United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Public Affairs (A-107)
Washington DC 20460
A Look Ahead
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Snow blankets the rolling hills in High/and County, Va.. part of America's scenic legacy.
Goals and
Accomplishments
In this issue of the Journal, we take a look at
future directions for EPA and the Federal
environmental programs.
A significant portion of the future will be
shaped by a new act signed by President
Reagan to turn the massive federal grant
program for sewage treatment construction
"away from public works for the sake of
public works" and rededicate it to environ-
mental goals.
The fate of bipartisan legislation now be-
ing considered by Congress on ways to im-
prove the Clean Air Act could also have a
major impact on the country's environment.
EPA Administrator Anne M. Gorsuch
reviews the progress made by EPA since its
inception and emphasizes the need for new
directions to meet the environmental goals of
the 1 980s.
"We are nearing the end of a period in the
United States in which legislative responses
to environmental problems proliferated
rapidly," Administrator Gorsuch comments in
her article. "The laws are now in place, and
the administrative structure now must catch
up both scientifically and organically to
assure that these programs are carried out
with care and frugality."
This issue of the Journal also carries an in-
terview with Dr. John P. Morton, Assistant
Administrator for Administration. He explains
how his office is working to make the opera-
tions of the agency more effective.
Another article reviews accomplishments
by EPA during the past year and reports
gains in both environmental protection and
cost savings
The burning of huge amounts of PCB
wastes in an incinerator ship in the Gulf of
Mexico is the subject of another article.
Also in this issue is information on major
new appointments and the reorganization of
the Agency's enforcement program, in-
cluding the establishment of a new Criminal
Enforcement Unit
Actions by EPA to protect the drinking
water for Atlantic City, N.J., and to ease
procedures for individuals importing foreign
cars are also reported. D
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United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of
Public Affairs (A-107)
Washington DC 20460
Volume 8
Number 1
Jan.-Feb. 1982
SEPA JOURNAL
Anne McGill Gorsuch, Administrator
Byron Nelson III, Director, Office of Public Affairs
Charles D. Pierce, Editor
Truman Temple, Associate Editor
Articles
EPA is charged by Congress to protect
the Nation's land, air and water systems
Under a mandate of national environ-
mental laws, the Agency strives to for-
mulate and implement actions which lead
to a compatible balance between human
activities and the ability of natural
systems to support and nurture life
The EPA Journal is published bi-monthly
by the U S Environmental Protection
Agency Use of funds for printing this
periodical has been approved by the
Director of the Office of Management
and Budget Views expressed by authors
(to not necessarily reflect EPA policy
Contributions and inquiries should be ad-
dressed to the Editor (A-107). Waterside
Mall. 401 M St . S W . Washington, D C
20460 No permission necessary to
reproduce contents except copyrighted
photos and other materials
t
New Clean Air Bill Wins
Administration Support
Administrator Gorsuch backs
bipartisan legislation
The 1980's—A Decade of
Challenge
EPA Administrator discusses
goals for the future
Reagan Commitment to
Environment Fulfilled in
EPA's '81 Success 10
A review of management and
operation improvements
Achieving Better
Management 12
An interview with Assistant
Administrator Horton
Grants Program Refocused
on Environment 16
President signs legislation
authorizing grants for
treatment plants
EPA Acts to Protect
Atlantic City Water HI
Agency allocates $500.000
to help stem contamination
threat
EPA Paves Way for
PCB Burning 20
Agency monitors incineration
on the ship Vulcanus
New Criminal Enforcement
Unit Established at EPA 21
Agency Enforcement Office
reorganized and strengthened
Key Appointments
Move Forward 26
Two new Assistant
Administrators, Science
Advisory Board chairman
Private Cleanup
Sought 2!)
Private parties warned must
act
Waste-to-Steam Plant
Slated for New York :»)
Modern refuse burning
facility to be built in Brooklyn
Paperwork Cut for Car
Imports .!2
Paperwork to be reduced for
foreign cars
Front Cover: A new day begins as the
sun rises behind the Washington Monu-
ment and the U S Capitol
Photo Credits Steve Delaney. Photn.
Rollins Environmental Services, Inc..
Frank Aleksandrowicz. Charles O'Rear,
PPG Industries, Gene Daniels. Rolls-
Royce
Design Credits Robert Flanagan and
Ron Farrah
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New
Clean Air Bill
Wins
Administration
Support
The Administration is "very pleased" with
new bipartisan legislation designed to
improve the Clean Air Act, Anne M. Gorsuch,
EPA Administrator, recently told a national
industry-labor group meeting in Washington.
The legislation. H. R. 5252, was in-
troduced by Congressman Thomas A. Luken
(D.-Ohio), Bob Traxler (D.-Mich.) and Elwood
Hillis (R.-lnd.).
In his state of the union message. Presi-
dent Reagan declared:
"We look forward to the enactment of a
responsible Clean Air Act to increase jobs
while continuing to improve the quality of our
air. We are encouraged by the bipartisan in-
itiative of the House and are hopeful of
further progress as the Senate continues its
deliberation."
Mrs. Gorsuch indicated support for the
new measure at a meeting of the National
Environmental Development Association.
The EPA Administrator has said that "the
introduction of H. R. 5252 represents ex-
cellent progress, and we hope House markup
will begin as soon as possible. This
proposed legislation appears to comport
generally with the Administration's principles
announced in August and to address most of
the major concerns voiced to the Administra-
tion by the governors, labor unions, industry
and other groups. We look forward to work-
ing with members of the Committee after we
have had a chance to study the bill in detail."
Congressman Luken described the bill as
"bipartisan legislation to focus attention on
certain practical and necessary legislative
reforms . . ." which should be acted on early
this year.
The Ohio Congressman predicted that the
bill would "help us move toward forceful ef-
fective air pollution control by the federal
government, the states, industry, interested
citizens and affected employees.
"With appropriate refinements and
modification of the Clean Air Act by H. R.
5252, the nation will continue its progress in
the control of air pollution. These revisions
will help remove the uncertainty and com-
plexity of the law. At the same time, they will
serve to strengthen the national economy,
protect jobs and provide further employment
opportunities."
Luken said that "we anticipate substantial
labor and industry support for this bill. We
hope that this bill will alleviate the serious
concerns of our friends in environmental
organizations who have expressed fears that
changes Congress may make to the law
would be too extensive."
John Brown, Legislative Director of the In-
ternational Union of Operating Engineers,
warned that "many problems of economic
slippage and unemployment can be traced
directly to the Clean Air Act."
Brown declared that Congressional action
is needed to remove "some of the confusion
and complexities from the Clean Air Act
without compromising the clean air goals.
We need to get moving on settling the
legislative questions which will assure air-
pollution control, jobs and a stronger
economy. The Luken bill is, I believe, the
proper approach, and our union is 100 per-
cent behind it."
John Queries, former EPA Deputy Ad-
ministrator who is now serving as chairman
of the National Environmental Development
Association's Clean Air Project, stated:
"The Luken bill appears to be the right ap-
proach at the right time with regard to the
Clean Air Act. It is aimed at those provisions
in the law which represent obstacles to
needed energy production and industrial
growth but produce little or no improvement
in air quality Our organization favors this
practical, thoughtful approach."
The National Environmental Development
Association is a coalition of more than 35 in-
dustrial companies and 1 7 building and con-
struction trade unions
The National Environmental Development
Association described the Luken bill as "a
moderate approach" designed to "streamline
many of the procedural requirements and to
provide extremely limited relief from certain
substantive requirements where the actual
air quality benefits are remote.
While "providing important relief from the
unnecessary and largely unproductive
regulatory burdens," the association said the
measure would "simplify and expedite the
approval of permits to allow industrial
expansion and the creation of new jobs.
"In short, while continuing the progress of
the national air pollution control effort, the
Luken bill would also make a welcome con-
EPA JOURNAL
-------
tnbution to the vitality of our nation's
economy."
The statement noted that "the
national effort launched under the 1970
Clean Air Act has had a major impact on both
industrial operations and air quality. It has
caused a redesign of industrial facilities and
an installation of pollution-control equipment
at industrial plants across the country to cut
emissions of air contaminants. It has forced
new construction to incorporate top-of-the-
line pollution control equipment. It has
brought about a reduction in pollutants from
automobiles of up to 96 percent as compared
to uncontrolled vehicles It has generated a
variety of other efforts by industry, motorists,
and other segments of the general public to
reduce air pollution.
"The aggregate effect of all these efforts
has been profound. The national trends
toward ever-increasing air pollution have
been reversed. In most areas and for most
pollutants, it is clear that the air is getting
cleaner. Generally throughout the country
current air quality levels are normally far bet-
ter than the air quality standards require, and
in other areas the frequency and seventy of
any violations of the air quality standards are
being steadily reduced.
"As current efforts continue, as clean new
cars replace older vehicles, and as obsolete
plants which cause heavy emissions are
replaced by clean modern industrial facilities,
the current improvements in air quality will
grow. The national goal is that air quality
standards which assure protection of public
health with a margin of safety be achieved in
every area of the country all of the time. With
the limited exception of a few areas where
extremely severe problems exist the country
is rapidly closing in on that goal.
"The Clean Air Act program has been
costly. Current estimates indicate that
national expenditures for air poliution control
alone approximate S20-22 billion per year.
Those levels of expenditure are expected to
grow to approximately S35 billion per year by
the end of the 1980s, at which time the
country will have spent a cumulative total of
roughly S350-400 billion in the national air
quality effort. An additional hidden cost
caused by this ambitious regulatory program
results from the complexity of its require-
ments which in many cases confuses and
delays any company planning new capital in-
vestment. The Act exerts a drag on economic
growth and the creation of additional jobs "
However, the Natural Resources Defense
Council and the National Audubon Society
defended the present Clean Air Act and con-
tended that H. R. 5252 represents a con-
tinuation of earlier extreme industrial
proposals.
Their statement charged, in part, that the
measure would:
"Extend the deadline for achieving
healthful air quality to as late as 1993,
eliminate most of the Act's specific State im-
plementation plan requirements that assure
progress towards healthful air quality and
eliminate virtually all of the sanctions presen-
tly available for failure to submit or carry out
a state plan."
Major provisions in the measure H. R
5252, according to the National Environ-
mental Development Association, include:
Standards—The bill would make no change
in the National Ambient Air Quality Stan-
dards which would continue to provide the
EPA scientists use a helicopter and air
samplers to check on pollution conditions.
foundation for the overall program. Both the
existing air quality standards and the
procedures for setting further standards
would remain unaltered.
