New England:
Ttwiri 2000
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i
New England Regional Office
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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About Us
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's
New England Office (Region 1) is headquartered in
Boston, Massachusetts. It is one often regional
offices across the nation charged by Congress to
protect America's land, air and water.
Congress has instructed EPA, a federal agency
based in Washington, D.C., to use national envi-
ronmental laws to maintain a compatible balance
between human activities and the ability of natural
systems to support and nurture life.
Since the agency's creation in 1970, EPA's New
England Office has defended the environment in the
six New England states—Connecticut, Rhode Island
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and Vermont.
For more information about EPA Region 1 and
its programs or for additional copies of this annual
report, "New England: Toward 2000," contact the
Office of Public Affairs, U.S. Environmental Protec-
tion Agency, Mail Code: RR4-2203, John F. Kennedy
Federal Building, Boston, Massachusetts 02203,
Telephone (617} 565-3420.
Contents
Message from the Regional Administrator 2
Future Challenges 4
Ask the Managers 14
EPA Highlights: 1988 18
Expanded State Roles In the 1990s 27
State Highlights: 1988 28
Financial Overview 34
Composition of the EPA Work Force 35
For Further Information 36
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Dear Friends of the Environment
The memories and images of 1988 will be slow to fade
from the nation's environmental conscience: medical debris
littering our beaches; searing temperatures, charred forests
and drought all underscoring predictions of a warming
atmosphere; a weakened ultraviolet light filter above and
radon gas from below. Meanwhile acid rain from the Middle
West and ozone smog from the Atlantic seaboard continue
to inundate New England. These threats have rekindled
America's—indeed, the world's—environmental ethic.
We are on the brink of fundamental change. Our mis-
sion is evolving from one of simply protecting our local
environment from societal abuse to one of managing
the global environment for continued societal gain. Our
common goal is sustainable development into the next
millennium. In the following pages the talented and dedicated
public servants of the Environmental Protection Agency's
New England Office offer their perspectives on what our
environmental future holds and how New England will fit
into an increasingly complicated global picture.
With the advent of a new administration in Washington,
at least a half-dozen reports, agendas and "blueprints" for the
future have been prepared by independent environmental
and research organizations. What they share is a universal
recognition of the awesome risks posed by global issues, such
as the "greenhouse effect" and holes in the stratospheric
ozone layer, and an urgent need to shift gears here at home
from conventional pollution control efforts to pollution prevention strategies. We
are beginning to head in that direction. Tip O'Neill's common sense observation
that "all politics is local" also holds true in the environmental arena. Whether
we look at Brazilians who are seeking alternatives to the slashing and burning of
their rain-forest home—or an enforcement action by a state agency against an
illegal emitter of stratospheric-damaging chemicals on Cape Cod—all environ-
mental protection is ultimately local.
Here in New England we have embarked on a course that recognizes that the
region's long-term economic viability is in large measure dependent upon main-
taining our environmental quality. If Boston is to become a world-class city, it is
essential to have a first-class harbor. If Connecticut's shoreline, Cape Cod, and
the rocky coast of Maine are to retain the very features that make them attractive
and inviting, open space must be protected and clean water guaranteed. If we
are to break the cycle of poverty in our inner cities we must not only overcome the
pervasive problem of drugs, but the insidious, brain-damaging chemical of lead.
In the coming year I will be organizing a New England Pollution Prevention
Council in partnership with business and industry. The purpose of the council
is to identify changes in manufacturing processes that will reduce or eliminate
pollution and will improve the "disposability" of consumer products. This is an
2
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important step in breaking a nonsensical and inefficient cycle of waste. Environ-
mental protection will be a never-ending battle against contaminated "hot spots'* —
harbors, landfills, or air — unless we take steps now to dramatically reduce the
amount of pollution we generate and break our habit of simply moving around
pollution.
Our future also holds an opportunity to objectively assess how well we are
managing environmental risks and how we might redirect our resources to man-
age them better. We have just completed a thorough examination of 24 envi-
ronmental problems in New England both in terms of ecological damage and
their threat to public health. Comparing the actual risks they pose with our
current responses to them challenges our institutional complacency and allows
us to redirect resources where they can do the most good, namely, where they
can achieve the greatest reduction of risk. This is the type of forward-looking
management needed in any government agency, but particularly in the environ-
mental arena where risks are so varied and the stakes are so high.
Finally, as we look to the future, we
must not lose sight of our roots. EPA is
first and foremost a regulatory agency
with the large responsibility of enforc-
ing the nation's environmental laws. It
is a job we try to do as fairly as we do
firmly. At the same time, the actions
we take are not merely to "run up num-
bers" but to bring meaningful cases
that will have a deterrent effect in the
regulated community.
As we look together toward the year
2000 and the challenges beyond we
must also turn and look from whence
we came. I am reminded of a letter
written by Chief Seattle in 1852 in
response to a request from Washington
to buy his people's land. "If we sell you
our land, you must remember that it
is sacred. Will you teach your children
what we have taught our children? That the earth is our mother? What befalls
the earth befalls all the sons of the earth. This we know. . . Man did not weave
the web of life, he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does
to himself."
As our knowledge of the environment grows, so too does the poignancy of
Chief Seattle's words. May we take the Chiefs counsel to heart, and, together,
strive to leave to our children an environment cleaner and safer than we found it
EM Regional Administra-
tor Michael Delaod (left)
and US. Son. Edward M.
KMMdy presenting
awards In EM's ecology
poem and poster contest.
Michael R. Deland
Regional Administrator
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Future Challenges
Environmental protection is never static. As technol-
ogy and development change, so does the pollution. We solve one problem, but
another new one soon emerges. Though we have achieved many successes in past
years through vigilant programs, we still face environmental hazards that will
require our forceful preventive action to protect our "Endangered Earth." What
follows is a look at 10 of New England's most pressing challenges as we move
toward the year 2000.
inspection and maintenance programs
for automobiles. Rhode Island, New
Hampshire and Maine regulate VOCs
from specific categories of large sta-
tionary sources.
In May of 1988, EPA issued calls to
43 states for a new round of plans
because the existing plans did not attain
the ozone standard by the statutory
deadline of Dec. 31,1987. We will need
to look beyond current control strategies
to further reduce smog.
Future Challenges
As we look to future solutions to the
ozone problem, it is clear that some of
them will involve lifestyle changes for
many of us. At the top of the list will be
the need to redefine our relationship with
our automobiles. Cars emit 30 to 50
percent of the VOCs and about 40 per-
cent of the NOx precursor emissions that
contribute to the ozone problem. We see
the dramatic effects in weekend violations
of the ozone standard—a time when
industrial emissions are cut way back.
While EPA and automobile manufacturers
may be able to put cleaner cars on the
road, given current habits, we will be buy-
ing even more of them and driving more
miles than ever.
Therefore, during the next decade
the states will develop "transportation
control measures" and "trip reduction
ordinances" They will all have one pur-
pose—to get us out of our cars. Whether
it is van-pooling, mass transit, voluntary
no-drive days or parking freezes, the
message will be the same—we simply
cannot afford to have unlimited growth in
vehicle miles traveled. The best part of
this approach is that we do not have to
wait for some exotic new technology. We
can all start to make a difference today by
finding other ways to get to our destination.
Encouraging more people
to os« mass transit.
Driving Less
for Cleaner Air
4
The Problem
Forty-three states, including five in New
England, continue to experience air
quality in violation of the Clean Air Act's
standard for ozone The task of reducing
ambient concentrations of ground-level
ozone (often called smog) is widely recog-
nized as one of the most intractable envi-
ronmental problems facing our society.
Ozone is not directly emitted into our air. It is
photochemically formed in the presence
of sunlight at ground level by the inter-
action of its precursors, primarily volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen
oxides (NOx).
Current Efforts
Air pollution control strategies have been
adopted to reduce VOCs and NOx. The
State Implementation Plans (SIPs) of
Massachusetts and Connecticut are
already among the most stringent in the
country. Both of these states regulate
nearly all of their existing and new sta-
tionary sources, and have mandatory
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HM Problem
Across this country, we as Americans
generate more trash (solid waste) per
capita each year than any other nation.
At the same time we are running out
of places to dispose of it. Our landfill
capacity in numerous places is almost
filled to the saturation point Because of
public health and environmental con-
cerns, municipalities and private firms
face growing public resistance as they
attempt to site new landfills and build
new incinerators. Even materials recovery
facilities and recycling centers are diffi-
cult to site because local residents tend to
associate all waste management opera-
tions with unpleasant odors, noise and
truck traffic.
We are seeing an accelerating trend
toward disposable products, convenience
packaging, and an "out-of-sight, out-of-
mind" attitude toward solid waste creation
and disposal. We can no longer afford
this kind of "business as usual." We must
adopt a new solid waste management
ethic that minimizes the amount and
toxicity of waste created by the products
we make and purchase. We must reuse
and recycle many of our waste materials
so that we minimize our reliance on land-
fills and incinerators.
Currant Efforts
Although solid waste management is
primarily a local responsibility, the prob-
lem is national in scope and EPA has
developed an "Agenda for Action" in
consultation with a variety of knowledge-
able groups and individuals to improve
our management of municipal solid
waste. The agenda provides concrete
suggestions for actions by government,
industry and private citizens.
EPA's New England Office is committed
to working with all parties to solve our
dilemma and encourage everyone to form
the partnership which is vital to develop-
ing solutions to these problems. The
agency has established working groups
representing state and local officials,
industry and citizens in each of our New
England states. The groups are proceed-
ing with initiatives to minimize volumes
and reduce quantities of household and
industrial trash destined for landfills by
separating, recovering, recycling and
reusing materials at the front end of the
waste stream.
Future Challenges
By the year 2000, we in New England will
have reduced our volume of solid waste
by more than 25 percent through separa-
tion, recovery, recycling and reusing. The
materials that can't be recovered and
reused will be incinerated, then stabilized,
treated and properly disposed.
Through a partnership with our states,
industries, and citizens groups, we will
truly have established a disposal ethic
which will benefit and enhance our envi-
ronment and the public health. Our goal
will always be to improve
Seeking New Ways
to Handle Trash
Rwyclta* IB Write BMCH, I
5
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Addressing
International
Issues/Global
Warming
The Problem
In the next 60 years human-made emis-
sions of certain gases will cause the
earth to warm to an average temperature
that has not occurred for 100,000 years.
The rise in temperature is known as "global
warming" or the "greenhouse effect".
Carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide,
ozone and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
are known as the greenhouse gases
because they are transparent to sunlight
(just as the glass on a greenhouse) and
they act like a blanket of insulation in the
atmosphere trapping the earth's heat.
Global wanning may causa
Ma level* to rise.
All fossil fuels emit carbon dioxide
when burned. Natural gas emits less than
oil or coal. Synthetic fuels, such as metha-
nol derived from coal, emit three times
more than natural gas. Methane is pro-
duced by cows and rice paddies. Nitrous
oxide is emitted during the processing
of fertilizers. Ground-level ozone or smog is
photochemically formed in the presence
of sunlight with the interaction of nitrogen
oxides and volatile organic compounds.
Current Efforts
CFCs, used as refrigerants, will be phased
out in the years ahead because they are
depleting the stratospheric ozone layer
which protects us from harmful ultraviolet
radiation from the sun.
Future Challenges
Reductions in the emission of all green-
house gases are essential to slow the
expected warming. Scientists predict
that if we do not greatly reduce the gases
the earth will warm 4 degrees Fahrenheit
by the year 2050, and 9 degrees by the
year 2100. A 4 degree warming would
cause a three to five-foot rise in the sea
level, resulting in a 600-1000 foot loss of
coastline in New England and a 30-80
percent loss of coastal wetlands. It would
increase the frequency of the 100-year
coastal flood and triple the number of
days with temperatures in the 90s. Other
effects would include devastating forest
losses, disruptions in agriculture, increased
insect infestation, deteriorated air quality
(i.e. more smog), and saltwater intrusion
into estuaries and groundwater.
We cannot stop global warming, but
we can slow it down. The following alter-
natives could slow the warming:
Banning methanol production from oil
and coal.
Instituting mandatory efficiency standards
for all cars, appliances and machinery.
Reducing the emissions that cause smog.
Banning all new coal and oil-fired power
plants and instead using natural gas or a
non-carbon dioxide source of electricity.
Switching to low sulfur fuels instead of
relying on "scrubber technology" to
reduce sulfur dioxide emissions because
scrubbers are not energy efficient
Slowing or stopping the destruction of
tropical rain forests which act as huge
sponges for carbon dioxide
Instituting strict coastal development
laws.
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The Problem
New England's dependency on ground-
water for drinking water will increase as
the population and construction in the
region grows. As a result efforts to protect
groundwaterfrom contamination will
become more urgent. Already, many
groundwater supplies in the region have
been contaminated. Unlike the large
industrial sources of pollution that received
attention in the 1970s, the groundwater
pollutants today are less obvious, such as
those coming from septic tanks, road
salt, landfills, lawn chemicals and gas
stations. The consequences of the con-
tamination are costly: using long-term
cleanup technologies or developing new
groundwater supply wells. Groundwater
contamination is a difficult problem
because of the multitude of potential
land-based pollutants and the nature of
groundwater itself. Surface water bodies
are easily seen and their water quality
readily sampled. However, groundwater is
everywhere below us. The properties of
the materials it flows through control the
movement of pollutants, and it is not
always readily apparent where to drill a
well to sample it.
Currant Efforts
EPA is providing technical assistance,
consultation and grants to the New
England states to help them develop a
resource-based approach to protecting
their groundwater. The approach enables
the states to identify the groundwater
resources that require the most protec-
tion (not all groundwater is capable of
supplying drinking water). Once the states
and local communities have identified
them, they can coordinate their efforts to
better protect the water before it becomes
contaminated by regulating uses of the
land above the groundwater. Currently, all
six New England states have developed,
or are developing, groundwater protec-
tion strategies using a resource-based
approach. Meanwhile, EPA is continuing
to establish additional human health-
based water quality standards for drinking
water that will result in safer water for
the public.
Future Challenges
The undertaking we face now and into
the year 2000 will be to protect ground-
water with limited financial resources
and without stifling economic growth
and development. The Wellhead Pro-
tection Program established under the
1986 amendments to the Safe Drinking
Water Act will be instrumental in pro-
tecting groundwater. The program was
developed to help the states study the
flow of groundwater around current and
future water supply wells, and to identify
the land area around a well through which
the rainwater passes into a well's aquifer.
EPA is encouraging local communities
to prevent contamination of the areas by
directing growth and development outside
the wellhead area through efforts such
as local enforcement of zoning restric-
tions, building and health inspections and
development of sewer services.
Controlling Land
Use to Protect
Groundwater
1
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Reducing
and Recycling
Chemical Waste
The Problem
Every year about 300 million metric tons of
hazardous, chemical waste are generated
in the United States. Faced with limited
capacity to treat and dispose of the waste,
we must implement "waste minimization"
for a safe and clean environment. EPA's
waste management policy calls for the
following: first, source reduction; then
recycling; next, treatment; and finally, dis-
posal. The term "waste minimization"
refers to the first two of these options:
source reduction and recycling. Practicing
waste minimization makes good sense.
It saves companies money, conserves
valuable natural resources, and protects
the environment from accidental releases
of hazardous chemicals.
Current Efforts
EPA's New England Office is actively work-
ing to promote the waste minimization
ethic through seminars and workshops
for New England companies, and we are
getting the "pollution prevention" mes-
sage out through speeches at technical
conferences. The Agency's management
has met with state and local government,
industry, and private groups to promote
source reduction in New England. We
have distributed waste-minimization bro-
chures and audit manuals. Within EPA,
we have participated in national policy
development.
Future Challenges
We will continue to play an important role
in the next decade to convey the waste
minimization ethic to industry and the
public. EPA will also actively support the
development of state and local programs
through grants and technical assistance
We also see our role as that of a facilitator,
bringing the states together to share
information and experiences in promot-
ing waste minimization. Some activities
we plan for the future include:
Sponsoring waste minimization work-
shops for various industrial groups (ie.,
electroplating, paper manufacturing, etc.).
Training EPA employees and assisting in
training states about waste minimization
concepts.
Encouraging universities to include waste
minimization courses in their curricula.
Presenting the waste-minimization
message at conferences and to private
groups, trade associations, etc.
Providing an easily accessible database
of educational and technical information
on source reduction and recycling.
Distributing brochures, updates, tech-
nical information, and articles.
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The Problem
Accelerated development and land specu-
lation threaten New England's prized
lakes, coastal estuaries, wetlands, streams
and aquifers. Development hot spots are
especially threatened areas. For example,
robust development is expected in coastal
New Hampshire and southern Maine
where population will likely double by the
year 2000. Paradoxically, the quality waters
and landscapes that attract development
are endangered by potential pollutants
from the development itself, such as leak-
ing underground oil and gasoline tanks,
lawn fertilizer, improperly-located septic
tanks, road salting, town landfills, soil
that erodes during construction, and
urban runoff from parking lots and roads.
Current Efforts
Initiatives in the Clean Water Act enable
EPA and the states to encourage local
officials and citizens responsible for land-
use planning and regulation to implement
programs to protect water quality in their
towns. States are beginning to identify water
bodies threatened by development pres-
sures. Once identified, they can implement
preventive measures, such as conserving
open space, regulating underground
tanks and landfills, retaining undeveloped
buffers around water bodies and streams,
or tightening zoning regulations. Maine
and Vermont are using water-quality man-
agement grants to assist regional agencies
and localities in incorporating water-
resources constraints in land-use plan-
ning and regulation. In Maine, an EPA
Clean Lakes grant is assisting the citizen-
based Lakes Environmental Association
to develop a pilot 50-year protection plan
and town ordinances for the 131-square
mile, five-town, Long Lake Watershed.
On Cape Cod, voters last fall overwhelm-
ingly supported a referendum to urge
the Legislature to establish a Cape Cod-
Protection Commission and to adopt a
moratorium on multi-unit residential and
commercial development to protect
the Cape's Sole Source Aquifer, marine
waters and open space.
Future Challenges
EPA hopes to help the states on several
pilot projects that apply computer map-
ping known as "geographic information
systems." The computer mapping will
assist communities in making decisions
about planning, zoning and permitting.
These systems would present in simple
form pollution limits for lakes and estu-
aries potentially threatened with develop-
ment They would help communities
determine the type and density of con-
struction that would be required to
prevent water pollution. Also, EPA will
continue to protect wetlands through
"advance identification programs" such
as the one in 18 York County commu-
nities in southern Maine
Protecting Lakes,
Wetlands, Estuaries
and Streams from
Development
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9
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Seeking Criminal
Prosecutions
Against the Wbrst
Polluters
Cleanup Is expensive.
Prosecutions will deter
polluter*.
The Problem
One of the main goals of EPA's enforce-
ment program is to deter companies,
individuals, and municipalities from vio-
lating federal pollution laws. Congress
has responded to this need for deter-
rence by enacting statutes with large civil
penalties and criminal fines as well as
jail sentences. EPA's Office of Regional
Counsel works together with investigators
from the Office of Criminal Investigations
to identify the worst polluters, present
cases to the U.S. Attorneys' offices, and
prepare cases for proceedings before
federal grand juries and federal trial courts.
Current Efforts
The criminal enforcement program of
EPA's New England Office is achieving
record levels of activity. During 1988, we
prepared ten new cases for criminal
prosecution, which equals the number
of new criminal cases prepared during
the preceding three years combined.
Highlights of the program included:
Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., Middle-
borough, MA was the first case nationwide
in which the federal government charged
a company with a felony under the Clean
Water Act.
Marathon Development Corp. of Provi-
dence, Rl and one of its officers pleaded
guilty in the first criminal prosecution of
wetlands violations under the Clean Water
Act. The company was sentenced to a
$100,000 fine; and the officer received
a $10,000 fine, a one-year suspended
prison term, and one-year probation.
W. R. Grace & Company pleaded guilty to
making a false statement to the govern-
ment regarding past hazardous waste dis-
posal activities in Wobum, MA and was
sentenced to a $10,000 fine.
Future Challenges
We will actively scrutinize all cases to
determine if they involve willful or neg-
ligent violations of the law and thus
should be prosecuted criminally. We will
aggressively investigate facilities sus-
pected of knowingly violating pollution
laws. Some of the violators EPA expects
to be the focus of criminal enforcement
activity through the next decade include:
Companies which improperly remove
and dispose of asbestos from buildings.
Companies which improperly store and
dispose of hazardous waste.
Individuals and companies who fill wet-
lands without obtaining proper permits.
Companies which fail to properly remove
toxic chemicals from their process waste-
water before discharging the contami-
nated wastewater into rivers, the ocean,
or the sewer system.
Companies which submit falsified data to
EPA in required reports to the agency.
