Jnited States Office of Research June 1991
Environmental Protection and Development
Agency
&EPA Regional Scientist
Program
1986 — 1991
Printed on Recycled Paper
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Preface
The Environmental Protection Agency's ten Regional Offices are critical to
implementation of EPA programs. The Regions require state-of-the-art
science and technology to fulfill their mission. One of the primary goals of
the Office of Research and Development is to develop an applied research
and technical assistance program to support the Regional Offices. The
Regional Scientist Program was created to establish a strong Regional/ORD
Partnership in support of this goal.
This document describes the activities of the fifteen Regional Scientists who
served from 1986 to 1991. Although this report is not an exhaustive catalog
of all that they have accomplished, it provides a profile of the types of
activities in which the Regional Scientists have been involved and some
highlights of their significant contributions over the past few years. The
Office of Research and Development is pleased with the standards that have
been set in the initial years of this program and is eager to build on the
accomplishments of the Regional Scientist Program in the future.
Erich W. Bretthauer
Assistant Administrator for Research and Development
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The Regional Scientist Program
The Regional Scientist Program was established in 1986 to promote a more
interactive and positive relationship between the Office of Research and
Development (ORD) and Regional personnel. There are two principal
objectives of the Regional Scientist Program:
(1) Foster communication and understanding between ORD and the
Regions by assigning experienced scientists to Regional Offices as
technical liaisons; and
(2) Provide scientists with professional opportunities outside of the
laboratory.
Senior ORD scientists are selected to serve as on-site liaisons for a period of
two years in a Regional Office. Typically, the Regional Scientist works in
the Deputy Regional Administrator's office and provides technical advice
and support to all levels of Regional staff.
Working in the Regions enables ORD scientists to gain first-hand experience
in applied regulatory and enforcement programs and a deeper
understanding of the scientific and technical needs of the Agency.
Furthermore, they are able to see how ORD science and technology is used,
or not used, in the environmental risk management decision-making
process. This experience enables them to
become better research planners, research or
science policy managers, and a greater resource
to both the Regions and ORD.
**The ORD Regional Scientist
Program has been very successful
in Region VIII and I strongly support
the concepts the program is
designed to achieve. As DRA of the
ORD Lead Region for FY'91,
enhancing and strengthening this
program will be one of my priority
issues."
Jack McCraw, Deputy Regional
Administrator, Region VIM
Upon completion of their rotation, Regional
Scientists are encouraged to return to a position
within ORD where they can share their
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knowledge and insight of Regional applied research needs with other ORD
staff. They are also able to use Regional contacts to further improve
communication between ORD and the Regions. The benefits of the
program are thus extended well beyond the two years that the scientist
works in the Region.
Regional Scientists
Since the program's inception, 15 ORD scientists have won selection as
Regional Scientists; six are currently serving in the Regions.
Dermont Bouchard will complete his term in Region VII in the summer of
1991. He joined EPA as a research chemist with Robert S. Kerr
Environmental Research Laboratory in Ada (RSKERL-Ada) in 1985.
Randall Bruins began his assignment in Region X in January, 1991. He
came to the Region from the Environmental Criteria and Assessment Office
in Cincinnati, where he conducted research in the area of human health risk
assessment.
Jerry Jones worked at RSKERL-Ada prior to being assigned to Region VIII in
December, 1990. At RSKERL-Ada, his research efforts focused on
groundwater, soil, and subsurface processes.
Suzanne Lussier began her
assignment in Region III in
February, 1991. She had
worked as an aquatic biologist
at the Environmental Research
Laboratory in Narragansett.
7990-9? Regional Scientists (clockwise from left): Jerry Jones, David
Klaudcr, John Montanari, Lou Blume, Randall Bruins, Winona Victery,
Dermont Bouchard, and Suzanne Lussier.
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John Montanari managed EPA's Environmental Photographic Interpretation
Center prior to his current assignment in Region IV, which he began in May,
1990.
Winona Victery began her assignment in Region IX in May, 1990. Prior to
this assignment, she worked as a health scientist with the Environmental
Criteria and Assessment Office in Research Triangle Park.
Nine individuals, those listed below, have completed their Regional
assignment.
