DECEMBER 1992 EPA-ITB-M-92-on ^lEWS FOR, ABOUT, AND BY Update on Agency Activities EPA Prepares for Transition LIBrt- In his November 3rd concession speech, President Bush acknowledged the importance of transitions: "I want the country to know that our entire Administration will work closely with his (President-elect Clinton) team to ensure a smooth transition of power. There is important work to be done, and America must always come first." Administrator Bill Reilly has designated Chief of Staff Gordon Binder as the lead contact between the transition team and the Agency, and has asked all EPA employees to cooperate fully once the transition team is in place. The Office of Administration and Resources Management has readied offices for the transition team in the Mall area. As of the date when EPA InSight went to press, members of the team were not yet known, nor was the date when they will arrive. From past experience, though, here are some things that employees can expect during the next several months: ~~"""~~——~. * Transition generally means that the appointees~whrr serve "at the pleasure of the President" (administrator, deputy administrator, AAs, inspector general, general counsel) will be asked to submit letters of resignation. It is likely that President-elect Clinton will follow the tradition of former presidents and announce his choice for key Cabinet and agency heads in the December-to- March timeframe. Then the nominees will undergo ethics and security clearances before being formally nominated by the President for Senate confirmation. Appointment of new AAs (who must undergo Senate confirmation) and RAs (who do not require confirma- tion) probably will occur next spring or summer. Since a new administrator cannot be confirmed before inauguration, it is likely that the White House will ask a senior career official to serve as acting administrator at Continued on page 6 In Brief With Gerald Yamada, Deputy General Counsel and Designated Agency Ethics Official, OGC Effective October 5 of this year, we have a new Governmentwide system of confidential financial and employment reporting. As a result of Executive Order 12674, more employees are expected to be covered by this system. The new rules are that employees must file a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report (Standard Form 450) if: • They are grade 15 or below (most employees were grades 13-15) and • The Deputy Ethics Official for their organizations (see note at end of article) determines that the duties and responsibilities of the employees' positions require that they participate personally and substantially in: / Awarding or administering contracts; or / Awarding or administering grants; or / Regulating or auditing any non-federal entity or other activities in which the final decision or action will have a direct and substantial economic effect on the inter- ests of any non-federal entity. Annual reports are due by October 31 of each year. Covered employees must provide information regarding all financial and employment interests that were held at any time during the previ- ous fiscal year (October 1 through September 30). For FY'92, as Continued on page 6 Inside HEADS UP ..................... 2 NEWS ................. 3 HR UPDATE .............. 4/5 PEOPLE AND PROGRESS ..7 CALENDAR 8 Gerald Yamada Recycled/Recyclable Printed with Soy/Canola ink on paper that contains at least 50% recycled fiber ------- Up A QUICK LOOK AT EPA NEWS AROUND THE NATION EPA LABORATORIES • Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory, Cincinnati, OH 0 EMSL staff recently developed a new extraction and analytical technique involving rotenone, a naturally occurring insecticide which is found in the derris root. Rotenone is also on EPA's hazardous substances list (Appendix XIII of the RCRA regulations). The Ohio River Valley Sanitation Commission uses this insecticide once a year to kill fish—in a controlled setting—as a means of assessing the fish population in the Ohio River. EPA used its technique to determine whether rotenone was present in the down stream river water. No detectable amount was found. (Contact: Jim Ho, 513-569-7321) • Environmental Research Laboratory, Duluth, MN 0 The October edition of EPA InSight identified 51 ORD winners of the 1991 Scientific and Technological Achievement Awards. The actual count was 52. Missing from the list was John W. Nichols,, a research toxicologist. John was one of five ERL-D employees to win a Level II ($2,500) award. (Contact: Bob Drummond, 218-720-5733) • Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC 0 AEERL has high hopes for a combustion technology they recently used to reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. Called "reburn," this technology cut by 60 percent the NOx emissions from a wet-bottom boiler at the Ladyzhin Power Station in the Ukraine. Wet-bottom boilers are common in Eastern Europe, an area plagued by air pollution problems. However, these boilers are not amenable to traditional technologies, such as low-NOx burners. Anatoly Gritsenko, First Deputy, Ukraine's Ministry of Power and Electrification, recently announced the promising results on Ukraine's national radio. (Contact: Robert E. Hall, 919-541-2477) • Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory, Las Vegas, NV 0 At the request of Region 1 earlier this year, EMSL-LV assisted in a study of the Massachusetts Bay. Using side-scanning sonar about 18 miles from shore, researchers located an area where industrial and radioactive wastes were dumped between 1946 and 1972. Samples of fish, shellfish, and sediment were collected during the expedition and tested for radioactivity at the Las Vegas Laboratory. The results of the analyses showed no detectable radioactivity for the samples tested. (Contact: Terry Grady, 702-798-2136) EPA REGIONS • Region 4 0 On November 2, the Florida Pollution Control Association, Inc., honored Albert B. Herndon, P.E., Chief of the Industrial Pre treatment Section in Region 4. FPCA created an annual award in Mr. Herndon's name and gave him the first award. The award recognizes individuals for superior performance in the enforcement and implementation or a pretreatment program or of industrial waste water regulations. (Contact: Norm Black, 404-347-3004) • Region 5 0 David A. Ullrich is the new Deputy Regional Administrator for Region 5. Formerly the Waste Managemen t Division Director, Dave also served as the Deputy Regional Counsel for six years. During this time, Region 5 led all of the other EPA regional offices in enforcements. (Contact: John Rapsys, 312-353-6693) • Region 8 <) Recently, Region 8 and the North Dakota State Department of Health celebrated the first clean-up completion of a North Dakota Superfund site on the National Priority List. Located in the southeastern corner of the state, the Arsenic Trioxide Superfund Site covers about 568 square miles. This site was placed on the NPL in 1983 because of large quantities of arsenic-laced bait found in nearby ground water. This bait was commonly used during the 1930s and early 1940s to inhibit grasshopper infestations. (Contact: Laura Williams, 303-293-1531) • Region 9 0 This Regional Office recently joined San Francisco's high-rise recycling program. Instead of each tenant in a high-rise building (e.g., 75 Hawthorne Street, where Region 9 is housed) recycling separately, now recycling is a team effort. Region 9 's team includes two other agencies: Social Security Administration and Health Care Financing Administration. (Contact: Bob Cato, 415-744-1654) • Region 10 0 Effective October 11, Jane Moore became Region 10's Assistant Regional Admin- istrator for Policy and Manage- ment. Formerly with Region 6 as Chief of the Financial Branch, Jane has been with EPA since 1979 and has held a number of management positions. (Contact: Jean Baker, 206-553-1203) EPA HEADQUARTERS Jane M°°re • Office of Administration and Resources Management 0 The new Office of Environmental Equity (see page 4) is assembling a work group to look into environmental issues having gender-specific impact. To date,, this work group includes representatives from OAR, OPPTS,, OW, OPPE, OIA, and OARM. Other EPA organizations—- bo th field and headquarters—are encouraged to join. (Contact: Dona Canales, OHRM, 202-260-8648.) EPA InSight • DECEMBER 1992 ------- In The News Here And Abroad— Severe Weather Emergencies Test EPA's Mettle by Kim Fletcher, OSWER/CEPPO In the June edition of EPA InSight, we told you about some global emergencies that EPA's Chemical Emer- gency Preparedness and Prevention Office (CEPPO) had responded to—a sewer line explosion in Mexico, an oil well fire in Uzbekistan. But did you know that we also provide emergency support here at home? One example was Hurricane Andrew... Hurricane Andrew slammed into the southern coast of Florida on August 23. Within 24 hours, Region 4 sent an emergency response team to assess the damage and to contain spilled chemicals from dam- aged storage tanks and facilities. Region 4 later returned to Florida to analyze the water quality and to monitor the air for hazardous debris. In the meantime, Region 6 sent emergency personnel to Corpus Christi and Houston, Texas, and Baton Rouge and Alexandria, Louisiana. Their assessment of the storm's damage confirmed that the Gulf Coast area was not so badly affected as Florida. Two weeks