United States Environmental Protection Agency Information Resources Management (3404) December 1994/January 1995 EPA220-N-95-016 &EPA The Catalyst Information for Environmental Action An Information Service for EPA HQ Staff from the Headquarters Library Announcing . A New Arrival. Ecosystem Protection Index (EPI) A new special collection in the Headquarters Library The Ecosystem Protection Index (EPI) is a collection of general articles about ecosystem protection and management It is an attempt to identify relevant information and we encourage EPA staff to~ provide comments, which will be maintained with the collection. We also invite suggestions for additional items which might be included. The EPI Index, a list of articles by category, will be available on the EPA value added backbone system (VABS) under the heading Place Based News. Copies of the articles are available in the EPA Headquarters Library. EPI is designed for both scientific and non-scientific personnel and includes nearly 40 articles about practical applications of ecosystem management at the federal and local levels, specific ecosystem types, i.e. wetlands, and coastal and technical issues in ecosystem management. A few books and journals are also included. Comments and questions about EPI can be sent to Jacques Kapuscinski or Maisha Reed/OARM/OIRM Program Systems Division or Barbara MacKinnon (contractor) at the Headquarters Library (email Library-HQ). * Library Tours What can the EPA Headquarters Library do for you? Regular monthly tours provide an overview of services and collections. To find out aboutthe CD-ROMs that are accessible on the LAN, others'that can be searched In the Library, interlibrary loan (what it: is and fiow it can ftelp you), research services, and special collections, come to the Library the first Wednesday of every month at 11:00 a.m. Tours can also be scheduled at other times for a group-Call the library at 202-260-5921. * EPA Headquarters Library (3404) WSM2904 202-260-5922 Printed on Recycled Paper ------- Gopher Access to EPA Five- Year Strategic Plan EPA Publishes Agencywide Strategic Plan, also available on Agency Internet Gopher in July 1994, the Agency published its first- ever Agencywide strategic plan, 'The New Generation of Environmental Protection," in both full-length text and a summary booklet. At the request of Administrator Carol Browner last year, the Strategic Planning Task Force was established to oversee development of the plan, which was co-chaired by David Gardiner, Assistant Administrator, Office of Policy Planning and Evaluation (OPPE), and Jon Cannon, Assistant Administrator, Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM), and included senior managers from all programs and regions, and staff support. The full text edition includes EPA's vision, mission, and goals, seven guiding principles, links to initiatives, and program and regional implementation of the seven principles. The plan has been delivered to senior EPA managers, Public Information Centers, and to most EPA staff. To meet demand, a second printing of the plan has been ordered. In addition, an unformatted (ASCII) version of the strategic p!an is now available on the Agency's main Internet Gopher. The strategic plan may be found at the following Gopher path: EPA Gopher EPA Initiatives, Policy and Strategy Documents/ EPA's Rve-Year Strategic Plan/ 1. EPA's Five-Year Strategic Plan — A Summary/ 2. EPA's Rve-Year Strategic Plan — Full Document/ Any or all sections may be read or retrieved by anyone with Gopher access. As the Agency's internet capability improves, future Internet publications of EPA planning and management documents may contain graphical information as well, such as maps, photos, and charts. Questions regarding the plan may be directed to the Strategic Planning and Management Division of OPPE. This article was submitted by Jeff Morin. Library staff prepared the following instructions for accessing the Gopher and downloading the plan: To access the EPA Gopher from the EPA Headquarters data switch main menu, select "Gopher" at the first prompt. Type "wicnet," and select menu choice 1. The EPA Gopher main menu will appear. Follow the above path to find the EPA Five-Year Strategic Plan. The user can either read the selected information on the screen, download the information to a computer disc or hard drive, or mail it to an email box. To download information, follow the menu bar at the bottom of the screen. Select "D" to download. A menu of several choices will appear: Ymodem Xmodem— 1K Xmodem — CRC Kermit Text By selecting "text" the user will be able to download the document after turning on the capture function (available with the Crosstalk software). The next prompt will ask the user to prepare to download — press the ESC key to activate the menu bar and then type "capture " a:\EPA5yr" (or another suitable file name). The menu bar will change color to indicate that the capture function is now