"The public wants clean air, clean water, sensible use of resources; no brown-outs and no smog-outs, no products, conveniences or services that poison them slowly or quickly; no beautiful high-sounding claims by industry or Govern- ment that are not backed by solid performance; no short- term gains and long-term losses; no lame excuses; NO NONSENSE." SEPTEMBER 1971 NO NONSENSE! PUBLISHED FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE U S ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY EPA TO HOLD BRIEFING More than 200 organizations, representing a cross-section of the Nation's service, con'servation. labor and professional groups, have been invited by the Environmental Protection Agency to Washington, D.C. for an all-day briefing October 1 at the Washington Hilton. In announcing the meeting, Mr. Ruckelshaus said, "We have invited representatives of these organizations to the Capital in order that they may better understand our functions and responsibilities, and consequently be able to work more effectively with the Environmental Protection Agency." Russell E. Train, Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality, will address the luncheon for the representatives. The briefing will begin with an address by the Administrator before the entire group. He will be followed by top officials of the EPA who will explain how the Agency operates and how it intends to help provide leadership in restoring the environment. "We feel the more clearly our problems as well as our proposals are understood the more effectively we can operate," Ruckelshaus said. After the luncheon, the briefing will break up into workshops on separate environmental problems. EPA experts will be chairmen of the six workshops with leading conservationists or other authorities as spokesmen for the public. In the workshops, EPA officals, environmental leaders, and other participants will have the opportunity to discuss in detail the specific problems such as air or water pollution and solid wastes. "We hope these meetings will lead to a closer relationship between the organizations and EPA in working toward the common goal of improving the Nation's environment." Ruckelshaus said. HEADQUARTERS MOVE The first phase of the move into headquarters offices at Waterside Mall has been completed. Problems encountered have most often included trying to find one's way around the new building complex! "You Are Here" signs seem to help to a degree. Some relief may be in sight, since it is planned to paint wall panels at intersecting corridors in different colors. The air-conditioning system has evoked the most complaints, some areas of the building are too warm, while others are too cold. The engineers are now trying to balance the air-conditioning system. For those who look ahead to Washington's long cold winter, the heating system was checked out the weekend of September 11-12. It works. The telephone company has labored diligently to keep up with the move schedule and additional phones and changes have been held in abeyance. However, they plan now to make necessary changes. Where to eat lunch has been a question faced by many. The answers range from "brown-bagging" it, to patronizing vending machines; some buy cottage cheese at the local supermarket, while others dine at the "construction shack"snack bar. (Does anybody want to get into the restaurant business?) ------- There are rumors that some employees located next to the 12-story Tower, now being built, have generously assisted construction workers by serving as "sidewalk superintendents'" The next phase of the move, to the third floor mall, is scheduled for on or about November 1st. EPA will at that time occupy nearly 100,000 net square feet on the third floor mall. This amount of office space, all on one level, is one of the largest, outside of the Pentagon, in the Washington area EFFECTS OF WAGE-PRICE FREEZE OUTLINED FOR FEDERAL WORKERS Economic actions taken by the President on August 15 will affect Federal employees in several ways. When the President announced a 90-day freeze on wages, prices, and rents, he expressed his intention to delay by six months the white-collar pay adjustment scheduled for January 1972, and to decrease the Federal work force by five percent The reduction m employment is expected to be accomplished largely through attrition; that is, by not filling all vacancies. Subsequent to the President's announcement, the Civil Service Commission outlined the following ways in which the freeze will affect Federal employees: —All withm-grade salary increases and quality step increases which did not have an effective date prior to August 15, 1971, will be suspended while the freeze is in effect. —A notation will be made in the employee's record as to the date a within-grade increase would have come due if there had been no freeze, and that date will be considered as the date of the employee's last equivalent increase for future withm-grade increase purposes. —Cash and honorary awards may be made for adopted suggestions and superior performance during the freeze. —Promotions to positions of greater responsibility in higher grade or level are permitted during the freeze, and pay on promotion will be fixed in accordance with applicable law and regulations. However, agencies have been reminded of the impact of promotions on the lowering of average grade levels. -Employees changing from one pay system to another during the freeze, such as from Wage System to General Schedule, will continue to be paid at the rate earned under the former system during the period of freeze. —No new (blue collar) wage schedule