r • -i
V-/EPA
December 1, 1994
Anniversary Edition
WHY CHANGE?
New Policy Values Emerging
D emphasis on place-based and com-
mon sense approaches require inte-
grated, cross-media strategies
3 desire to promote-susiainable devel-
opment, not jti$t sorrel pFO*5ie.ms
D nature Q( pollution and remedies are
changing
D increasing need to work with
through partners
Improved Scientific Understanding of
the Environment
D new technologies provide new op-
tions for solving
D increased understanding of envrron-
mental interrelationships
H multiple pollutant exposures need new
approaches
Resources are Diminishing
D diminishing budgets
a state/local resistance to unfunded
mandates
Q increased accountability for connec-
tion between budget expenditures and
environmental results
changing workforce requires new ap-
proaches to training and development
Expectations of Stakeholders and
Public are Very High
Administrator's Message
EPA has achieved significant pollution reduction over
the past 20 years, but the challenges we face now are
very different from those of the past. New understand-
ing of environmental relationships point to new inte-
grated approaches. Tackling exposures to multiple
pollutants presents new problems. Thousands of
small, non-point pollution sources require new strate-
gies for control. New technological advances offer
new options.
The methods we used over the past two decades will not, by themselves,
meet the nation's future environmental needs. To meet the challenges
of tomorrow we must reinvent EPA and approach these problems with
different strategies and better tools. Our new strategic plan is a blueprint
for change at EPA and will guide our planning, resource allocation, and
decisionmaking processes over the next five years. The plan sets the
vision and direction for a "new generation of environmental protection"
and lays out the guiding principles that will shape our efforts as we
reinvent EPA.
As we move away from sole use of media-specific regulation we will bring
more flexibility, innovation, and common sense to the way we approach
every EPA action. We will solve environmental problems through an
integrated system of community-based environmental protection. We
will reinvent our management culture to assure that the skills and talents
of every employee fully contribute to achieving our mission.
Times of change are difficult and filled with uncertainty. No one has all
the answers - we will learn as we go, correcting our course when
necessary. Together, we will work to identify hardships we can prevent
or minimize, issues we can resolve as a team, and problems that may,
in fact, offer opportunities for positive change. We have much to learn
from each other. I am very excited about the remarkable innovation and
creativity that many of you bring to developing new approaches to doing
our work. I hope the examples provided here will provide a better
understanding of what it means to reinvent EPA, and ideas for making our
vision a reality.
Inside
Common Sense Initiative 2
Reinvention Showcase 3
Lightening the Load through Reinvention 4
Recycled/Recyclable
Printed with Soy/Canola Ink on paper that
contains at least 50% recycled fiber
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A WINDOW ON THE FUTURE
EPA today faces a more highly diverse and complex set of environmental
problems than ever before. To make the transition from reactive solutions to
anticipating problems and preventing pollution, we must shift toward a more
comprehensive approach to environmental protection. We must also be able
to measure the degree to which our efforts protect and preserve human health
and ecological vitality. The following initiative offers a window on EPA's future.
Common Sense Initiative
The Common Sense Initiative is a fundamentally different system of environ-
mental protection that replaces the pollutant-by-pollutant approach of the past
with an industry-by-industry approach designed to achieve stronger environ-
mental protection at a lower cost. The initiative is based on the principle that
we best protect the environment by setting tough environmental goals while
encouraging flexibility and innovation in how the goals are met. Industry
executives,, environmental and community representatives, and federal, state,
and local officials will work in teams to improve the environmental performance
of six pilot industries: auto manufacturing, computers and electronics, iron and
steel, metal plating and finishing, oil refining, and printing.
The work of these teams will provide unprecedented opportunities for employ-
ees in all parts of EPA to do new kinds of cross-media work and to test
innovative ideas. Each team will examine opportunities for improvement in six
areas: regulation, pollution prevention, reporting, compliance, permitting, and
environmental technology. Mary Nichols (AA for Air and Radiation) and Bob
Perciasepe (AA for Water) are co-chairing the initiative, and the other AAs will
be leading the sector teams.