Implementation Plans—The bill would make
no significant change in the substantive re-
quirements which must be satisfied by the
state implementation plans, but it would
eliminate the necessity for federal approval of
routine, inconsequential changes to these
plans and would set a six-month deadline to
complete federal action on all other state im-
plementation plan provisions,
New Source Review—The bill would provide
major regulatory reform in the processing of
permits for industrial construction projects,
retaining federal requirements that all pro-
jects include Best Available Control
Technology to limit air emissions but
significantly reducing other technical com-
plexities which now slow down the approval
of permits and encumber beneficial economic
growth.
Auto Requirements—The bill would ease re-
quirements to control emissions from new
cars of carbon monoxide and oxides of
nitrogen, but retain requirements sufficiently
stringent to assure that total emissions of
those two pollutants will continue to be
reduced. Practically all areas of the country
are already in full compliance with the air
quality standards for these two pollutants
The bill would make no change, however,
with standards applicable to the primary auto
pollutants associated with ozone, or "smog,"
the principal air pollution problem related to
autos.
"The aggregate effect of all changes
proposed by the Luken bill would be to per-
mit an extremely limited increase in air emis-
sions . . .," the organization commented.
However, the organization adds that it is
possible that these emissions might be offset
by improved effectiveness in the administra-
tion of air pollution control programs and
stimulation of industrial capital investment
to replace obsolete polluting facilities. D
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1982
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The 1980's—
A Decade of Challenge
By EPA Administrator Anne M. Gorsuch
Ten years ago, the year of the United Na-
tions Conference on the Human Environ-
ment, only 1 1 developing countries had en-
vironmental ministries or similar high-level
agencies concerned with this subject. Today
more than one hundred such countries have
them. The People's Republic of China recent-
ly established an Office of Environmental
Protection. In Brazil, the Ministry for the En-
vironment, established a decade ago with a
staff of three people, now has 200.
And so it goes. Around the world, environ-
mental protection has become an in-
stitutionalized part of government, accepted
and supported much like agencies dealing
with health, industry, and public works.
Since its inception December 2, 1970, the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has
been at the center of the global environmen-
tal movement. It has provided leadership to
many countries in its initiatives and research
in environmental problems. Environmental
legislation adopted by the U.S. Congress in
the past decade has been far-reaching in its
scope. The laws include the Clean Air Act,
Federal Water Pollution Control Act; Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act;
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act;
Marine Protection, Research and Sanctuaries
Act; Toxic Substances Control Act; Safe
Drinking Water Act, and most recently, the
Environmental Response. Compensation, and
Comprehensive Liability Act, popularly known
as "Superfund."
As a result of its efforts, the United States
can point to a remarkable series of achieve-
ments in environmental cleanup. An exam-
ple is the record in air pollution. Between
1940 and 1970 emissions of air pollutants
increased by 40 percent. In that period, little
was known about the effects of air pollution,
or even how to define clean air. Regulatory
schemes, where they existed, were largely in-
consistent from state to state.
Today the situation is markedly improved.
Spurred by new legislation and technological
advances by industry, the United States
overall has experienced a 50 percent reduc-
tion in the past decade in soot and dust emis-
sions, known as particulates, and a 20 per-
cent improvement in particulate air quality
levels. Most industrial sources have installed
control technology that captures more than
90 percent of their particulate emissions,
and many capture over 99 percent.
In addition, ambient concentrations in ur-
ban areas of carbon monoxide and sulfur
dioxide, two important pollutants, have
decreased about 40 percent. The number of
days rated unhealthful in major metropolitan
areas has fallen 1 8 percent. Levels of ozone,
commonly known as smog, have held steady
despite a 30 percent increase in vehicle miles
travelled from 1970 to 1978.
In commenting on this progress, the
National Commission on Air Quality, an in-
dependent body established by the U.S. Con-
gress to oversee air pollution control
measures, declared in 1981:
"More significant than the level of ab-
solute reductions ... is the difference bet-
ween current pollution levels and those that
would have occurred if major control efforts
had not been required during the 1970s.
While it is impossible to state precisely what
pollution levels would be if the Clean Air Act
had not been passed, it is clear that for a
number of pollutants the level of emissions
would now be several times as great in many
areas "
The financial effort to clean up the Na-
tion's waterways has been prodigious—$30
billion in the past decade in Federal funds.
Unfortunately, somewhere along the line the
program lost its focus. What started out as an
effort to cleanse waterways was broadened
into the largest non-defense public works
program in the U.S. The Federal government
became responsible for 75% of the cost of
sewer pipes being laid. Delays were endemic
and costly. Of more than 19,000 sewage
treatment projects only about 2,700 actually
have been completed.
Fortunately this program is now back un-
der control and on track. Reforms signed by
President Reagan Dec. 29 not only reduce
the Federal long-term commitment from $90
billion to S36 billion but will reduce the
Federal share of projects from 75% to 55%.
The legislation also gives more discretion and
control to States and cities on growth needs.
As our knowledge of pollutants and the
ramifications of their effects on the environ-
ment has increased, our efforts have
broadened. One area is the control of hazar-
dous wastes. Spurred by legislation and
public concern, more than 57,000 generators
of hazardous wastes are now properly iden-
tifying these substances, ensuring that they
are sent to legitimate facilities for managing
them. More than 1 4,000 transporters of such
wastes are complying with a manifest system
to ensure that shipments are sent to and
received by legitimate hazardous waste
facilities rather than being indiscriminately
dumped. Over 14,000 hazardous waste
storage, treatment and disposal facilities are
now registered with EPA, have applied for
appropriate permits, and are obliged to com-
ply with interim standards until permits are
processed.
Congress also has enacted the "Super-
fund" Act to deal with threats to public
health and the environment from uncon-
trolled hazardous wastes. Under this the
government can respond quickly in emergen-
cies, financed by an unprecedented $1.6
billion five-year trust fund primarily built up
from taxes on industrial chemicals.
However, the cost of environmental
protection increasingly had begun to con-
cern lawmakers, government administrators.
industry, and the public as the 1970s wore
on. While few doubted the need for some
pollution controls, many began questioning
the "blank check" approach. Having achieved
major reductions in environmental con-
tamination, was it wise or prudent to pour
additional billions of dollars in cleaning up a
final few percentage points of pollutants?
While the public was willing to pay a price for
a clean, healthy environment, would this
willingness be jeopardized if the public
believed that the costs were larger than they
needed to be. and that the benefits were not
worth those costs?
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1982
-------
The President's Council on Environmental
Quality has estimated in its 1981 annual
report, for example, that by 1989 total
government and industry expenditures re-
quired by Federal environmental measures
would reach approximately $68 billion an-
nually. Air and water pollution control would
be taking the greatest share of this, but other
programs also would make their mark.
In fact, CEQ estimated that in the ten
years stretching from 1980 to 1989,
spending in response to Federal environmen-
tal quality regulations would total more than
$523 billion. That exceeds half a trillion
dollars, or about half the Gross National
Product for the United States today. And if
one adds spending to meet requirements by
State and local environmental statutes, CEQ
noted, the estimated total would nearly reach
$758 billion during that decade.
There were other concerns about the way
the Nation was managing its programs in en-
vironmental protection. Although Congress
had clearly intended a Federal-State
partnership in carrying out the numerous en-
vironmental laws enacted in the 1970s, the
flow of power with its layers of managers and
program analysts and regulation specialists
gravitated to Washington. Too often rules
were promulgated and imposed without due
consideration for local conditions. The result
was that friction between local and Federal
authorities left a legacy of ill-will and distrust.
The proliferation of Federal regulations
from Washington brought other problems.
Cumbersome procedures grew like vines in
the bureaucracy. An army of specialists came
into being to administer the labyrinth of
procedures. Costly, burdensome delays
resulted from the multiple steps that each
change in local clean air plans encountered.
The delays created more friction as some in-
dustries and State governments perceived
Washington as remote and insensitive to
local conditions and needs.
Along with redundant and burdensome
regulations came other costly problems. The
magnitude of the multi-billion dollar con-
struction grants program, where the Federal
government picked up 75 percent of the cosf
of building wastewater treatment plants, en-
couraged communities to order facilities that
they ordinarily could not have afforded. A
number of localities spent beyond their
means, and saddled homeowners with heavy
operating and maintenance costs of
elaborate sewage treatment systems, since
the program enticed planners into ordering
exotic hardware where simpler systems
would have been adequate. Politically, the
program was attractive, since it funnelled
vast quantities of money and jobs into local
districts.
These, then, were some of the problems
that had resulted from the unprecedented ef-
fort by the United States in the 1970s to at-
tack pollution on a broad front. The excessive
regulations, burdensome paperwork for in-
dustry and government. Federal-State fric-
tion, and huge costs at a time of increasing
economic stringency—all were clear signs
that change was needed in the 1980s.
The Reagan Administration goals
President Ronald Reagan has campaigned on
a number of broad themes directed at refor-
ming the way the Federal government was
being operated. These included controlling
inflation, expanding the economy, creating
new jobs, increasing domestic energy
production, protecting the nation's natural
resources and the environment, and easing
the burden of government regulations.
Part of our responsibilities at EPA is to
keep the Agency in step with this philosophy
of the Reagan Administration. That means
carrying out our environmental respon-
sibilities while simultaneously enhancing
progress toward these other objectives. Deci-
sions by EPA do not function in a vacuum;
they affect not only the environment but
because of their size and scope they may also
affect inflation, industry, economic and
energy development, jobs, and certainly the
regulatory load. So it is important that we at
EPA achieve a balance in our policies and
decisions to protect public health and welfare
but at the same time move in harmony with
other Administration initiatives.
If we had to summarize our philosophy as
we move into the 1980s, I would say we are
going to do more with less. This does not
mean EPA is going to disappear. What it
does mean is that this Administration will do
a better job than its predecessors with fewer
resources and find more efficient ways of
operating, just as other government agencies
are in these times of budget stringencies. The
changes will include these:
• Where EPA has had an adversarial
relationship with the States, it has impeded
progress in environmental cleanup. We are
changing this climate and will be working in
closer cooperation, a move that will enhance
our national opportunity to reach environ-
mental objectives.
• We are moving forward with regulatory
reform. In the past, our programs too often
have been developed in isolation from one
another. This can lead to serious errors in en-
vironmental management, where a narrow
concern solely with one area such as land
can lead to degradation of water. We have
regulations now on the books, and it will be a
genuine challenge to rationalize them in a
total environmental concept.
• EPA needs better management. Our
studies have shown that there is approx-
imately one manager for every three em-
ployees performing EPA work. In Research
and Development, the ratio is about one
supervisor for every two people. We need to
change this top-heavy pattern. We also have
found that EPA has more on-line computer
capability than any civilian agency in the
Federal government. We can and will remedy
this situation.
