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Vol. 6. No. 6
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
June 1977
WATER PRESERVATION STUDY UNDERWAY
This article is intended primarily for those who
habitually drink water.
We know that every automobile that rolls off the
assembly line, every cotton field that is sprayed,
every yard of finished fabric, adds to our water
pollution problem.
"We have been abusing our water as if there were
no tomorrow. Now, suddenly it is tomorrow. And the
clean-up task is ours—yours and mine."
These words were spoken by Dr. Steven Reznek, EPA's
Deputy Director of Energy, Minerals & Industry, in recog-
nition of a two year joint project between the textile
industry and EPA--a project designed to test six advanced
treatment technologies which may be used to meet 1983
water quality standards.
Our own Industrial Environmental Research Labora-
tory is responsible for the project with Max Samfield,
Chemical Engineer, as project officer.
textiles and E~"
Partnefig fort
^ mn
In the small North Carolina town of Cramerton in
late May, EPA and the American Textile Manufacturers
Institute (ATMI) unveiled one of two specially designed
mobile test vans which will be operating up and down the
east coast—from Maine to Georgia—for the next 24 months.
Twenty-four textile plants have been selected for
this test program. At each location, the van will hook
up to the plant's waste-water system where the six dif-
ferent technologies and various combinations will be
tested on seven major categories of textile operations.
The experimental vans are crammed with sophisticated
equipment for removing pollutants such as:
*oxygen depleters--compounds that use up dis-
solved oxygen in a stream and threaten fish
and other forms of life;
*suspended solids--such as fibers and chemical
sludge, which will eventually fill up a stream
bed;
*chromium, sulfides, and phenols—which are
harmful to living things and which may also
(Continued on page 2)
Dr. Steven Reznek, Office of Energy, Minerals, and
Industry, speaking at field day, "Partners for
Cleaner Water."
Dr. Max Samfield, Dale Denny, and "Chick" Craig,
Industrial Environmental Research Laboratory,
touring the mobile test van.
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Steigerwald Honored by APCA
Bern
Steigerwald
Bern Steigerwald, OAQPS, has recently received na-
tional recognition by being selected as the Air Pol-
lution Control Association's 1977 recipient of the
Richard Beatty Mellon Award. The award was made in
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, at a luncheon on Tuesday,
June 21.
This award is presented to a person whose contri-
butions of a civic nature have aided substantially in
the abatement of air pollution. Eligibility for the
award requires the sincere and constant effort of an
individual over a period of time to develop or in-
crease interest in, or acceptance of, the cause of
air pollution control for the betterment of man's en-
vironment.
Bern received the award in recognition of his out-
standing leadership and achievements in initiating
and directing the EPA program for the development and
approval of State Implementation Plans and the tech-
nical guidance for continuous revisions to these
plans in the Nation's efforts to achieve the National
Ambient Air Quality Standards. This program is an
outstanding example of noteworthy progress through
Federal-State cooperation and establishes a signifi-
cant precedent and positive example for future Fed-
eral-State programs in environmental protection.
Congratulations Bern!
The CLEANER TIMES is published monthly by Public Affairs. Office of Administration,
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Research Triangle Park, N.C. 27711
Liz Martin Editor
Dorothy Rose Assistant Editor
Elaine Hyman Reporter
Produced with the assistance of the Word Processing Center; Graphics, Composition,
Printing Sections, and Forms and Publiations Center, GSD.
WATER PRESERVATION...(cont'd from page 1)
combine with chlorine in downstream water
treatment plants to produce compounds harm-
ful to human life;
*colors--which may not be harmful to wildlife,
but can spoil the esthetic value of a stream;
*toxic materials—as yet not identified.
As Reznek stated, "The challenge facing us is to
develop affordable, pollution-control systems, and the
broad-scale testing getting underway will provide us
much needed scientific and technological information.
This project is an important part of the regulatory
process—a process of working together to develop the
most complete and accurate data as well as making the
regulatory process as open and accountable as possible."
Guests at the opening ceremony were welcomed by
Wallace A. Storey, chairman of ATMI's Environmental
Preservation Committee. He described the project as
"an outstanding and unusual example of industry-government
cooperation in developing reasonable and effective govern-
ment regulations."