later, Hurricane Iniki struck Hawaii, causing extensive damage to the island of Kauai. Then Typhoon Brian hit Guam on the heels of an earlier typhoon (Omar). In both cases, Region 9 sent emer- gency personnel as part of the federal response. As primary back-up to Region 9, Region 6 sent an on-scene coordinator to Hawaii. Bowdy Train, DAA for OSWER, served as EPA's liaison with the Federal Task Force coordinating the fed- eral response. Chaired by Secretary of Transportation Andrew Card, this group met weekly in the White House. When asked by EPA InSight to comment, Bowdy said EPA was routinely commended for its handling of the environmental consequences of these events. He added, "It was an honor for me to represent EPA. The Agency truly demonstrated a high degree of professionalism and technical expertise." Florida took a heavy hit from Andrew. EPA Limits Sale Of Auto Air Conditioning Refrigerant In Small Cans On November 15, EPA began restricting the retail store sale of small containers (under 20 pounds) of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) that are used in motor vehicle air conditioning systems. The purpose of this restriction is to limit consumer ("do it yourself") access to refrigerants. It also should encourage people to have their motor vehicle air conditioning systems repaired by certified technicians who use approved refrigerant recycling equipment. Retail outlets selling small CFC cans must display a sign warning consumers of the restriction. Only certified technicians may purchase the CFC cans. As part of its enforcement effort, EPA may be sending out inspectors posing as consumers to retail stores. The restriction is part of an EPA final rule (published in the Federal Register on July 14,1992) that prohibits service stations from releasing CFCs into the atmosphere during the servicing of motor vehicle air conditioners. It also requires service stations to recycle the CFC sub- stances. For more information, please contact EPA's Stratospheric Ozone Information Hotline, 1-800-296-1996. EPA InSight • DECEMBER 1992 y-fotidays! TO ALL EPA EMPLOYEES from Bill Reilly, Hank Habicht, Carl Gagliardi, Charlie Osolin, Kym F3urke, and the EPA InSight Editorial F3oard ------- Human Reeourcee Update... Reorganizations, etc. The Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM) recently completed a reorganization, which Deputy Administrator Hank Habicht approved on October 23. Here are the major changes: • The Procurement and Contracts Management Division has been elevated to office level. New name: Office of Acquisition Management. • The Office of Grants and Debarment was created, with the grants and suspension/ debarment functions managed through separate divisions in this new office. • The Contracts Management Divisions in Research Triangle Park and in Cincinnati now report to the new Office of Acquisition Management. • The National Contracts Payment Division in Research Triangle Park now reports to the HQ Financial Management Division, Office of the Comptroller. New name: RTF Financial Management Center. • The Program Operations Support Staff has been given a broader role in staff support to the AA for OARM. New name: Program and Policy Coordination Office. The purpose of the reorganization is to raise the visibility and awareness of contracts management throughout the Agency, to consolidate and increase contracting accountability across OARM offices, and to devote more structured management attention to acquisition and financial management. Last July, OARM created a new position to ensure oversight of these functions at the highest levels at EPA: Deputy Assistant Administrator for Finance and Acquisition. Sallyanne Harper has been appointed to this position. Formerly the Director of EPA's Financial Management Division, Sallyanne also served as Associate Sallyanne Harper Dr. Clarice Gaylord Director of Superfund/RCRA Procurement. OARM has been busy...On October 29, Hank Habicht approved the creation of the Office of Environmental Equity (OE2) in OARM. This office reports through the Deputy Assistant Administrator for Management and Administration, Ed Hanley, to the AA for OARM, Chris Holmes. Dr. Clarice Gaylord, formerly with OHRM, has been named Director. OE2's Deputy Director is Bob Knox, formerly with OSWER. The environmental impacts on racial, ethnic, and low-income populations are OE2's primary concern. It will coordinate communication, outreach, education, and training of the public on environmental equity issues and provide technical/financial assistance on equity-related issues, as needed. (Contacts: Amy Haseltine and Beckie Nachtrieb, Management and Organization Division, Office of