10
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The Problem
EPA's New England Office received more
than 1,400 calls about chemical acci-
dents in 1988. Some of the calls resulted
in evacuations and some of the chemical
releases had the potential for serious
safety and environmental consequences.
The releases were caused by human
error, equipment malfunction, highway
accidents, natural disasters, and other
factors. Communities in New England are
especially vulnerable to accidental
releases because, in many cases, they
are located in close proximity to the
facilities that use or transport hazardous
chemicals. Depending on the chemical
released, the amount and other factors
such as weather and terrain, several New
England communities could be affected
by a single release Health effects from
chemical exposure may be short term,
such as skin irritation, or a major release
could cause more long-term effects such
as cancer or respiratory disorders. Acci-
dental releases may also cause property
damage and environmental harm.
Current Efforts
Awareness of the dangers from acciden-
tal chemical releases was heightened by
the tragedy in Bhopal, India where 2300
people died and, closer to home, Insti-
tute, West Virginia where hundreds of
people needed medical attention. In
1980, Title III of SARA, or the Emergency
Planning and Community Right-To-Know
Act, was enacted to deal with the prob-
lem of accidental chemical releases. It
requires states and communities to evalu-
ate risks associated with chemicals and
to develop comprehensive, hazardous
materials emergency plans. More than
half of the districts in New England com-
pleted a plan last year. The law requires
facilities to notify the states and commu-
nities of the presence, the location and
quantity of hazardous chemicals at the
facility, as well as the amount of toxic
chemicals that are routinely released to air,
land and water. Oral and written reports
must be submitted immediately upon
accidental release of a listed chemical.
To implement the law, EPA has coordi-
nated technical assistance training,
participated in more than 20 workshops,
conducted accident investigations, and
held six simulated chemical accidents to
test emergency response capabilities
and to provide a model training program
for communities to follow. Also, the first
Title III enforcement action in the nation
was issued against a Massachusetts firm.
Future Challenges
In the years ahead, communities must
gather additional information about
thousands of chemicals and their
associated risks, identify chemical hot
spots and develop workable emergency
plana Hazardous materials equipment
and training will have to be distributed
to thousands of responders, managers
and employees. Facility safety audits and
enforcement of the regulations will be
ongoing. Also, EPA plans to provide
increased support to local government,
which will assume a leadership role in
preventing and responding to chemical
accidents.
Preventing
Chemical Accidents
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of bydragM chloride gas at
Harvard University.
11
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Solving Problems
That Pose the
Greatest Risk
The Problem
Pesticide residues, groundwater con-
tamination, smog, acid rain, wetlands
destruction, global warming, hazardous
waste, radon—the list seems to get
longer every year. It is EPA's job to find
solutions to all these problems. At the
same time, the federal budget deficit is a
reality that EPA must face for years to
come. Environmental managers have
more and more important issues with
which to deal and fewer resources with
which to work.
Current Efforts
EPA's New England Office is developing a
new tool called Comparative Risk Evalu-
ation to help managers identify which
problems are most important and which
ones they should tackle first. Using a
methodology to compare different types
of environmental problems, we can
determine which problems present the
greatest risks to human health and the
environment. Once we have identified
them, we can focus our time and money
on the ones with the greatest potential
for risk reduction.
Comparative Risk Evaluation borrows
from the methodologies developed for
risk assessment to compare different
environmental problema Risk assessment
asks a deceptively simple question—How
much and what types of risk does a par-
ticular environmental problem present?
For example, in order to assess the actual
increased risk of cancer at a Superfund site,
risk assessment considers the toxicity
of the pollutants, the possible exposure
routes to humans and the number of people
that might be exposed.
This year we completed a Comparative
Risk Evaluation of 24 serious environmental
problems in New England and determined
the residual human health and ecologi-
cal risks associated with each ona (Resi-
dual risk is the risk that remains after
taking into account all current environ-
mental programs.) In addition to the risk
evaluations, the final rankings reflect
the best professional judgement of a
35-person, multi-disciplinary team repre-
senting most EPA programs.
The three environmental problems
posing the most serious residual human
health risks in the New England Region
are ozone, radon and lead. The problems
posing the most serious ecological risks
are air pollution, acid rain, loss of wet-
lands and habitat, all discharges to
surface waters and accidental releases.
Future Challenges
Comparative Risk Evaluation will help iden-
tify which current efforts are successful
in reducing risk and which areas will need
attention in the future It will help direct
resources where they will do the most
good. In the coming decade, it will be an
important planning tool for EPA, state
and local officials as they work together
to improve environmental quality and
protect public health.
An EPA helicopter crew samples north-
eastern lakes to determine the affects of
add rain.
12
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The Problem
Twenty years ago, the National Environ-
mental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) was a
flagship law. It not only directed the
federal government to follow a new ethic
of the natural order, but it also found an
innovative way to make government
accountable NEPA says that government
shall use all practicable means to protect
the environment from degradation, and
to "fulfill the responsibilities of each
generation as trustee of the environment
ibr succeeding generations." NEPA also
says that before any federal agency
decides to take any action or issue any
grant or permit which significantly
affects the environment, it must prepare
and show the people an environmental
impact statement (EIS) and must respond
to citizens' concerns.
Current Efforts
NEPA and EISs touch two beliefs that run
deep in a free and feisty people: "The
truth shall make us free" and "show me"
A good EIS lays out information on
impacts and alternatives, allays citizen
fears, checks the agency's judgement,
and can prevent pollution. The EIS proc-
ess doesn't oppose development as such
but advocates disclosure and protection.
EIS comments often favor simpler alter-
natives, which are often cheaper and less
harmful. With the help of the courts,
NEPA has improved many projects and
has been present at the deservedly early
retirement of a few.
Though NEPA is ending its second
decade, the EIS process still struggles to
succeed. NEPA's experiment of stating
environmental ideals in a statute and then
policing the decision process by requir-
ing that the truth be told, is still bold. In
fact, NEPA has become even more con-
troversial as sponsors of poor projects
have learned to resent NEPA's scrutiny.
Ideally, the effectiveness of NEPA should
depend more upon the clarity of the
voices that speak for the environment
than upon their volume but these voices
must be strong enough to be heard.
Future Challenges
If NEPA in the 1990s is to do its job of
making government more accountable to
the people and through them more pro-
tective of the environment, NEPA must
get renewed support from those of you
who believe in its ideals and the EIS
process. During the next decade, with
your help, we want to see all federal
agencies become committed to a strong
NEPA based on truthful disclosure of
impacts and alternatives, public partici-
pation, and an ethic that impels the
selection of the alternative that is best
for the environment.
Reviewing Projects
to Protect the
Environment
Youngster* take a boat on Boston Harbor to
George* Island tor a picnic. The emrtron-
RMHrtal review process has helped to clean
up the harbor, thereby creating mere recrea-
tional opportunities.
13
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Ask the Managers
The senior managers in EPA's New England Office
make daily decisions about how to effectively utilize their employees and
budgets to best protect the environment. They also plan for the future. What
are the most provocative problems they anticipate as they approach the year
2000? Their responses follow.
We need to reduce the growing quantities of municipal and industrial solid
and hazardous wastes, and to assure that those which cannot be eliminated
are managed \vith minimal risk to health and the environment. To achieve this
goal will require full use of the hierarchy of waste management—source reduction,
recycling, treatment and disposal. We must also continue our efforts to restore
the environment where past improper disposal resulted in unacceptable risks.
Reducing our waste stream will require each of us to understand and accept
changes in our daily lives—from the packaging we demand to the inconvenience
of recycling. But we must do so without lowering our quality of life. Reduction
alone will not be enough—we must also develop and gain acceptance of new
treatment and disposal technologies for our residual wastes.
Solving these problems will demand the talents and dedication of our very
best people. As managers, we must excite our young people to select government
service as a fulfilling career, for without them these goals can never be realized.
Merrill S. Hohman
Director of
Waste Management
Stephen F. Ells
Director of
Government Relations
and Environmental Review
Here are some environmental wishes for the 1990s.
I wish for us to have the credibility to match our responsibilities; for risk
information that relieves people's fears; for a way to have change that doesn't
burden its environs; and for an economy that doesn't thrive on waste.
I wish for a land-use ethic that doesn't smear the land; and for the Vermonts,
coasts of Maine, Nantuckets, Whitton Ponds and all the small places we love—
I wish that they may yet escape the tragedy of the commons.
I wish for an end to disease from urban lead, ozone-smog, and radon gas;
and for the courage to change our dismaying new world of acid rain, global
climate shifts, ozone holes, greenhouse gasses, and rising sea levels.
I wish for a government that doesn't pollute; for a society averse to the allure
of pork barrel projects; for an end to decisions that shrug off the environment;
and for a stop to incremental losses and perpetual rear guard actions.
More than ever, I wish for a nation that agrees on its environmental future,
not one bitterly divided and partisan, but hopeful.
14
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" M gent Orange Found In Holbrook," "Massachusetts Bay Fish: Unsafe to Eat?"
il."Is Your Home Hazardous to Your Health?" "As Earth Heats Up, Sea Levels
Rise." The headlines scream danger. Nothing seems safe to eat, drink or
breathe. Radon on the inside, smog on the outside. PCB's in the fish, asbestos
in the schools.
The public's reaction? Sometimes panic. Sometimes indifference. Sometimes
resignation.
How can our society sort out the confusion and put the facts in perspective?
Communicating risk by comparing it to something the public understands and
doing so in a way that inspires trust is the toughest challenge facing risk com-
municators. The key is to communicate health risks to citizens and the media in
a way that neither panics nor numbs.
We face complex risks to our health and environment. As we move toward
the next century, risk communicators will need to work hard to inform, not
overwhelm, our society about them.
Brooke Chamberlain-Cook
Director of
Public Affairs
David A. Fierra
Director of
Water Management
For the past 15 years, federal and state governments have spent billions of
dollars and made significant progress in restoring degraded water bodies by
controlling discharges of toxic pollutants from industries and sewage from
municipal treatment plants. However, ponds, lakes and coastal waters are still
being polluted from less obvious sources, such as inappropriately-sited septic
tanks, boat discharges, animal wastes and fertilizer from farms and residential
lawns. Also, underground drinking water supplies are being contaminated or
threatened by subtle activities, like residential septic tanks, gasoline stations,
auto dealerships, road salting and the town landfill.
Many of the less obvious contaminants are not controlled by federal or state
government. In the years ahead, local governments must recognize that they have
the broadest authority to control most of the remaining sources of contamination
to the water resources by properly managing growth and development around
their water supplies and water bodies. I hope that all towns make the right choice
to prevent pollution before it causes the loss of water resources because restoring
water resources is far more expensive and in many cases impossible.