Louis Blume remained in Region V when he completed his term in March,
1991. He is now the Chief of the Planning Section, Planning and Budgeting
Branch, Planning and Management Division. Lou went to the Region from
the Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory in Las Vegas, where he
worked as a soil scientist.
Jack Gakstatter served in Region X until July, 1987. He remained in the
Region and currently works as the Chief of the Coastal Waters Program.
Prior to his Regional assignment he managed research at the Environmental
Research Laboratory at Corvallis, Oregon.
George Keeler managed research at the RSKERL-Ada laboratory prior to his
term as a Regional Scientist. He completed his rotation in Region VI in
October, 1990.
Gregory Kew completed his assignment in Region I in October, 1990. Prior
to this assignment, he worked as an environmental scientist in the Exposure
Assessment Group, Office of Health and Environmental Assessment (OHEA).
Norman Kulujian remained in Region III as a Superfund Technical Liaison
when he completed his term in April, 1990. He worked for the Center for
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Environmental Research Information prior to his Regional assignment.
DickMoraski served in Region VIII and completed his rotation in 1989.
Prior to this rotation he worked at OHEA.
Jean Parker was assigned to Region VIII. She completed her rotation in
1988 and assumed new duties as Branch Chief of the Carcinogen
Assessment Toxicology Branch, Human Health Assessment Group, OHEA.
Spencer Peterson worked at the Environmental Research Laboratory at
Corvallis prior to his term as a Regional Scientist. He completed his
assignment in Region X in June, 1990.
Sheila Rosenthal completed her assignment in Region IX in the spring of
1989. Prior to this assignment she conducted research at OHEA's Human
Health Assessment Group.
Roles and Responsibilities
Regional Scientists use their particular experience and technical knowledge,
in combination with the knowledge they acquire of Regional activities, to
assist Regional staff with high-priority scientific issues and concerns specific
to each Region. Consequently, the role of the Regional Scientist varies by
Region. In consultation with Regional and ORD management, each
Regional Scientist is able to define his or her own job responsibilities and
role within the Region. Despite the different
role each Regional Scientist assumes in his or
her Region, they all share the common role of
liaison and facilitator.
After gaining an appreciation and understanding
of Regional concerns and issues, the Regional
"As Deputy Regional Administrator for the
ORD Lead Region, I tried to reestablish the
Regional role in the research mission...
through full participation in planning,
articulating our research need, supporting and
advocating the necessary budgetary changes,
and ensuring the competent delivery of
research services. In short, I wanted the
Regions to become not just ORD's clients, but
ORD's cooperators, collaborators, and
partners. The Regional Scientists were an
important part of this process."
John Wise, Deputy Regional Administrator
Region IX
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Scientists' background and technical training enable them to recognize and
match Regional applied research needs with ORD resources and
capabilities. Conversely, they help ORD in its efforts to provide technical
assistance to the Regions or obtain environmental data from Regional
sources of information.
While working in the Region, the Regional Scientist has the unique
opportunity to become involved in regulatory and technical activities
completely outside of their training and background. The benefits and
opportunities of the Regional Scientist Program are best demonstrated by the
varied activities of current and past Regional Scientists. A sample of these
activities is provided on the following pages.
Activities and Accomplishments
Some of the Regional Scientists' duties are rather mundane; however, many
of their activities are quite interesting and challenging, and of significance to
ORD or the Regions. In some cases, these activities would not have been
attempted or completed but for the persistence and talent of the Regional
Scientists.
RARE
Regional Scientists contributed to the successful implementation of the
Regional Applied Research Effort (RARE) program. The RARE program
provides the Regions with the capability to fund high-priority, site-specific
Regional applied research by ORD laboratories. In most of the Regions,
Regional Scientists are responsible for establishing and coordinating a
nomination and evaluation process for selecting RARE projects. For
example, Greg Kew managed the RARE selection process for Region I. He
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contacted each of the Regional Branch Chiefs to solicit suggestions,
consulted with ORD laboratories to assess each suggestion, briefed Regional
management on the various options, and helped to evaluate each RARE
nomination.
As shown by the graph on this page, all of the Regions and most of the ORD
laboratories are participating in RARE.