When we mention the need for doing
more with less, one thing that springs to
mind is the need for fewer and simpler
regulations. One does not have to look far at
EPA to find areas where this aspect of pollu-
tion control can be improved. Under the pre-
sent Clean Air Act in the United States, the
agency must approve virtually all details of
EPA JOURNAL
-------
Saucer dome of a storage tank and missfe-
like distillation columns give a "space center"
appearance in this night photo of a modern
chemical plant built by PPG Industries at
.".harles. La., to manufacture vinyl
chloride monomer.
State and local air pollution control plans.
Any subsequent changes in individual emis-
sion limits must be reviewed and approved
by EPA before they can take effect. This
process requires States to submit each year
thousands of individual actions. All in all,
from start to finish. Federal approval requires
24 separate steps, requiring more than 10
months.
We have taken a number of steps to
streamline this and other procedures.
Without encumbering the reader with details.
I will simply say that we are eliminating red
tape and delays in many noncontroversial,
routine matters. And the same applies to
programs in wastewater clean-up, hazardous
waste management, and other areas, where
we are re-writing, simplifying or abolishing
unnecessary regulations. This promises to
save both time and taxpayers' money.
EPA also is encouraging the "bubble" con-
cept, where a plant's total emissions are con-
sidered as if the plant were under a giant
dome or bubble, rather than seeking controls
strictly on an emission point basis. The ad-
vantage of this to a company is that it can
reduce its overall cost of controlling emis-
sions at whichever emission point it desires,
so long as the net effect of a trade does not
exacerbate air quality, and thus often can use
a more cost-effective approach.
We look with favor on a greater applica-
tion of the bubble policy, which takes EPA
out of the area of controlling techniques in
attaining clean air. It's important to look at
results. The bubble policy lets industry, not
government, make the decision on how to
reach the goal, an approach that can be far
cheaper and can use better control techni-
ques.
Too often in the past EPA has pursued a
confrontational course with industry. This
Administration believes that rather than
devote endless time and effort to litigation,
government and industry often can reach
reasonable accords over environmental
clean-up through negotiations. We anticipate
that more emphasis on this philosophy will
prevail in the 1980s.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1982
-------
Another of President Reagan's priorities
has been to shift control of public programs
to State governments whenever possible.
Not only will this help to reduce the need for
funds and personnel at the Federal level, but
will delegate responsibility and control to ad-
ministrators who are closer to the problems
and needs of the public. Many environmental
decisions require weighing of factors that are
more effectively and democratically decided
at a local level
State and local governments have un-
dergone a remarkable maturing in their ability
to manage a wide range of problems. The
fastest expansion in government work forces
has been under way for some time not in
Washington, DC. but at the State and local
level. Since 1960, the number of employees
in the latter categories has more than
doubled, from six to thirteen million. They
now outnumber their Federal counterparts by
more than four to one. In air pollution control.
the shift has been even more dramatic; in the
past decade the number of State and local
personnel in this specialty has risen so fast
that there are now nine for every one at the
Federal level. It makes sense that the nation
should take advantage of this situation by
giving more responsibility to areas where
staffing has been so heavily increased. Con-
gress always intended that the States play a
major role in environmental enhancement,
and we are now moving to give them more
control in this respect.
Part of our efforts to improve performance
at EPA include a reorganization of our Office
of Research and Development. While the ad-
ministrative details of this would not be of
major interest in an article of this nature, its
significance here is simply that it will mean a
more efficient use of our science dollars and
an upgrading of the quality of work through a
peer review system.
We will need good science in the years
ahead. There are many areas about which
scientific uncertainties exist, including
problems of an international nature. The Un-
ited States is one of several nations studying
the question of acid precipitation, for exam-
ple tn 1980 Congress passed the Acid
Precipitation Act establishing an interagency
task force and authorizing a ten-year com-
prehensive research plan for this subject
EPA is the lead agency for three research
areas, which are aquatic effects, control
technology, and data assessments and
analysis. EPA has committed more than $9
million in the current fiscal year for research
on this topic, and other Federal efforts will br-
ing the total to more than $18 million.
Another area we will continue to study is
the effect of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). In
the mid-1970s, scientists hypothesized that
continued world CFC emissions might lead to
depletion of stratospheric ozone. Since this
layer of ozone helps to limit the amount of ul-
traviolet radiation reaching the earth from the
sun. there was concern that damage to the
layer might cause adverse health and en-
vironmental effects.
After receiving an assessment from the
National Academy of Sciences and holding
public hearings, EPA and the Food and Drug
Administration prohibited nonessential
aerosol uses of CFSs in the United States, In
1981 EPA funded a new assessment by the
National Academy of Sciences of the most
recent scientific information on stratospheric
ozone changes. The final NAS report is ex-
EPA JOURNAL
-------
pected to be completed soon. EPA
also has participated with industry, environ-
mental organizations, and other agencies in
an assessment of the question by the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and
Development, The OECD work will contribute
to future international deliberations and will
help give direction to further study. EPA also
has been participating in UNEP's Coor-
dinating Committee on the Ozone Layer and
will continue its current international
program focused on sharing information, im-
proving cooperation, and pursuing inter-
national understanding. EPA. the State
Department, and other interested agencies
are also participating in the drafting of an in-
ternational framework convention on protec-
tion of the ozone layer. The first Ad Hoc
meeting was held in Stockholm in January,
1982
As our knowledge and understanding of
environmental problems increases. EPA will
be able in the 1 980s to focus more clearly on
these and other questions dealing with trans-
boundary pollutants One can rarely predict
where research will lead, but we can be sure
of one assumption: Action must be preceded
by study Our first task is to clarify and
resolve the many uncertainties that still sur-
round various global environmental ques-
tions
The solution of these global problems ob-
viously must be a cooperative venture. The
United States cannot shoulder the task alone.
We are therefore especially encouraged by
the creation of environmental ministries and
agencies in so many developing countries,
which I mentioned at the outset of this arti-
cle. Many of the world's environmental
problems depend on Third World cooperation
if we afe to surmount them. And if we ail face
economic stringencies in the decade ahead,
Gulls flock to hunt (or insects and other food
-------
Reagan Commitment to
Environment Fulfilled
in EPA's '81 Success
President Reagan came into office a little
over a year ago firmly committed to the
husbanding of this nation's natural resources
and to the improvement and enhancement of
the environment.
EPA Administrator Anne M. Gorsuch
recently noted that the President "has not
wavered in that commitment.
"As his administrator of the Environmental
Protection Agency. I share the President's
commitment to the preservation of our en-
vironmental heritage. And I have not
wavered in my determination to make EPA a
more efficient, more effective force in carry-
ing out our environmental programs."
While it is true that EPA has not been ex-
empt from the President's program to cut
federal spending and federal employment, a
smaller budget and fewer employees do not
necessarily mean less environmental protec-
tion. Mrs. Gorsuch said.
And, Mrs. Gorsuch pointed out,
easing the burden of government regulation
is not synonymous with abandonment of
progress toward cleaner air, cleaner water.
the safer handling of toxic substances and
other important environmental goals.
The challenge at EPA is to do an effective
job of environmental protection through the
more efficient use of limited resources.
Some of the areas of progress by EPA and
the Administration during the past year
include:
Superfund
The Superfund program, which Congress
enacted at the end of 1980 to provide
authority and money to clean up abandoned
hazardous waste dumps, has been quickly
implemented. For example:
• 115 dump sites across the nation have
been identified as high priority targets for
cleanup under Superfund.
• S30 million has been approved for cleanup
work at 30 sites.
• $18 million has been allocated for
emergency work at 64 other sites.
The Superfund program continues to be
one of the Administration's highest environ-
mental priorities. Because the program is
new, a high degree of Federal involvement is
necessary but states will assume more and
more of the administrative responsibility as
time goes on.
Hazardous Waste Disposal
A vigorous enforcement program is un-
derway to assure safe disposal of hazardous
wastes on an ongoing basis, and this effort
will be expanded in the current fiscal year.
EPA and the states have inspected more than
5.800 hazardous waste facilities. Compliance
orders, with penalties where appropriate,
were issued at 178 facilities. Two actions
were filed in Federal court.
EPA is also pressing constantly for in-
dustry action to clean up abandoned sites
themselves to avoid expensive court
action later seeking reimbursement for
government cleanup programs. Major
breakthrough agreements were reached in
recent months with firms in California,
Pennsylvania, Arkansas and Ohio.
Hazardous waste regulations, applicable
to some 60,000 generators, transporters,
and facility owners and operators, also are a
prime target for regulatory reform. The
regulations have been likened to the Internal
Revenue Code in complexity. About 20
technical amendments were issued in 1981
to solve some of the major bugs. Another 20
to 40 amendments will be put forward in
1982
Clean Water
Congress has enacted into law major reforms
sought by the Administration in the construc-
tion grants program for wastewater treat-
ment facilities. The reforms will permit con-
tinued funding of projects that contribute to
cleaner water, but get the federal govern-
ment out of the business of financing sewer
construction for future population growth.
When the program started in 1970, it was
estimated that federal assistance to upgrade
wastewater treatment systems would cost
$1 8 billion. Ten years later, spending alloca-
tions had soared to $30 billion, and they
were expected to reach S90 billion in the
next decade.
The new legislation limits spending
authority to $2.4 billion in each of the next
four years. And starting October 1, 1984,
federal funding generally will be restricted to
construction of treatment plants, main sewer
lines, and the repair of lines. States will put
up a greater share of construction costs.
The shift in emphasis from subsidizing
development to the improvement of water
quality was strongly supported by environ-
mental groups as well as the administration.
Multi-billion Dollar Savings in
Regulation Costs
Changes recently implemented by EPA to
ease the burden of regulation should save in-
dustry and the public a total of $350 million
in capital costs and $1 80 million in operating
expenses. Future savings under regulation
amendments proposed by EPA could total an
10
EPA JOURNAL
-------
f"^
S, -- -
«?•> , x
estimated $5 billion in operating costs.
Some examples:
Amending the standards industry will be
required to meet for pre-treatrnent of wastes
alone could save up to $1.8 billion in annual
costs. The possibility of revising the pre-
treatment standards has already been
proposed by EPA and the Agency is now
considering comments on possible revision
strategy
Changes under consideration in the treat-
ment regulations for the pulp and paper in-
dustry could total an estimated $1 billion.
Revisions of the 1984 carbon monoxide
standards for heavy duty trucks which have
been proposed could avoid the need for
catalysts for these vehicles These changes
and certain assembly line testing modifica-
tions could save an estimated $360 million in
costs.