15
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Patricia L. Meaney
Director of Planning
and Management
The environmental information system of the future will require changes in
computer technology and a new focus on staff training within EPA to make
this change possible. We must search for new ways to get the right information
to answer environmental questions. Future environmental analyses will require
multi-media integration, geographic referencing, geographic information sys-
tems, trend monitoring, and ecosystem impact review.
These new computer technologies will allow us to gather and assess volumes
of diverse information never before available for environmental groups and
state and local environmental agencies. We need to simplify and standardize the
systems to allow both scientists and managers to obtain environmental data.
We need to develop staff who know the possible uses of the environmental data
and information resources.
It will be difficult to develop the expertise to make these systems work. The
content of jobs will change. However, it is only by developing individual and
group expertise that we will be able to get full value out of our very significant
information investments.
I want EPA's New England Office to improve its ability in systematically
planning, setting priorities, and targeting our enforcement actions. I want
to make sure that the fines, other penalties, injunctions or jail sentences are sig-
nificant deterrents. Also, as we approach the year 2000,1 want to have in place a
cooperative state/federal environmental enforcement system with these goals.
We must develop innovative enforcement approaches designed for specific
problems. At present, although we do some advance planning and setting
priorities in our enforcement program, the enforcement actions we take more
often result from tips, random inspections and reports, and referrals from the
states. In some EPA areas, noncompliance levels indicate that our enforcement
system is not serving as a sufficient deterrent.
EPA is getting better at assessing the comparative environmental and public
health risks of the problems we face. Our challenge is to set enforcement priorities
and develop plans that reflect our risk assessments, and to evaluate or explain
our enforcement victories in terms of environmental improvement.
HarleyF. Laing
Regional Counsel
16
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Edward J. Conley
Director of Environmental
Services
Today's high technology has revolutionized environmental science.
Incredibly sensitive, and in many cases portable, instrumentation is changing
both the way we measure and the way we perceive the environment around us.
These instruments can quickly and accurately measure substances in the part
per billion and even parts per trillion range. More and more, data will be col-
lected on-site and in "real time" to allow quick decisions. This will be especially
useful to local officials who must respond to environmental emergencies.
With their extreme sensitivity, these instruments will be used to truly protect
our environment. For instance, they can measure substances at levels well below
any known risk, allowing us to note any change to these essentially background
levels and to quickly investigate and take appropriate measures before a problem
develops, such as a problem with a municipal groundwater supply.
Nevertheless, base labs such as EPA's in Lexington, MA will always be neces-
sary. Its facilities and personnel will serve as a repository of expertise for the
interpretation of data, quality assurance, training for state and local agencies,
and state-of-the-art instrumentation.
End-of-the-pipe" pollution controls and "mid-pipe" corrections to separate
waste streams for treatment and reuse will continue to be important environ-
mental tools to protect our nation's air, water and land. Yet, more "before-pipe"
actions will need to be implemented as the magnitude of the problems we face is
known and the cost of controls is calculated. We discuss "preventive" actions when
addressing stratospheric ozone depletion and greenhouse effects, yet the concept
will have to apply much more broadly to solve many of our environmental prob-
lems. We need to simply stop the proliferation of products that are commonly
used and then carelessly discarded to befoul our environment. We cannot expect
individuals to substantially change their behavior through individual marketplace
decisions without substantial government-supported data on the harm from the
products and an explanation of what individuals can and should do to help solve
the problem. At the same time, polls indicate that individuals will support a
government that does impose controls to stop waste that is harmful and non-
essential from ever entering the marketplace or industrial setting.
Louis F.Gitto
Director of
Air Management
17
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Building Toward a Pollution-Free Environment by 2000
EPA Highlights: 19 8 8
Water
Management
Division
Richard totally, (left) deputy director of
the Water Division, and Kathleen Hull, EM
environmental engineer, check the sludge
composting project at the Deer Island
Sewage Treatment Plant on Boston Harbor.
Wetlands Enforcement
EPA referred four wetlands cases to the
Department of Justice for civil prosecu-
tion, began two criminal investigations,
and issued four Administrative Orders
requiring the removal of unpermitted fill
and the restoration of the damaged
wetland resources.
Toxic Pollutants
EPA and the states collected and ana-
lyzed data to identify all water bodies
known or suspected to be affected by the
discharge of toxic pollutants. All known
point sources of toxicants which haven't
already been controlled will have new or
modified permits by early 1989.
18
Boston Harbor
EPA completed assessments of the
on-island and on-shore pier facilities that
will be used to transport construction
material and equipment to the new
secondary treatment plant on Deer Island
in Winthrop, MA. The Agency also recom-
mended the types and locations of the
plant's sewage tunnels, and a new outfall
site, approximately 6 to 10 miles east of
Deer Island in Massachusetts Bay.
Lead In Drinking Water
All 2,600 community water systems in
New England had to notify their cus-
tomers of the potential for lead in water
caused by the corrosion of lead piping
materials. The use of lead solder and
pipe has been prohibited in five of the six
states. EPA has proposed new regulations
for lead that set a maximum contaminant
level of 0.005 mg/l in source water and a
requirement for water systems to initiate
corrosion control.
Nonpolrrt Sources
All New England states developed draft
Nonpoint Source (NPS) Assessments and
Management Programs. Region I has
been providing technical assistance to
the states. Each state has also organized
a NPS task force of officials and inter-
ested groups. An example of a nonpoint
source is pollution carried off the land
by stormwater runoff.
Municipal Enforcement Initiative
Under the National Municipal Policy, all
municipal sewage treatment plants in
New England either returned to compli-
ance with their permits or were placed
on an enforceable schedule
National Estuaries
The Long Island Sound study conducted
samplings to design a water quality
model to determine controls needed for
the widespread, low-dissolved oxygen
problem in the western sound. The
Narragansett Bay project completed dry-
weather sampling and sediment con-
tamination analysis. The Buzzards Bay
Project has been implementing a pilot
coliform contamination reduction project
in Buttermilk Bay. The Mass Bay pro-
gram, funded by a $2 million Boston
Harbor pollution settlement, completed a
workshop to guide the first year's effort.
Wastewater Treatment Grants
EPA allocated $239 million in grants in
1988 for wastewater treatment plants in
New England and made $192 million in
payments to grant recipients who had
been awarded grants in previous years.
The Water Division and the Regional
Counsel's Office developed the first
Capitalization Grant in the Region for
Connecticut through a $28 million State
Revolving Fund (SRF) which will provide
low interest loans instead of grants for
wastewater treatment.
State
CT
ME
MA
NH
Rl
VT
Ibtal
Obligation
(millions)
$ 39
$ 29
$110
$ 27
$ 23
$ 11
$239
Outlay
(millions)
$ 34
$ 14
$ 88
$ 26
$ 20
$ 10
$192
Pi-Vim Tsal, Sc-D., EM texlcologtet.
-------
Waste
Management
Division
An mglmcr take* a clay sample for testing.
Innovative Technology
The Superfund Innovative Technology
Evaluation (SITE) program is a legisla-
tively mandated national effort to
evaluate the effectiveness of new and
promising technologies at Superfund
sites. In Region 1, SITE demonstrations
were successfully conducted at the
New Bedford Harbor, MA site using the
solvent extraction process for removal
of PCBs from sediments, and at the
Groveland, MA site using the Terra Vac
process for treatment of groundwater.
Waterllne
A waterline serving a 96-unit condomin-
ium complex adjacent to the Charles
George Superfund site in Tyngsborough,
MA was activated in October 1988. The
condominium's original deep bedrock
wells had been contaminated with landfill
organics. Water had been supplied in
the interim by an emergency overland
waterline. The new $35 million waterline
is approximately four miles long and
includes a pump station, a 550,000 gallon
storage tank and a rechlorination building.
Corrective Action
EPA issued a Hazardous and Solid Waste
Amendments permit to IBM in Essex
Junction, VT to require the company to
set groundwater protection standards
and to assess possible contamination at
the site for further remediation. Later,
an agreement was reached for IBM to
develop a modeling approach to support
a revision of the corrective action plan
and assist in establishing groundwater
quality standards. An on-site water
supply well was shut down during July
1988 to evaluate the degree of connec-
tion between the bedrock aquifer and
upper aquifers. Subsequently, the model
has been calibrated and may be used to
evaluate the effectiveness of corrective
measures options.
Underground Tanks
Rve state legislatures passed Under-
ground Storage Tank statutory enhance-
ments and work began on preparing
states to assume the federal regulatory
program in FY89. Also the new Leaking
Underground Storage Tank cleanup
program, funded by a federal tax on
gasoline sales, provided almost $4 mil-
lion directly to states to fund priority
corrective actions at gasoline leak sites
which affected off-site third parties.
The states have added more than 45
staff members to overview responsible-
party cleanups, and have initiated fund-
financed cleanups at more than 21 sites.
Snperfund Remedies
EPA selected remedies at the following
ten Superfund sites totaling approxi-
mately $715 million:
Laurel Park in Naugatuck, CT—$23 million
for a cap and groundwater remediation.
Yaworski in Canterbury, CT—$3 million for
a cap and groundwater monitoring.
CEC in Bridgewater, MA—$3.4 million for
on-site treatment of source materials and
groundwater monitoring.
Groveland in Groveland, MA—$4 million
for on-site treatment of source materials
and groundwater remediation.
Iron Horse Parkin Billerica, MA—$2 million
for on-site treatment of source materials.
Rose Disposal in Lanesboro, MA—$65 mil-
lion for on-site incineration and ground-
water remediation.
Old Springfield in Springfield, VT—$5.4
million for groundwater remediation.
Keefe in Epping, NH—$6.1 million for
upgrading the existing landfill closure
and groundwater monitoring.
Charles George in Tyngsborough, MA—
$113 million for groundwater remediation.
L&RR in N. Smithfield, Rl—$63 million
for upgrading the existing landfill closure
and groundwater monitoring.
irWOffWMV •« uM MdUB SVptffiUM Site 10
Oray, ME stablOn itecmrtamlnated sell with
idtbMMtaryK.
19
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Air
Management
Division
Indoor Air
Region 1 worked closely with state radon
programs in conducting monitoring
surveys, training programs, and radon
reduction projects. Indoor radon accounts
for up to 20,000 lung cancer cases
nationally per year. In another indoor air
area, the phase-in of the Asbestos Haz-
ard Emergency Response Act of 1986
(AHERA) enhanced protection from
airborne asbestos fibers in school build-
ings. Under AHERA, a comprehensive
asbestos inspection and long-term
management program by schools is
mandated. EPA provided technical
assistance to school districts, state
officials, and interest groups on imple-
menting the new legislation.