The Common Sense Initiative will build on and complement many existing EPA
projects, including the Design for Environment Program, the Environmental
Technology Initiative, and the Sustainable Industries Program. This example
of "a new generation of environmental protection" is a showcase for working
"cleaner, cheaper, and smarter" at EPA. For more information, contact Steve
Harper in OAR at (202) 260-8953.
The Common Sense Approach
Industry-by-lndustry
Bringing Everyone to the Table
Cleaner Goals, Flexible Means
Pollution Prevention
Tailored Protection
Measuring
Environmental
Results Against
Environmental
Goals
Over the past 24 years, EPA has
focused on developing programs that
effectively implement the statutes
enacted by Congress. The most
important measure of success of
these programs is not the amount of
activity underway - e.g. the number
of regulations promulgated or per-
mits issued - but rather the degree to
which human health and ecological
vitality are protected and preserved.
With this in mind, we are close to
finalizing a detailed set of measur-
able, national environmental goals
to be met early in the next century.
We are working in collaboration with
the President's Council on Sustain-
able Development and other fed-
eral, state, tribal, and local govern-
ments to identify the range of critical
environmental concerns and set fi-
nal national goals by April 1995.
The preliminary list of goal areas
include clean air, clean surface wa-
ter, cleanup of contaminated sites,
climate change, ecological protec-
tion, improved understanding of the
environment, prevention of oil spills
and chemical accidents, prevention
of wastes and harmful chemical re-
leases, safe drinking water and safe
food, safe indoor environments,
stratospheric ozone layer protection,
and worker safety.
Progress toward these goals will be
measured using environmental indi-
cators such as pollutants discharged,
ambient levels of pollution, ecologi-
cal conditions, and human health
effects. Contact Kim Devonald in
OPPE at (202) 260-4900 for more
information.
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Putting Customers
First
Through Executive Order 12862, Presi-
dent Clinton has directed the Federal
Government to become "customer-
driven" by matching or exceeding the
best customer service practices in the
private sector.
Customer service at EPA is really about
managing relationships - among our-
selves, state/local/tribal governments,
and the regulated community. Adopt-
ing a customer focus is an important
way to strengthen our partnerships with
the many other parties that deliver envi-
ronmental protection to our ultimate
customers - the American people.
Three customer service pilots are un-
derway: responding to public inquiries
(led by Region 3 and OCEPA); increased
public access to information (led by
OPPTS and OSWER); and strengthen-
ing our partners' ability to protect the
environment (led by OW, OPPTS, and
Region 6). These pilots are helping to
pave the way toward transforming our
culture, practices, and processes.
We are committed to setting clear per-
formance standards for our products
and services, assessing how well we
meet those standards and whether they
are the right ones, and making adjust-
ments based on what we learn.
The Customer Service Steering Com-
mittee, chaired by Peter Kostmayer(RA
for Region 3) and Shelley Metzenbaum
(AA for Regional Operations and State/
Local Relations), is charged with lead-
ing the Agency in identifying core busi-
ness processes, developing customer
service standards, and developing train-
ing plans and measures of success.
The target date for putting final service
standards in place forthe entire Agency
is September 30,1996. For more infor-
mation, contact Abby Pirnie at (202)
260-8079.
REINVENTION SHOWCASE
Reinvention is well underway in many parts of EPA. The following are only
a few of the many examples of EPA employees putting our strategic plan
into action.
Ecosystems Protection
Until recently, EPA has been "program driven" rather than "place-
driven." We have concentrated on issuing permits, establishing pollutant
limits, and setting national standards required by environmental laws. To
achieve the ultimate goal of healthy, sustainable ecosystems, we must
collaborate with other federal, tribal, state and local agencies, as well as
private partners, to match environmental management with human
needs, consider long-term ecosystem health, and highlight the strong
connection between economic prosperity and environmental well-being.