Administration, OARM; 202-260-5000) "It's come to my attention that you have a life outside the office." Reprinted with permission of Wall Street Portfolio EPA InSight • DECEMBER 1992 ------- ... Human Resources Update Speaking of Equity. Have you seen OE2's Environmental Equity Update Memo? Dated October 27, it was sent to all EPA managers and supervisors for circulation to employees. It contains helpful information about the role and responsibilities of EPA's new Office of Environmental Equity. It also describes some of the equity activities that are un- derway in the Agency. Future issues, which will be generated as information and activities warrant, will also be avail- able on Email. If you have any questions, please call Lawrence T. Molloy, OPPE, 202-260-6357. As the lead story in its premier (February) edition, EPA InSight covered some of the Agency's efforts to address environmen- tal equity. One of them, a draft report that was put together by an EPA workgroup, is available in final form (Environmental Equity: Reducing Risks for All Communities—Volumes 1 and 2). For more information, please call Reina Milligan or Janice Triplin, OE2, 202-260- 6357. Environmental Tip Of The Month "...I would like to tell you about the recycling program of (our) club, which consists almost entirely of folks with physical disabilities. What we recycle is extremely valuable but costs nothing—HUGS. It's wonderful to see what a hug can do. They are the perfect cure for whatever ails you: no fragile parts, no periodic checkups, no insurance requirements, no batteries to replace, and no payments. They are theft-proof, high energy yield, low energy consumption, non- taxable, nonpolluting, fully returnable. (They are) nothing less than a miracle." —Reprinted with permission from Mature Outlook Newsletter (November/December 1992). © Meredith Corporation. Hispanic Employment Council Sets Ambitious Agenda EPA's National Hispanic Employment Program (HEP) Council recently devoted two days to strategic planning and put together a work plan for the next two fiscal years. HEP's goals are: • Establish partnerships with other EPA programs— The Council will work closely with EPA special emphasis program managers, and others, to ensure that HEP concerns are integrated into Agency pro- grams, such as environmental equity, cultural diver- sity, and human resources management. • Develop strategies to increase the representation of Hispanics at all levels in EPA—The Council will also monitor and periodically assess the status of Hispanic employment and advancement within the Agency. • Strengthen the role of the Hispanic Employment Program Managers—The Council will work with EPA organizations to ensure that HEP Managers are part of the management team with clearly denned duties and responsibilities that are consistent across the Agency. Plans are also underway to negotiate an approved budget for HEP Managers and to develop an orientation and training program for new HEP Managers. For more information, please contact Mercedes Olivieri, EPA's National HEP Manager, 202-260-4569, or one of the following Council members: Council Chair Lorraine Brando, Region 2; Dennisses Valdes, Region 1; Marcos Aquino, Region 3; Lupe Pesina, Region 6; Charles Gomez, Region 8; Raqueline Shelton, Research Triangle Park; Jan Contreras, Las Vegas; or Lisa Almodovar, Headquarters. "Deck f/?e halls with boughs of holly, fa/a/a/a/a, /a/a/a/a. Have that memo routed to all departments, Miss Ames." Reprinted with permission of Wall Street Portfolio. EPA InSight • DECEMBER 1992 ------- More Good News Green Li "Renew^ am Wins erica Award in Green 7 Lights by Bob Kwartin, Director, Green Lights Division, OAR EPA's Green Lights Program is the winner of the 1992 Robert Rodale National Environmental Achievement Award in the air pollution reduction category. The contest was sponsored by Renew America, a non-profit, environmental education organization. Every year since 1989, Renew America has selected for this prestigious award national programs that have made outstanding achievements in environmental protection. Awards are given in 20 categories, including food safety, wildlife conservation, and energy efficiency. Administrator Bill Reilly recently praised the Green Lights Program for its "innovative approach" in gaining corporate involvement in protecting the environment. "The voluntary nature of Green Lights," said the Admin- istrator, "has really paid off, both environmentally and economically." Along with other award winners, EPA showcased its achievements at an awards ceremony earlier this fall in Washington, D.C. For more information about this program, please contact Susan Bullard, 202-260-9065, or