United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Information Resources
Management
(PM-211D)
EPA 220-N-92-007
Issue Number 21
September 1992
AEPA INFO ACCESS
Library Network Communications
In this issue...
State Environmental
Library Roundtable
p. 2
Profile of EPA's
Legislative Library
p. 3
Online Sources of
Legis. & Legal Info
p. 4
Profile of EPA's
Law Library
p. 5
Key Information
Legislation
p. 6-7
Circular A-130
1992 Revision
p. 8-9
The Impact of Legislation on Information Managers
by Jonda Byrd, IMSD
As information professionals it is important for us to be aware of legislation that
will have an effect on our management of information resources.There are several new
acts that have been introduced in the House and the Senate that will have a direct
impact on specific areas of responsibility within the area of information resources
management; that also includes libraries and records management facilities. IRM-
related legislation addresses a broad range of topics from public rights in accessing
information to the electronic dissemination of information to high-speed computer
networks.
Several current bills contain language that will require information managers to
make changes in the way they deal with information resources. For example the
Freedom of Information Improvement Act of 1991 gives the public more rights,
mandating public access to information without charge if disclosure is in the public
interest. The Information Infrastructure Act of 1992, proposes that the government
should support the development of high-performance computing and high-speed
networking as a means of providing a coordinated program of research and
development. Another act, the GPO Wide Information Network for Data Online
(WINDO) Act of 1992 addresses the controversial issue of public access to government
databases. The Regulatory Review Sunshine Act of 1992 provides the public access to
information concerning rulemaking activities and all written communication regardless
of format.
It is important for us to be aware of the legislation not only to prepare for changes
that might be on the horizon but also so that we can be a part of the change by
providing comments to regulatory authorities such as the Office of Management and
Budget (OMB). OMB is empowered by the executive branch to oversee the
management of federal information resources; Congressional mandates on specific
issues are enacted with reauthorization and appropriations legislation. A few months
ago OMB published proposed revisions to its Circular A-130, Management of Federal
Information Resources, and asked for comments from the information community.
EPA's Office of Information Resources Management collected comments from its IRM
managers and submitted them to OMB during the last week in August, helping to shape
Federal information policy for the coming years. [See the article on OMB A-130 on p. 8
for highlights of EPA's response.]
In this issue, we have pulled together some information to'inform EPA information
professionals about Congressional activities. In the following pages, you will find
highlights of key information legislation as well as sources ttot €an be accessed to obtain
legislative and legal information; there are profiles of EPA's Legislative and Law
libraries. We hope you will find this useful. &

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Public Access Article
by OIRM Director
An article by Alvin
Pesachowitz, Director of the Office
of Information Resources
Management, discusses the first
interagency conference on public
access sponsored by the U.S.
EPA on May 20-21, 1991. The
conference offered departmental
and agency officials an opportunity
to discuss issues surrounding
public access to government
information, particularly that which
is collected or generated and
maintained in electronic format,
and to share experiences to date.
Congress is increasingly
requiring that specific databases
generated by an agency for its
own use be made available to the
general public electronically,
as with the EPA Toxics Release
Inventory (TRI). In addition,
departments and agencies are
more aware of their obligations to
make information available in the
format in which they are using it.
Anyone who would like to
obtain a copy of the article can
contact Mary Hoffman
(contractor), Network Coordinator
at (202) 260-7762; Email:
Hoffman.Mary.
Pesachowitz, Alvin. "Interagency
Conference on Public Access,"
Government Information
Quarterly, v. 9, n.2, p.187-198,
May/June 1992. #
A report from SLA ...
State Environmental Librarians Broaden
Networking Efforts by Sara Tompson, Information
Services Program Manager/Librarian, Illinois Hazardous Waste
Research and Information Center
In the spirit of networking, we asked Sara if we could share this report of the
State Environmental Librarians Roundtable with INFOACCESS readers. We
would be interested in including more information about State library meetings
and other events. Anyone interested in contributing to INFOACCESS can
contact Mary Hoffman (contractor) Network Coordinator at (202) 260-7762.
For several years, the
Environment and Natural Resources
Management Division of the Special
Libraries Association (SLA) has
included an informal roundtable group
for state environmental librarians. At
this year's SLA conference, the
roundtable returned to the discussion
format of several years ago for our
strategy-sharing session. Many of us
run one-person libraries, and this sort
of intense and informal sharing of
problems and solutions is very
valuable to us. We work for local,
state, and federal governments,
private and public agencies, but find
that we all have similar concerns.