or rate will be issued with an effective date within the freeze period However, a wage schedule or rate required by law to be effective prior to the freeze period will be issued and put into effect —If a wage schedule or rate was issued with an effective date prior to the freeze period it will be effective on the date specified. But a rate or schedule with an effective date within the freeze period will not be put into effect. PRE-RETIREES ELIGIBLE FOR INCENTIVE AWARDS While annuitants are not eligible to receive cash awards under the Government Employees' Incentive Awards Program, they can receive honorary recognition as private citizens. Employees who are in pre-retirement status may submit worthwhile suggestions under the incentive awards program prior to retirement A suggestion which is submitted at any time before the employee goes off the agency payroll will be eligible for a cash award if it is adopted and meets the criteria for a cash award. ------- Dr. Breidenback meets employees of EPA's National Environmental Research Center in Cincinnati. CENTER DIRECTOR On August 6, 1971, EPA Administrator, William D. Ruckelshaus, announced the appointment of Dr. Andrew W. Breidenbach to a new EPA post. As the first Director of the Environmental Protection Agency's Cincinnati, Ohio, — based National Environmental Research Center, Dr. Breidenbach will direct the efforts of nearly 1,200 EPA employees in 10 locations throughout the city; he will also be responsible for the $28 million multi-disciplinary environmental research laboratory to be built at the University of Cincinnati by 1975. Under the program direction of Dr. Stanley Greenfield, EPA's Assistant Administrator for Research and Monitoring, Dr. Breidenbach will head up the Cincinnati complex as chief of one of the three National Environmental Research Centers which are being established within EPA; the other two are located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and Corvallis, Oregon. Dr. Breidenbach, who earned his Bachelor of Science Degree from the University of Cincinnati and his doctoral degree from the University of Florida, is a chemist with wide experience in the environmental field. While working at Cincinnati's Robert A. Taft Sanitary Engineering Center from 1956 to 1960, he developed short-term graduate level training courses in environmental chemistry, and for two succeeding years, served as assistant chief of the National Air Pollution Training Program. For his work at Taft, he gained recognition as an authority on pollution measurement. As a Federal water pollution control official from 1962 to 1967, Dr. Breidenbach was again recognized for his work. Anthony J. Celebrezze, former Secretary of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, publicly identified him as a member of the team which determined the pesticide, Endrin, to be the pollutant which caused a massive fish kill in the Mississippi River. Dr. Breidenbach is a prominent authority on many other aspects of environmental contamination and has frequently been called upon to assist State, local, and industrial leaders with environmental problems. He has authored numerous papers for such scientific publications as Bio-Science, Science, and the Archives of Environmental Health and has lectured widely at all levels of government and at universities across the country. He is a member of several scientific and environmental science associations, including the American Chemical Society, a working group of the President's Cabinet Committee on the Environment, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In his most recent position as chief of national research and development for EPA's Solid Waste Management Office, he was responsible for identifying national needs in the area of solid waste disposal and establishing research to meet these needs. SPEAKERS NEEDED Requests for speakers to represent EPA before civic and professional organizations are being received in ever increasing numbers. The Agency would like to be able to comply with as many of these requests as possible, but to do that requires the assistance of well-informed staff members. If you would like to volunteer to accept speaking engagements, please call Mrs. Ginger Savell, Director of Executive Scheduling, Office of Public Affairs (202) 755-2760. Potential speakers will be asked for a copy of an updated curriculum vitae , a brief statement of your area of expertise, and the types of groups to which you would prefer speaking - e.g., business or industrial groups, civic organizations, educational and professional societies, conferences on the state and local level, or conservation groups. ------- Dr. Melvin W. Carter, Director of WERL, speaking with Dr. Stanley M. Greenfield, Assistant Administrator for Research and Momforing, EPA, at the opening session of the Tritium Symposium. TRITIUM SYMPOSIUM HELD The first EPA-sponsored symposium dealing with radiation was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, August 30 through September 2, 1971. This Symposium was jointly organized and co-sponsored by EPA's Western Environmental Research Laboratory and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Dr. Stanley M. Greenfield, Assistant Administrator for Research and Monitoring of EPA, stated in his keynote address the importance of tritium as an environmental contaminant. According to Dr. Greenfield, tritium is not yet an acute problem from the environmental standpoint, but it can become one. The Assistant Administrator asked the Symposium and researchers in the field to concentrate on four areas with respect to tritium: a prediction