Amendments, deferrals and withdrawals
of proposed noise regulations would result in
an approximately $600 million reduction in
the cost burden of these rules
Clean Air
Although Congress did not complete work
last year on revisions of the Clean Air Act.
EPA nevertheless was able to initiate several
steps toward more cost effective pollution
control. The time it takes to act on changes in
state clean air implementation plans has
been substantially reduced. The backlog of
some 1.000 amendments awaiting
action will be wiped out altogether by mid-
year Eliminating bureaucratic delays means
faster progress toward clean air. and at lower
cost.
While the Administration seeks revisions
of the Clean Air Act, the goal is to build a
more workable program, not to tear down the
basic structure that served this nation well
during the 1970's
Enforcement
A major reorganization of the enforcement
program has been started and a new criminal
enforcement unit is being established. Funds
and manpower are being concentrated on
cases involving substantial pollution
problems. Minor cases, which absorbed a
great deal of EPA time and money in the
past, will be resolved whenever possible
through out-of-court settlement. Nearly 50
cases which had been pending at the Justice
Department were withdrawn because they
were weak, old or of little substance. Mean-
while. 45 new stronger cases were referred
to Justice since Mrs. Gorsuch took office.
The agency is continuing its joint program
with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in
probing criminal violations that may occur in
the handling of hazardous waste, such as
"midnight dumping" or the surreptitious
discharge of hazardous substances into
waterways.
Paperwork Reduction
Substantial reductions have been made. For
example, reporting requirements under the
Resource Recovery and Conservation Act
have been cut by an estimated three million
hours. EPA is developing strategies for mak-
ing significant paperwork reductions in a
number of other areas this fiscal year, in-
cluding water quality, groundwater monitor-
ing. National Poilution Discharge Elimination
System consolidated permits, pesticides
registration and pre-manufacturing notices
requirements.
Small Business
EPA is making every effort to minimize the
impact of new regulations on small
businesses, which are particularly vulnerable
to the financial burdens such regulations may
impose. The Small Business Administration
recently singled out EPA for the high quality
of its economic analyses of regulatory effects
on small business.
To further aid small businesses in comply-
ing with environmental requirements, EPA is
establishing a small business ombudsman to
alleviate problems resulting from regulations
whenever possible. The ombudsman will in-
vestigate and resolve disputes arising from
permitting, grants and procurement
processes; track the development of stan-
dards and provide small businesses with in-
formation to encourage their participation in
decision-making; answer questions regarding
regulatory requirements, and refer small
businesses to other technical assistance of-
fices when appropriate.
EPA Internal Operations
Internal controls over expenditures have
been tightened, audits have been increased,
efforts to recover money owed to EPA have
been greatly intensified, and stiff new con-
tracting and fiscal policies have been adopted
to slash expenses. D
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1982
11
-------
Achieving
Better
Management
An interview with Dr. John P. Morton,
EPA Assistant tur Adminislr
'- What do you hope to achieve in your
leadership position at EPA in the new year?
< * I would hope to see this Agency moving
in the direction to which the Administrator
is pointing. We need a better awareness of
our responsibilities to provide a proper
cost/benefit ratio to the American taxpayers.
In the first 1 1 years at EPA, I don't think
that we were particularly cognizant of cost
effectiveness. Not only the cost in terms of
money the Agency spends, but the cost to
the affected publics. Now we're moving into
a period when we're going to be concerned
with the cost side as well as the benefit side.
It is within that context that the Office of
Administration is moving to make the opera-
tions of the Agency more efficient. To the ex-
tent that we have control over regula-
tions, we're trying to simplify these regula-
tions. We are trying to make it less costly for
the affected publics to deal with the Agency.
By the way, we're trying to make it less
costly for the Agency to deal with itself.
Sometimes we're our own worst enemies in
that respect. We promulgate rules and
regulations for conduct of business by our-
selves that I think are sometimes very in-
hibitive. So I would hope to see a change
coming around
I would hope to develop, particularly
within the Office of Administration, a dif-
ferent sort of feeling on the part of Agency
staff. I think that one of the biggest dif-
ferences between commercial and govern-
ment employees is the unwillingness to take
risk. It's an understandable unwillingness
because the system mitigates against taking
risk. If you take a risk and succeed, the
rewards are relatively small. If you take a risk
and fail, the penalises are very severe I
would like to change the system so that the
milieu in which our people work is more con-
ducive to risk taking. That's where we get
creativity, that's where we get new thinking,
that's where we get the type of innovative
approaches that are needed in government
today. So I would hope, first, in the Office of
Administration, and then throughout the
Agency to develop and change the system so
that we could encourage our employees to
stretch themselves a bit more in those areas.
12
EPA JOURNAL
-------
Q
How do you think major economies can
be achieved?
A I suspect that there are a number of
areas where that could happen. One of the
first things that we need to develop is a con-
sciousness of the value of the dollar. Too of-
ten we are prone to spend money without
really thinking about how that money got
there. Somehow it's in the Treasury And. if
we have it in the budget, we just go ahead
and spend it We are trying in the Office of
Administration to develop a point of view of
asking ourselves "Well, if it were your
S1000. would you spend it for that item?"
(J. Based on your extensive experience in
the business world, do you think EPA can be
operated more efficiently without sacrificing
the quality of the Agency's efforts to protect
the environment?
f\ I don't think there's any question about
that! I've gone around to visit all the regions
and talked to people throughout Headquar-
ters. Almost everybody has said that the
Agency in past has had almost more money
than people know what to do with; that the
objective and effort was really to make sure
that all the money got spent. This is certainly
not an objective in a business environment.
This Administration wants to introduce
some fiscal responsibility. Modifying a
philosophical attitude as I describe does not
mean shrinking the quality of our efforts to
protect the environment
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1982
13
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14
EPA JOURNAL
-------
I know you have visited a number of EPA
laboratories and offices around the country.
Is it your impression that these facilities are
generally performing in an effective manner?
r\ I have visited all 10 regions. I have
visited EPA facilities in Research Triangle
Park, N.C.; Cincinnati; Las Vegas; Edison,
N.J.; and a number of other places. I would
say that the major problem is that in many
cases we built more facilities than we really
needed. The capital expended in some of our
facilities for the results we get is so far out of
line as to be almost unconscionable. I don't
think this was necessarily the fault of any
particular EPA employee, but rather of the
perception that we needed to duplicate
facilities all over. The result of this was the
expenditure of large sums of money where
the workload couldn't justify that sort of an
expenditure.
I think that the individual employees, as I
have seen them, in the regions and in the
laboratories, have a good dedication to their
job and an interest in achieving results I
really think the problem was of a system
which created these large facilities and the
numbers of people assigned to them without
any assessment of the real cost/benefit ratio.
Of course, the other thing that's happen-
ing is that we're transferring more and more
responsibility to the States. We may find, for
example, that the regional offices no longer
need as many people in order to achieve the
new trends in operations.
' Do you think there is a need of con-
solidation or closure of some of these field
units?
^ Yes. there's no question in my mind that,
if we're going to operate effectively, we do
need to do that sort of thing. The question is
how you do that and still maintain the ser-
vices that those facilities were providing. In
the Office of Administration our goal is "Bet-
ter services at lower cost." When we con-
sider consolidation of these facilities, we're
exploring the possibilities for lower costs. But
that does not mean we can neglect better
services. And the question is really how to
trim expenses without hurting services. A
particular area we have been studying is the
Surveillance and Analysis Laboratories which
provide a valuable service to the Regional
Administrators. They allow the Regional Ad-
ministrators to have a scientific authority in
the region. The problem is if we take that
laboratory out of the region, we need to
replace it in some fashion so that we don't
damage the reputation for scientific accuracy
which the Regional Administrator has. And
this is the problem we're wrestling with at
the moment.
I understand that the zero base
budgeting concept is no longer in vogue.
What was the trouble with this approach?
A The zero base budget, like many ideas, is
very good in concept—in theory. The
problem is in the execution. The implementa-
tion generated enormous amounts of work. It
was a great time-consumer in trying to
prepare the budget. It was just simply un-
manageable in EPA. And if it's un-
manageable in EPA, it's likely to be un-
manageable in any other government
agency.
EPA, I think, is willing to move into new
areas more than other government agencies
do. But the amount of time that was commit-
ted to committee meetings, wrestling with
the basic needs for certain services, all of
which were required for zero base budgeting.
just could not justify the end result. Because
of that, of course, we dropped the concept,
and we moved over on to another type
budgeting.
Our budget in EPA and in government
generally has a much greater significance
than it does in industry. In commerce and in
industry the budget is a tool that allows
managers to plan and manage their func-
tions. In EPA the budget is a driving force
that dictates what needs to be done. I'm not
sure that that's necessarily good. Generally
speaking, my practice in business has been to
develop, first of all, a business plan. After
developing a business plan, we would then
translate the business plan into a budget. In
other words the budget was a financial in-
trepretation of the business plan. The budget
was used then throughout the year to help
answer a simple four-word question: is the
plan working? I would like to see us move
more in that direction, toward understanding
the budget as a management tool, rather
than as a driving force. I'm not sure that's
possible within the dictates of Congress and
the White House. D
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1982
15
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Grants Program
Refocused on
Environment
President Reagan has signed into law new
legislation authorizing continued Federal
grants to cities and towns to help build
sewage treatment plants to curb water
pollution
President Reagan declared that this
legislation "represents a rededication to en-
vironmental goals and a turn away from
public works for the sake of public works."
The new amendments to the 1977 Clean
Water Act authorized EPA to grant to the
States up to $2.4 billion per year during
1982-1985 to pay 75 percent of the cost of
building sewage treatment plants, interceptor
sewers, and certain other sewage cleanup
projects. The percentage of Federal aid will
drop to 55 percent in fiscal 1985
EPA Administrator Anne M. Gorsuch has
asked Congress to appropriate the full
$2.4 billion for fiscal year 1 982 to carry out
the revamped national sewage treatment
program
The amendments will also allow $200
million per year during 1 983-1 985 to protect
coastal bays and estuaries from the harmful
effects of sewage.
EPA Deputy Administrator John W.
Hernandez issued the following statement:
"By signing the Municipal Wastewater
Treatment Construction Grants Amendments
of 1981. the President has expressed his
support for continued progress toward clean
water thtough an efficient, affordable
municipal sewage treatment program.
"The Congress is to be congratulated for
incorporating the basic recommendations of
the Administration into the new law. making
it the most significant environmental legisla-
tion thus far enacted during this session This
law redirects Federal funds for municipal
sewage treatment from a public works
program to a targeted environmental
program.
