SES-level Senior Procurement Officer
to report directly to them, with full responsibility
for the integrity of all procurement activities in
their organization;
/ Ensure that every SES-level employee in their
organizations completes a special seminar on
contract management by the end of FY 1992;
/ By June 1992, ensure that all contractors in their
organizations have and wear identification that is
visibly distinct from that of EPA employees;
^ Separate EPA employee workspace from
contractor workspace;
Program on April 8. Administrator Bill Reilly is
scheduled to testify.
EPA Contract Management
House—The Government Operations
Subcommittee on Environment, Energy, and Natural
Resources (Chairman Mike Synar, D-OK) has
scheduled a hearing on April 9 to discuss Superfund
contract management.
RCRA Reauthorization
Senate—Markup on S.976 is expected to begin
the end of April. S.976 is a comprehensive RCRA bill
sponsored by Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Chair-
man, Environment and Public Works Subcommittee
on Environmental Protection, and Senator John
Chafee (R-R1), ranking Minority Member.
/ Make sure that contractors DO NOT:
• participate in EPA events, such as awards
ceremonies;
• attend staff meetings;
• receive training beyond what is in their contracts;
• hold positions in which they can be mistaken
for government employees;
• perform assignments which violate the ban on
personal services.
Within my own organization, I have also decided
to elevate the Agency's procurement functions by
having them report directly to me.
1 know we can count on all of you to help us
preserve EPA's integrity in contracts management. I
promise to keep you informed of our progress
through EPA InSight and other avenues of
communication.
Brant parker and Johnny hart
EPA InSight • April 1992
-------
People and
Research at Ann Arbor:
Picking Up Speed!
by Charles L Gray, Jr., NVFEL/Ann Arbor
EPA's National Vehicle and Fuel Emissions
Laboratory is an exciting place to work these
days. Formerly called the Motor Vehicle
Emission Laboratory, NVFEL is the closest thing we
have in the United States to an independent,
automotive technology center that other automotive-
producing countries already have.
Our immediate challenge is to make gasoline and
diesel vehicles run as cleanly as possible. NVFEL is
off to a good start by developing a new type of
catalytic converter that should greatly reduce emissions
from cars during warm-up. Another success story for
the lab is the development of computerized diagnostic
systems to make it easier to identify and repair faulty
emission controls.
Even with these breakthroughs, air quality
projections suggest that additional emission
reductions may still be necessary for many U.S. cities
to achieve clean air. That's why we're also looking
into using natural gas, ethanol and methanol because
they burn much more cleanly than gasoline and
diesel. For example, as a result of a cooperative
agreement with Detroit Diesel Corporation, General
Motors, Natural Resources Defense Council, and the
Center for Auto Safety, we have developed a
methanol-fuekd engine. This engine is now in use in
many buses in New York City and Los Angeles. We
are also hoping to transfer to domestic automakers
new technology involving alcohol-fueled engines
developed under EPA contract.
In February, Deputy Administrator Hank Habicht
\isited Ann Arbor and presented Bronze Medals to 21
NVFEL employees. He described the lab as being
"on the cutting edge of some very important research."
Mr. Habicht also singled out our work with alterna-
tive fuels as "an excellent example of integrating the
three E's of environment, energy, and economy."
What lies ahead for NVFEL? Implementing the
motor vehicle provisions of the new Clean Air Act
and meeting the President's stated goal of "reconcil-
ing the automobile with the environment." We've got
miles to go before we get there, but we're well on our
way.
A Word to the
Wise Secretary
by Laura Loux, Chair,
National Secretarial Advisory Council
I remember my surprise, back in
1987 when I came to EPA, upon
learning how many support systems
the Agency had: the Human Resources
Council, Women in Science and
Engineering, and the Secretarial Advisory Council—
just to name a few. These groups work hard to find
out what the employees are thinking and what they
need in order to do their jobs more effectively and to
feel like a part of the EPA family.
I am not saying that everything is "peaches and
cream" at EPA. There is always room for
improvement in any organization. What I am saying
is that EPA gives secretaries more attention and more
respect than any other place I've ever worked.
Why do I feel this way? From personal
experience—especially as Chair of the SAC for the
past two years. By working with a number of these
wonderful support systems I mentioned earlier, we
developed a guide entitled, "Administrative Support
Career Management System." I can't say enough
about this career system. It was a wonderful
experience seeing it and the guide come together. If
used properly, the guide can really help secretaries
and supervisors work together in planning a career path
for secretaries.