regarding future production and environmental levels of tritium; determination as to whether there is any biological magnification of tritium in the food chain and in the biological system; an understanding of biological effects of low levels of tritium; and finally, a solution to the problem of disposal of tritium waste. Dr. Greenfield stated, "We in EPA want to encourage tritium disposal research before, rather than after, it becomes an acute problem." Tritium production from various sources such as nuclear reactors and particularly various types of power reactors, nuclear weapons, and Plowshare experiments was discussed in the following session. ------- The behavior of tritium in soils, in plants, in various animals, and human beings was extensively discussed. Dr William L Russell from Oak Ridge National Laboratory described their recent findings of genetic effects of tritium Although these findings were preliminary, their significance as the first extensive genetic studies with tritium was apparent Several other sessions dealt with environmental surveillance, detection and measurement techniques, health physics aspects and results of extensive surveillance by EPA and other similar organizations in the world Dr Walter Seelentag from the World Health Organization described the history and medical findings of two deaths which resulted from tritium contamination Both cases involved careless handling of large amounts of tritium The question of biological effects of tritium, in particular tritium as a carcinogen, was discussed extensively Dr D J Mewissen from the University of Chicago described the production of tumors in mice as a result of incorporation of tritiated thymidme at birth He indicated that tumors could be produced at lower levels of exposure than had been shown in previous experiments Two scientists from Belgium and Germany, respectively, discussed tritium behavior m cow's milk Also, results of experiments in aquatic systems were presented One session was dedicated to the application of tritium in biology and medicine A group headed by Dr Wood from the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory presented a new approach to combat cancer using tritiated tetracyclme The overall impression of the Symposium was that the interest m tritium research was high Investigators all over the world are concerned about the environmental aspects of tritium, and the questions raised by the Assistant Administrator of EPA were of great interest to the audience. Approximately 400 participants from 11 nations attended the Symposium banquet where the Novel laureate W F Libby described circumstances leading to the discovery of tritium and its development, a matter in which Dr Libby played a prominent role. His description of the acquisition of first-class French wines to study tritium decay added a note of humor to the evening Published proceedings of the Symposium will be available m July, 1972 The Symposium participants suggested that the next Tritium Symposium be held in Europe during the summer of 1975 WANTED: YOUR MONEY If you need a loan or want to start saving for the rainy days ahead, we're m business' EPA's Credit Union is located in Room 717 in Building II, Crystal Mall, and is open from 11 00 to 1 00 every workday You can open a savings account with $5 00 plus 25ef entry fee and can arrange for automatic payroll deductions Interest will be paid quarterly, but the rate has not yet been determined Three types of loans are available personal, new car and used car For personal loans, the interest is 1% on the ^unpaid balance per month. For new car loans, 3/4 of 1% For used car loans, 1% Savings and loan transactions can be handled by mail, but check cashing for members must be done at the Credit Union Checks are limited to S25 00 To date 179 accounts have been opened totaling over 830,000 Forty-five loans totaling 818,500 have been made to EPA employees by the Credit Union Business meetings are being held every third Thursday of each month, and officers, and members of the board of directors- will happily accept your recommendations for consideration at these meetings Thus far, no date for a general membership meeting has been set The Credit Union will be relocated to Waterside Mall next January during Phase 2 of the EPA headquarters move ------- Forms to open an account, to apply for a loan or to arrange for payroll deductions are available from the Credit Union officers and board members who are listed below Officers: President Vice President Secretary Treasurer James L Teare, Water Programs, 557-9800 Domimck A Manfre, Enforcement, 557-7604 Helen G Stamback, Research & Monitoring, 557-7706 Anna V Wright, Water Programs, 443-4580 Board of Directors: Polly P Anderson, Personnel, 755-2649 James Davis, General Services, 557-7417 Lillian E. Ross, General Counsel, 55707750 Credit Committee: Jaye Swanson, Water Programs, 557-7600 Jessie Hodo, Media Programs, 755-2660 George Webster, Research & Monitoring, 522-0731 Sidney Green, Office of Equal Opportunity, 254-7414 Supervisory Committee' Donald L Hambnc, Procurement, 557-7436 Herbert C Yablon, Facilities, Construction Operation, 557-7721 Walter R Hager, Water Programs, 557-7343 and QUESTIONS & ANSWERS ON MATERNITY LEAVE What is maternity leave? It is the period of approved absence of an employee who is considered unable to work because of pregnancy and recent confinement (delivery) It is not a special kind of leave Maternity leave is chargeable to sick leave or to a combination of sick leave, annual leave and as necessary, leave without pay Who is entitled to maternity leave7 The Federal