United States Information Resources March/April 1997 Environmental Protection Management EPA220-N-97-005 Agency (3404) &EPA The Catalyst Information for Environmental Action A Service for EPA HQ Staff from the Headquarters Information Resources Center Headquarters Information Resources Center Web Site is Up! The EPA Headquarters Information Resources Center (IRC) announces its new web site at: httptfwww.epa.gov/natlibra/hqirc/ The site features information on the IRC facilities, location, and publication holdings, and also offers access and instructions to logging on to the Online Library System (OLS). The Government information Locator Service (GILS) is featured, along with a mechanism for submitting questions or comments. Information and links for INFOTERRA lead patrons to a description of the international services offered within the IRC. The Enviro-Newsbrief and Internet Newsbrief email listservers are also discussed, and subscription information is included. A special section accessible by EPA staff members only offers enhanced access to services within the IRC. This section provides a mechanism for submitting InterObrary Loan (ILL) and Research Request forms through email. It also features a quick link to the curriculum for the IRC developed classes, "Navigating the "Net; Searching for Environmental Information" . The new Cambridge Scientific Abstracts database is also available through the "EPA Staff' information link. Information about the Internet Consulting team and the "Surf Shop" discusses the roles of each component with regards to designing and organizing Agency home pages. The IRC is dedicated to helping everyone navigate their way through a range of services and resources. Check out the new web site and try some of its features for yourselves! * Cambridge Scientific Abstracts Training Available! If you have internet access available through Agency LAN Services, set a bookmark for the Intranet address: http://epawww.epa.gov/jqintral/hqcirc/abtcsa.htm This page contains a description (published in the January-February "Catalyst") of the new database searching product available through the Information Resources Center: Cambridge Scientific Abstracts (CSA). Click on "Link to CSA Gateway" and you can begin searching. Agricola from the National Agricultural Library has been recently added to the available databases. The years 1986 through present are covered. CSA plans to add files covering 1976 through 1985 in the near future. The IRC has a training program available for EPA staff searching the CSA. If you would like our staff to schedule a training session for up to eight people from your office, please let us know. Call Ted Sherman at 202-260-6947 or Carol DeAngelo at 202-260-1757 for scheduling or further information about this helpful service. •> EPA Information Resources Center (3404) WSM2904 202-260-5922 ------- Book Bites Here are some recent aquisitions to the IRC. Check them out! Mann, Charles C, and Mark L. Plummer. Noah's Choice: The Future of Endangered Species. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 1995. Gift. Noah's Choice addresses several social and political issues connected with the preservation of endangered species, and the ambiguity of the Endangered Species Act. Sometimes the preservation of an endangered species can result in severe social and economic hardships for many people, thus calling the Act into question. This and other recurring questions are addressed. QH76.M361995 Sachs, Aaron. Eco-Justice: Linking Human Rights and the Environment. Washington, DC: WorldWatch, 1995. Eco-Justice looks at some of the less obvious social implications of environmental mis-management. All over the world, the reckless use of environmental resources is having a detrimental effect on the livelihood, culture, and lives of many local peoples. For these and related reasons, Sachs recommends that human rights and environmental groups combine forces to work toward common goals at the national and international level, as has already happened at the local level. GF 75 .822 1995 Shabecoff, Philip. A Fierce Green Fire: The American Environmental Movement. New York, NY: Hill and Wang, 1993. In this book, Philip Shabecoff, former environmental columnist for the New York Times, presents a historical overview of environmental awareness in the United States over the last hundred years. Of particular interest is the political impact of this growing movement from the 1960's to the present. HC110.E5S461993 Trzyna, Thaddeus, Elizabeth Margold, and Julia K. Osborn, eds. World Directory of Environmental Organizations (Fifth Edition). London, UK: Earthscan Publications, 1996. This publication, subtitled "A handbook of national and international organizations and programs, governmental and non-governmental, concerned with protecting the earth resources," has been updated several times, and is a valuable aid for environmental researchers. The book is divided into three major sections. The first, called "Who's Doing What," describes how various groups are addressing specific issues. The second section contains brief overviews of environmental