"The new amendments will help achieve
the Administration's goals of enhanced water
quality, greater cost-effectiveness, and more
flexibility to States and localities in deciding
sewage treatment priorities. EPA looks
forward to working with the States to make
the promise of the amendments a reality."
The new law includes Administration
reforms intended to direct sewage treatment
dollars to projects that will significantly im-
prove water quality, to give local officials
greater flexibility in deciding sewage cleanup
priorities and to reduce Federal involvement
in the program from the S3 to S4 billion level
that existed during the late 1970's.
No new Federal money for sewage treat-
ment has been available to the States since
October 1, 1981 Funding for the program
under the new amendments will require
enactment of a supplemental appropriation
to provide the money authorized.
Under the previous construction grants
law. EPA would have had to spend about
S90 billion by the year 2000 to satisfy the
sewage treatment needs of the States, The
new law, because it reduces the Federal
share and limits construction eligible for
Federal dollars, trims this figure to S36 billion
by the year 2000—a 60 percent reduction.
October 1. 1984. is a significant date in
the new legislation. Until then, EPA's sewage
treatment program remains much as it has
been under the 1977 Clean Water Act. After
this date, however, the program is designed
to come closer to the Administration goal of
a leaner, but more effective effort
Since 1972. EPA has committed about
S33 billion in sewage treatment grants to
help fund roughly 22,000 projects for plann-
ing, design and construction of sewage
facilities. Only an estimated 3,700 of these
have been completed because of the seven
to 1 0 years it has taken in the past to com-
plete a project after the initial funds were
awarded. Streamlined procedures in the
1981 amendments are designed to reduce
this lengthy -time period.
Other
Highlights
Projects eligible for Federal funding
Under the old law, Federal grants paid for a
variety of sewage construction including:
treatment plants: "alternative/innovative"
projects, such as land application of sewage
liquids: collector sewers (which run under a
residential street, for example): interceptor
sewers (larger diameter sewers which tie
collector lines to treatment plants), work to
prevent rainwater or other seepage from en-
tering sewer lines (known as the "infiltration-
inflow" problem), and work to prevent
16
EPA JOURNAL
-------
State Allotments for Fiscal 1982 in Millions of Dollars
ALABAMA
ALASKA
ARIZONA
ARKANSAS
CALIFORNIA
COLORADO
-X-'v CONNECTICUT
r ^*i
r\
v_ AK
s* 11
r
DELAWARE
DISTRICT OF
COLUMBIA
FLORIDA
GEORGIA
HAWAII
^J^^^^^Vv IDAHO
JS ^Vv
30
1 1
18
17
187
21
26
1 1
1 1
90
45
18
1 1
ILLINOIS
INDIANA
IOWA
KANSAS
KENTUCKY
LOUISIANA
MAINE
MARYLAND
MASS.
MICHIGAN
MINNESOTA
MISSISSIPPI
MISSOURI
MONTANA
122
65
30
20
34
29
17
65
69
97
44
22
59
11
NEBRASKA
NEVADA
N.HAMPSHIRE
NEWJERSEY
NEW MEXICO
NEW YORK
NO. CAROLINA
NORTH DAKOTA
OHIO
OKLAHOMA
OREGON
PENNSYLVANIA
RHODE ISLAND
SO. CAROLINA
SOUTH DAKOTA
13
1 1
20
84
1 1
251
46
1 1
152
21
30
103
12
27
1 1
TENNESSEE
TEXAS
UTAH
VERMONT
VIRGINIA
WASHINGTON
W.VIRGINIA
WISCONSIN
WYOMING
SAMOA
GUAM
PUERTO RICO
PAC TR. TER.
36
103
1 1
1 1
46
41
42
46
1 1
1
1
27
3
Over $25 million
Over $50 million
Over $100 million
Over $200 million
Pfl
27
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1982
17
-------
stormwater from flushing raw sewage into
waterways (known as the "combined sewer
overflow problem).
Under the new law, EPA can continue to
make grants for all of this construction until
October 1, 1984. Afterward, the Agency's
grants will go primarily toward building treat-
ment plants, alternative-innovative projects,
and interceptor sewers. However, a governor
may spend up to 20 percent of the State's
Federal allocation for other sewage
construction.
Federal share
The old share for eligible construction was 75
percent for conventional treatment works
and 85 percent for alternative-innovative
projects. This will remain true under the new
amendments until October 1. 1984. Af-
terward, the Federal share will drop to 55
percent for conventional work and 75 per-
cent for alternative-innovative projects
Reserve capacity
Under the old law. EPA sometimes funded
sewage treatment plants larger than im-
mediately needed in order to provide extra
treatment capacity for future community
growth. This remains possible under the new
law until October 1, 1984. Afterward, the
Agency can fund construction only to serve
the residential and industrial flows existing
on the date of grant approval for
construction
Compliance deadline
The old law gave sewage treatment facilities
until July 1, 1983, to meet a "secondary"
treatment level (secondary generally means
removal of 85 percent of the organic matter
and suspended solids in sewage). The new
law gives these facilities an additional five
years, until July 1, 1988, to achieve secon-
dary treatment.
Decentralization
The new amendments encourage all States
to take over the actual operations of the con-
struction grants program, with EPA to
assume a monitoring and guidance role. Thus
far, 44 States have signed agreements to un-
dertake these new responsibilities. D
Another section is lowered for a massive interceptor sewer pipe built to take
vjnftos tram collector sewers to a sewage treatment plant.
18
EPA JOURNAL
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EPA Acts
to Protect
Atlantic City
Water
A six-month study has been launched un-
der an EPA contract to determine the
best method of protecting the public water
supply of Atlantic City. N.J., from contamina-
tion by chemical wastes migrating out of
Price's Pit, a nearby disposal site.
Anne M. Gorsuch, EPA Administrator, has
approved the allocation of approximately
$500,000 for the study and additional field
investigation activities.
Mrs. Gorsuch also approved funding for a
standby supply of activated carbon to be
used to treat the city's water if it should
become tainted while the long-term program
is being developed
Estimated cost of the standby carbon sup-
ply is SI million
"Price's Pit ranks among the top ten
priority Superfund sites in the Nation," Mrs.
Gorsuch said. "This action demonstrated
EPA's determination to take effective action
where a potential public health risk is in-
volved."
A now inactive 26-acre landfill in the town
of Pleasantville. N.J.. Price's Pit is six miles
northwest of Atlantic City. Chemical wastes
were dumped at this location from 1968 to
1976.
Leachate from the landfill has con-
taminated nearby private drinking water
wells serving 37 homes. Tests show that the
contaminants are moving through the
groundwater and have approached a well
field serving Atlantic City.
On December 22, 1 980, the U.S. Depart-
ment of Justice filed suit at EPA's request
against the former and present owners of the
landfill. On September 23. 1981, the State of
New Jersey issued an administrative order
directing the New Jersey Water Company
and the affected municipalities to extend
water mains to supply the already affected
houses. D
Huge crowds flock to Atlantic City on the New Jersey ocean front.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1982
19
-------
More than 700,000 gallons of waste
containing polychlorinated biphyenyls
(PCBs) were burned in December aboard the
incinerator ship Vulcanus in the Gulf of Mex-
ico about 350 miles southwest of Mobile,
Ala.
The Vulcanus, a 334-foot converted
tanker, is one of only three incinerator ships
in the world.
"EPA considers incineration at sea to be a
safe and reliable method of disposing of
PCBs," explained EPA Administrator Anne
M. Gorsuch.
When the ship's incinerator reaches a
combustion temperature exceeding 1,200
degrees centigrade, more than 99.9 percent
of the PCBs are destroyed.
EPA previously monitored incineration of
1000 Fathoms 100 Fathoms
MEXICO
The s/Je where the Vulcanus is burning PCB
wastes is located in deep water off the con
tinental shelf and more than 300 kilometers
from any coastal area.
EPA JOURNAL
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The incinerator ship Vulcanus in port.
wastes aboard the Vulcanus in 1974 and
1977, Incineration at sea has been practiced
successfully in Europe for a number of years
Chemical Waste Management Inc. and its
subsidiary. Ocean Combustion Service, have
a permit from EPA to dispose of up to 3.6
million gallons of PCS wastes this year.
EPA is closely monitoring the incineration
process. Automatic recording devices keep a
record of the temperature of combustion and
other data. A manual log keeps an hourly
record of wind speed and direction, vessel
position, course and speed.
An automatic shut-off device will be ac-
tivated in case the incineration temperature
falls below 1,200 degrees
An EPA official aboard the Vulcanus has
the authority to shut down the process if
necessary. In addition, the Vulcanus remains
in touch with the 8th District Coast Guard in
New Orleans during the incineration of the
wastes.
The burn site is in deep water off the con-
tinental shelf and far from land, commercial
and sports fisheries, shipping lanes, and
breeding, spawning and nursery areas for fish
and other marine life.
EPA receives its authority to the disposal
of PCBs from the Toxic Substances Control
Act (1 976) and the authority to issue permits
for incineration at sea from the Marine
Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act
(1972).
The PCB wastes being burned aboard the
Vulcanus came from a landfill facility in
Alabama, where they were temporarily
stored after being gathered from various
parts of the country.
PCBs are toxic and persistent chemicals
primarily used as insulating fluids in heavy-
duty electrical equipment in power plants, in-
dustries and large buildings.
The manufacture of PCBs was banned in
1979. EPA estimates that 750 million
pounds of PCBs are still in use. with 290
million pounds located in landfills and an ad-
ditional 1 50 million pounds dispersed
throughout the environment. Last year EPA
issued permits to two land-based in-
cinerators, which are disposing of about
200,000 gallons of PCB wastes per month.
PCBs have caused birth defects and can-
cer in laboratory animals, and are a suspec-
ted cause of cancer and adverse skin and
liver effects in humans.
During the last four years several EPA
studies have concluded that incineration of
hazardous wastes at incinerators on land can
also be successful.
These studies have determined that in
most cases incineration proved to be the
best, if not the only environmentally accep-
table, method of hazardous waste disposal
Two EPA research and field-scale projects
carried out in 1979 involved several types of
commercial incinerators and 20 different
chemical wastes, including nine pesticides.
These wastes were almost totally detoxified
and destroyed by incineration The successful
use of cement kilns to destroy the highly
toxic, halogen-containing organic waste is
one of the more important and well-
publicized demonstration projects by EPA
An EPA-sponsored trial burn, to
demonstrate the destruction of PCBs in a
high-efficiency boiler, was conducted in May
1980 at the General Motors Chevrolet plant
located in Bay City. Mich, It showed that low
levels (50 to 500 parts per million) of the
toxic PCBs could be safely destroyed by bur-
ning them at approximately 2,000 degrees
Fahrenheit.