Government's policy, as expressed in the leave regulations, is that "an agency shall grant sick leave when the employee is incapacitated for the performance of duties by pregnancy and confinement As a pregnant employee, you will be granted sick leave that you have accumulated Generally, you will also be granted the annual leave that you have accumulated Your agency is not required to grant you leave without pay but most agencies will do so for employees who have been on the rolls for at least a year Because agency practices differ, be sure to check with your personnel officer for details about yojr agency's policies with respect to maternity leave How long does maternity leave last7 There is no fixed Government-wide rule on this matter, and policy varies from one agency to another In many agencies the general policy is to authorize approximately 14 weeks of maternity leave (beginning about 6 weeks before the expected date of delivery and extending about 8 weeks beyond it) In other agencies the period may be longer or shortet Also, more or less maternity leave may be granted depending upon the employee's physical condition and the type of work she does For example, if you perform heavy physical labor such as lifting and carrying, you may want to stop working earlier than an employee who has a desk job What should you do7 It would be a good idea for you to notify your agency when you are sure that you are pregnant Your agency can then take reasonable steps to protect your health on the job You will probably want to get medical advice from your doctor or a clinic about how long you can continue working, whether there are particular tasks you cannot perform, and whether there are working conditions that you should avoid Some agencies require a woman to get a written statement from her doctor or a clinic certifying to her pregnancy and showing the expected date of delivery ------- If you have gotten a written statement from your doctor or a clinic, give it to your immediate supervisor. This will be important in determining how long you will be able to continue working. Try to keep your supervisor informed of changes in your physical condition that might affect your ability to work Unless your agency is aware of your physical condition it cannot take the steps necessary to protect your health on the job What will your agency do? When you report your pregnancy, your agency will determine whether your duties or surroundings involve exposure to hazards which can be reduced or eliminated Should your agency find that your duties require activity or exposure to hazards which may be injurious to your health, it will make a reasonable effort to detail or temporarily reassign you to other available work for which you are qualified. If another assignment is not available and if a medical certificate indicating that you are unfit physically to perform the duties of your position has been received, then your agency will probably find it necessary to place you on leave—that is, sick leave, annual leave, and as necessary, leave without pay In many cases, your duties or surroundings will not present any hazards and you will be able to continue in your job until you are ready to go on maternity leave Your supervisor will probably discuss with you such matters as how long you expect to continue working, how soon you plan to return to work after the birth of the baby, and how much leave you will be granted, including leave without pay if necessary In addition, your agency will answer any specific questions you may have regarding employment rights, life insurance coverage, health benefits, etc EPA REPS VISIT RUSSIA EPA has sent its top air pollution experts to the Soviet Union for two weeks as part of a U S.-U SS.R. bilateral scientific exchange agreement. The EPA delegation, which left for the Soviet Union on Friday, September 17, and will return October 2, is headed by Fitzhugh Green, Associate Administrator for International Affairs, and included Donald Mosmian, Assistant Administrator for Media Programs, John Middleton and his Deputy, John Ludwig, Office of Air Programs, Donald Makte, a NOAA meteorologist and Bill Earth. The delegation will travel as guest of the Soviet Union's Hydrometeorological Service, to at least four cities including Moscow, Leningrad, Tbilisi, and Alma-Ata This trip is part of a series of meetings that the United States has agreed to hold with the Russians m the field of pollution control Last fall the Soviet Union sentitswater quality experts to the United States to visit our laboratories The United States will reciprocate next spring by sending EPA water quality experts to the U S.S R For EPA specifically, the trip is part of the Agency's efforts to increase its own expertise and to encourage other nations to become active in Government control of pollution REPORT SHOWS YOUNGEST, OLDEST DRIVERS SAFEST Who's the safest driver of them all' The most unsafe? A review of moving traffic violations last year in the District of Columbia showed this relationship to drivers' ages. Drivers aged 16 and 17 accounted for 7percent of total drivers but .1 percent of violations, 18-19-year-olds accounted for 2 5 percent of the total, 5 2 percent of violations, those aged 20-24 for 131 percent of total, 23 7 percent of violations, 25-34, 28 5 percent of total, 32 5 percent of violations, 35-64, 48 4 percent of drivers, 36 8 percent of violations; and those 65 and older accounted for 6 8 percent of drivers, 1 7 percent of violations ------- The Wizard of Id By Parker and Hart WHAT PC? 5UIUC? Reproduced by permission of Johnny Hart and Field Kntt-rprises, Inc. ------- |