Several important "placed-based" or geographic initiatives are under-
way, most notably in the Great Lakes, the Gulf of Mexico, and the
Chesapeake Bay.
Unlike these initiatives, where new organizations were created, Region 4
has found a new way of operating within its existing structure. Recent
development in the Southern Appalachians is causing environmental
problems in air and water quality, habitat fragmentation, loss of scenic
views, forest health, and introduction of exotic species. Region 4's efforts
in this area are a model of cooperative partnership with other federal,
state, and local agencies in addressing complex environmental problems.
Regional staff reach across agency boundaries to address large scale
problems of air and water pollution, resource conservation, biological
diversity, and sustainable economic growth. Eleven federal agencies
have forged a working partnership to maintain, protect and enhance
ecological resources in this area, which involves six states. Through this
partnership, EPA staff are leading an ecological assessment project of the
entire area with preliminary results expected in the spring of 1995. Contact
Cory Berish at (404) 347-3555 for more information.
Pollution Prevention
Region 10's Urban Pesticide Initiative is an innovative approach to
eliminating unnecessary, inappropriate, and illegal release of pesticides
to the environment in non-agricultural settings. Normally, EPA would
accomplish this through top-down regulatory requirements such as re-
strictions on the use of pesticides, licensing requirements, recordkeeping,
reporting requirements, and new requirements for storage and disposal.
This type of approach is broad enough to "catch everyone", although it
probably makes sense for only about half of the pesticide users "caught
in the regulatory net". These requirements are burdensome for the
regulated community and resource-intensive and difficult to enforce.
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The Urban Pesticide Initiative is
empowering the regulated commu-
nity to identify and solve the prob-
lems associated with poor pesticide
practices. Rather than impose top-
down regulatory requirements, Re-
gion 10 and its partners in five Wash-
ington State agencies, met with af-
fected stakeholders and found con-
cern and a desire for improving pat-
terns of pesticide use in urban, sub-
urban, and other non-agricultural
settings. Stakeholder input has been
used to identify causes of problems,
barriers to change, and plansto bring
about real reductions in unsafe and
unnecessary use of pesticides.
Action plans are based primarily on
education, outreach, and technical
transfer. Stakeholders have an
important role in developing educa-
tional programs and communication
networks to educate themselves in
integrated pest management and
safe pesticide use. People are
changing their pesticide practices
not because of regulatory mandates,
but because they have the informa-
tion they need to make informed
decisions. For more information,
contact Donald Priest at (206) 553-
2584.
State Partnership
A number of states and regional
offices are re-examining the func-
tions, boundaries, and roles of the
state/EPA relationship. Region 10's
waste management staff and their
state counterparts are making the
shift from past conventions of over-
sight to a process of joint goal-set-
ting, measurement of progress, and
development of strategies for pro-
gram improvement. The process is
an effective way to share informa-
tion, eliminate areas of overlap and
build trust among state and EPA
offices.
The state/EPA team established a
common framework that defines
specific characteristics of a quality
waste management program and
indicatorsfor measuring proficiency.
They also developed guidelines for
annual assessment of state opera-
tions. An innovative feature of the
assessment is a voluntary self-ap-
praisal by the state, which provides
the opportunity to evaluate the
region's role in state program perfor-
mance. The process is also de-
signed to find areas of overlap in
state and EPA activities. This will
help each agency determine where
to concentrate its efforts, and iden-
tify state and federal roles that better
complement each other at the local
level, where the frontline work oc-
curs.
The region recently conducted a
successful trial with the state of Or-
egon. The program assessment,
conducted by an interagency team
of EPA and state staff and a peer
from the state of Washington, served
as an excellent opportunity to share
experience and technical solutions
in a collegia! setting. Contact Ron
Lillich at (206) 553-6646 for more
information.