Cards and flowers are very nice to get on National
Secretaries Day. But having a career management
system to help you realize your highest potential—
now that's recognition!
"His phone is busy, his fax is busy and his modem
is busy I'll just walk over and talk to him "
EPA InSight • April 1992
-------
Calendar
Office of
Water
Month
M
W
4fe 5
Daylight Savings
Time begins at 2am
12
19
26
f; r
m March 31:
Clean Air Act Advisriry
Committee Meeting (Contact: Paul
Rasmussen, OAR, FTS-260-7430)
6
April 6-10:
National
Libraries Week
13
7
• ;i'
Departnvent of
Transportation
established 1967
8
;;.,: &
\< »
• April 8: International Environmen-
tal Information Fair (Contact: Lily
Vivanco, OARM, FTS-260-5927)
Income -g ^
Tax Day! 13
• April 13-16: Site-Specific Soil Q.A. Materials Workshop (Contact: Jeff van Ee,
EMSL-LV, FTS-545-2367)
20
April 20-24:
National
Secretaries Week
• April 26-May 2: National Volunteer
Week (Contact: Joan Schnell, OARM,
FTS-260-3600)
28
fes Earth 77
1^1 Day! *•**
Jr • April
Market)
(Contac
23
22-23: Clean Air
lace Conference
t: Keith Mason,
OAR, FTS-260-5580)
29
30
• April 28-30: EPA/NOAA Joint Librarians Meeting
(Contact: Jonda Byrd, OARM, FTS-684-7183)
3
10
Happy Birthday,
Hank Habicht!
17
24
4
11
18
25
Your Turn
Q: We think EPA InSight is a really good newsletter. In
the spirit of pollution prevention, though, have you
considered other options besides one-copy-for-
everyone?
— Alisa Greene, Region 9
A: Glad you asked. Yes—to begin with, we are delighted
to tell you that EPA InSight will be available through
Email starting next month. We've also been working
with OARM to ensure that every organization receives
just enough copies to cover every EPA employee and no
more. In fact, Lew Crampton recently sent a memo to
every AA, RA, and Lab Director asking them to make
sure that only employees receive copies, not contractors or
grantees. Employees are welcome, of course, to share
their copies with anyone they wish. We also invite any
Lab, Regional Office, and AAship to try other options
that could result in fewer copies for their organization.
The important thing is for employees to have equal access
to the information. Thanks for calling! (P.S. We hope
you like the comic strip on page 6.)
— Kym Burke, FTS-260-0336
Email: Burke.K
EPA
Bill Reilly
Administrator
Hank Habicht
Deputy Administrator
Lew Crampton
AA, Communications,
Education, and Public Affairs
Charlie Osolin
Director,
Editorial Services Division
Kym Burke
Editor
Bob Drummond
Field Editor (Feb-Apr 1992)
ERL/Dulutb
EDITORIAL BOARD
Labs/Field Offices
Elaine Sartwell, RTP/HERL
Gloria Koch, RTP/AREAL
Pat Sharpe, RTP/AEERL
Bob Ryans, Athens
Carroll Wills, NEIC
Norma Case, Corvallis
Mike Gruenfeld, Edison
Tom Osberg, Env. Photo
Patricia Wunder, LV/EMSL
Pam Cooke, Cincinnati
Trudy Oliver, Stennis
Bob Dnimrnond, Duluth
Jan Prager, Narragansett
Betty Jackson, Gulf Breeze
William Witson, Gulf of Mex.
Regions
Frank Mclntyre, Region 1
Paul Hedley, Region 2
Carolyn Szutnal, Region 3
Norman Black, Region 4
John Rapsys, Region 5
Linda Thompson, Region 6
Rowena Michaels, Region 7
Linda Adams, Region 8
John Duff, Region 9
Jean Baker, Region 10
Headquarters
Betty Wonkovich, AO
Karen Smith, OAR
Kathy Hutson, OARM
Diana White, OCLA
Rosa Morales, OCR
Bill Frank, OE
Wanda Ford, OEX
Craig Annear, OGC
Dale Medeans, OIA
Tom Maloney, OIG
Edgar Thornton, OPPE
Tom Kean, OPPTS
Mary Wigginton, ORD
Lew Kerestesy, OROSLR
Scott McMurray, OSWER
Mary Lou Soscia, OW
DESIGN/EDITORIAL
SERVICES
Steve Delaney, OCEPA
Gilah Langner
Free Hand Press
EPA InSight • April 1992
------- |