Two benefits from this demonstration
were that it laid to rest public fears about
burning PCBs, and it encouraged other com-
panies, especially utilities, to apply for per-
mits to burn their low-concentration PCBs in
a similar manner.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1982
21
-------
The Combustion Research Facility (CRF),
which should be completed soon in Jeffer-
son. Ark., is expected to provide valuable in-
cineration data that may have great impact
on regional incinerator permit programs. That
facility will be the property of EPA, located on
the grounds of the National Center for Tox-
icological Research, a facility operated jointly
by EPA and the FDA (Food and Drug Ad-
ministration). The CRF will be operated for
EPA to conduct research into trie safe in-
cineration of hazardous materials.
It will house two pilot-scale incinerators.
One unit is a rotary kiln incinerator capable of
handling a wide variety of material at the rate
of 200 pounds per hour. The second unit is a
liquid-injection incinerator that will test at
least 10 different hazardous and toxic waste
types from specific waste streams. Rotary
kiln and liquid-injection incinerators account
for 90 percent of all hazardous waste being in-
cinerated today.
Last summer EPA also conducted full-
scale testing of the municipally owned hazar-
dous waste incinerator in Cincinnati. Nearly
one hundred thousand gallons of hazardous
waste were incinerated during the extensive,
short-term test. Results were promising; a
report on the project is being prepared.
EPA estimates that about 60 percent of all
hazardous waste could be successfully in-
cinerated, if incineration were widely used.
The Agency's figures show that only six per-
cent of all hazardous waste has been dis-
posed of by controlled incineration
Unfortunately, incineration is one of the
more expensive methods of hazardous waste
disposal. It costs anywhere from $75 to $2,-
000 to incinerate a ton of hazardous waste,
depending on the type of waste. Further-
more, with the exception of a handful of in-
dustrial hazardous waste incinerators
operated on company premises, very few
commercial hazardous waste incinerators
exist.
The Nation's first two commercial in-
cinerators, which can destroy high concen-
trations of PCBs (above 500 parts per
The Vulcanus burning wastes at sea Irom the incinerator located at the rear of the sh/p.
Hit/fi temperature rotary kiln incinerator at Deer Park, Texas, used to destroy PCBs.
million), have been approved by EPA,
One facility is in Deer Park, Tex..
and the other is in El Dorado, Ark. Both can
destroy more than 99 percent of the
PCBs by burning them at high temperature
(above 2,192 degrees Fahrenheit).
Regulations issued by EPA under the
Toxic Substances Control Act require that
high-level liquid wastes- -containing PCBs
above 500 parts per million—be disposed of
only in EPA-approved incinerators. EPA ex-
pects to approve additional commercial in-
cinerators in the future, although no such ap-
provals are imminent.
Two important conditions for proper in-
cineration are temperature and the time
(called residence time) a waste must spend in
the incinerator to be completely destroyed
These conditions vary with the waste's
22
EPA JOURNAL
-------
chemical structure and physical form and
type of incinerator. Temperatures can range
from 750.to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit;
residence time can range from one-tenth of a
second to several hours.
Other important considerations for burn-
ing of hazardous waste are oxygen
availability and adequate mixing. Thorough
mixing of air, wastes, and fuel (if required) is
necessary for achieving complete combus-
tion during the time available. Sufficient mix-
ing is especially important for burning liquid
wastes. Incinerators can handle solid, liquid
or gaseous waste. Some are equipped to
burn all three.
Incineration has several distinct advan-
tages as a hazardous waste disposal method:
• Toxic components of hazardous waste
can be converted to harmless compounds,
or to much less harmful ones.
• Incineration provides for the ultimate
disposal of hazardous waste, eliminating
the possibility of future problems.
• Some of the energy produced by the
combustion process can be recovered.
Because of these advantages, incineration
is preferable to other means of hazardous
waste disposal. Unlike land disposal
methods, which can require 30 years of
groundwater monitoring after closure of a
facility, incinerators burn clean. This
economic advantage enables incineration to
compare favorably with other disposal
methods, despite an incineration facility's in-
itial high cost for construction.
Dow Chemical Company has been in-
cinerating chemical wastes for about 40
years and is currently operating one rotary
kiln incinerator and one tar burner at its
Midland, Mich., plant. The rotary kiln, which
was updated in 1974, burns solid waste and
sludges. The tar burner incinerates only liquid
wastes; it was a pioneering facility when it
was built in 1968.
Another successful incineration facility in
the Midwest has been operated since 1972
by the 3M company in Cottage Grove, Minn.
Most wastes arrive in 55-gallon drums, but
the incinerator can also accept wastes direc-
tly from a tank truck. Employees at the
facility have received one of 3M's "Pollution
Prevention Pays" awards for increasing
operation efficiency, thereby saving the com-
pany $150.000 a year in fuel costs and
reducing pollution.
A rotary kiln is a brick-lined, cylindrical fur-
nace, mounted horizontally at a slight incline.
that turns slowly as heat is applied to liquid
or solid hazardous waste inside the unit.
Temperatures can range from 1.000 to 3,-
000 degrees Fahrenheit. The resulting ash
can be considered harmless if disposed of
properly.
Rotary kilns have been used to incinerate
PCBs, chemical warfare agents, halogenated
organics. and other chemical compounds.
One of the kiln's disadvantages is
the high cost of installation. The cost varies
widely, depending on the design and size of
the furnace.
Liquid injection incinerators can be used
to dispose of virtually any combustible liquid
waste. The key element of this type of in-
cinerator is the nozzle, which atomizes the
waste and mixes it with air. The burning of
waste, at temperatures similar to those in the
rotary kiln, takes place in the combustion
chamber.
Hazardous wastes incinerated by this
method can range from solvents and thinners
to liquid PCBs and various organic com-
pounds. One disadvantage of the liquid injec-
tion incinerator is that it accepts only fluid
wastes that can be atomized through a bur-
ner nozzle.
Other processes for hazardous waste in-
cineration include the fluidized-bed. the
multiple-hearth, and the co-incineration
methods. One of the emerging technologies
is pyrolysis—the thermal destruction of
solids and sludges in the absence of oxygen.
The improper incineration of hazardous
waste may produce air pollutants as by-
products of incomplete combustion. These
are primarily carbon monoxide, organics.
halogens, and acids. In well-designed and
properly operated incinerators, these air
pollutants are emitted in insignificant
amounts. In addition, afterburners, which are
part of the incineration system, destroy gas-
eous hydrocarbons not consumed in the in-
cinerator. Scrubbers and electrostatic
precipitators are used to remove air pollu-
tants from the stack gases.
Although shipboard incineration has not
been used widely, it is considered promising.
It can destroy hazardous waste as efficiently
as land-based incineration, it has a minimal
impact on the environment by removing the
destruction site far from populated areas so
that emissions are absorbed by the ocean.
and. according to a 1978 EPA study, it is
cheaper than land-based incineration or
chemical detoxification. As EPA points out. a
single incinerator ship could destroy up to
200.000 tons of hazardous waste per year.
In October 1980, EPA and the Maritime
Administration published the results of a
study on the building of specially equipped,
high-temperature incinerator ships. EPA has
also been reviewing incinerator specifications
and cooperating with private firms interested
in incinerator ships.
In addition, EPA's Office of Hazardous
Emergency Response (the "Superfund" of-
fice) has been studying the possibility of in-
cinerating hazardous waste on offshore
ocean platforms. One such site has already
been selected. It is located in the Gulf of
Mexico, 60 miles from Mobile. Ala., and 40
miles from the coast of Louisiana. A draft en-
vironmental impact statement on the site
was released in September 1981.
If approved, the Gulf platform will contain
a rotary kiln with an afterburner and be able
to burn liquid as well as solid hazardous
waste. Land facilities will have a staging area
where hazardous waste will arrive and leave
in closed containers.
A platform incinerator, armed with an
ocean disposal permit for its residual ash and
spills and not handicapped by emission con-
trol requirements that apply to land-based
units, could become one of the most cost-
effective hazardous waste disposal methods
of the future. D
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1982
23
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William A. Sullivan, Jr
New Criminal
Enforcement
Unit
Established
at EPA
Ten seasoned attorneys have been named
I to key posts, and 25 criminal investigators
have been hired as part of a reorganization
designed to beef up EPA's enforcement
operations.
Anne M. Gorsuch, EPA Administrator, said
that creation of a new Criminal Enforce-
ment Unit will help the agency to crack
down on such flagrant violations as the illegal
discharge of wastes to waterways, midnight
dumping of toxic substances and the
deliberate destruction or falsification of vital
environmental reports.
"With this new unit, we will choose our
cases more carefully, move swiftly with the
Justice Department in bringing them to trial,
and increase our prospects for successfully
prosecuting cases that merit this approach."
Mrs. Gorsuch declared.
She said the criminal invistigators being
hired will be stationed in EPA's 10 regional
offices and in the National Enforcement In-
vestigation Center in Denver, Colo.
While still being assembled. EPA's new
criminal enforcement unit conducted an in-
vestigation which led to the November sen-
tencing of a Vermont firm. Corning Fibers.
Inc.. for violation of an environmental con-
sent decree and resulted in a jail term for a
corporate officer.
Explaining the overall reorganization of the
enforcement office, William A. Sullivan, Jr..
EPA's enforcement counsel, said that eight of
the 1 0 lawyers named to fill the key positions
are career civil servants who previously ser-
ved in management positions with the
agency. Some of the key appointments in-
cluded the following selections:
— Peter Paul Broccoletti, deputy enforce-
ment counsel, will exercise day-to-day
operating responsibility for meeting Sul-
livan's charge to conclude cases swiftly and.
where possible, informally so that pollution is
controlled quickly and economically. Broc-
coletti, whose hometown is Ft. Lauderdale,
Fla., has served with the Civil Aeronautics
Board, the Federal Trade Commission's
Bureau of Consumer Protection, and the
Federal Maritime Commission. He was
supervising attorney for the Notre Dame
Legal Aid and Defender Association from
1976 to 1978 and then became the first
managing attorney for Legal Services of the
Florida Keys in Key Largo.
— Michael S. Alushin, a native of
Cleveland. Ohio, who has been named direc-
tor of the Office of Special Projects, will
direct activities pertaining to the Steel In-
dustry Compliance Extension Act of 1981
and Superfund expenditures for hazardous
waste sites. He also will coordinate other
special activities on a project-by-project
basis. Alushin gained extensive litigation ex-
perience with the Pennsylvania Department
of Environmental Resources. As an assistant
attorney general, from 1972 to 1977, he
represented Pennsylvania as both plaintiff
and defendant in numerous federal and state
cases concerning air and water pollution.