Rnco Rsfas* Energy
Systems Co., Saugus, MA.
Community Rlght-to-Know
Manufacturing industries that use toxic
chemicals were required for the first time
to submit to EPA and the states a "Toxic
Release Inventory" showing the quantity
of the chemicals released into the envi-
ronment. Region 1 held 15 workshops on
the requirements and information was
mailed to thousands of facilities More
than 4,200 forms have been received,
and all of this data is being put into a
computer and will be directly available
to the public.
Air Toxics
Region 1 worked with the New England
states to develop approved, multi-year
plans for evaluating and reducing public
exposure to air toxics. Special projects to
evaluate potential high-risk point sources
were also funded by EPA in Maine, Rhode
Island, and Vermont. Also, the Region
took the lead in a national effort to develop
guidance for evaluating air-toxic impacts
from hazardous waste sites.
Pesticides
The Air Division and the Regional Coun-
sel's Office refocused attention on
federal pesticide enforcement efforts as
evidence of noncompliance mounted.
Careful investigation and case review
resulted in civil actions taken against four
New England firms, mostly for violations
of the federal pesticide registration and
labeling requirements.
PCBs
Inspections by EPA and the states
resulted in the collection of more than
$500,000 in administrative penalties for
the improper use, storage and disposal
of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a
probable carcinogen that is widely used
as a dielectric fluid in electrical equip-
ment. The Region; with help from EPA in
Washington, D.C., also provided technical
assistance to states to deal with PCB-
contaminated "auto fluff," the non-ferrous
residue generated from auto and appli-
ance shredding operations.
Air Pollution
Region 1 reviewed and provided com-
ments on 17 new or modified major
stationary sources proposed in New
England. The states are the primary
authorities for the issuance of federally-
mandated permits to construct and
operate new and modified stationary
sources of air pollution. Because national
audits of state permits revealed signifi-
cant problems, EPA initiated a "real-time"
30-day comment to provide written
comments and, where necessary, testi-
mony at public hearings. The program
insures that the permits meet federal
requirements, and prevents "late hits" on
permitted projects under construction
or in operation.
Cynthia ONMM,
EM •mrlroamwitel scientist.
Fine Particle Matter
With EPA funding and technical support,
the Northeast States for Coordinated Air
Use Management (NESCAUM) began
operation of a regional fine particle moni-
toring network at seven rural sites around
New England, New York, and New Jersey.
This is the only extensive monitoring of
its kind east of the Mississippi and is
expected to improve the understanding of
transported air pollutants which contri-
bute to acid deposition and regional haze
20
-------
Environmental
Services
Division
Air Activities
The Air Section approved monitoring
networks for paniculate matter in the six
New England states; processed more
than 1.5 million data points in a new
Aerometric Information Retrieval System;
and reviewed ozone data for state plans
to meet air pollution standards. The
section observed 26 tests at a variety of
sources; reviewed 36 excessive emission
reports; reviewed 40 Superfund docu-
ments; and conducted 14 toxics monitor-
ing studies. For Chemical Emergency
Planning and Community Right-To-Know,
the program developed strong prepared-
ness programs within the states and filed
the first Title III enforcement action in
the nation.
Biological Activities
The Biology Section performed approxi-
mately 70 toxicity tests for compliance,
monitoring, and enforcement of sewage
discharge permits. Chlorine toxicity evalu-
ations were conducted at three waste-
water treatment plants. Also, reviews of
toxicity reduction evaluation plans were
completed for several plants. In addition
to toxicity testing, approximately 350
bulk insulation and dust samples were
analyzed for asbestos, and 24 wetlands
compliance inspections were completed.
Numerous microbiological tests were run
on drinking water samples and sewage
plant discharges.
Chemical Activities
The Chemistry Section analyzed more
than 2,300 samples for volatile and
semi-volatile organics, polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) and metals. Air toxics
monitoring was developed and used at
key sites. Reid work for volatiles, PCB and
metal screening continues to be a valuable
tool for on-site investigations. Training in
air toxic analysis and gas chromatography/
mass spectrometry operations has been
given to the states.
OH and Hazardous Response
The Emergency Response Program
received an unprecedented number of
reports of accidental releases of oil and
hazardous substances—more than
1,400 reports in 1988. One of the most
dangerous situations occurred in Putnam,
CT where a large number of toxic sub-
stances were involved in a fire and explo-
sion that forced a widespread evacuation
and contaminated the municipal drink-
ing water supply. Another occurred in
Springfield, MA where chlorine gas
was released and caused the largest
evacuation in New England history. The
Response Program also removed haz-
ardous waste at 26 sites and cleaned
up 23 oil spills
Mary JMM Cnzznpe, EM ebmnlst.
Water Activities
The Water Section inspected sewage
discharges during 50 compliance
inspections, 16 pretreatment inspec-
tions, and 13 audit inspections. Several
facilities were sampled to support the
Agency's multi-media inspection initi-
ative and the Title III program. To confirm
a wasteload model for the Rutland, VT
wastewater treatment plant, the section
conducted an intensive water quality
survey of Otter Creek. Also, the section
participated in numerous environmental
studies in support of other EPA programs.
EM% laboratory In Lwlngton, MA.
21
-------
Office of
Regional
Counsel
Jam** Ow*n«, EM attorney.
Air Enforcement
EPA's ability to enforce existing regula-
tions more than four months after the
state submitted a revision to EPA was
tested this past year. In United States v.
Arkwright and OCE, the Rhode Island
District Court became the only court so
far to uphold the Agency's ability to
enforce an existing regulation where
there has been a long-pending revision of
a State Implementation Plan (SIP). A SIP
is an EPA-approved state plan for setting,
regulating and enforcing air pollution
standards. In United States v. General
Motors Corp. on the other hand, the
Massachusetts District Court dismissed
EPA's action seeking to enforce the
existing SIP because the Agency had
not acted on a pending revision for well
over four months. EPA has appealed
the decision.
Cannons Engineering Settlement
The Regional Counsel's Office and
the Waste Division achieved a precedent-
setting $33.1 million settlement with
48 major parties involved in the Cannons
Engineering Superfund case. This "mega-
settlement" concludes a series of settle-
ments, including three previous settlements
with parties who sent smaller quantities
of waste to the sites. The settlements with
both "major" and "minor" parties total
$49.2 million to date, which accounts for
84 percent of the total cleanup costs at
the four Cannons sites in Bridgewater and
Plymouth, MA, and Londonderry and
Nashua, NH. The mega-settlement will
recover $17 million in past cleanup costs
spent by the government at the sites, the
largest Superfund cost recovery achieved
to data The total of 361 parties who have
entered settlements in the Cannons case
is the largest number of parties settling
in any Superfund case
Water Pollution Fines
EPA's New England Office was the first
region to issue administrative penalties
under the 1987 amendments to the Clean
Water Act. The Regional Counsel's Office
and the Water Division issued 20 penalty
orders in the past year to municipalities
and industries for offenses ranging from
failing to implement pretreatment programs
for toxics to discharging inadequately
treated wastes Approximately $200,000
in penalties were assessed through final
settlements.
Hazardous Waste Penalties
Rnal settlements were reached in the
Region's "Loss of Interim Status" (LOIS)
actions in Connecticut for violations of
hazardous waste management laws.
Susan Bates, Inc. agreed to a $190,000
penalty, and Plainville Electro Plating Co.,
Inc. and Stanley Plating Co., Inc. each
agreed to $230,000 penalties The facili-
ties lost their interim status approval to
handle hazardous waste because they were
unable to certify to EPA that they were in
compliance with groundwater monitoring
and financial responsibility requirements.
Corrective Action
Under the Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA), EPA issued
corrective-action orders and permits
requiring companies to study hazardous
waste contamination resulting from past
waste treatment, storage and disposal
practices, and then to develop plans for
cleanup. Six new facilities were addressed
during the year.
W*ll»B»ach,ME.
22
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Planning
and Management
Division
Cost Savings
The Agency launched an "Awareness
Campaign" encouraging employees to
cut costs because the FY89 budget
is very tight. Through an educational
campaign of posters, notices and meet-
ings, employees are being asked to cut
back on supplies and services such as
moving expenses, renovation, printing,
phone calls and airborne deliveries.
Reducing Turnover
EPA Region 1 is conducting a pilot human
resources program to reduce the high
turnover rate among Superfund site
managers. The program reviews all site
manager positions and then provides
temporary promotions of some man-
agers of the most complex sites; more
training; and greater opportunity to
compete for cash awards.
Management Innovations
Following a trend observed in the business
community, the Agency is experimenting
with participatory management. Middle
managers identified management prob-
lems in Region 1 and recommended
innovative solutions to senior managers.
This "bottom up" approach represents a
departure from ERA'S traditional, hier-
archial management structure.
Office Assistant
The personal computer is allowing
secretaries to become able assistants.
Word processing is changing the
transcribe-draft-redraft chore. Staff
members submit letters on a computer
disk to an assistant for "sprucing-up"
and distribution. Electronic Mail allows
communication without paper. All cor-
respondence appears on the computer
screen. The role of the assistant will
expand into analyzing and enhancing
information with computer tools like
spreadsheets, databases and desktop
publishing.
JlmHoHoway,
EM mail operations manager.
Grants
Region 1 is participating as a pilot region
to test, improve and implement the
Regional Automated Grants Document
System. The computer system will
streamline the awarding of more than
500 grant and cooperative agreement
actions annually.
Preparing to Move
The Agency is planning to move out of
the John F. Kennedy Federal Building to
another location in downtown Boston
because of a proposed renovation of the
building, including installation of sprin-
klers and asbestos removal. The move,
affecting almost 400 EPA employees,
will occur in late 1989. EPA will return
to the renovated JFK Building in two or
three years.
Parental Leave Manual
An EPA committee drafted a Regional
Parental Leave Manual to address the
needs of our working parents. Based on
applicable laws and regulations, the
manual includes policies on maternity
leave, paternity leave and leave for
adoption. It includes arrangements to
help meet family needs, including part-
time work, job sharing, and limited
periods of working at home
Library
Extending beyond traditional functions,
EPA's Library provides information by
computer links with other libraries across
the nation. The links allow the library to
scan computerized indexes for references
on specific topics at any library. Another
addition to the library is the start-up of
the Canal Street Records Center for the
Waste Division. The Center maintains
and assists EPA staff with Superfund and
RCRA files and provides the public with
access to a variety of federal records.
marda McCarthy,
EF* "Secretary of tb« Y»at"
23
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Office of
Government
Relations and
Environmental
Review
Government Relations
EPA's mission is furthered by reaching
out to elected officials with information
on EPA's priorities and responding to
their concerns. The officials have the
responsibility to satisfy themselves that
EPA is acting sensibly and carrying out
the environmental laws properly. Their
continued support and informed percep-
tion is important if EPA is to succeed.