on. By pressing the enter key, the selected document will begin scrolling. At the end of the document, turn the capture off by again pressing the ESC key to activate the menu bar and typing "capture off"; the document will be saved to a:\EPA5yr. To mail the document to an email address, while in the document select "m" to mail. A box will appear into which to type the destination email address. Example: DOE.JOHN@EPAMAIL.EPA.GOV. When finished viewing the EPA Gopher, type "q" to quit and continue to exit the communication software. If the document was downloaded, it can be retrieved into WordPerfect and the margins changed to "0" to make the document more readable. Shazam! Easy access to the EPA's Five- Year Strategic Plan and a quick introduction to one type of information available through the EPA Gopher. * THE CATALYST DECEMBER 1994/JANUARY 1995 PAGE 2 ------- The Hazardous Waste Superfund Collection Returns!!! The former Hazardous Waste Superfund Collection has reopened for business and we would like to invite you to visit us and take advantage of our services. The department has a new name—Hazardous Waste Superfund Information Center (HWSIC). The staff consists of a full time librarian, Fabienne McGovern (contractor); a part time librarian, Jill Mottorn (contractor); and an abstractor/technician, Stephanie Doty (contractor). The Information Center maintains a collection of documents dealing with hazardous waste issues and the Superfund program. Bibliographic records of these documents are accessible through EPA's Online Library System (OLS) on the mainframe at 919-549-0720 (300-9600 baud, 1 stop bit, 7 data bits, even parity.) The collection is made up of the following categories: Commercial books Toxicologica! profiles and health assessment documents relating to contaminants at Superfund sites Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response (OSWER) Directives Records of Decision (RODs) for Superfund sites Other EPA publications In addition to helping people find books on hazardous waste or Superfund issues, we offer the following services: Provide videos and journals dealing with hazardous waste and/or Superfund issues; Create subject oriented bibliographies using OLS, selected CD-ROM databases, including CHEM-BANK, Environment Abstracts, or the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) Database; Provide training in database searching; Refer people to appropriate sources of EPA documents, including hotlines and clearinghouses, the National Center for Environmental Publications and Information (NCEPI), and NTIS; and Create current awareness services for EPA employees, featuring electronically disseminated tables of contents for subject oriented journals, including titles not currently held in the EPA Headquarters Library. Please feel free to contact the HWSIC staff for your information needs! We are open to visitors 10:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M., Monday through Friday—but our phones are always open to you! Fabienne McGovern, Librarian Jill Mottorn, Librarian Stephanie Doty, Library Technician 202-260-5934 202-260-3102 202-260-2977 mcgovern.fabienne@epamail.epa.gov mottorn.jill@epamail.epa.gov doty.stephanie@epamail.epa.gov * THE CATALYST DECEMBER 1994/JANUARY 1995 PAGE 3 ------- Author, Author! Agency employees recently published books and articles. The authors and titles of published works are listed below: Freeman, Harry, Chief of the Pollution Prevention Research Branch, Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory, Cincinnati (513-569- 7529), Industrial Pollution Prevention Handbook, McGraw Hill, New York. This book, edited by Freeman, consists of 53 chapters that address pollution prevention from many perspectives. It is available through the EPA Library. . Wolbarst, Anthony, Section Chief, Radiation Studies Division, Office of Radiation and Indoor Air, Office of Air and Radiation (WSM3401), Physics of Radiology, Appleton and Lange/Simon and Schuster. If you have written or edited a journal article or book, please let us know by sending the information to The Catalyst, 3404 or email Library-HQ. * Selected Recent Additions to the Headquarters Library Collection: Books: Beyond the Numbers, a Reader on Population, Consumption, and the Environment, edited by Laurie Ann Mazur. Island Press, 1994 HB871.B446 1994 Climate Action Report, Submission of the United States of America Under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. U.S. Government Printing Office, 1994. QC981.8.C5C5351994 A "snapshot" of the current U.S. program, identifying existing policies and measures as a basis for considering future actions. Encyclopedia of Environmental Information Sources, ed. by Sarojini Balachandran. Gale Research Inc., 1993 REF Z5863.P7E54 "A subject guide to about 34,000 print and other sources of information on all aspects of the environment." Risk Assessment of Essential Elements, ed. by Walter Mertz, et al. International Life