100000 —i
ERL-
Duluth
RREL RSKERL-
Ada
ERL- ERL-
Athens Corvallis
Distribution of RARE Funds Among ORD Laboratories and Regional Offices
Research Planning
Regional Scientists played an important role in efforts to involve the Regions
in the ORD research planning process. For the FY '92 research planning
process, each of the Regional Scientists surveyed their Regional Office to
characterize research needs. This information was used by management in
the lead media Regions to assemble, synthesize, and rank the opinions of
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the various Regions.
This is best demonstrated in Region V, the lead Region for Water during FY
'89 and '90, where Lou Blume helped Regional management integrate
research needs expressed by each Region into a comprehensive set of top-
priority Regional water research needs. He contributed to establishing, and
participated in, a planning process that culminated in full Regional
participation in the Water Research Committee activities. The extent and
impact of Regional involvement is evidenced by ORD redirecting FY '91
resources to research initiatives important to the Regions, and is further
demonstrated by Region V's sponsorship of a Subcommittee Program
Review, which Lou organized.
The perception by Regional managers that their views have influenced the
Agency's research program has resulted in even stronger Regional
involvement in the FY '93 research planning cycle, allowing Regional
Scientists to get further involved in the planning process.
Research Activities
Regional Scientists use their knowledge of ORD and the Regions to initiate,
facilitate, and coordinate various research activities. These research
activities often concern research new to the Regional Scientists and allows
them to pursue interests outside their primary training and background.
Regional Scientists identify opportunities for ORD and Regional cooperative
efforts. In Region IX, Winona Victery contacted the Atmospheric Research
and Exposure Assessment Laboratory (AREAL) to request assistance for the
Region in conducting a "bake-out" of the new Regional building. A bake-
out is an experimental technique in which the building temperature is
elevated over a period of several days to release volatile organic chemicals
from interior paint, furniture, and carpet to improve indoor air quality.
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AREAL assisted in the design of the monitoring plan and provided air
monitoring equipment. This joint effort presented both the Regional office
and ORD with an opportunity to obtain experimental data by monitoring the
air before, during, and after the temperature was elevated.
Regional Scientists help ORD identify Regional projects that will further
ORD's involvement in solving "real world" problems. Such is the case in
Region VII, where Dermont Bouchard assisted the R.S. Kerr laboratory to
increase its knowledge and presence in the area of wellhead protection.
Laboratory staff told Dermont they were interested in working with a local
community to develop more expertise in wellhead protection. After
consulting with Regional staff, Dermont informed the Kerr laboratory that
the town of Hays, Kansas, needed assistance in developing a wellhead
protection plan. The end result is that Kerr laboratory personnel met with
Regional and town officials and agreed to provide assistance—direct EPA
support not normally available to small towns.
Regional Scientists' efforts to identify Regional applied research has
occasionally resulted in the acquisition of additional funds for ORD
laboratories. For example, in Region IV, John Montanari worked with the
Region and the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection to
identify and obtain funding for the Environmental Monitoring Systems
Laboratory in Las Vegas (EMSL-LV) to do remote sensing at a Superfund site.
EMSL-LV subsequently received over $100,000 in Superfund
Comprehensive Accomplishment Program (SCAP) funds to do the site work.
He also informed the Environmental Research
Laboratory in Corvallis about possible funds
from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to
conduct wetlands research.
In Region X, Spence Peterson was offered an
opportunity to manage a project on the
**We appreciate the outstanding support
received from George Keeler, ORD
Regional Scientist in Region VI. We were
experiencing a reduced number of
requests for ORD support in the Region
until George contacted certain individu-
als. He set up meetings with my staff and
Region VI to work out the details for future
remote sensing requirements. George was
very helpful in establishing communica-
tion between Region VI and ORD.*»
Eugene P. Meier, Director
Advanced Monitoring Systems Division,
EMSL-LV
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robotization of chemical analytical procedures, a subject completely new to
him. The project concerned the development of robotics equipment to
conduct an automated microwave digestion procedure for inorganic
analyses of soil, sediment, and sludge samples. He contacted several
robotics manufacturers during his research and also coordinated with ORD
and other organizations to obtain funding for the project. Funding of
$125,000 was eventually obtained from five sources: the Region, the
Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratories in Cincinnati and Las
Vegas, the National Environmental Services Office, and the Office of Solid
Waste and Emergency Response. Both Region X and EMSL-LV will receive
prototype equipment and will participate in an inter-laboratory quality
comparison test. Both the Region and ORD are benefiting from this
cooperative venture; even now after Spence returned to an ORD laboratory.