This year we discussed software
for library management in general,
and the virtues of INMAGIC in
particular. We also discussed pluses
and minuses of subject descriptor
thesauri. Many participants use
Library of Congress Subject Headings
(LCSH) but all agree it is necessary to
supplement LCSH with "judicious use
of additional scientific terms" (the
Illinois EPA Librarian's apt phrasel).
Other resources used are the CAB
International Agricultural Thesaurus
and U.S. EPA's Hazardous Waste
'mmmm
mam
INFOACCESS, a forum to provide information and report on
progress in information management across the Agency, is
produced by the Information Access Branch (IAB) of the
Information Management and Services Division (IMSD),
Washington, DC, under the direction of Jonda Byrd, National
Library Network Program Manager. Please send comments and
suggestions to: Mary Hoffman (contractor), Network
Coordinator, PM-211B, EPA Headquarters Library, 401 M Street,
SW, Washington, DC 20460. Telephone: (202) 260-7762.
Electronic mail: Hoffman. Mary.
Database Thesaurus. Several
participants brought resource lists and
bibliographies to share. Next year we
encourage all attendees to bring
information on their favorite resources,
as well as library promotional
materials.
We collectively made a
commitment to better and more
frequent communication, so we feel
less isolated between SLA
conferences! Liz Santa of the
Louisiana Department of
Environmental Quality's Air Quality
Information Center has taken the lead
on establishing an environmental
librarian's "mini-exchange" on the U.S.
EPA Pollution Prevention Information
Cleainghouse's PIES electronic
bulletin board system. This exchange
should be up and running by the end
of this summer. If you would like to
network with other environmental
information colleagues, please feel
free to contact usl
For information on the PIES
exchange, contact Liz Santa,
Louisiana DEQ, Air Quality Information
Center, 7290 Bluebonnet Boulevard,
2nd Floor, Baton Rouge, LA 70810,
504/765-0169.
Frances Drone-Silvers and Sara
Tompson facilitated this year's
strategy session, and are planning
next year's. Frances can be reached
at the Illinois State Water Survey,
2204 Griffith Drive, Champaign, IL
61820, 217/333-4956, INTERNET:
frances@sun.sws.uiuc.edu. Sara can
be reached at the Hazardous Waste
Research and Information Center, One
East Hazelwood Drive, Champaign, IL
61820, 217/333-8957, INTERNET:
sarat@hwric.hazard.uiuc.edu. #
INFOACCESS
SEPTEMBER 1992

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Profile of EPA's Legislative Library
by Joan Pkitten. OCLA, with Mary Hoffman (contractor, Network Coordinator
EPA's Legislative Library was established when the
Congressional Office from the Department of the
Interior's Water Program became EPA's Congressional
Office in the early 1970s. For several years the Library
was located within the Congressional Office for the
convenience of the staff. Recently the Office of
Congressional and Legislative Affairs relocated its
Legislative Library to convenient new quarters on the
second floor of Waterside Mall near the Headquarters
and Law Libraries at the EPA Headquarters facility.
~	Collecting and maintaining Congressional
documents, including reference materials
and periodicals.
~	Developing lists and reports on the status of
pending legislation.
~	Preparing legislative histories.
~	Using Legi-Slate, an on-line database to track
the status of current legislation.
Services for EPA Staff and the Public
Though EPA staff are their primary clients, the
Legislative Library also offers assistance to the public.
The Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs,
which sponsors the Library, is promoting the Library and
its services. Their philosophy is that it is important to
educate the public about the law, and especially the
difference between laws and regulations. They receive
numerous requests from school teachers and students,
from junior high to graduate school level.
As part of the Library's new emphasis on service, a
number of articles have appeared in Agency publications
recently. Joan promotes her resources and services in a
column titled "Legislative Library" in the The Catalyst, the
monthly bulletin of the EPA Headquarters Library. The
column first appeared in the April issue of The Catalyst.
[You can now read The Catalyst via Viewtext on AII-in-1 -
see the article on page 10.] There was also an article in
the June 1992 issue of EPA Insight entitled "EPA's
Legislative Library - Where Customer Service is No Act"
(see p. 6)
The Library staff provides a wide range of services to
assist EPA employees Agency-wide with their daily work
as it relates to Congress, including
~ Abstracting the Congressional Record each day
Congress is in session and maintaining a mailing
list for the abstracts.