Brian Symmes, 202-233-9719. Transition from front cover the time that Bill Reilly and Hank Habicht leave EPA. In many cases, career DAAs and DRAs will assume acting AA/RA positions upon departure of the incum- bents. AA and RA offices will be asked to prepare materials that will enable them to brief the transition team on key issues facing the Agency—particularly those that have significance during the first six months of the new Administration. As a cautionary note, until the incoming team states its preferences on issues, format, length, and the like, it does not make a lot of sense to crank out papers. Jotting down notes, making lists of issues, and other steps to get a head start may be helpful. Mike Shapiro, DAA for Air and Radiation, is working with Gordon Binder to coordinate all programmatic and substantive briefings. His mandate is to include all appropriate offices and regions on a given issue. The Agency is also preparing a description of EPA's management and operations, which can be used by the transition team and the new AAs to understand how the Agency functions. Employees may get calls from outside the Agency from people saying they represent the transition team, ask- ing for what may be sensitive information or materials. These individuals may or may not eventually be on the team. But, until the transition team is officially named, such calls should be referred to Gordon Binder, 202-260-4700. Since transition team members generally are not federal employees, sensitive information such as classified material, confidential business information, privacy information, and non-public enforcement or litigation information should not be provided. If such information is requested, please consult with Gordon Binder. If internal decision-making memoranda are requested that are not available to the public, such information should be provided on a need-to-know basis after consulting with Gordon. In Brief from front cover EPA's Designated Agency Ethics Official, I have extended the date for collecting these reports to Friday, January 29, 1993. The reporting period will remain the same: October 1, 1991, through September 30, 1992. Assets worth more than $1,000 and sources of income exceeding $200 must be listed in the report, together with certain liabilities over $10,000, outside positions, agreements and arrangements with other employers (including future employment agreements), and certain gift and travel reimbursements. Disclosure of amounts is not required. If you have any questions, please contact Don Nantkes or Karen Kucik, 202-260-4550. Editor's Note: The Agency's Deputy Ethics Offi- cials are: AAs (or their deputy/ies) for their immediate office staffs only; RAs (or their deputy/ies); staff office directors; office directors; and laboratory directors. EPA InSight • DECEMBER 1992 ------- The Gift Of Life People And Progreee by Trish Grice, Region 6 Earlier this year, I received a virtual clean bill of health after a medical checkup. This might not be anything out of the ordinary to many. But to me, it was a special day... About 2-1/2 years ago, I noticed that I was feeling tired all the time. I also noticed that I was bruising a lot on my arms and legs. When I decided to see my doctor about these sypmtoms, I was concerned. But I was so tired of being tired, I had to do something. The diagnosis: I had leukemia. The news devastated me. Still I was blessed, because I have a twin sister (Alicia Weeks) and now, thanks to a bone marrow transplant from her, I have no leukemic symptoms at all. In fact, I feel wonderful! As a result of this experience, I now celebrate two birthdays every year—my actual birth date (August 27) and my rebirth/transplant day (May 30). I also became a volunteer for the American Cancer Society's CanSurmount Program. I spend as much time as possible visiting patients in the bone marrow unit at Baylor University Medical Center (where I received my transplant). I want them to know that there IS light at the end of the tunnel. What can EPA employees do to help? Get your blood tested for possible bone marrow donation. Then, register with the National Marrow Donor Program. If you do, it could mean the difference between life and death for someone. Since 1987, more than 450,000 prospective donors have registered with NMDP, which aver- ages about 30 life-saving matches per month. For more information, please don't hesitate to call the National Marrow Donor Program, 1-800- MARROW-3. EPA InSight • DECEMBER 1992 A "People" Story About Total Quality... by Deb McNealley, Cincinnati/Office of Administration and Resources Management What did it take to convert an antiquated publications operation into a