While director of the Bureau of Regulatory
Counsel, from 1 978 to 1 980. he supervised a
staff of attorneys who provided legal counsel
on all state and federal environmental
statutes and regulations to state officials.
— Peter G. Beeson will serve as director of
the Office of Criminal Enforcement. Beeson is
currently on special assignment from the
Department of Justice's land and natural
resources division. From 1975 to 1977, he
was a trial attorney in the criminal division of
the Justice Department. From 1977 to 1979,
Beeson. a native of Atlanta, served in the
positions of senior staff attorney and assis-
tant deputy chief counsel of the select Com-
mittee on Assassinations in the U.S. House
of Representatives.
EPA JOURNAL
-------
Peter Paul Broccolelti
Michael S Alushin
Peter G Beeson
L
Five deputy associate enforcement coun-
sels have also been named who will take on
responsibility for directing enforcement of
environmental laws relating to air. water.
pesticides and toxics, and hazardous wastes:
Louise Jacobs, EPA's regional enforce-
ment division director in Kansas City for the
past three years, has been named the
agency's deputy associate enforcement
counsel for air enforcement, Jacobs, whose
hometown is Pittsburgh. Pa., was senior staff
attorney for the United States Court of Ap-
peals, Third Circuit, in Philadelphia from
1976 to 1979 She was with the ad-
ministrative offices of the New Jersey courts
from 1971 to 1976, including two years as
court administrator for Bergen County. She
has also been in the general practice of law in
Somerville, N.J
Sanford Harvey, a native of Atlanta, has
been appointed deputy associate counsel for
toxics and pesticides enforcement. Harvey,
36. has been with the EPA for three years.
He started in 1 979 as the regional counsel of
EPA Region 4 in Atlanta and later became
the region's enforcement division director In
1980 he moved to EPA Headquarters in
Washington, DC., to take the post of deputy
assistant administrator for mobile sources.
noise and radiation
Edward A Kurent, 35, an attorney with
EPA since 1977. has been named the
agency's deputy associate enforcement
counsel for water enforcement, Kurent, a
native of Cleveland, started working for EPA
as an attorney with the Office of Water Enfor-
cement, subsequently serving as special
assistant to the agency's chief enforcement
officer. He then became legal director of the
hazardous waste enforcement task force. His
most recent position has been director of the
enforcement division of the Office of Water
Enforcement and Permits,
Julio Morales-Sanchez, a native of Puerto
Rico, has been appointed deputy associate
enforcement counsel for hazardous waste
enforcement starting in July. Morales-
Sanchez, 40, started his career with EPA in
its Region 2 office in New York City in 1 970
where he served as enforcement division
director. From 1970 to 1979, he was the
U.S. attorney for the Commonwealth of
Puerto Rico. In 1965, upon graduation from
law school, he became the assistant district
attorney for Puerto Rico's Department of
Justice and, subsequently, became general
counsel for the Puerto Rico Communications
Authority.
James Bunting. 36, a native of Silver Spr-
ing, Md., has been named interim deputy
associate enforcement counsel of hazardous
waste until Morales-Sanchez assumes this
post. Bunting has been with EPA for the last
five years, most recently as acting director of
the legal division, office of waste programs
enforcement. He had served four years as a
trial attorney in the judge advocate division of
the U.S. Marine Corps.
Two experimental teams of attorneys
trained to handle cases in all types of pollu-
tion will be headed by Charles M, Hungerford
and Frederick Stiehl. Hungerford's civil litiga-
tion team will be responsible for headquar-
ters involvement in all cases originating in
EPA's Region 9 (California, Hawaii, Nevada
and Arizona). Stiehl's team will cover Region
5 (Illinois, Indiana. Ohio, Minnesota, Wiscon-
sin, and Michigan).
Hungerford, 31, a native of Tucson, Ariz.,
began his career with EPA in 1976, working
extensively on enforcement of the Clean Air
Act, Most recently, he supervised 15 attor-
neys and paralegals as chief of the enforce-
ment preceedings branch
Stiehl, 36. a native of Bound Brook, N.J.,
joined EPA in 1979 and was assigned to the
hazardous waste enforcement task force
Subsequently, he became litigation branch
chief with the office of waste programs en-
forcement. Prior to that he worked for two
years as an editor at U.S. Law Week Stiehl
brings to his new position eight years of
litigation experience in federal and local
courts with the District of Columbia's Office
of Corporation Counsel.
Sullivan said that Region 5. headquartered
in Chicago, was selected for the experimental
team approach that will deal with all aspects
of pollution because the region is the largest
and most active in terms of enforcement ac-
tivities
Region 9. headquartered in San Francisco,
was picked for this experimental program to
compare the results with that of a larger
regional area. Sullivan added,
"We think this approach might be the
most effective way to deal with enforcement
problems, but we won't know until we've had
some test runs," Sullivan said
In addition, two longtime career agency
managers have been named to key positions.
Geoffrey Grubbs has been named director of
the Office of Enforcement Policy and Gerald
Sryan will oversee all operational manage-
ment and personnel matters as director of
the Office of Legal Operations, D
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1982
-------
Key
Appointments
Move Forward
President Ronald Reagan has publicly
announced his intention to nominate
James W. Sanderson, an attorney, and has
nominated Frederick "Eric" A. Eidsness Jr.,
a civil engineer, for two top EPA posts.
Sanderson, who formerly served as the
legal counsel for EPA's Regional Office in
Denver, has been selected to be EPA's assis-
tant administrator for Policy and Resource
Management.
He will be responsible for policy analysis.
regulatory reform, legislation, the budget,
standards, regulations, and management
systems and analysis.
Eidsness, also a former EPA employee,
has been chosen for the post of EPA's Assis-
tant Administrator for Water. In this job.
Eidsness will be responsible for administering
not only the Clean Water Act, which includes
a multi-billion dollar sewage treatment
program, but also the Safe Drinking Water
Act, and the Marine Protection Act, which
controls the dumping of wastes into the
ocean.
Other appointments include the selection
by Administrator Anne M. Gorsuch of Ear-
nest F. Gtoyna as chairman of the EPA
Science Advisory Board, of Richard D.
Wilson to be director of the Office of Mobile
Source Air Pollution Control, and Samuel
Schulhof as deputy assistant administrator
for administration.
Commenting on the appointment of San-
derson, EPA Administrator Anne M. Gorsuch
said:
"The maiority of Jim Sanderson's
professional experience has been in the ex-
ecutive and legislative areas of government,
in Washington and at the regional level.
Much of that experience, as well as his
private sector experience, has been in the en-
vironmental area-"
Sanderson has been an attorney with the
firm of Saunders, Snyder. Ross and Dickson
in Denver for the past four years, where he
specialized in the legal aspects of air pollu-
tion, water pollution, solid waste, and natural
resources. He is vice-chairman of the
American Bar Association's air quality com-
mittee, natural resources section.
In 1973, Sanderson joined EPA as assis-
tant regional counsel in the agency's Denver
office and was promoted to regional counsel
in 1 975. He was involved in a broad range of
federal, state and local government matters
and gained substantial knowledge of the
laws under which EPA operates. He went
into private law practice in 1977.
Sanderson. 37. worked in the U.S. Con-
gress as legislative assistant to Senator Gor-
don Allott (R-Colo.) from June 1970 to
January 1973
He worked as an attorney-advisor at the
Internal Revenue Service in Washington from
November 1969 to June 1970.
26
EPA JOURNAL
-------
A Eidsness Jr
Earnest F. Gloyria
Regarding the appointment of Eidsness,
Mrs. Gorsuch said:
"Eric Eidsness knows the water cleanup
field from several perspectives—as a former
EPA employee, as a local planning official
and as a consultant to government and in-
dustry on various water pollution control
problems. This broad experience will be par-
ticularly valuable to the Agency as Congress
considers reauthorization of the Clean Water
Act this year."
Since September 1981, Eidsness, 37, a
native of Jacksonville, Fla,. has served as a
consultant to the EPA Administrator on
water issues. Prior to serving in this capacity
he had since 1978 been a partner in the
management consulting firm of BMML Inc.,
in Boulder, Colo. He specialized in advising
state and local governments and industry on
the institutional and financial requirements
involved in carrying out the federal water
laws
From 1975 to 1978, Eidsness served as
director of water and air quality planning of
the Larimer-Weld Regional Council of
Governments in Loveland, Colo, In this
capacity, he directed development of an
areawide plan for curbing wastewater
discharges.
From 1973 to 1975, Eidsness was a staff
consultant for the Biomedical and Environ-
mental Systems section of Arthur D, Little,
Inc. of Cambridge, Mass. He took part in ma-
jor environmental impact studies for in-
dustrial and governmental clients. He also
co-authored a study on the management and
economic benefits of the New York
State/EPA construction grants program for
sewage treatment.
During 1 970 to 1 973, Eidsness worked in
the construction grants program at EPA's
regional office in Atlanta. He helped prepare
one of the agency's first environmental im-
pact statements (on a regional sewage treat-
ment project in the metropolitan Atlanta
area). While working on another impact
statement, Eidsness. a diver, made several
ocean-bottom dives off Florida's Atlantic
coast to supervise a survey of pipes discharg-
ing sewage into the ocean.
Eidsness served as a commissioned officer
in the U.S. Navy from 1968 to 1970, 13
months of which were spent with an un-
derwater salvage unit in South Vietnam.
In 1967, Eidsness received a bachelor's
degree in civil engineering from Vanderbilt
University, Nashville, Tenn. He has written
articles and given speeches on numerous en-
vironmental subjects,
Eidsness is married and the father of two
children He and his family now reside in
Washington, D.C., and also own an irrigated
farm near Ft. Collins, Colo.
The appointment of Eidsness and Sander
son are both subject to approval by the U,S
Senate.
In naming Dr. Gloyna. dean of the
College of Engineering at the University of
Texas in Austin, as chairman of the Science
Advisory Board. Mrs. Gorsuch said "it is ad-
vantageous in making judgments to have
the leadership of someone like Dr. Gloyna.
whose scientific advisory experience spans
35 years."
Deputy Administrator John W. Hernandez.
former dean of the engineering school at
New Mexico State University, said that "in
my own professional and academic ex-
periences, I have observed with great respect
the water resource engineering abilities of Dr
Gloyna in environmental organizations, in the
engineering profession and in higher
education."
Dr. Gloyna. who received his doctor of
engineering degree from Johns Hopkins Un-
iversity in Baltimore, has been a consultant to
100 cities, industries and consulting firms.