organizations all over the world, grouped by continent. The third section deals with organizations and projects connected with the United Nations. A few appendices provided supplemental information to primary sections. INTLREF S920.W671996 * PAGE 2 THE CATALYST MARCH/APRIL 1997 ------- Internet «Sites of Interest The following is a list of Internet Sites that have been featured recently in the Internet Newsbrief, a weekly publication of the EPA Headquarters Information Resources Center. You may subscribe to the INB by sending a message to: listserver@unixmail.rtp.epa.gov. Leave the subject line blank, or put a period in the subject area; then type the following in the body of the message: subscribe INTERNETNB-L firstname lastname. EPASuperfund home page revised http://www.epa.gov/superfund The U.S. EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response has unveiled a new Superfund home page to improve access to information about the program via the Internet. The new site includes an expanded section about the Superfund program, specific information on Superfund sites, and community tools for involvement in Superfund. There are also collections of technical resources, initiatives and programs, and frequently asked questions. The Environmental Health Clearinghouse http://infoventures.com/e-hltl-i/ The Environmental Health Clearinghouse is an NIEHS Clearinghouse offered through Information Ventures, Inc. The Clearinghouse functions as an easily accessible, free source of information on environmental health effects. The purpose of the EHC is to help the public get answers to their questions about environmental health and related issues. The EHC can provide information on an assortment of environmental topics including worker exposure, hazardous waste sites, chemical spills and releases, information for schools and students and other environmental health topics. The Clearinghouse uses environmental health technical information specialists to handle inquiries and provide online computer searches, mailing NIEHS publications, conducting research on inquiries, and/or referring the public to appropriate governmental agencies or to private sector organizations. Drinking Water and Health Fact Sheets http://www.epa.gov/OGWDW/dwhintro.html The U.S. EPA Office of Groundwater and Drinking Water has introduced fact sheets about chemicals that may be found in some public or private drinking water supplies. These chemicals may cause health problems if found in amounts greater than the health standard set by the U.S. EPA. The consumer version of the fact sheet describes the chemical and how it is used, why the chemical is being regulated, what the health effects are, how much of the chemical is produced, how much is released into the environment, and several other important facts about the chemical. The technical version of the fact sheets contains similar information plus the chemical and physical properties, trade names for the chemical and other regulatory information. The versions currently available include consumer versions for inorganic chemicals and technical versions for synthetic organic chemicals. Waste Prevention World http://www.ciwmb.ca.gov/mrt/wpw/ wpmain.htm The California Integrated Waste Management Board's Waste Prevention World site focuses on "doing more with less". It's about efficiency and rethinking daily activities. The site features specific tips on reducing waste at home, in the business place, and when landscaping. It also offers an online database for a topical search, as well as recycling coordination information. There are also links to Waste Reduction Training Programs, as well as links to additional sites. * THE CATALYST MARCH/APRIL 1997 PAGE 3 ------- Conferences, Meetings, Symposiums, Workshops & This is a list of selected 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, IRC, 401 M St., SW-3404, Washington, DC 20460 or email Library-HQ. Water Quality Standards Academy Basic Course July 28-August 1,1997, Washington, DC. Organized by The Cadmus Group, Inc., this course is free of charge, but you must pre- apply to attend. For more information contact: Kate Belmont, Water Quality Standards Academy Coordinator at 703-931-4604 or fax 703-931-8701. International Symposium on the Year 2000: Mastering the Millennium Rollover June 9-10, 1997, Gaithersburg, MD. Sponsored by several groups, among them the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Data Administration Management Association, Office of Management and Budget and the Department of Defense. For more information contact: Judith Newton, NIST at 301-975-3256 or fax 301-975-948-2067 or email jnewton@nist.gov or http://www.nist.gov/y2k. Reference Inquiries f Circulation Inquiries ,';;f, (HLS Inquiries^: Interlibrary Loan , Internet Inquiries, INFOTERRA Inquiries Email 202-2605922 ibraryHCJ , , \TheHeadquartersIRCiscontractor operatedvand managed by the Office of ; '; Information Resources Management (OIRM), United States Environmental Protection Agency (3404) Washington, DC 20460 Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 PAGE 4 THE CATALYST MARCH/APRIL 1997 ------- |