-Lightening the Load through Reinvention
Management Integrity Integrated E-Mail
EPA's system for assuring integrity
in the way we manage our programs
has been reengineered to drastically
reduce reporting burden. The new
process saves at least 50% of the
time managers and staff formerly
spent to complete paperwork re-
quired under the Federal Managers
Financial Integrity Act. Frequency
of internal reporting has been cut in
half, the number of reporting units
was reduced from 266 to 48, and the
number of required reports for each
organizational unit has been shaved
from 10 to 1. Bottom line - 57,000
hours saved by eliminating over
50,000 pages of paperwork. Con-
tact: Kathy Sedlak O'Brien (202)
260-9650.
EPA employees will soon have the
capability to communicate electroni-
cally with all other employees re-
gardless of whether they use ALL-
IN-1, Word PerfectOffice, or cc:Mail.
Regions 1,2,5,7 and Cincinnati are
fully integrated and the rest of the
Agency will be integrated in FY95.
Ask your local LAN administrator
when your office will be ready to
participate. For general questions,
contact: Maureen Johnson (9'i9)
541-2501 or E-Mail questions to
Johnson.Maureen.
Small Purchasing
To speed up the process for making
small purchases while maintaining
competitive pricing, EPA has devel-
oped the Small Purchase Electronic
Data Interchange (SPEDI). Thissys-
tem electronically issues and re-
ceives requests for price quotes,
and issues purchase orders without
using paper. Lead time is decreased
by 2/3 with further decreases ex-
pected in the near future. Contact:
Mickey Cline (202) 260-1677.
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SNAPSHOTS OF REINVENTION
The Office of Underground Stor-
age Tanks in HQ has reinvented
itself to remove organizational barri-
ers to meeting customer needs. By
eliminating a layer of management
(Division Directors) and moving to a
team approach, they have improved
direct service to their customers,
which include their regional counter-
parts, state and local officials, and
members of the regulated commu-
nity.
Teams now provide on-site training,
advice, and assistance to state offi-
cials and assist states in designing
training programs and educational
materials for the regulated commu-
nity. The teams have done exten-
sive research on what their custom-
ers need and want, and how they
would best receive and use the as-
sistance. It is now "office culture" to
think about, research and incorpo-
rate customer input in all significant
management decisions. Contact:
Lisa Lund (703) 308-8850.
EPA's EarthVision Team in Bay
City, Michigan, prepares competi-
tively selected high school teachers
and students for research on local
environmental issues using high
performance computing. The team
extends the use of EPA's supercom-
puting capability and the expertise
of its research scientists to teams in
rural, inner-city, and suburban
schools.
EPA scientists mentor students as
they develop proposals for environ-
mental research and then assist the
students as they run their models on
the supercomputer. In addition to
bringing sophisticated environmen-
tal and computational science into
the high school curriculum, EPA is
reaching out in educational part-
nership to our youngest customers
-America'schildren. Contact: Lynne
Petterson (919) 541-3582.
Region 10's "P4 Project Team"
reinvented the air emission permit
system by developing a model per-
mit that allows a company to make
rapid process modifications (within
the scope of their permit) without
delay imposed by government ap-
proval. This innovation could allow
U.S. companies to maintain a com-
petitive edge and quickly respond to
changing demands of the global
marketplace. In return for this per-
mit flexibility, pollution preven-
tion requirements are included as a
permit condition.
Working with the Oregon Depart-
ment of Environmental Quality, EPA
HQ, and the Intel Corporation, Re-
gion 10 has successfully tested the
new concept and developed a model
permit, now available to EPA, states,
and private companies. Overall, the
environment is the net winner be-
cause the Intel Corporation will re-
duce its air emissions over time
through pollution prevention. Posi-
tive experience with this "team ap-
proach" was an important factor in
Intel's decision to continue building
new facilities in the U.S. Contact:
Dave Dellarcho (206) 553-4978.
The Oil and Gas State Program
Assistance Team, in HQ's Office of
Solid Waste, has successfully lever-
aged outside resources in helping
states improve theiroil and gas waste
management programs. Ratherthan
imposing the usual "command and
control" program, EPA has devel-
oped a non-regulatory approach
that convenes representatives of
industry, environmental groups, state
and local governments, and the lo-
cal community to find solutions that
protect the environment without pos-
ing undue burdens on industry or
excessive requirements for states.