Congressional Delegation
The information we give to the congres-
sional delegation must be prompt,
correct, and absolutely nonpartisan. In
this election year, the volume of both
letters and phone calls has doubled. Our
congressional staff answered more than
a thousand phone calls and hundreds of
letters from U.S. senators and congress-
men. In addition, we gave 86 briefings.
We were pleased that our congressional
delegation continued to give bipartisan
support to pollution control.
State Legislators
Our staff also continued to work with
key state legislators. One result was a law
to remove from Deer Island in Boston
Harbor the century-old prison to make
space for the new giant Massachusetts
Water Resources Authority sewage treat-
ment plant. Other state legislative issues
included the Underground Storage Tank
program in Rhode Island and the radon
situation in Connecticut. We fielded more
than 250 phone calls from state legi-
slators and their staffs. We also ran a
special project with the Council of State
Governments to help organize a confer-
ence of 700 state legislators.
Environmental Review
Our goal has been to prevent significant
or avoidable environmental damage and
to protect the integrity of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process
of full disclosure and public accountability
on behalf of an environmental ethic. We
have been active in numerous important
cases, including the following:
Georges Bank
Opposed the leasing of Georges Bank for
offshore oil and gas exploration because
it unnecessarily places at risk a proven
renewable fisheries resource of national
importance.
Loon Mountain Ski Area
Advocated that the Forest Service prepare
an environmental impact statement for
the proposed expansion of the Loon
Mountain Ski Area in the White Mountain
National Forest.
Sears Island
Confirmed that there is a reasonable, less
environmentally damaging alternative to
the proposed Sears Island cargo port in
Maine The NEPA review disclosed critical
information about project impacts, need,
costs, and alternatives.
Big River Reservoir
Advocated an unbiased analysis of the
true need for and alternatives to the
quarter-billion dollar Big River Reservoir
in Rhode Island, which would destroy
600 acres of wetlands.
White Mountain National Forest
Called for an environmental review of the
full consequences of minerals mining in
the White Mountain National Forest prior
to the Bureau of Land Management's
issuance of prospecting permits.
Ocean State Power Plant
Recommended less harmful alternative
locations and mitigation measures for
the large proposed Ocean State Power
Plant on the Massachusetts-Rhode Island
state line We persuaded the Federal
Energy Regulatory Administration to pre-
pare an Environmental Impact Statement
on this 500 megawatt project, the first
time it had ever done so on a power plant.
24
-------
Office of
Public Affairs
Madia
Recognizing that EPA informs the public
about environmental issues through the
media, the Agency wrote and released
to newspapers, radio and television sta-
tions approximately 175 news and
feature stories in 1988. EPA officials
regularly spoke with reporters from the
Boston Globe, the Boston Herald, the
Boston Phoenix, the Hartford Courant,
the Providence Journal, the New York
Times, the Wall Street Journal, Time,
Newsweek, and other major television,
radio and newspaper outlets in New
England. Top EPA administrators met
with many New England editorial boards,
general station managers and editorial
directors. EPA newsletters served to
update public and private interest groups
of new regulations and actions.
Suparfund Community Relations
To ensure that local citizens are involved
in decisions about cleanup actions at the
59 major hazardous waste (Superfund)
sites in New England, the Superfund
Community Relations Program held 20
public meetings and nine public hearings
in site communities for citizens to leam,
raise issues and ask questions about
site developments. Public input and com-
ments were solicited on the proposed
cleanup options for several of the Region's
sites which had reached the stage for the
design of a final cleanup plan. EPA dis-
tributed 36 site-specific fact sheets and
more than 65 news releases to keep citi-
zens apprised of Superfund actions. Also,
the staff commented on four Technical
Assistance Grant (TAG) applications and
held workshops on the new TAGs for inter-
ested citizen groups. TAGs are grants to
help community groups review and com-
ment on Superfund technical documents.
AHW
tin Woods Hole, MA
announcing th« designation of Buzzards
Bay as an estnary of national significance.
Freedom of Inhumation
EPA received and processed 1,344
Freedom of Information requests. The
written requests come from individuals,
corporations, associations, public inter-
est groups and local, state and foreign
governments for records held or believed
to be held by EPA.
Public Education
Educational activities for the public
increased awareness through the
National President's Environmental Youth
Awards program, the Boston Harbor
slide/video show and the participation of
EPA employees in the Adopt-a-School
program. Other public-oriented activities
included the Environmental Education
Ecology Poem and Poster Contest, the
annual environmental forum, a speaker's
bureau, staffing display booths and exhib-
its, the publication of the Directory of
Environmental Groups in New England, and
the availability of environmental video-
tapes, films, pamphlets and brochures.
EPA Regional
Efforts
Contracts for Minority and Woman
Businesses
More than seven percent of Region 1's
total contracts under the municipal
facilities construction grants program in
1988 were awarded to women-owned or
minority-owned businesses. Approximately
$15 million went to minority-owned
businesses and more than $5.5 million
went to women-owned businesses from
the contracts totaling approximately
$280 million. The effort represents EPA's
commitment to address the challenge
to increase contract dollars to minority
and women businesses.
Affirmative Action
Region 1 has an aggressive affirmative
action program, and is committed to
creating and sustaining a diverse work-
force. In 1988, 75 percent of the regional
increases were women and minority
employees. To further promote gender and
racial equality, the Region also developed
affirmative action training for supervisors
and managers which created forums for
dialogue concerning the management of
a diverse workforce Also, the Region
developed an AIDS action policy and a
regional training program for all employees.
Former EPA Administrator Leo 1
speaks from a podlBm at a news conference
In Providence, HI. Seated to the left of
Thomas are EPA Regional Administrator
Michael Poland and ILS. Sen. Cudbomo Poll.
-------
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Expanded State Roles in the 1990's
D*pnty RvgJooai Mrnln-
htratorPauIlfeoafh
(c*nter)aiHlUS.R*p.
Nicholas Mavrankw (right)
•xamlM granular carbon
at • IMW $1 minion gran-
ular carbon iy*t*m to treat
contaminated w»f I water In
anrwiami, NU.
By Paul G. Keough
Deputy Regional Administrator
EPA's New England Office
There is no question that our achievement of regional and national environ-
mental goals will become increasingly dependent on the states as we head
toward the year 2000.
During the last decade, states have been delegated operational or day-to-day
responsibilities for carrying out a wide array of EPA programs, and that trend will
continue. Previously, the U.S. Congress passed environmental legislation requir-
ing EPA to establish programs and then delegate responsibilities to the states.
Recently, congressional legislation has directly assigned major responsibilities to
the states. Thus, it is imperative that EPA and the states continue to work on
establishing a true partnership through a joint effort to improve the environment.
In the years ahead, I see EPA emphasizing technical assistance to a far greater
degree. Environmental problems and programs are becoming increasingly more
technically complex. There will be a tremendous expansion of EPA's technology
transfer programs.
States will be given more flexibility to decide how best to utilize federal dollars.
I do not anticipate a large increase in the amount of dollars that will be going
to the states to help them run their programs. Risk-based decision making will
be utilized by EPA and the states to make sure that the limited, available federal
dollars are being spent to achieve the most environmental benefit. The states will
also need to become more involved in policy formation and decision-making if
the partnership is to be successful.
I expect both the federal and state governments to shift their emphasis to
pollution prevention programs rather than using all of their resources to dean
up the problems of the past. This will be particularly true in the solid waste
area where EPA and the states will be developing more aggressive programs in
the waste minimization and recycling areas.
I believe that both the state and federal governments will turn to the private
sector for assistance in carrying out many pollution-control construction pro-
grams. The demand for new construction and rehabilitation of existing facilities
will far outstrip the ability of federal and state governments to pay. There will
be a trend toward the privatization of these facilities.
EPA and the states will have to continue to strive diligently to improve their
working relationships. Cooperation is essential because they have a shared
responsibility and a shared commitment to improve the environmental quality
for all New Englanders.
27
-------
State Highlights: 19 8 8
Wbrking Today fora Cleaner Environment in the Next Decade
Connecticut
Department of
Environmental
Protection
Commissioner
Leslie Carothers
Chris Rowland* (right),
as superhero Roy Cycle,
promote* Connecticut's
recycling efforts.
Envlronment/2OOO
Gov. William A. O'Neill adopted Envi-
ronment/2000 in September 1987 as
Connecticut's environmental plan and
called on all public and private organi-
zations and individuals to participate in
its implementation. During 1988, Com-
missioner Leslie Carothers established
an advisory committee representing a
broad cross-section of government and
private interests to assist in the task.
Addressing 42 issues, Environment/
2000 provides a comprehensive long-
range plan for the Department and all
the other groups that have an impact on
the state's natural resources and envi-
ronmental quality. The Environment/2000
plan has been recognized by the Council
of State Governments and selected for
inclusion in the Council's Innovations
Transfer Project.
Land Acquisition
in connection with ongoing, open-space
acquisitions under the new Recreation
and Natural Heritage Trust program, the
Department has established a comprehen-
sive priority-rating system and an advisory
committee to expedite the acquisition of
the most valuable properties in the state,
using the $15 million appropriation of the
last legislative session.
State Parks Mark 75th Anniversary
The Connecticut State Park system
observed the 75th anniversary of the
legislation establishing the first State Park
Commission in Connecticut Although
extensive private sector activity had
previously taken place, the first legisla-
tion was passed in 1913. A series of
diverse, anniversary activities was held
throughout the 90-park, 29,856-acre
system, including a special birthday
celebration at Rocky Neck State Park
in August
Long Island Sound
The joint, federal/multi-state study of
Long Island Sound continues to be a
major priority for the Department In
addition to data collection and analysis,
the state has initiated the process of
acquiring a new vessel for use in water-
quality and living-resource monitoring.
Plans are being developed for an edu-
cation center and for remedial actions
to deal with the complex problems in
the Sound.