He also has been a consultant to the Con-
gress, nine different federal agencies, five
foreign governments, the United Nations,
World Health Organization and World Bank.
Author of numerous books and reports on
the control of wastes, Dr. Gloyna is a mem-
ber of the National Academy of Engineering,
the National Academy of Sciences in
Venezuela and a corresponding member of
the National Academy of Engineering of
Mexico. He is vice president of the Water
Pollution Control Federation
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1982
27
-------
Richard D Wilson
Samuel Schulhof
In announcing the appointment of Wilson
as director of the Office of Mobile Source Air
Pollution Control, Mrs Gorsuch said that
Wilson "has demonstrated outstanding
leadership while serving in the enforcement
and compliance areas."
Wilson, a career employee, joined EPA
when the agency was established in 1970.
He has primarily served in the enforcement
program dealing with stationary air pollution
and toxic substance enforcement program.
In his new post, Wilson will be responsible
for such air pollution control activities in
Washington and Ann Arbor, Mich., as emis-
sions testing, automobile certification and
standards development for vehicle emissions.
Wilson, who holds an electrical engineer-
ing degree from Lafayette College and an
M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania's
Wharton School, has been the recipient of
numerous awards, including the Designation
of Distinguished Executive and the EPA Gold
and Silver medals.
Commenting on Schulhoff's appointment
as a deputy assistant administrator for ad-
ministration. Dr. John Morton, EPA's
assistant administrator for administration
said:
"Sam brings a wealth of experience to this
position from the business world and govern-
ment. He will be of immeasurable
assistance in instituting the sound
management practices we need to
make use of limited resources in a more ef-
fective and efficient way."
Prior to joining ACTION in April 1 981, he
was president and chief operating officer of
Wander Sales Inc. in Pittsburgh, Pa., a chain
of 10 retail stores, and its subsidiaries, a ser-
vice company and a credit corporation. From
1 975 to 1 978 he was a principal in the Hay
Group, one of the world's largest human
resource consulting organizations.
Schulhof has been active in both the
private and public sector. His responsibilities
at ACTION included overseeing press and
public awareness programs and the
recruiting of volunteers for the Peace Corps
and the agency's domestic volunteer
programs.
Schulhof served in both the Nixon and
Ford administrations from 1973 to 1975.
playing a key role in recruting and staffing for
non-career positions in government. From
1971 to 1973, he was assistant to the
Secretary of the Department of Health,
Education and Welfare.
Schulhof, 39, is listed in Who's Who in
American Business and Finance, and is a
member of the Young President's Organiza-
tion, an international organization made up of
corporate presidents.
He is a 1964 graduate of C. W. Post
College, Long Island University, with a
degree in business administration.Schulhof is
a native of Pittsburgh, Pa. His wife. Katrina, is
currently the assistant to the chancellor of
the University of Pittsburgh. D
EPA JOURNAL
-------
Private Cleanup Sought
A special task force has been established
to speed up removal of pollutants by
private parties at hazardous waste sites un-
der the Superfund law, EPA Administrator
Anne M. Gorsuch has announced.
Responsible private parties will be given
the opportunity to cooperate in managing
and financing cleanup, Mrs. Gorsuch said.
However, she emphasized, where coopera-
tion is not forthcoming, she will use the
agency's legal authority to compel corrective
action and recover costs of the corrective
government action.
The task force, operating under the direc-
tion of EPA Enforcement Counsel William A.
Sullivan Jr., is charged with contacting per-
sons and firms which may have owned.
operated or used the disposal sites or had
wastes taken to the sites for disposai.
EPA's best estimate, based on investiga-
tions so far, is that more than 1,500 parties
may be contacted. The task force will give
these parties a deadline for responding to the
private cleanup request.
"This should permit the agency to identify
sites at which the prospects for a private
cleanup appear to be good, and those for
which Superfund money will be required."
Mrs. Gorsuch said.
Recovered costs from private parties wi)l
be used to supplement government funds or
to reimburse government funds already
spent.
Sullivan said that the agency hopes to
notify those parties identified so far by
regional investigations within 90 days.
Similar notice will be given to new parties
identified through future investigations.
"Responses will be tracked by computer
so that follow-up action can be triggered if
progress toward cleanup action is not
forthcoming," he said.
He said the initial focus of the task force's
efforts will be 1 1 5 sites placed on an interim
priority list last October. Of these 1 15 sites,
20 were already the object of litigation when
listed. A total of 122 individuals of firms at
16 sites on the priority list have also been
given notice that the site is a candidate for
government cleanup under the Superfund
program. Sullivan also noted that notices
have been issued to another 20 parties at five
sites not on the list of 115.
Sullivan said that some companies have
taken it upon themselves to contact EPA
about cleanup activities. "I believe there may
be many more which have simply been
waiting to be contacted and told how the
agency wants to proceed," he noted.
Sullivan stated, however, that the Super-
fund law creates "powerful incentives" for
firms to cooperate. Refusal to abide by
government cleanup orders could cost them
triple damages, he said.
Since May, Mrs. Gorsuch has approved
more than $30 million for cleanup at 30
sites. In addition, she has authorized more
than S18 million in emergency work at 64
sites. D
Superfund Sites—Enforcement Status
Responsible parties being notified when possible
Responsible parties notified
• Enforcement action Initiated
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1982
29
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Waste-to-
Steam Plant
Slated for
New York
Awaste-to-steam plant is being planned
for the old Brooklyn Navy Yard site to
help New York City dispose of its massive
garbage loads, New York Mayor Edward I
Koch announced recently.
"New York City is running out of landfill
space for its garbage," Mayor Koch ex-
plained. "That is why we are committed to
building waste-to-energy plants in all five
boroughs."
The mayor said that UOP. Inc.. based in
Des Plaines, III., has been selected to design,
build, and operate the proposed waste-to-
steam plant in Brooklyn. UOP is the
American license holder for the Martin in-
cineration system, which is used in 92 other
plants in operation or under construction
around the world.
Richard T. Dewling, EPA's Region 2
Acting Administrator, said that "EPA has
conducted extensive research and investiga-
tions into waste-to-energy systems operating
in Europe, Asia, and the United States. These
investigations have shown that the
technology that New York City has proposed
is a well-established, technically reliable, en-
vironmentally acceptable and economical
solution to the problem of disposal of solid
waste/'
Norman Steisel, New York Commissioner
of Sanitation, said that before the city can
sign a contract with UOP "we have to
demonstrate that the proposed facility will
meet all applicable environmental regula-
tions.
"Preparation of the Environmental Impact
Statement is underway and with the
technical design that UOP will give us, we
can now complete our analysis,"
The draft Environmental Impact State-
ment is expected to be completed in March.
Commissioner Steisel estimated that con-
struction would require 39 months from the
date of approval by the New York Board of
Estimate. He said that if all goes according to
schedule, full-scale operations could begin in
1986
The Department of Sanitation estimates
design and construction costs to be $226
million. The city estimates its revenues will
be $40 million annually. The steam
generated will be sold to Con Edison for use
in the utility's Manhattan steam loop UOP
will receive a share of the revenues from the
sale of steam and of recovered materials
such as ferrous metals and aluminum.
Financing for the construction of this pro-
ject will be private equity, a combination of
tax exempt industrial revenue bonds expec-
ted to be issued by the New York City In-
dustrial Development Agency and a New
York State Environmental Quality Bond Act
grant.
The proposed facility would handle 3,000
tons per day of barge-delivered waste. No
trucks will be used to deliver or remove
waste. Commissioner Steisel said it would
create between 200 and 250 construction
jobs and employ about 95 operating person-
nel.
Mayor Koch stressed that the proposed
Navy Yard plant is the first of a number of
resource recovery facilities slated for
development throughout the five boroughs.
The State Power Authority and the Depart-
ment of Sanitation have announced their in-
tention to cooperate in the development of a
similar facility in the Bronx with Hunts Point
as the proposed site.
Mayor Koch said, "The question of siting
is one of the most difficult issues involved in
implementing the city's resource recovery
plans. Neighborhoods tend to view resource
recovery facilities negatively, but a rational
city-wide policy demands that resource
recovery plants be built on the sites that are
best suited to such facilities, provided that
proper safeguards can be assured. We will
not build a plant that is not a good neighbor "
D
30
EPA JOURNAL
-------
This is a cutaway of a typical HOP refuse burning plant designed to produce energy from
steam. However, barges rather than trucks will take garbage to the one proposed for the
old Brooklyn Navy Yard site in New York.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1982
31
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Paperwork Cut
for Car Imports
Individuals importing cars will find that EPA
has helped simplify the procedures for
bringing foreign cars into this country.
Previously persons importing cars have
been obliged to complete a form declaring
that the autos conform with U.S. emission
standards as required by the Clean Air Act.
At EPA's request, the U.S. Customs Ser-
vice has suspended this declaration require-
ment, since the vast majority of imported
cars conform to federal emission standards.
Customs inspectors are able to distinguish
cars built to meet U.S. standards from those
that do not by locating EPA emission labels
in the vehicles, the agency said.
The change will eliminate some 1 13.000
declaration forms filed annually, therefore
reducing the reporting procedures required
for importing cars into this country.
Importers of autos that do not meet US
standards will still have to file declaration
forms. There are approximately 3,000 such
cars imported annually.
Persons importing the cars that do not
meet emission or safety standards must post
a cash bond equal to the value of the car or
have the car bonded through a bonding com-
pany. Once the cars are modified to meet the
standards or tested to show compliance, the
bond is returned to the individual.
However, to ease the burdens on many
first-time importers of cars in this category,
who often claim a lack of knowledge of the
importation requirements, the agency will not
require modification or testing if the vehicle is
five years old or older. The agency said that
since there are fewer than 700 cars five years
or older imported annually, air quality will not
Imported from England, this Rolls-Royce convertible, one of the world's most elegant
cars, is being driven on a road overlooking the Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco.
be adversely affected by these automobiles.
This waiver will apply if the individual has not
imported a non-complying car since 1970.
Commercial importers of cars will not be
allowed, however, to take advantage of this
change.
These procedural changes are being un-
dertaken on an interim basis. The agency is
considering whether to adopt the changes
permanently as part of a revision of its vehi-
cle imports program. D
32
EPA JOURNAL
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-
•
Amateur hockey p/ayers chase the puck on a Back Cover: Snow geese explode into the air
frozen pond near Laurel. Md. when alarmed at Pea Is/and Wildlife Refuge
in North Carolina. Thousands of these geese.
ducks and other water birds winter at this
refuge which is located within the Cape Hat-
teras National Seashore.
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