"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?)
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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.
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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
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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
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The Wizard of Id By Parker and Hart
WHAT PC?
5UIUC?
Reproduced by permission of Johnny Hart and Field Kntt-rprises, Inc.
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