SEPA
Unrttd SutM
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Solid Wattt and
Emergency Response
DIRECTIVE NUMBER: 9230.0-09
TITLE: Use of Senior Environmental Employees
in Superf und
APPROVAL DATE: 8/31/90
EFFECTIVE DATE: 8/31/90
ORIGINATING OFFICE: OERR/HSCD
El FINAL
D DRAFT
STATUS:
•>
REFERENCE (other documents):
OSWER OSWER OSWER
/E DIRECTIVE DIRECTIVE
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Melissa
Shapiro
"•""•os-aa
r- HSCD
Talapftona Coda
QSWER Directive initiation Request 9220.0-09
2. Originator Information
Community Relations: USe of Senior Environmental Employees in
Superfund
4. Summary ol 0» tetiva (includa bntl suiamant of purposa)
Reports on use of SEEs in the Superfund program and to offer guidance
on their future use.
V Kaywords
NCP; Community Relations ^
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UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENC
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460
JU63I 1990
OFFICE CF
SOU) WASTE AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE
OSWER Directive No. 9230.0-09
MEMORANDUM
SUBJECT:
FROM:
TO:
Community Relations: Use of Senior Environmental
Employees in Superfund (Superfupd Management Review:
Recommendation 4 3.K,L)
Henry Longest II, Director
Office of Emergency and Remedial Response
Director, Waste Management Division
Regions I, IV, V, VII, VIII
Director, Emergency and Remedial Response Division
Region II
Director, Hazardous Waste Management Division
Regions III, VI, IX
Director, Hazardous Waste Division
Region X
Community Relations Coordinators, Regions I - X
Purpose: To report on the use of SEEs in the Superfund program
and to offer guidance on their future use.
Background: The Superfund Management Review (SMR) indicated the
need to improve the frequency and consistency of communication
with the public. A method suggested in the SMR to help
accomplish this goal is to expand Superfund's use of the Senior
Environmental Employee (SEE) program.
Established in 19-76, the SEE program supplies valuable labor to
EPA through sixty-four non-profit senior citizens' associations.
Over the years, SEEs have made valuable contributions both to
Superfund and to EPA in general. _The popularity of the program
rests not only in the diverse skills and experience that SEEs
bring to our organization, but also in the fact that their
employment does not count against full-time employee hiring
ceilings. - _..
To arrange for SEE support, EPA program offices submit requests
to the Office of Research and Development, which then provides
funds for SEE salaries, overhead, and travel. The funds are in
the form of a grant that is awarded to one of the associations.
Prinltd on RtcyeUd Piftr
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OSWER Directive No. S230.0-09
SSEs in Superfund work mostly within the Technical Assistance
Grant (TAG) program. Within the TAG program the SEEs serve a
valuable role, engaging in a number of important activities
before, during and after the awarding of a grant. Prior to the
award of the grant, SEEs distribute TAG application packages to
interested groups, process "letters of intent" submitted by
citizens' groups, and conduct the formal notification process to
advise the public that letters of intent have been received and
that a grant has been awarded. During the awarding process, SEEs
advise citizens' groups on preparing the grant application, help
these groups establish efficient procurement and record keeping
systems, and assist groups in negotiating with prospective
technical advisors and preparing subagreements with these
advisors. After the grant award has been made, SEEs review grant
recipient requests for grant agreement modifications, help EPA
establish and maintain an official record of activities for the
grant, and analyze financial reports, progress reports and other
correspondence..
Although the SEE program has been beneficial to the
implementation of the TAG program, SEE staff, TAG coordinators,
and community relations staff members have identified a few
obstacles that prevent the program's full success. Among these
impediments are a lack to training provided to the SEEs, absence
of clear definition of the SEE's role, and EPA hesitancy to treat
SEEs as Agency colleagues. The following section addresses these
issues, and also makes a recommendation on expanding the role of
SEEs into the community relations program.
Objective: To improve and expand the role of SEEs in the
Superfund program.
Implementation: The following four recommendations are aimed at
improving the use of SEEs, while increasing their overall role in
Superfund.
1) Provide adequate training to SEEs. Regions should make every
effort to provide a comprehensive orientation to SEEs. Whether
accomplished through established formal training, or through
individual instruction, we must take the time to introduce SEEs
to the intricacies-of EPA, Superfund, and their specific role.
SEEs come from a variety of backgrounds and bring to the EPA a
wealth of life experience — tailor their orientation to fit
their individual needs.
2) Provide SEEs with clear nob descriptions. No Agency-wide
definition of the SEE's role exists. Although the positiona_ .
filled by SEEs are similar in many ways, their responsibilities
will vary from Region to Region. Regions are free to tailor the
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OSWER Directive No. 9230.0-09
responsibilities of a SEE to suit specific programmatic needs.
Whatever the SEE's role may be, he or she and EPA should both be
aware of the expectations of the position. Create a job
description that accurately reflects the role that the Region
needs filled by the SEE. Regions may wish to contact other
Regions to exchange position descriptions and ideas regarding the
role of SEES.
3) Treat SEEs as if they are Aaencv colleagues. SEEs are not EPA
employees. They do, however, occupy a special undefined ground
between contractor and EPA employee. While we might not afford
to them all the privileges and responsibilities we extend to our
EPA employees, we still should treat them with the courtesy and
respect commensurate with their position and experience. Include
them in strategy meetings. Listen to their suggestions. Make
them feel a part of the team. They are talented, experienced
colleagues, providing a valuable service to our program.
4) Broaden SEE roles to include activities other than TAG.
Regions are encouraged to expand the use of SEEs, where
appropriate. Although the majority of SEEs' work has been within
the TAG program, they should not be limited to TAG. The
community relations program, in particular, can use SEEs in their
outreach efforts. For example, where a site is some distance
from an EPA office, Regions can hire a local person at the site
to answer questions and distribute information.
SEEs have shown themselves to be.valuable assets to our program,
and Superfund management is committed to further improvement and
expansion of their role in clean-up activities. For more
information regarding the use of SEEs in Superfund please contact
Melissa Shapiro of my staff at FTS 382-3250 or Jeff Langholz at
FTS 382-2460.
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i. Oriqlfntof Infprmitlon
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9. So/tatura of Laad Otfica OiractivM Coordinator
Betti C. VanEpps, OERR Directives Coordinator
10. Na/na and Titla of Approving Offictai
Henry L. 'Longest II / Di rector,. QERR
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