With the help of the Interstate Oil
and Gas Compact Commission, the
team developed voluntary guidelines
for states to use in developing and
strengthening their own programs
for managing these wastes. Repre-
sentatives of industry, environmen-
tal organizations and other state
agency experts analyze the strengths
and weaknesses of individual state
programs and make recommenda-
tions for improving their legal au-
thorities and administrative or en-
forcement programs.
State participation is completely
voluntary, and to date, 15 states
have participated, representing over
90% of total wells and production in
the U.S. Costs saved through this
approach are estimated at up to $42
billion in initial costs and up to1 $8
billion each year. Contact: Robert
Hall (703) 308-8433.
The Office of the Administrator
has put in place a new hotline to
provide better flow of information
from the Administrator to all EPA
employees. Employees can now
call (202) 260-1000 at any time to
learn the latest messages from the
Administrator or other top EPA offi-
cials. The correspondence identi-
fied can then be read on E-mail. For
the first time in EPA history, employ-
ees can find out what's been issued
and what to look for, and then read it
electronically. For more informa-
tion, call Kym Burke at (202) 260-
0336.
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Region 8 has created an Environ-
mental Information Service Cen-
ter to better meet citizens' desire for
information on actions they can take
to protect and enhance the environ-
ment. The center is a user-friendly,
one-stop shopping point where
people can obtain a broad spectrum
of non-technical consumer-oriented
information.
Staffed by knowledgeable public in-
formation specialists, the centeralso
makes use of a toll-free hotline, a
public-access computerwith a wealth
of data, a high-tech Geographic In-
formation System capable of pro-
ducing color maps, a variety of pub-
lications, and an award-winning ex-
hibit with a built-in VCR describing
EPA's mission and activities. The
center has a TDD telephone for the
hearing impaired and a Spanish-
speaking employee to serve His-
panic clients.
Vice President Gore's National Per-
formance Review and the Denver
Federal Executive Board chose the
center from a field of 28 contenders
for a Hero of Reinvention Award.
Contact: Nola Cooke (303) 294-
1107.
Region 10'slRM team has enabled
citizens to obtain the information
they need from a computerized
bulletin board. The elapsed time is
now a few minutes instead of 10
days or more. The public can also
use the system to send e-mail mes-
sages to Region 10 employees or
take part, in moderated discussion
groups on various environmental
topics. This system, as well as the
Region's e-mail system and 13 LANs
are set up and administered by a
team of only two employees. Con-
tact: Robin Gonzalez (206) 553-2977.
Region 7's Office of Public Af-
fairs, has substantially cut the red
tape in providing public access to
information under the Freedom of
Information Act. Where written re-
quests for information were required
in the past, Region 7 now takes
verbal requests over the phone.
Internal paperwork has been cut by
75% and customer service time has
been cut by 50%. Contact: Pat Pen-
nington(913)551-7764.
Valerie Garcia, in HQ's Office of
Acquisition Management, is success-
fully procuring a major contract
electronically via Internet, a world-
wide computer network. In Febru-
ary, she issued an electronic request
for comments to vendors regarding
the procurement, along with hun-
dreds of pages of information, ques-
tions and answers, a bidders list,
incumbent information and an ex-
tensive technical library. In the past,
this information has been unavail-
able, required a formal written re-
quest, or was not released until the
request for proposal.
This system has resulted in enhanced
competition, reduced lead-times,
substantial cost savings, and open,
positive communication between
EPA and the business community.
EPA's experience with this approach
is being studied by the Internal Rev-
enue Service, U.S Agency for Inter-
national Development, and the Coast
Guard forpossible technology trans-
fer. Contact: Valerie Garcia (202)
260-1227.