Hand-in-hand with the technology testing is an
equally important effort--a comprehensive analysis of
the costs of these processes to the textile industry. Al-
though EPA is primarily concerned with environmental
effects, economic costs must also be taken into account
as national standards and effluent limitations are set.
This project is the first joint effort by EPA and
industry which combines the technical and economic
studies in a single program.
Samfield explains that it will be 1980 before all
of the data from the vans has been collected and
analyzed, but "we are getting the real facts about
our environmental problems and meeting these problems
head on."
Practice Safety
The Annual report of Occupational Illness, Injuries,
and Accidents was recently submitted to Headquarters
for consolidation and final submission to the Depart-
ment of Labor.
EPA personnel, Research Triangle Park, N.C. suffered
a total of fifteen (15) recordable injuries during
calendar year 1976. These injuries accounted for
sixty one (61) lost work days.
Injuries were reported within the organizational
elements as follows:
(1) Office of Research and Development 8
(2) Office of Administration 5
(3) Office of Air Quality Planning & Standards 2
Total 15
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Brain Teaser
by Frank Clay
Five men were passengers on an airplane. They were
Steve Austin, Oscar Goldman, Oscar's boss, the Secre-
tary, a catholic priest, and a hippie.
Suddenly the cockpit door burst open, the pilot
appeared and said, "I have some good news and some bad
news. First the bad news. We have some parachutes on
board, but we only have five." The pilot then said,
"I'm the pilot of this airplane. I deserve to live,"
and he grabbed a parachute and jumped from the plane.
Next, Steve Austin got up and said, "The government
spent six million dollars on me, I've got to live," so
he grabbed a parachute and jumped out. Then Oscar
Goldman stood up and said, "I'm head of the OSI, I de-
serve to live," and he grabbed a parachute and jumped
out. The Secretary then stood up and said, "I'm Oscar
Goldman's boss and the smartest man in the world, I
deserve to live," so he grabbed a parachute and jumped
out.
Only two people remained on the plane, the catholic
priest and the hippie. The priest turned to the hippie
and said, "Well son, I'm close to God and I'm not
afraid to die, you take the parachute." The hippie re-
plied "That's all right father.iwe don't have a problem,
The smartest man in the world just jumped out of this
airplane "
What did the hippie say? To find out, use the in-
formation below.
1. The reply is made up of six words. The second word
is "MY"; the fourth word is "for"; and the fifth
word is "a". The first, third, and sixth words
have 5, 8, & 9 letters respectively.
2. The three unknown words are composed of the fol-
lowing letters: AAAA CC EGHIKK NNPP R SS T
VV
3. If the letters in the three words are numbered con-
secutively from left to right, the following let-
ter groups are identical: (1 & 20) (2 & 10)
(4 & 7) (6 & 13) (3 & 11) (11 & 15) (15 & 7)
(9 & 14) and (12 & 18)
4. The following letters are vowels: 1,3,8,11,15,17,
20,22.
5. Letter groups symmetrically equidistant from the
end of the alphabet are (3 & 16) (5 & 21) (6 & 9)
(9 & 13) (13 & 14) (10 & 19) (19 & 2)
6. If the second half of the alphabet is written im-
mediately under the first half, the following let-
ter groups would appear (over/under) each other
(19 & 1) (8 & 4) (12 & 14).
John DeFord
Edward Rhodes announced the appointment of John Deford
as Director of Administration effective May 29.
Does Air Pollution Make You Fighting Mad?
Does polluted air cause you to dislike your fellow
human beings and to become more aggressive? A Uni-
versity of Dayton psychology professor has been con-
ducting research on the question and will soon publish
his findings in a "Psychology Today" magazine article
entitled "Air Pollution Is No Choke."
James Rotton, Ph.D., states that his research was
spurred by childhood memories of his neighbors in an
Indiana steel town. "When neighbors tired of cursing
the air, they would curse each other." In his re-
search, he subjected students to one component of air
pollution—bad odor—and discovered that, in general,
their dislike of other people and their surroundings
increased as the odor level increased.
