weekly log of significant events
Vol. II
April 15, 1974
"We Print All the News that'Tits
UNITED STATES
ElMVfRONMENTAL PROTECTION
AGENCY
No. 14
REORGANIZATION. . .Administrator Russell Train has signed a reorganiza-
tion plan, effective April 22, realigning the Offices of Air and Water
Programs and Hazardous Materials Control. . .In their place, the Office
of Air and Waste Management and the Office of Water and Hazardous
Materials have been established. . .Roger Strelow, who has been serving
as the Acting AA for Air and Water Programs since Bob Sansom's Febru-
ary 1 departure, will be the Acting AA for Air and Waste Management. . .
He will oversee the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards, Mobile
Source Pollution, Noise Abatement and Control, Radiation Programs, and
Solid Waste Management. . .He came to EPA as Mr. Train's Executive
Assistant. . .Prior to that, he was an Assistant to the Secretary of HEW
and Director of HEW's Office of Environmental Affairs, until 1970 when he
joined the Council on Environmental Quality. . .James Agee, currently the
RA for Region X (Seattle) has been appointed the Acting AA for Water and
Hazardous Materials. . .He has had several years of experience in water
pollution control, five of which were spent with EPA's predecessor, the
Federal Water Quality Administration, under Interior. . .He will be respon-
sible for Water Planning and Standards, Water Program Operations, Pesti-
cides, and Toxic Substances.
* * *
CHLORINE ADDED TO LIST OF SHORTAGES. . .An EPA survey shows that
74 cities experienced shortages of chlorine and other water treatment
chemicals from June 1973 through January 1974. . .The shortages have been
caused primarily by growing industrial and urban demand for the chemical
which is used to disinfect both drinking water and sewage to prevent dis-
ease. . .EPA has already testified in favor of standby allocation powers
if voluntary approaches toward allocating the chemical prove unsuccessful,
and the House Interstate and Foreign Commerce Committee is currently
considering making those powers part of the proposed Safe Drinking Water
Act. . .Tight supplies with some shortages were also reported for chemi-
cals used in flouridation of drinking water.
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LAND USE
In light of the increasing importance about the relationship between
the environmental regulatory program and land use, together with recent
developments concerning the pending National Land Use Policy and
Planning Assistance Act, it seems timely to note some of the recent comments
made by Administrator Russell Train and Deputy Administrator John Quarles
about the need for a national land use policy. Twice, the United States
Senate has passed such a bill — most recently by a 3 to 1 vote. Twice,
the House Interior Committee has approved such a bill — most recently by
a margin of more than 2 to 1. Yet, on February 26, the House Rules
Committee voted to "indefinitely postpone" a rule allowing House action on
this legislation. It is now debating whether or not to reconsider its action.
Also, the House subcommittee of the House Interior Committee, chaired by
Representative Morris K. Udall of Arizona, has scheduled two days of
hearings (April 23 and 25) to hear testimony from some opponents of the
land use legislation.
RUSSELL TRAIN BEFORE THE MIDDLE-WEST REGIONAL CONFERENCE, MARCH 15, 1974:
"There is, in my judgment, no more important legislation before the
Congress than that land use bill. Its importance does not lie in the fact
that it would have any immediate or earthshaking impact upon land use
patterns or practices in this country. The bill reported by the House Interior
Committee is a thoroughly modest measure whose importance lies in the fact
that it would give new force and focus to efforts already underway in a number
of states and communities to give the citizens of this country a real say in
determining the course and quality of our physical growth. It is a bill that
would help us build upon these efforts and that, by making it harder for
isolated groups and individuals to make so many of the critical decisions
that shape our human environment, would go a long way toward restoring the
rule of democracy in this land.
"In my view, there is hardly a social, economic, environmental issue
before this country that is not somehow deeply and directly bound up with
questions of land use — with questions of how and where we organize our
activities in space. And we cannot hope to really come to grips with these
other issues — of housing, of transportation, of air and water pollution,
of equality of opportunity as well as quality of life — until we begin to devise
effective and democratic ways of dealing with our patterns of growth and
development."
JOHN QUARLES BEFORE THE CONSERVATION FOUNDATION, MARCH 1, 1974:
11. . .Our Environmental programs cannot be carried out without major
impacts upon patterns of land use, and our environmental goals cannot be
achieved without real progress in land use. Our present statutes force us
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into land use. But they are inadequate. Present statutes did not give us
— or anyone else — a sound framework to cope with the problems of
unwise land use. . .