HQ's Office of Solid Waste has
launched a paperless office cam-
paign designed to reduce by 15%
the amount of 81/2 x 11" white paper
we use this year. Paper makes up
about 38% of the municipal trash
produced in the U. S. and office
paper is the third largest category of
paper waste, after corrugated car-
tons and newspaper. Paperused for
copying, computer printing and fax-
ing accounts for almost half the of-
fice paper used in the U.S. At HQ
alone, we generate about 17 tons of
office paper a week.
Everyone can help by making fewer
photocopies, purging mailing lists,
expanding use of electronic filing
systems, and producing documents
in electronic, rather than paper for-
mats. Contact: Your Office Cam-
paign Coordinator or the Paperless
Office Campaign at (202) 260-4928.
Dr. Denice Shaw, in the Environ-
mental Monitoring and Assessment
Program, has saved the government
$30 million over the past year by
forging a multi-agency agreementto
collect, process, and share satel-
lite data forenvironmental monitor-
ing. This agreement between EPA,
USGS, NOAA, and NASA, elimi-
nates the overlap and duplication in
federal spending when agencies
separately purchase the same satel-
lite data for use in different environ-
mental monitoring programs. Con-
tact: Denice Shaw (919) 541-2698.
Linda Pitch, in the National Data
Processing Division at RTP, was
given a GSA Award for Creative and
Innovative Solutions. Linda devel-
oped billing analysis software that
saved EPA over $2 million on its
long-distance FTS telephone bill.
Linda's innovative software, which
identifies inaccurate billings and ar-
eas of inefficiency, was then applied
to GSA's nationwide telephone sys-
tem netting an additional $10 million
savings. Contact: Linda Ritch (919)
541-7541.
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STEPPING STONES TO A BETTER EPA
Over the past year, we laid down important stepping stones on our path to reinvention. Many of us
are playing active roles in developing plans for new organizations that are better aligned with
our strategic goals. This is a complex and often messy undertaking, and we are
all at different stages along the way. Our vision of the new EPA is still
crystallizing, and we are learning as we go. Each step
provides footing for the next step and we are adjusting
the direction of the path when necessary.
following are some of the key steps on our
path to a better EPA.
The
Streamlining
Our first Agency-wide streamlining
plan, completed last November,
outlined our intent to achieve sav-
ings through streamlining and re-
invest these savings into priority
programs. In February, each HQ
office and region completed a pre-
liminary streamlining plan with the
strong participation of many em-
ployees.
These plans focused primarily on
flattening our hierarchies and re-
ducing the number of supervi-
sors. Several organizations in-
cluded many good ideas for increas-
ing diversity and streamlining ad-
ministrative processes.
Reinvention
Emphasis then expanded from
streamlining to broader Agency re-
invention. In March, the Administra-
tor chartered a Management Com-
mittee to spearhead reinvention and
set priorities for change. We final-
ized a reinvention plan in June, which
went well beyond organizational flat-
tening and set the course for under-
taking fundamental change in the
way we do business.
In July the Administrator decided to
accelerate the pace of change - to
create a more responsive agency
where the skills and talents of ev-
ery employee fully contribute to
ourenvironmental mission. The 1:11
supervisor/staff ratio is an important
measure of our progress.
Implementing Change
We are now engaged in turning the
reinvention vision into reality. Each
office is developing detailed imple-
mentation plans for building a stron-
ger workforce, transforming orga-
nizational structure, creating a
customer focus and re-engineer-
ing core work processes. Reinven-
tion guidance has been issued to
help each office and region take a
hard look at the work they do and the
customers they serve.
Reinvention implementation plans
are due from all offices and regions
in March of 1995, detailed reorgani-
zation packages are due in June
1995, and full implementation is to
be completed by September of 1996.
Progress Underway
This issue of "Reinventing EPA"
showcases many of the ways em-
ployees are making EPA work better
and become a better place to work.
In addition to these and other initia-
tives, many offices and regions are
well into realigning their organiza-
tional structures.
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The new Office of Enforcement
and Compliance Assurance has
successfully completed its reorgani-
zation - a model of employee and
stakeholder participation. The
new structure makes enforcement a
more effective tool for promoting
compliance, pollution prevention,
ecosystem protection and environ-
mental justice - all guiding principles
in our strategic plan.