From his findings, Rotton presents an interesting
hypothesis. Previous studies in Los Angeles have
shown that traffic accidents are more frequent when
the air pollution levels are high. The traditional
explanation for this phenomenon is that air pollution
impairs mental efficiency. However, Rotton points
out that the pollutant associated with traffic acci-
dents is oxidant (smog), which is a physical irritant,
and not carbon monoxide, which is damaging to the ner-
vous system. Rotton adds, "We suspect that traffic
accidents are caused not so much by impaired mental ef-
ficiency as by irritability."
Rotton is continuing his research into the social
and psychological effects of air pollution. He and
his students currently are studying whether there is
any correlation between high air pollution levels and
crimes such as assault, murder, and rape.
-------
That Time Again
"Graduation" 1977
EPA employees were among 900 candidates for gradua-
tion from North Carolina Central University recently.
Commencement speaker Howard Lee, Secretary, Department
of Natural and Economic Resources, told them he is
optimistic about times changing and improving for the
south. "Our time has come," he exclaimed, while a
capacity crowd looked on during the outdoor ceremony.
"Both black and white southerners are potentially
such wonderful people," he continued, "with deep
power to feel and to express their feelings."
Secretary Lee summed up his thoughts to the gradu-
ates by quoting John Lewis, Executive Director, Voter
Education Project, Atlanta, Georgia. "Of course,
I'm optimistic. In this effort you have to be or you
become immobilized. I think it goes in cycles.
We're not where I thought
we'd be by now, but there
has been some change. I
think that's the way life
is." He further quoted,
"You struggle and you
overcome, and then you go
on to the next obstacle,
always working toward an
ideal. Eventually, some-
thing has to give."
In closing, Secretary
Lee emphasized the im-
portance of sacrifice and
hard work. "Nothing is
accomplished without a
struggle—be prepared
THE PROCESSIONAL. Candidates file in for NCCU's
commencement address
for failures, but in each failure and defeat is-
victory," he proclaimed.
"Whatever you choose to be, be the best you can
and don't stop until you reach your goal," he added.
Following Secretary Lee's speech, the candidates
filed across the stage and received their degrees from
Chancellor Albert N. Whiting. EPA employees who worked
part time while earning a Bachelor of Arts are: Johnsie
M. Webster, graduating Cum Laude; Theresa Whitfield;
Donald J. Howard; Francis Williams; and Karen Hamlet.
Employees who received a Bachelor of Science Degree
are: Deborah J. Mangum; Keith Haywood; Karl a Lynn
Ballard; Denise Conwell and Eldner Arrington, both
graduating Cum Laude; Marilyn Sharon Lee; and
Burnette L. Moore. In earlier commencement exer-
cises held at the Univer-
sity of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill, Cathy Parker
received a Bachelor of
Arts Degree and decided to
"tie the knot" shortly
afterwards. Sources say
Cathy is currently honey-
mooning!
Congratulations to all
of our graduates. If by
chance we omitted anyone's
name, we ..still wish to ex-
tend our sincere congratu-
lations and encourage you
to be "optimistic" about
the future.
delivered by Howard Lee, Secretary, Department
of Natural and Economic Resources....
....and then it was over, or is it. The Class of
'77 rejoices—but this is just the beginning.
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Who's Up Front?
Our "Up Front" secretaries this month are Donna Wicker,
HERL, and Barbara Ennis, OAQPS.
Donna
Wicker
Donna Wicker is a Durham native. She graduated
from Durham High School and immediately after gradua-
tion came to work for EPA's predecessor organization
which later became EPA. Presently she is secretary to
Orin W. Stopinski, Director, Criteria and Special Stu-
dies Office. Donna is an avid bowler and also likes
working in her yard. She and her husband enjoy parti-
cipating in antique car activities. Last year they
built a 1930 A-Model and attended car shows in North
Carolina, Virginia and Tennessee. This year they are
showing a 1929 Ford Roadster. Donna and her husband
have a little girl, Jennifer, six years old.