Water Enforcement Efforts
A strengthened commitment to the
enforcement of water-quality related
statutes was reflected in a stipulated
judgement entered at Hartford Superior
Court in November. The judgement
provided for two forfeiture payments
totalling $180,000 by the City of New
Haven, the largest fine ever levied in
connection with a water quality violation
by a Connecticut municipality. It also
provided for a $150,000 payment
towards a future water-related project
to be approved by the Department
Toward a New Century
Although the restoration of Long Island
Sound, aquifer protection and any number
of other critical items require the Depart-
ment's attention, probably the single most
urgent problem Is the handling of solid
waste. A revised state plan for solid waste
management was developed and submit-
ted for public comment in September,
This integrated plan places a substantial
emphasis on recycling and includes a
controversial proposal to override local
zoning in the siting of ash disposal
facilities.
28
-------
Maine
Department of
Environmental
Protection
Commissioner
Dean C. Marriott
Reorganization
What was once an informal board dealing
with recreational water problems in Maine
is now the Department of Environmen-
tal Protection (DEP) with more than 350
employees and a budget of $16 million
dealing with a myriad of complex issues
and regulations. Recognizing the stresses
that accompany such growth, the Governor
commissioned a management study to
identify changes that would enhance
departmental operations and service
delivery. Chief among the study's recom-
mendations were: (1) create an executive
staff to "free up" the Commissioner to
be a policy creator and environmental
advocate, (2) increase regional focus,
(3) improve written procedures and auto-
mated systems, and (4) create a Bureau
of Solid Waste Management to better
integrate waste management policy.
An action plan has been drawn up and
recommendations are being implemented.
Malnrt rocky coast.
Underground Tanks
Gasoline contaminated the drinking
water of families and school children in
the coastal village of Friendship four
years ago. On October 13, townspeople
celebrated the solution to their problem
as they assumed ownership and opera-
tional responsibilities for a new municipal
water system. Planned and built by DEP,
the system was completed in August
1988. Work on long-term groundwater
remediation is underway.
Ozone
Residents of quiet Isle au Haut found that
they too can suffer from ozone The highest
concentration ever recorded in Maine—
0.20 ppm—occurred on the remote
island this summer. In August the Board
of Environmental Protection adopted rules
proposed by DEP to reduce hydrocarbon
emissions, a known precursor to ozone
formation. The rules require vapor controls
at northern bulk storage gasoline termi-
nals. Stage 1 controls for major gasoline
service stations, an annual self-certification
program for gasoline tank-truck tight-
ness, and reduced gasoline volatility.
Solid Waste
Responding to public concern about
solid waste, DEP's new Bureau of Solid
Waste Management is implementing the
provisions of the comprehensive solid
waste legislation enacted in 1987. Changes
in how the state manages solid waste
may occur in the upcoming legislative
session when issues like disposal capacity
and recycling are expected to be examined
and debated.
Aesthetic Water Quality
Now that their rivers are technically "clean,"
Maine citizens are voicing concerns
about the water's aesthetics. Color, odor,
foam and combined sewer overflows are
restricting recreational activity on many of
Maine's rivers. DEP has spent 10 months
studying the problem and likely solutions
A report containing recommendations
and proposed legislation will be issued to
the Governor in early 1989.
Looking a Decade Ahead
Maine like other states faces a solid waste
management challenge of monumental
proportions. The state has worked steadily
on the technical aspects of solid waste
management for a number of years and
now strives to better implement many of
the solutions that exist in a cost-effective
and environmentally-sound manner.
During the next 10 years, DEP will work
with industries, communities and indi-
vidual citizens to develop an integrated
solid waste management system that
incorporates elements of source reduction,
recycling, incineration and landfilling.
29
-------
Massachusetts
Executive Office of
Environmental Affairs
Secretary
James S. Hoyte
Collecting booMbold hazardous waste.
30
Open Space
Massachusetts in 1988 invested $80
million in the preservation of watersheds,
coastal areas, farmland, riverways, local
conservation lands and other natural
resources. The bulk of the funds came
from the 1987 open space bill totalling
$500 million.
Boston Harbor Cleanup
Gov. Michael S. Dukakis in August launched
the construction for the Boston Harbor
cleanup, the largest environmental proj-
ect in New England since the construc-
tion of the Quabbin Reservoir in Central
Massachusetts in the 1930s.
Recycling
Reinforcing the Commonwealth's leader-
ship in recycling, Secretary James S. Hoyte
in November led the groundbreaking in
Springfield for the state's first materials-
recovery facility.
Waste Prevention
The newly-appointed commissioner of
the state's Department of Environmental
Quality Engineering, Daniel Greenbaum,
announced organizational changes
designed to make waste prevention—
instead of end-of-the-pipe regulation—
the agency's primary objective
National Ranking
Massachusetts environmental programs
were ranked number one in the country—
tied with Wisconsin—in a 1988 nation-
wide survey of environmental groups
conducted by the Washington-based
Fund for Renewable Energy and the
Environment.
Polystyrene Ban
Calling on the public and private sectors
to get away from the "throw-away society,"
the Governor issued an executive order
in May banning the state purchase of
non-recyclable disposable plastics such
as Styrofoam and expanding the state
purchase of recycled goods.
One-Year Pause on Incinerators
Massachusetts in November announced
a one-year pause on the siting and con-
struction of waste-to-energy incinerators
in an effort to encourage communities
and private investors to look more closely
at recycling and other alternatives.
Acid Rain
By year's end, Massachusetts was prepar-
ing to enact some of the toughest in-state
regulations in the nation to reduce the
smokestack emissions which contribute
to acid rain.
Tougher Environmental Reviews
The Governor filed a package of amend-
ments to further strengthen the state's
environmental impact review process. The
amendments, if adopted, would block
construction on projects until all reviews
are completed; would set a direct fine for
violators; would guarantee citizens the
right to appeal all impact decisions; and
would allow local communities to refer
projects for state review which do not
automatically trigger the review process.
Beach Cleanups
The Massachusetts Coastal Zone Man-
agement office organized a cleanup of
the entire Massachusetts coastline. Some
2,200 volunteers collected 25 tons of
trash from New Bedford to Newburyport.
Looking a Decade Ahead
While environmental policy at the state
and federal level traditionally has focused
on end-of-the pipe regulation andresponse,
Massachusetts moves into the next
decade and century with a much more
aggressive, prevention-minded strategy.
Instead of merely cleaning up past
mistakes, Massachusetts considers
prevention—stopping pollution and other
environmental harm at the source-^its
top priority. Current efforts in waste
management, resource protection and
the enforcement of tough standards
on discharges reflect the momentum
Massachusetts'already has gained
on prevention.
-------
New Hampshire
Department of
Environmental Services
Commissioner
Alden H. Howard
Waste Management
The Department of Environmental Serv-
ices (DBS) completed a major revision of
the state's Solid Waste Management Plan
in 1988. This document provides the
most current data and options needed
for making management decisions at the
state, regional, and local levels. Other
solid waste initiatives included legislation
establishing a state solid waste study
committee, providing funds for hiring a
recycling coordinator, mandating a
training program for facility operators,
and authorizing solid waste research
grants. Additionally, hazardous waste
settlements with potentially responsible
parties were completed at six of the
state's Superfund sites, including a multi-
million dollar settlement involving the
Gilson Road Site in Nashua.
Wastewater Treatment
New Hampshire issued more court-ordered
consent decrees than any other New
England state by July 1,1988 to all of the
communities failing to meet the waste-
water treatment requirements of the
Clean Water Act The consent decree
documents contain compliance sched-
ules for construction of treatment
facilities as well as monetary penalties
for not meeting the schedules.
Water User Program
DES implemented its first full year of a
water-user registration and reporting
program. This involved approximately
500 facilities that use more than 20,000
gallons of water per day, including indus-
trial, agricultural, sewage treatment and
water supply facilities. The extensive data
gathered by this program assists the
Department in planning for the state's
future water needs.
Air Compliance
The Department conducted an active air
regulations enforcement program by
inspecting 360 permitted air emission
devices at more than 130 plant sites
statewide Additional compliance activi-
ties included conducting more than 40
stack tests to verify emission rates for
particulates, nitrogen oxide, carbon
dioxide and hydrocarbons. Enforcement
orders were issued to all facilities found
in violation of state regulations.
•,:;.::-.-
DES CommlMloMr Md*n
H. Howard (**cmHl from
l«ft} speaking at tiM
dedication of a town solid
wart* recycling facility.
Rivers Protection
The Department began implementing a
rivers management and protection pro-
gram initiated by 1988 state legislation.
Under the direction of a newly-hired DES
rivers coordinator, the program assesses
various rivers and river segments for
possible protection through a state nomi-
nating process. The coordinator also
develops river corridor management
plans and provides assistance to local
officials to implement such plans.
:•.
Prime Focus for the Nineties
A prime focus of the Department in the
1990's will be the improvement and
expansion of solid waste management
programs. The recently revised State
Solid Waste Management Plan will result
in the strengthening of solid waste man-
agement districts and the implementa-
tion of waste reduction goals, including
increased municipal recycling. Following
the plan's guidance, DES will provide
additional leadership and expertise to
municipal and regional officials in a
cooperative effort to successfully resolve
New Hampshire's solid waste problems.
-------
Rhode Island
Department of
Environmental
Management
Director
Robert L. Bendick, Jr.
A DEM planner adjust*
boundary ItM* to reflect
Rhode Island's most recent
purchaso of open space.
Medical Waste
Medical waste washed ashore on Rhode
Island's beaches in 1988. The Depart-
ment of Environmental Management
(DEM) commissioned oceanographers to
study wind and tidal currents and the
locations where the waste came ashore.
The study set the dumping location in
the New York bight in mid-June.
Auto Fluff
After a DEM investigation, tests showed
that "loam" used to cover a closed landfill
contained PCBs. An extensive cleanup
followed with removal of the "auto fluff"
from nearby lawns. DEM and the Attorney
General's Office secured an 800-point
criminal indictment against the firms
responsible Ultimately, EPA's help was
requested when the contaminated fluff
was found at 13 separate locations
around the state. By June, shredders of
junk cars had closed down when landfills
refused to accept the resulting fluff.
Appliances manufactured before the ban
of PCBs in the late 1970s appeared to be
the source of contamination.
Trash
The state's mandatory recycling program
began in the fall. Residents are required
to separate newspapers and to place
aluminum and glass in blue bins picked
up with their regular trash. More than 70
percent participated on the first collec-
tion day and 90 percent on the second.
The Source Reduction Task Force released
a plan recommending education, legisla-
tion to ban the use of some materials,
and technical assistance to manufacturers
and businesses to reduce generation.