Sciences Institute Press, 1994. RM218.7.R57.1994 Includes discussions of public health perspectives, the National Research Council recommended dietary allowance and the Environmental Protection Agency reference dose and case studies on zinc, selenium, chromium, manganese, and arsenic. Saving Nature's Legacy, Protecting and Restoring Biodiversity, by Reed F. Noss and Allen Y. Cooperrider, Island Press, 1994 QH76.N67 In the first three chapters the authors lay the groundwork for biodiversity conservation. They then discuss methods for inventorying biodiversity and selecting areas for protection. Forests, rangelands, and aquatic ecosystems are discussed, followed by issues of monitoring and future priorities. UNIX in a Nutshell, System V edition, a Desktop Quick Reference, Revised and Expanded for SVR4 and Solaris 2.0, by Daniel Gilly and the staff of O'Reilly & Associates, Inc. O'Reilly & Associates, Inc., 1992. IRM QA76.76.O63U5453 1992 THE CATALYST DECEMBER 1994/JANUARY 1995 PAGE 4 ------- More Selected Additions to the Headquarters Library collection: EPA Publications: Office of Administration and Resources Management: 777e Cookbook, How to Get Contracts Awarded in EPA. November 1993, MGM EPA/202/B-93/002 Office of Enforcement: Enforcement Accomplishments Report, FY 1993. April 1994, EPAX9011-0005 FY 1993 Office of Research and Development: Estimating Exposure to Dioxin-Like Compounds, Volume I: Executive Summary. External Review Draft, June 1994, EPA/600/6-88/005Ca Health Assessment Document for 2,3,7,8- Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-Dioxin (TCDD) and Related Compounds, Volume III of III. External Review Draft, August 1994, EPA/600/BP-92/001C, v.3 Research, Development, and Technical Services at EPA: A New Beginning, Report to the Administrator. Agency-Wide Steering Committee, July 1994, EPA/600/R-94/122 Strategy for Environmental Health Research at EPA, by Ken Sexton and Lawrence W. Reiter. December 1990. EPA/600/9-90/053 The intent of the authors is to "lay out a strategic health research plan that is responsive to EPA's regulatory needs, but. also consistent with the underlying scientific issues." Technical Assistance Directory (Revised). September 1993 EPA/600/K-93/006 Includes an organization chart for the Office of Research and Development (ORD), descriptions of the various programs and the people who are responsible for them. Office of Water: Developing Successful Runoff Control Programs for Urbanized Areas, August 1994. EP A/841/K-94/003 Office of Wastewater Management: A Plain English Guide to the EPA Part 503 Biosolids Rule, September 1994. EPA/832/R-93/003 Other government publications: The Information Infrastructure: Reaching Society's Goals. Report of the Information Infrastructure Task Force Committee on Applications and Technology. U.S. Department of Commerce, Technology Administration, National Institute of Standards and Technology. September 1994, HE7781.154 1994 Other sources: People of Color Environmental Groups, 1994-1995 Directory, by Robert D. Bullard, Environmental Justice Resource Center, 1994. REFTD169.6B851994 * ET |0 I 6 D I We've GotYou Covered. THE CATALYST DECEMBER 1994/JANUARY 1995 PAGE 5 ------- Transfer by Federal Agencies of Information to the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) Background:" On May 11,1993, NTIS, part of the Department of Commerce, published a proposed rule (58 FR 27681) to implement Section 108 of the American Technology Preeminence Act (ATPA) of 1991 (Public Law 102-245). Section 108 of the ATPA requires all federal agencies to submit to NTIS in a timely manner unclassified scientific, technical and engineering information (STEI) resulting from federally funded research and development activities." On Monday, January 3,1994, the final rule was published in the Federal Register. This regulation became effective on February 1,1994. "Its purpose is to facilitate public access to the vast amount of scientific, technical and engineering information that is produced by and for federal agencies." "These regulations should significantly expand NTIS's collection of more than two million printed reports and documents, videotapes, computer software and computerized data files on tape, diskette, and CD-ROM. Such information can be purchased from NTIS by the research and development community, business, and the general public. This expansion should significantly improve public access to STEI and contribute to NTIS's ability to operate on a self-sustaining basis without appropriations." The preceding information was excerpted from the actual Federal Register. The exact citation is 59FR 6, which translates to January 3,1994, pp. 6-12. The following information was included in a letter from the National Technical Information Service. When registering reports with NTIS, a registration charge of $20.00, payable to NTIS should accompany each document. However, the registration charge is waived if eleven good quality