Orin Stopinski says, "There are times when I look
at Donna's in-basket and mentally bet she can't pos-
sibly complete all she has to do. In the six and a
half years we have worked in the same office, I've
lost virtually all of those mental bets. Not only does
she turn out a huge volume of work, she has a talent
for making each staff member or visitor feel that their
question or need will be met with a minimum of delay.
And she sees that it is done!
"The office consists of personnel with widely dif-
ferent backgrounds who must work together. At times
there are tremendous pressures on the entire office.
During such periods Donna's personality seems to help
more than anything. She always has a knack of saying
the right thing at the right time, but especially when
it is most needed.
"Donna is far more than a secretary. She sees that
meetings are attended, reports forwarded, and corres-
pondence answered. But more than that, Donna senses
when things may be a bit awry and drops a hint (sometimes
gentle, sometimes not so gentle) of what should be done
5
to keep things on an even keel. In addition to knowing
where to direct inquiries within the office, Donna
knows the resources of all HERL. The entire office
professional staff can be gone and Donna can refer vir-
tually any question to the right person. Her abilities,
attitude and personality give me that comfortable
feeling that as long as she is there, both the usual
and the unusual will be done."
Barbara
Ennis
Barbara Ennis, who's secretary to Dick Rhoads, CPDD
Director, says she can't remember when she didn't have
aspirations of being a secretary. She graduated from
Southern High School in Durham where she earned a Busi-
ness diploma, was a member of the National Honor Soci-
ety, and the recipient of the Wachovia Business Award.
She received her diploma on a Friday and started work
for EPA's predecessor organization on a Monday in June
1968 as a Unit secretary. She became Division secre-
tary in 1972. It's been the one and only job she's
ever held and she starts her tenth year of government
service this month. Barbara was born in Louisiana--
she's an "Army brat"--and lived in many interesting
places, including Japan, as a youngster. She considers
herself a Tarheel, however, since she's lived in North
Carolina since 1960 and has put down roots here. She
has a young son, Kristopher Ashley, who will be two
years old in July. She likes to sew when time permits,
but, "That's pretty seldom when you have a two-year
old," she says. She also enjoys cooking, particularly
trying out new recipes. She's a novice gardener and
looks forward to the day when she has more space for
raising flowers and vegetables.
Dick Rhoads had this to say about Barbara. . "She is
one of the most important members of this division. In
her charming and efficient way, she ensures that our
internal operations run smoothly.
"I never have to worry that critical deadlines may
(Continued on page 7)
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Person-To-Person
ESED/OAQPS welcomes four new employees: Robert Weber,
Carol Specht, Kerri Brothers, and Hike Davenport.
Karen Easter, ESED/OAQPS, was married to Stephen
Cline Harris, June 4, in Silver Spring, Md.
Congratulations Karen and Steve!
William Johnson, ESED/OAQPS, is vacationing in Europe.
He will visit nine countries, and we hope he will
share his experiences with us when he returns.
Neil R. Swanson, Environmental Scientist, ESED/OAQPS,
nas transferred to EPA's regional office in Philadel-
phia. Good luck, Neil!
The following employees in the Clinical Studies Divi-
sion/HERL, received service awards: Dr. Mirdza Peter-
son, Walter Crider, Sa'id Salaam, Joe Peoples, Art
Strong, and Sam Bryan.
Tne Clinical Studies Division welcomes Chiquetta
Shackleford, Norman Anderson, Michael McMillan from
the University of North Carolina and Richard Calvert
from DUKC University. A warm welcome is extended to
Carole Alberts, the new division secretary.
Ur. BrocK Ketcham, CSD/HERL, attended the wedding of
former EPA employees, Edward Postlewait and Betsy
Davis in Onio.
Dr. Edward D. Haak, Jr., Chief, Physiology Branch,
CSU/HERL, attended the 2nd National Conference on the
Interagency Energy/Environment R&D Program, June 6-7.
Raymond E. Mobley resigned from EPA June 10. He had
oeen employed by the Government for over 9-1/2 years.
He was an engineering tecnmcian for the Emission
Measurement Branch at tne IRL building. Raymond will
be working with his father in Cincinnati in his rock
snop.