"What is required is a full-scale national focus on land use. We need
a statute to deal with land use as bold, as comprehensive and as far-reaching
as the 1970 Clean Air Act or the 1972 Water Pollution Control Act. But first,
to obtain such a statute and such a commitment cannot come from a small
handful of leaders nor from a quick legislative maneuver. They can come
only from a broadly based, keenly felt and forcefully advocated national
concern for the issue. The complexity and magnitude of the challenge
absolutely require a comparable magnitude of public support. "
AIR: ORDERS TO TWO STEEL COMPANIES TO CLEAN UP COKE BATTERY
OPERATIONS. . .EPA has announced an agreement between EPA and two major
Chicago steel companies — Republic Steel Corporation and Wisconsin Steel
(a division of International Harvester) in Chicago — to clean up air
pollution emissions from their coke battery operations by mid-1976. . .
The agreements, in the form of consent orders issues under authority
of the Clean Air Act, establish schedules for compliance with Illinois air
pollution regulations. . .In addition to compliance schedules, the EPA
orders include operation maintenance and surveillance requirements
determined to be essential for "clean" coke battery operation. . .Train
said that EPA was satisfied with the 1976 date for enclosing "pushing and quenching1
operations which are a major source of ground-level dust emissions that affect
workers, pedestrians or persons driving by such plants.
PESTICIDES: "SUBSTITUTE CHEMICALS PROGRAM". . .EPA has established a
program to identify and test substitutes for pesticides judged to be
substantially hazardous. . .These substitutes may be either other chemicals
or alternate means of pest control. . .Five million dollars has been allocated
for this program on the recommendation of the House Appropriations
Subcommittee on Agriculture, Environmental and Consumer Protection. . .
The program will be staffed by 50 personnel in the Office of Research and
Development and the Criteria and Evaluation Division of the Office of Pesticides
Programs. . .Its strategies are to review pesticides now registered by EPA
and to seek less hazardous substitutes; to create a liaision between EPA and
the pesticides industry, users, and academic community to stimulate production
of substitutes and initiate research for development of less hazardous pesticides;
and to develop data and information to provide knowledge needed to review
questionable pesticides and to upgrade techniques needed to analyze and test
pesticides.
* * *
THANK YOU. . .to Jerry Svore, RA, Region VIII; Russ Freeman, Deputy RA, Region K;
John Arthur, Water Quality Lab, Duluth, Minn; and Dr. Jean French, NERC-RTP,
for their contributions to the EPA Scholarship Fund.
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EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT. . .An Executive Secretariat is evolving and is
beginning to take shape in the Office of the Administrator. . .Serving as
Executive Secretary is Don Bliss who was appointed HEW's first
Executive Secretary by Elliot Richardson. . .There are three recent
additions to the Executive Secretariat: Lane Ward, Deputy; Pete McKenna,
desk officer for water and pesticides; John Himmelberg, desk officer for
air, noise, radiation and solid waste; and Fran Mehrtens, Director,
Executive Communications. . .As with any new organization and staff, there
is a period of transition and learning. . .E.S. is currently in that phase
. . .Don Bliss is interested in working closely with the AA's and staff
offices to develop workable procedures that not only benefit the Administrator
and the Deputy Administrator, but which also help the rest of the Agency. . .
Many people have been very helpful in suggesting ways to improve the
decision process and flow of information. . .Ideas are particularly welcome
at this time, and Don Bliss would very much appreciate your suggestions.
RALEIGH-DURHAM DESIGNATED FOR FIRST AREAWIDE WASTE TREATMENT
MANAGEMENT PLANNING PROGRAM. . .At a joint press conference
between Administrator Russell Train and North Carolina Governor James E.
Holshouser, Jr. on April 11, Mr. Train designated Raleigh-Durham for the
nation's first regional waste treatment management program to be carried out
under Sec. 208 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act. . .It will serve as a
pilot project for the rest of the nation. . .Its objective is to establish area-
wide planning and management agencies for dealing consistently and
comprehensively with water quality problems that cannot be solved by
technology alone. . .It will provide local governments with a mechanism to
deal effectively with some of the problems associated with heavily populated
and industrialized areas which have complex pollution problems. . .The 208
program calls for a minimum of Federal involvement in the planning process,
but that is not to say that there is a lack of Federal support. . .As Train
stated, "Having recognized the desirability of establishing regional programs,
Congress has authorized EPA to pay the full cost of planning efforts carried
out under Section 208." In fact, Federal funding is expected to be about
$950,000. . .Raleigh-Durham was selected for several reasons: the state,
county and local officials have shown a high degree of cooperation in their
planning; there are immediate and pressing problems in the area due to
urban-industrial concentration and a growing population; and there are
critical problems involving point source pollution. Mr. Train concluded,
"It is a tribute to both the capability and the desire of your state and local
leadership that Raleigh-Durham is taking this initiative. By doing so, you
are stepping to the forefront in the development of a comprehensive approach to
solving our nation's pollution problems. "
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