stock copies accompany each document to be registered. Sale of the stock allows NTIS to recover a portion of the processing cost. An alternative to individual payment is to open an NTIS deposit account. This account may also be used to purchase documents from NTIS. There are certain forms which must be used; they are described in the Handbook of NTIS Services for Federal Agencies which can be obtained free from NTIS. Any further registration questions may be answered by Frances Raskin at NTIS at 703-487-4690. According to Pamelia P. Hennessey, NTIS Information Products Accessions Supervisor, EPA has several people that each program area can contact about submitting items for NTIS distribution. •*• THE CATALYST DECEMBER 1994/JANUARY 1995 PAGE 6 ------- HIV/AIDS Collection On September 30,1993, President Clinton issued an executive memorandum to all Federal Agencies and Departments mandating that Federal employees attend HIV/ AIDS education and prevention training. In response to this mandate and the need to address this public health crisis, EPA has developed a trainingprogram that is being delivered in all EPA locations. The training provides basic information on HIV/AIDS, modes of transmission, prevention and testing as well as an overview of the rights of ail disabled employees. Recognizing that people learn in a variety of ways, EPA has established a special collection of materials on HIV/AIDS. These materials include brochures from local and national AIDS service organizations, reference books, articles and videotapes for those who wish additional information after attending training. Please look for this special collection near the Employee Assistance Collection, (first aisle, 5th range on the right) in the Headquarters Library. The videotapes will be kept at the Circulation Desk. *• 11th Annual EPA Conference on Statistics. February 27-March 2, 1995, Williamsburg, VA. Snsoedpy the Division and EPA's Statistical Policy Advisory Committee. This is a low cost conference which qualifies as a training session. Bus service at no cost to EPA employees from Washington, DC and Research Triangle Park, NC. For more information contact: Pat Wilkinson at 202-260-5477 or fax 202-260-4968. Low-and No-VOC Coating Technologies 2nd Biennial International Conference. March 13-15, 1995, Durham, NC. Sponsored by U.S. EPA Air and Energy Engineering Research Laboratory, Research Triangle Park, NC. For more information contact: Michael Kosusko at 91 9-541 -2734 or fax 919-541-0359. 17th National Industrial Energy Technology Conference and Energy Manager's Workshop. April 5-7, 1995, Houston, TX. U.S. EPA Climate Change Division is one of the 9 sponsors. For more information, contact: Susan Swanson, Conference Coordinator, at 409-862-2291 or fax 409-862-2457, or Bill Johnston, Executive Director, 409-846-0440. * Conferences, Meetings, Symposiums, Workshops This is a selected list of meetings and conferences chosen for their potential interest to EPA staff. If EPA staff wish to have an EPA-sponsored event listed here, please forward the information to The Catalyst, HQ Library, 401 M St., SW—3404, Washington, DC 20460 or email Library-HQ. Reference Inquiries 202-260-5921 Circulation Inquiries 202-260-5922 InterlibraryLoan 202-260-5060 Hazardous Waste-Reference 202-260-59M INFOTERRA-Reference 202-260-5917 Water-Reference 202-260-8670 Email Library-HQ The Headquarters Library is contractor operated and managed by the Office of Information Resources Management (OIRM) Information Access Branch. ' ; THE CATALYST DECEMBER 1994/JANUARY 1995 PAGE? ------- CD-ROM Orientation Environmental Factor February 14,1995 9:00 a.m. in the EPA Headquarters Library (Room 2904) Environmental Factor provides easy access to the National Priorities List (NPL), Comprehensive Emergency Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System (CERCLIS) site data, Potentially Responsible Party (PRP) information, and the Records of Decision (RODs) and Civil Enforcement Docket databases. It is one of the CD-ROMs available on the Library CD-ROM tower through the local area network (LAN). Please contact the Headquarters Library Reference Desk at 202-260-5921 or through All-in-One at Library-HQ to reserve a place. When using email, please include your telephone number, mail code, office and program. »J» s/s Environmental Impact Statements (EIS)!! In November, the Headquarters Library received from Cambridge Scientific Abstracts the Environmental Impact Statements for 1991,1992 and 1993 with accompanying cumulative issues of EIS: Digests of EIS (indexes) and the first two issues of the Digests for 1994. The microfiche collection now comprises Environmental Impact statements from all federal agencies, spanning 23 years (1970-1993) and will be updated quarterly. *• United States Environmental Protection Agency (3404) Washington, DC 20460 Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 THE CATALYST DECEMBER 1994/JANUARY 1995 PAGE 8 ------- |