Roy Neulicht, Emission Measurement Brancn/OAQPS, was
married to Ann Salvin, a student at UNC, May 22. The
couple will reside in Durham.
Miriam Ash, EBD/HERL, and Tom Jones of St. Andrews
College were married May 21 at Raven Rock State Park,
Lillington, N.C. The couple are honeymooning in the
Virgin Islands.
Dr. Dan Canill and John Laskey, EBD/HERL, are re-
viewing P.L. 480 projects at the Silesian Medical
School in Zabrze, Poland.
Katie M. Jones, EMSL, and her husband, Shelton, are the
proud parents of a little girl, Alyssa Kay, born May 9,
weighing 8 IDS. 1-1/2 ozs.
Mike Osborne's wife presented him with a baby girl,
Allison Michelle, February 3, weighing 7 Ibs. 9-1/2 ozs.
Mike is with EMSL.
EMSL's Robert Denny became the father of a little girl,
Erin Kendra, May 15, weighing 7 Ibs. 13 ozs.
Cathy and Bill (William W.) Rice of Chapel Hill be-
came first-time parents on June 9 when their new son,
Daniel Brendon, gulped his first breath of fresh air at
Durham County General Hospital. Bill is Chief of IERL/
RTF's Planning, Management, and Administration Staff.
Baby Daniel, tipping the scales at 6 Ib 10 oz, and
mother Cathy are doing nicely, father Bill is recuper-
ating slowly.
Au Revoir to Robert Statmck and Mark Stutsman.
Robert has transferred from IERL/RTP to the Office of
Energy, Minerals and Industry in Headquarters, effective
June 6. Mark has left IERL/RTP to work in IERL Cincin-
nati .
Conferences
The Cooling Tower Institute is holding a summer
worKShop June 27-28 at the Hyatt Hotel in San Fran-
cisco, California. You do not have to be a member
of CTI to participate.
The University of Michigan is offering an intensive
snort course "Pnysiological Systems for Engineers"
July 11-la. Contact: Engineering Summer Conferences,
Chrysler Center, North Campus, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Stationary Source Combustion Seminar, New Orleans,
La., sponsored by U.S. EPA. Contact: Betty Farley,
Symposium Coordinator, Acurex Corp., Aerotherm Div.,
485 Clyde Ave., Mt. View, Calif. 94042 8/29-9/1
National Conference on Chlorination: Environ-
mental Impact and Health Effects, Gatlinburg, Tenn.,
sponsored by U.S. EPA, Energy Research & Development
Administration 8 Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Con-
tact: R.L. Jolley, Oak Ridge National Laboratory,
P.O. Box X, Oak Ridge, Tenn. 37830 10/31-11/4
Sensing of Environmental Pollutants Conference,
New Orleans, La. Contact: Dr. V.E. Derr, Program
Chairman, 4th Joint Conference on Sensing of Environ-
mental Pollutants, National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Admin., ERL-WPL, R45.3, Boulder, Colo. 80302 11/6-11
Annual Purdue Air Quality Conference-Exhibition,
Indianapolis, Ind. Contact: Robert Jacko, Rm. 220,
Civil Engineering Bldg., Purdue Univ., West Lafayette,
Ind. 47907 11/15-16
Speaking Engagements
Tom Curran, MDAD, OAQPS, presented a paper entitled,
"Quality Control for Hourly Air Pollution Data," at
the American Society for Duality Control conference
in Philadelphia, May 16-18, 1977. Bill Hunt was the
session moderator for the Industrial Air/Water Pollu-
tion session at the same conference.
Dr. Tom Wagner, HERL, gave a general overview of EPA
in North Carolina, May 31, to the Chapel Hill Kiwanis
Club.
Bob Bauman, OAQPS, talked about Energy-The Total Pro-
gram, to over 50 members of the Durham Sertoma Club,
June 7.