modern, auto- mated clearinghouse? People—people with a vision using Total Quality principles. As a re- sult, we now have the National Center for Envi- ronmental Publications and Information, a central contact point for Agency publications and information materials. One of the first steps the Center team took was to set up a customer services group with total involvement by representatives from each office served. This helped the team focus its efforts on the real problems with the current operation and to come up with workable solu- tions. Now that the Center is up and running, its staff conducts an annual customer survey to monitor the quality of its services and to iden- tify areas for continuous improvement. Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, the Center pro- vides an electronic link to the world of EPA publications. For example, contact points in the Regions and in the Headquarters program of- fices can perform a key-word search for specific publications and then order them right from the computer. This sytem is made easier by the uniform publications numbering system that the Center team developed. Also, in the event of a problem with the system, an Email network is available to help customers get the information they need. The Center's inventory is now up to almost 10,000 separate publications/information mate- rials from every EPA program office. It houses 10 million copies of these materials, with an average monthly distribution of more than half a million. For more information, or to inquire about specific publications, please call 513-569-7980 or 7985. ------- Calendar 6 13 20 27 7 1 EPA Annual SES Dinner 8 DAAs/DRAs Leadership Meeting on Quality 14 Health Benefits "Open Season" ends 21 %*$ ^*.&%^p> 'til1 y "v Winter's here! 28 "Pledge of Allegiance," 1945 15 Bill of Rights approved, 1778 22 29 2 EPA Annual Awards Ceremony -Nat'l AIDS Awareness Day 9 16 23 ^ w Moon 30 3 ARAs Meeting 10 EPA InSight Editorial Board Meeting 4 Copy deadline for January EPA InSight 11 OPPTS "Clothes Drive" ends K. ''^; '1 ^ 5 >-~--'-^ 12 1 st transatlantic radio broadcast, 1901 2nd Gulf of Mexico Symposium 17 18 Local Governments Dialogue Group Meeting (Contact- Lou Kerestesy, OROS/ LR, 202 24 260-4381) *25 A Federal J|k Holiday: JgS&Crmstmas m 31 Copy deadline for February EPA InSight m uay 19 26 Leave Bank "Open Season" ends January 1- Federal Holiday: New Year's Day January 9- Last Day of Leave Year Are You Into Infonnation Systems? It's that time of year again, when EPA conducts its annual update of the Information Systems Inventory (ISI). ISI is an automated, easily searchable catalog of over 500 manual and electronic data systems in the Agency. If you know of any newly developed systems, or have a particular system that you would like to share with others, the ISI is an excellent way to communicate this informa- tion to EPA employees Agencywide. The update is expected to be completed by the end of this calendar year. To publicize a system through the ISI, please contact Jeff Sabol, OARM, Mail Code: PM-211D/ Email: SABOLJEFF/202-260-8974. On The Horizon... • Update on Transition I • New Ethics Rules • International Corner —a new feature • Getting the Lead Out B Montreal Protocol Revisited Contracts In Review —a new feature FY'93 Budget: High- lights and Lowlights EPA InSight Bill Reilly Administrator Hank Habicht Deputy Administrator Carl Gagliardi Acting AA, Communications, Education, and Public Affairs Charlie Osolin Director, Editorial Services Division Kym Burke Editor Gloria Koch Field Editor (Dec-Jan), RTP/AREAL Shelley Levitt Assistant Editor (Dec-Ian), OSWER/ CEPPO EDITORIAL BOARD Labs/Field Offices Rhoda Ritzenberg, RTP/OSORD Randy Brady, RTP/OARM Brenda Thompson, RTP/HERL Gloria Koch, RTP/AREAL Pat Sharpe, RTP/AEERL Bob Ryans, Athens Carroll Wills, NEIC Linda Terhaar, Corvallis Mike Gruenfeld, Edison Tom Osberg, Env. Photo Terry Grady, LV/EMSL Pati Cooke, Cinci/OSORD Sandy Bowman, Cinci/OARM Charlotte Cottrffl, Cinci/ECAO Linda Ransick, Cinci/EMSL Debbie Ober, Cinci/RREL Trudy Oliver, Stennis Linda Elliot, Ada Bob Drummond, Duluth Jan Prager, Narragansett Betty Jackson, Gulf Breeze William Witson, Gulf of Mex. Charles Petko, Montgomery Regions Frank Mclntyre, Region 1 Paul Hedley, Region 2 Carolyn Szumal, 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 Craig Hooks, OARM Robin Grove, OCLA Sandie Friedland, OCR Bill Frank, OE Wanda Ford, OEX Craign Annear, OGC Dale Medearis, OIA Tom Maloney, OIG Edgar Thornton, OPPE Tom Kean, OPPTS Fred Blosser, ORD Lou Kerestesy, OROS/LR Scott McMurray, OSWER Vicky Green, OW DESIGN SERVICES Steve Delaney, OCEPA Enigma Concepts Inc. EPA InSight • DECEMBER 1992 ------- |