Drinking Water
The Scituate Reservoir Task Force
recommended actions to protect the
Scituate from contamination, including
road salt reductions and new septic
system regulations. Progress was made
in implementation of the state's innova-
tive Watershed Protection Program.
Statewide Planning introduced a new
guide to water supply policies which
became part of the State Guide Plan.
Water Quality
Gov. Edward D. DiPrete proposed a trust
fund for clean water to help replace cuts
in federal funds available for sewage
treatment plants. The legislation received
the support of the General Assembly.
DEM ordered three municipalities on the
Pawtuxet River to upgrade their sewage
facilities to advanced treatment The
projects are expected to cost upward of
$60 million. Rhode Island also increased
its water quality budget sufficiently to
offset a 35 percent cutback in the federal
share of the cost of implementing the
Clean Water Act requirements.
Toward a New Century
In November 1987 a new state open space
bond was approved, providing $65 million
to protect land from development. Com-
petition was heavy for the state's matching
grants for open space and recreation
area preservation. By September, $37
million of the state funding had been
committed to projects to preserve 3,325
acres of land across the state, including
hundreds of acres of waterfront land along
the coastline, rivers, lakes .and ponds.
The grant program was in addition to
ongoing programs in which the state
purchased hundreds of acres of open
space during the year.
-------
Vermont
AgMicy ftebwto biologists monitor
currents In Lake Champlaln.
Agency of Natural
Resources
Secretary
Jonathan Lash
Lake Champlaln
Vermont, New York and Quebec signed a
memorandum of understanding which
provides for the cooperative management
of Lake Champlain. The 126-mile-long
lake has not suffered pollution problems
as severe as her five sister Great Lakes,
but accelerated lakeshore development
and heavy recreational use have spurred
the three governments to take action. A
workplan of research and management
needs and a Citizen's Advisory Committee
have been established. Also, Vermont and
New York will nominate Lake Champlain,
along with New York's six-million acre
Adirondack State Park, as a Biosphere
Reserve in the United Nations' "Man and
the Biosphere Program."
Growth
In response to the land-use and envi-
ronmental pressures associated with
Vermont's accelerated economic growth,
the 1988 Legislature passed a growth bill
which provides planning funds to com-
munities and sets 32 goals to guide
communities. The law also requires state
agencies making land-use decisions to
develop plans consistent with state goals,
and commits $4.5 million to develop a
state-wide computerized geographic
information system.
Solid Waste
The state's new Solid Waste Plan calls for
a 40 percent recycling goal and strong state
and regional waste reduction programs.
The plan, the product of nearly 30 public
meetings and innumerable discussions
with many interested parties, will help
regions design solid waste programs during
the next five years.
Qroundwater Regulations
The State Department of Health and the
Agency implemented a comprehensive
set of groundwater regulations. The
regulations require the Agency to develop
a management and protection strategy
for the state's groundwater, which will be
classified into four categories based on
intended use and the range of activities
permitted in recharge areas. A separate
wellhead protection category was created
to give extra protection to the state's 400
well or spring-fed public drinking water
supplies.
Air Quality
Vermont and other Northeastern states
have proposed regulations to control the
volatility of gasoline, a move which is
expected to reduce the formation of
surface-level ozone. The Agency also
developed air toxics regulations to set
standards for approximately 200 pol-
lutants. The regulations will affect
industrial facilities, dry cleaners, gas
stations and waste disposal operations.
Toward tKe Year 2000
Aside from gfobal climate change, which
requires federal and worldwide action, we
consider growth and associated environ-
mental pressures as the single biggest
challenge feeing Vermont's environment
Dairying antf forestry help define Vermont's
landscape, but they have been squeezed
by economic changes largely outside
the control of the state Growth in other
sectors, chief iy tourism and a second-
home market, threaten the landscape and
environment thatcharacterize Vermont.
However, the Legislature's Growth Man-
agement Act provided the tools and the
mandate to plan and guide growth, and
set up tax incentives for the dairy indus-
try. Also, a $250,000 congressional
appropriation was obtained by Vermont
Sen. Patrick Leahy and New Hampshire
Sen. Warren Rudman to study the future
of large tracts of forest lands in Vermont,
New Hampshire, Maine and New York,
artctto recommend management strate-
gies to keep northern forestry a viable
rural economy.
-------
Financial Overview
Salaries and Expenses 5%
Superfund ias%
Leaking Underground
Storage Tank O9%
Abatement Control
and Compliance 9.7%
ConstnictkMi Grants 653%
^••^^^^^^^•••••^^—^^^••^^^^^^^^•^
^ ^ ^ ^
Personnel Compensation
and Benefits
Travel
Operating Expenses
Interagency Agreements
Pro-am Contracts
Cooperative Agreements
Grants to States
Construction Grants
Salaries
and
Expenses Superfund
15,612,100 5,868,200
540,300 303,500
2,269,500 1,379,700
28,096,500
23,873,600
7,770,100
Leaking
Underground
Storage
Tank
206,000
11,900
18,200
3,044,900
Wastewater
Abatement Treatment
Control and Construction
Compliance Grants
1,717,600
33,698,100
240,179,100
Total EPA
Region 1
21,686,300
855,700
3,667,400
28,096,500
25,591,200
10,815,000
33,698.100
Total 18,421,900 67,291,600 3,281,000 35,415,700 240,179,100 364,589,300
34
-------
Region One Work Force
Engineers- *— ^—^- • — ftflft/
Environmental 151, Chemical 8. Total: 159. / \ I ft
Aquatic Biology 13, Micro Biology 2, Ecology 1, Other 3. Total: 19. el /ft
Physical Scientists
Environmental 50, Geology 8, Chemical 11, Hydrology 8. Total: 77.
Attorneys and Paralegals " **—•" **—•"^
Attorneys 36, Law Clerk 3, Paralegal 1. Total: 40.
Environmental Protection'
Specialists 39. Total: 39.
7%
7%
Environmental Assistants 13, Engineering Technician 1, Physical el /ft
Science Technician 1, Physical Science Assistant 1. Total: 16. " /U
Administrative Support
Rnance 14, Personnel 13, Office Service 8, Computer 11, Grants 11, fk
Management and Program Analysis 13, Public Affairs 4, Other 31. -"^ '"
Total: 105.
Secretarial and Clerical
Secretarial and Clerical 118. Total: 118.
Ibtal Number of Employees: 573
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For Further Information
If you would like additional information
about specific EPA programs, please
visit or write the Office of Public Affairs,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
John F. Kennedy Building (22nd Floor),
Cambridge Street, Boston, MA 02203,
or call (617) 565-3420.
The office maintains a limited supply of
EPA publications, operates an informal
speakers' bureau and coordinates regional
distribution of environmental films and
videos. There is no charge to the public
for the services.
For extensive research, EPA also has
an environmental library on the 15th
floor (Room 1500) of the JFK Building
in Boston which is open to the public,
Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. The library contains books,
documents, EPA reports, journals and
microfiche reports about air, water
and solid and hazardous waste issues.
For further information, call the library
at (617) 565-3300.
If you encounter an environmental prob-
lem, report it first to your local, and then
your state pollution control agency at
the phone numbers which follow. For
specific information about EPA programs,
call the following EPA phone numbers:
ILS. EPA, New England Office
(Region 1} (617)565-3420
Asbestos
Air Division
Automobile Complaints
Massachusetts
Other N.E. States
Chemical and Oil Spills,
24-hour number
Government Relations
Impact Statement
Review
Lexington Lab
Pesticides
Pesticides Hot Line
Personnel
Regional Counsel
Title III
Superfund
Underground Storage
Tanks
Waste Division
Water Division
Permit Compliance
Surface Water Quality
Drinking Water
Groundwater
(617)565-3744
(617)565-3800
1-800-631-2700
1-800-821-1237
(617)223-7265
(617)565-3414
(617)565-3414
(617)860-4300
(617)565-3744
1-800-858-7378
(617)565-3719
(617)565-3334
(617)860-4385
(617)573-9610
(617)573-9604
(617)573-5700
(617)565-3478
(617)565-3493
(617)565-3538
(617)565-3610
(617)565-3610
New England State
Environmental Agencies
Connecticut Department of
Environmental Protection
165 Capitol Ave.
Hartford, CT 06106
(203) 566-5599
24-hour spill number: (203) 566-3338
Maine Department of
Environmental Protection
State House, Station 17
Augusta, ME 04333
(207)289-7688
24-hour spill number: 1-800-482-0777
Massachusetts Executive Office of
Environmental Affairs
100 Cambridge St., 20th Roor
Boston, MA 02202
(617) 727-9800
24-hour spill number:
(617) 292-5648 (Business hours)
(617) 566-4500 (After business hours—
State Police Communications Center)
New Hampshire Department of
Environmental Services
Health and Human Services Building
6 Hazen Drive, P.O. Box 95
Concord, NH 03301
(603)271-3503
24-hour spill number: 1-800-346-4009
Rhode Island Department of
Environmental Management
9 Hayes St.
Providence, Rl 02908
(401) 277-6800
24-hour spill number: (401) 277-3070
Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
103 South Main St.
Waterbury, VT 05676
(802) 244-7347
24-hour spill number: 1-800-641-5005
Susan McOroddy, a
graduate student at
U Mass, Boston, gathers
sediment criteria at
EPA's library.
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This report was produced by EPA's Office
of Public Affairs.
Director
Brooke Chamberlain-Cook
Editor
Greg Supernovich
Graphic Design
Flanders & Associates, Boston
Production
Chris Jendras
Writers
Richard Burkhart
Jean Cosgrove
Ray DiNardo
Stephen Ells
Kim Franz
Cynthia Greene
Bart Hague
Jack Keane
Andrew Lauterback
Mark Mahoney
Assistants
Mary Anne Gavin
Martha Vidal
Photography Credits
Cover: S.C. Delaney
The Boston Globe: p. 11.
Howard Brett: p. 3.
S.C. Delaney/EPA: pp. 8, 10 and 26.
Edward Gritsavage: p. 21, bottom.
4nn Rodney: p. 18 left.
Greg Supernovich: pp. 1, 2,4-6, 9,13,
18 right, 20, 21 right, 22, 23, 24 right,
25 top, 27, 36.
CT Department of Environmental
Protection: p. 28.
WE Department of Environmental
Protection: p. 29.
UlA Executive Office of Environmental
Affairs: p. 30.
NH Department of Environmental
Services: p. 31.
Rl Department of Environmental
Management: p. 32.
VT Agency of Natural Resources: p. 33.
This publication is printed on partially
recycled paper.
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