Neil Frank, MDAD/OAQPS, presented a paper entitled,
"Population Exposure: An Indicator of Air Quality
Improvement," and Bill Hunt, MDAD/OAQPS, presented
a paper entitled, "The Shewhart Control Chart Test-
A Recommended Procedure for Screening 24-Hour Air
Pollution Measurements" at the APCA Conference,
Toronto, Ontario, Canada, June 20-24.
Wade Ponder and Richard Stern, IERL/RTP, will attend
the Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) symposium, Novem-
ber 7-11. Hollywood, Florida. Wade will discuss the
WeiIman-Lord/Allied chemical FGD demonstration plant
and Dick will talk about regenerable FGD processes.
-------
Target - Upward Mobility
At EPA, RTP, the color Is Green and Green means go—
if you're interested in applying for a position under
the upward mobility program. The distinct colored
paper is used to make this position easily identifi-
able when posted on bulletin boards.
The agencywide upward mobility program at EPA is
beginning its second year. Based on a training agree-
ment with the Civil Service Commission and with strong
support" from top level management, the program provides
developmental work assignments and formal training de-
signed to provide increased opportunities for non-pro-
fessional employees to move into professional, admin-
istrative, and technical positions with more career
growth potential.
Trainees are selected under the Merit Promotion
Plan from among applicants currently in positions at
grades GS-2 or above, or wage grade equivalents who
are serving under a career or career-conditional ap-
pointment and who have been employees of the agency
for at least one year.
Applicants are rated by a three to five member
panel comprised of a staff member from the appropriate
equal employment opportunity office, a staff member
from the operating personnel office, and one to three
persons from the program area where the target position
has been established. The rating procedures follow a
job element approach. It includes the use of the EPA
Performance Appraisal and is designed to assure that
undue weight is not given to college degrees or ex-
perience factors. The panel rates the candidates as
"qualified" or "highly qualified" within each grade
level or wage grade equivalent. Final selections are
made by operating officials who often interview a mini-
Him or Her?
The following entry concerning avoidance of single
gender language appeared in the September 24, 1976
issue of the Federal Register:
"The Office of the Federal Women's Program of the
Civil Service Commission recommends the avoidance of
single gender language. To comply with this recommen-
dation, Chapter I of Title 5 of the Code of Federal
Regulations is amended by changing the masculine pro-
nouns he, his, or him to her or his, he or she, or him
or her."
The Public Affairs Office has copies of the McGraw
Hill Guidelines for avoiding stereotypes. Call ext.
2951 or drop a note to us at MD-31 if you'd like a copy.
mum of three candidates if three are available.
A formal training plan is developed as a guide to
trainee progression through the bridge/trainee posi-
tions. Each plan is based on the requirements for
successful performance in the target position and is
geared to the individual development needs of the
trainee. The plan, implemented no later than one
month after reassignment to the trainee position, in-
cludes formal training, on-the-job training, and
counseling as needed.
Trainees are eligible for promotion after satis-
factory completion of training when the target job is
at the next higher level. For trainees who already
possess some of the qualifying skills or knowledge,
the period of training may be a minimum of six months.
Otherwise, a minimum of twelve months of training is
required to achieve eligibility for promotion. Pro-
motions are made upon the recommendation of the work
supervisor based upon satisfactory performance of the
elements of the target position.
Supervisors assess trainee progress quarterly and
make an overall summary evaluation of each trainee
upon completion of the program. Trainees evaluate
work progress and training received quarterly. A
review panel makes recommendations for improvements
based on supervisory evaluations, trainee reports,
and pertinent training records.
At the present time, four upward mobility positions
have been identified. They are: Contract Spec-
ialist, GS-5, in the Office of Administration; and
three positions for Environmental Protection Assis-
tant, GS-4, in the Office of Air Quality Planning
and Standards. Depending upon ceiling considerations,
additional positions may be announced at a later date.
At a dinner meeting of the Triangle Cities Toast-
mistress Club June 9, three EPA employees were elected
officers for the coming year: Betty Abramson, MDAD/
OAQPS, President; Sharon Long, EMSL/RTP, Secretary,
and Joan Reece, HERL/RTP, First Vice-President.