After extensive examination of its
mission and customers, the Office
of Research and Development is
now realigning its laboratories into
four national labs focusing on risk
assessment and risk manage-
ment. This action, along with a
substantial investment in long-term
research, will enable EPA scientists
to apply their skills more effectively.
Regions 1 and 8 have submitted
innovative proposals that would re-
organize officesto address statutory
and strategic priorities, promote mul-
timedia problem solving, concen-
trate enforcement activities, and
align resources. These proposals
focus more on outcomes and less
on process, and are better designed
to serve local environmental
needs.
The Administratorgave herapproval
"in concept", if HQ and the Regions
can work together to make sure the
new structures meet the needs of
national managers.
At no time in its history has EPA
been more ready to make a change
of this magnitude. As we have al-
ready discovered, true reinvention
encompasses difficult cultural
change and does not happen over-
night. We must take the time now to
do this as well as we can. We are set
on a course to make long-lasting and
significant changes to the way we do
business, and the destination will be
worth the trip.
REINVENTION TOOLBOX
Multiple Career Path Guide - pro-
vides key elements of non-supervi-
sory work at senior grade levels in
typical EPA positions. Includes op-
tional standardized position-descrip-
tions and a career path matrix that
employees can use to design career
management plans. Will be final in
December. Contact: Mike Hamlin
(202) 260-3268.
Buyout Program - Application win-
dow closed October 21, 1994. 859
applications were submitted for a
total of 640 available buyouts. In
most offices, buyout offers have
been completed. Most buyout re-
cipients will depart EPA during a
window from November 28, 1994
through January 7, 1995.
Inventory of Organizational De-
velopment Consultants - identi-
fies consultants with expertise in
managing change and developing
empowered employees. Final in
December. Contact: Carol Franklin
(202)260-7167.
Streamlined Green Border Pro-
cess - will strengthen and stream-
line the current process for Agency
review of internal policy proposals.
Agency needs have been surveyed,
and process improvements are now
being circulated for clearance. Con-
tact: Karen Holt (202) 260-5007.
Reinvention Educational Re-
sources - Draft Guide provides
sources, contacts, and cost informa-
tion for workshops, books, consult-
ants, videos, audio tapes and devel-
opmental programs in areas such as
reengineering.customerorientation,
benchmarking, labor-management
relations, diversity, change manage-
ment, teamwork, shifting role of
managers, and managing personal
change. Contact: Quality Advisory
Group (202) 260-6241.
"Reinventing EPA-Steps Toward
a Stronger Workforce" - Guidance
for Reinvention Implementation
Plans due in March, 1995. Dis-
cusses major workforce and organi-
zational change issues to be taken
into consideration in reinventing
EPA. Includes attributes for AAs
and ARAsto use in determining how
best to structure their organizations.
Contact: Reinvention Guidance
Team (202) 260-5797.
Working in Teams - three guides
currently available: "WorkTeams",
which describes what teams are and
how they work differently; "Are You
Ready for Teams?", a tool for deter-
mining yourorganization's readiness
for teams; and "Work Team Strat-
egy and Implementation", which pro-
vides guidelines for managing the
transition to teams. Contact: Hector
Suarez (202) 260-3308.
Share your experience in reinvention with your EPA colleagues. FAX articles to
"Reinventing EPA" at (202)260-3885 or email to Burgan.Karen.
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Administrator's
Update
EPA
Number 12
July 29, 1994
COMMON SENSE INITIATIVE
Late last year, EPA announced that it would
be launching a new program to change the way we
protect human health and the environment through
an industry-by-industry approach to environmental
policy. This new effort - called the "Common Sense
Initiative" - presents us with the chance to explore a
new generation of environmental protection, and it is
among my top priorities as Administrator. On July
20, I formally launched it by identifying the six
industries that will be the focus of its first phase. As
we start the process of translating the idea behind the
Initiative into a concrete workplan, the Agency's
expertise will be the key to success. I would like to
take this opportunity to thank all of you who.took
part in the intensive outreach effort that led to the
selection of the Initiative's first six industries, update
everyone* on the status of the Initiative and solicit
your comments on next steps.