The Region will receive robotic equipment to automate and simplify their
chemical analyses, while ORD will gain highly-controlled inter-laboratory
test data.
Other Regional/ORD Activities
Although the Regional Scientists' primary role is to provide liaison, they
often perform duties in support of either ORD and the Regions, frequently
with results that prove to be beneficial to both.
Regional Scientists most often support ORD by promoting laboratory
programs, products, and capabilities to Regional staff. Regional Scientists
have a unique opportunity to educate Regional staff about ORD research,
initiatives, or technology transfer activities. This frequently requires the
Regional Scientist to distribute ORD documents or help Regional staff obtain
technical assistance or information from ORD laboratories. In the process,
Regional Scientists have established a lasting network of contacts within
ORD and the Regions.
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Regional Scientists also help ORD implement technical programs in the
Regions. For instance, all of the Regional Scientists support and promote
ORD efforts to introduce the Environmental Monitoring Assessment Program
(EMAP) in the Regions. The Regional Scientists in Regions IV, V, and VII
persuaded ORD laboratories to conduct pilot EMAP projects in those
Regions. John Montanari organized an EMAP Coordination Workshop to
plan for Regional implementation of EMAP and obtained commitments from
all ten Regions to participate in the program.
Regional Scientists support Regional management and staff in a variety of
ways. They often serve on Regional technical and scientific committees,
permitting them to gain a better understanding of Regional issues and to
apply and expand their technical knowledge. For instance, in Region VII,
Dermont Bouchard co-chaired the Regional Comparative Risk Study
Science and Data Needs Communication Committee, a subcommittee of the
Region's Comparative Risk Project (CRP). In his capacity as co-chair, he
was instrumental in introducing elements of EMAP into Region Vll's CRP,
As a result, EMAP elements served as organizing principles for the Regional
CRP and also provided a framework for communicating research and data
needs to ORD. In Region V, Lou Blume served as a Regional reviewer of
ORD's Complex Effluent Toxicity program, providing him with an
opportunity to learn an unfamiliar subject.
Regional Scientists further support the Regions through their work with the
Hazardous Waste Research Centers (HWRC). In Region VII, Dermont
Bouchard is the Regional representative to the
Science Advisory Board of the HWRC at Kansas
State University. In this capacity, he influenced "Reflecting on the other methods
the scope of research so that the end products we nave used to seek dialogue
.MI i 4.4. 4.u A / i between ORD and the Region, the
will be more relevant to the Agency's regulatory Regjona| Scientist prograr^ is
activities. pretty good one. . . . I think the
Regional Scientist program,
particularly given an enthusiastic
incumbent, has an important
contribution to make."
Dale S. Bryson, Director
Water Division, Region V
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Future Goals
During 1991, the primary goal of the Regional Scientist Program will be to
continue to improve the ORD/Regional partnership. The foundation has
already been established by the work of past and present Regional Scientists.
To build on this foundation, six additional program goals have been
identified for 1991:
1) Further involve the Regions in the ORD research planning process.
2) Involve Regions in the design of FY '92 and FY '93 ORD products.
3) Expand current involvement of Regional Scientists in Regional
Comparative Risk Studies and strategic plans.
4) Increase involvement in implementing EMAP in the Regions and states.
5) Actively participate in the implementation of the scientific and technical
components of other cross-media programs (e.g., global climate change,
pollution prevention).
6) Identify opportunities for and facilitate the formation of joint ventures
among (1) ORD laboratories, (2) the Regions, states, and/or local
governments, (3) other federal agencies, and/or (4) the private sector.
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Questions or comments regarding this document or the Regional Scientist
Program should be directed to:
Dr. David Klauder, Director
Regional Operations Staff
Office of Technology Transfer and Regulatory Support
Office of Research and Development (H-8105)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, S.W.
Washington, DC 20460
The preparation of this document was funded by the United States
Environmental Protection Agency under Contract number 68-DO-0171 to
Environmental Management Support, Inc., of Silver Spring, Maryland.
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