UP FRONT (cont'd from page 5)
be forgotten, that meetings may conflict, that corres-
pondence may be of unacceptable quality, or that im-
portant items may be ignored when I am away from the
office. Barbara manages these activities, and she
knows what is important and what is unimportant. She
helps ensure that the division managers and senior
staff can devote most of their attention to the impor-
tant issues, and that the ever-present minutiae do not
inordinately consume our time. When crises develop,
and deadlines are fast approaching, she is always
available to assist, and always seems to find some
way to get the job done. We are indeed fortunate to
have her outstanding skills, knowledge, and dedication.
In addition, her pleasing personality makes the office
just a little more pleasant when things get rough, and
that is a trait which all of us appreciate."
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"Communicating" - The Regional Services Staff
By Elaine My man
EPA has a network of troubleshooters. Their primary
job—keeping those lines of communication open. Called
"Regional Liaison Officers," the staff has twelve mem-
bers at four strategic locations. And one of them is
here at RTP.
At RTP, we have Gordon Ortman and Rudy Boksleitner,
aided by Bonnie Kirtz, secretary. They provide direct
and continuous assistance to Regions I, III and IV.
The Regional Services Staff is a part of the Office
of Research and Development (ORD) and is administra-
tively within the Office of Monitoring and Technical
Support. However, the staff deals with all components
of ORD.
The Regional Services Staff provides intercommuni-
cation and assistance on all matters of mutual interest
or concern to the Agency's regional offices and ORD.
This includes assisting the regions in expressing their
needs for research, technical support, and otherwise
tapping the expertise and other unique abilities in
ORD.
The regional liaison officers keep the regional
offices informed on items of known interest.
For instance, the Atlanta Georgia Airport has been
expanding for some time. As a result of the expansion,
especially additions to runways, the small community of
Mountain View was environmentally impacted. The people
of this community complained of odor problems; children
complained of hearing problems; and vibrations caused
destruction to homes. Weary, Region IV called on
Regional Services to obtain cooperation of ORD personnel
to try to solve the problem. EPA investigated the com-
plaints and found many valid.
Donor News
Working together—we did it! We reached our blood
program goal of 400 pints for the 1976-77 year. Whew!
We met our goal during the last month of the blood con-
tract period which was much, much too close for comfort.
Congratulations are still in order because we did make
it.
Once again, the new contract is being signed pledg-
ing 400 precious pints of blood.
Together, let's work towards having an especially
successful year. With the cooperation exhibited in the
past, this year should be even better.
We are always looking for new donors and extend a
word of encouragement to those who have been a little
lax. Remember, we need you.
As a result of many hours of communicating and
bringing the proper parties together, the Atlanta Air-
port Authority is now trying to buy the property from
the people of Mountain View and making an effort to
help them relocate.
The staff assists ORD programs by securing informa-
tion and data from regional offices and by arranging
for regional cooperation in ORD research projects,
especially those requiring assistance with state and
local governments.
Each regional liaison officer focuses on one or two
regional offices in order to be familiar with the struc-
ture and functional relationships and to understand the
problems and requirements as they relate to ORD. How-
ever, assistance is provided to any region on request.
The staff's director, Michael Mastracci, a staff
assistant, and secretary are at Waterside Mall in
Washington. Two Regional Liaison Officers and a secre-
tary are at each of the field locations which includes
Cincinnati, Las Vegas, as well as RTP. The field
staffs are so located in order to be close to the
Regional Offices they service.
Their interest is not why or what happened to cause
the possible gap in communication, but simply to KEEP
THOSE CHANNELS OPEN—regardless!
According to Gordon Ortman, "We activate the system
by bringing parties together so they precipitate
action."
It's a hard job, but one that is handled with
finesse and charm. Gordon and Rudy have lots of both.
New Publications
The following publications are available from the
Public Affairs Office upon request. Call us at X2951
or drop us a note at MD-31.
Keep Poison Baits Out of Clnldrens1 Reach
Noise At Work
Noise Around Our Homes
Noise and Its Measurement
Noise and Recreational Vehicles
Noise on Wheels
Is your Drinking Water Safe?
Current Views on Solid Waste Management
Residential Paper Recovery - A Community Action
Program
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