The Initiative is built upon innovative ideas
that have been developing for many years at the
Agency. It is based on the principle that we best
protect the environment by setting tough environmen-
tal goals while encouraging flexibility and innovation
in how the goals are met. To that end, we will
convene teams of industry executives, environmental
and community representatives and federal, state and
local officials to improve the environmental regulation
and performance of six pilot industries. The work of
these teams will provide unprecedented opportunities
for employees in all parts of EPA to do new kinds of
cross-media work and to
test innovative ideas.
Each team will examine
the way EPA and our
state partners interact
with an industry to find
areas for improvement in
six key areas:
(1.) Regulation. Review
regulations for opportuni-
ties to get better environ-
mental results at less cost
and look to improve new
rules through increased
coordination.
Phase 1 Industries
Auto
Manufacturing
Computers and
Electronics
Iron and Steel
(2.) Pollution Prevention. Actively promote pollution
prevention as a standard business practice and a
central ethic of environmental protection.
(3.) Reporting. Make it easier to provide, use and
publicly disseminate relevant pollution and environ-
mental information.
(4.) Compliance. Assist companies that seek to obey
and exceed legal requirements and'consistently
enforce the law against those that do not.
(5.) Permitting. Change permitting so that it works
more efficiently, encourages innovation and -creates
more opportunities for public participation.
(6.) Environmental Technology. Give industry the
incentives and flexibility to develop innovative tech-
nologies that meet and exceed environmental stan-
dards while cutting costs.
In each of these six areas, the United States --
led by EPA -- has become a world leader. Yet I have
heard from many of you about the need to move
beyond media-specific regulation to a more responsive
system of environmental protection. The Common
Sense Initiative, by looking at whole industries at a
time and including all key stakeholders up-front,
seeks a new generation of "cleaner, cheaper, smarter"
environmental solutions. It offers us a tremendous
opportunity to work together across internal, organiza-
tional boundaries.
Let me also assure
you that "cleaner* is the
Initiative's linchpin; we
chose only those indus-
tries for our first phase
that convinced us of their
commitment to improving
their environmental
performance through the
Common Sense approach.
But by promoting flexibil-
ity and creativity in how
businesses achieve
"cleaner," we aim to
make environmental
protection less costly as
Continued on back
Metal bating
and Finishing
Oil Refining
FVinting
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well. Indeed, the Initiative should help EPA itself
discover cheaper, cleaner (and thus smarter) ways of
doing our job.
Assistant Administrators are currently being
selected to lead the sector teams, each of which will
include representatives from industry, environmental
groups, state agencies, environmental justice and labor
constituencies and other stakeholders. I have asked
Mary Nichols and Bob Perciasepe to co-chair the
Initiative and I hope to involve a wide EPA cross-
section in the sector team efforts. We will be building
on, and coordinating our efforts with, many existing
Agency projects, including the Design for Environ-
ment program, the Environmental Technology Initia-
tive, and the Sustainable Industries program. Ulti-
mately, I would like to see the "cleaner, cheaper,
smarter" ethic inform all EPA actions.
The Common Sense Initiative presents us witty
a chance to take a fresh look at the way we -idffSftir
work. Our goal: greater protection for the pubiie at
less cost. As the program reaches full speed, Ishepe
you share my excitement at the opportunities that lie
before us. The Initiative, designed by EPA stasis
one in which we should all take pride. To those who
have contributed to our progress to date, I offersmy
thanks and congratulations. For those of you joining
the Initiative now and in the future, I welcome ijpQur
contributions and any comments you might have-on
how to make the Initiative succeed. Please forward
any suggestions to Alec Guettel, a Special Assistant in
my office. He can be reached at EPA Mail Code
#1101.
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