Online Legislative Resource: Legl-Slate
The staff in the Legislative Library track the status of
environmental, budget, and personnel legislation before
Congress with Legi-Slate, a powerful database which
enables the library to access up-to-the-minute
information on legislation. Library staff compiles lists and
reports on the status of the bills pending before the
current and past Congresses. This information is
organized by subject, bill number, sponsor, committee,
etc., and is available upon request. EPA staff may also
request special searches; the library will prepare
customized reports for these requests as time permits.
Please feel free to contact the Library if they can assist
you.
The Library's new location allows on-site access to
a variety of legislative resources, including hearings,
reports and bills from the House and Senate, Office of
Technology Assessment reports, environmental law
summaries from the Congressional Research Service,
and legislative histories. Library visitors are allowed to
make up to 25 copies free. The Library's periodical
collection includes the BNA Daily Report, Congressional
Quarterly (it is routed to OCLA staff first, then shelved
in the library), National Journal, the Federal and
Congressional Yellow Books, and other titles containing
legislative information and legislative news.
The Library also has a good collection of legislative
reference titles dating back to the beginning of EPA,
including the Council on Environmental Quality Annual
Report, Congressional Staff Directory, the Budget of the
United States,Commerce Clearing House's
Congressional Index, Senate and House telephone
directories, and other historical information relating to
the activities of Congress.
Reports to Congress
Did you know that Joan also keeps track of the
clearance of EPA Reports to Congress? She maintains
a file back to 1976 of Reports to Congress that have
been mandated by EPA legislation (except those tied to
Continued on page 4 J
SEPTEMBER 1992 jRlINFOACCESS

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Online Sources of Legal and Legislative
Information Available From EPA Libraries
Congressional Information Service (CIS)
The CIS / Index database covers Congressional
reports, bills, debates, hearings and committee prints.
These working papers records the investigatory,
oversight, and legislative analysis activities of
Congress. [Produced by Congressional Information
Service, Inc. - available through DIALOG Information
Services, Inc.]
Congressional Record Abstracts (CRECORD)
The database sum legislative and policy proceedings
of the U.S. Congress. Coverage includes bills and
resolutions, committee and subcommitee reports,
public laws, executive communications, speeches,
and materials inserted by members of Congress.
[Produced by the National StandardsAssociation, Inc. -
available from DIALOG Information Services, Inc.]
CQ's Washington Alert
Provides detailed information on the status of bills in
Congress; text of bills as printed by the Government
Printing Office (GPO); legislative reports from the
Congressional Record, floor and committee schedules
up to 3 months in advance including late changes, and
agendas. [Available from Congressional Quarterly Inc.]
Enforcement Document Retrieval System (EDRS)
An automated database that contains the full text of
enforcement documents (i.e.) policy, guidance, consent
decree). Documents are fully indexed; the user
searches the database for applicable documents and
text by specifying words or phrases of interest.
[Produced by EPA's Office of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response]
JURIS (Justice Retrieval and Inquiry System)
A computerized full-text legal information retrieval
system designed and maintained for use by Federal,
State and Local governments. The database contains
federal and state case materials; federal statutes and
regulatory materials; administrative decisions;

Presidential documents; treaties; DOJ briefs;
Shepard's citations; and special litigation support files.
[Produced by the U.S. Department of Justice]
Legal Resource Index
LRI provides cover-to-cover indexing of over 900 key
legal journals and newspapers, and selected citations
for articles, book reviews, case notes, columns, letters
to editors, transcripts, biographical pieces and
editorials. It also contains selected ciations from
avademic and popular magazines and national
newspapers. [Produced by the Information Access
Company - available through DIALOG Information
Sen/ices, Inc.]
Legl-Slate
An online service that tracks federal legislative and
regulatory information. It contains synopses of every
bill and resolution introduced in Congress since the
beginning of the 96th Congress in 1979, committee
and subcommittee actions, House and Senate floor
action, and all votes taken. Also covers all Federal
Register announcements including Presidential
documents, rules and regulations, proposed rules,
and notices of proposed rule making. [Available from
Legi-Slate, Inc.]
LEXIS
LEXIS is the largest full-text legal database in
existence, containing federal and state cases,
administrative decisions, U.S. Code, Code of Federal
Regulations, selected state statutes, law reviews,
American Bar Association materials, and separate
libraries dealing with federal issues such as Energy;
Environment; Labor; and Federal Communications.
[Produced by Mead Data Central, Inc.]
WESTLAW
A full-text database containing Federal and state
statutory and case law, citator services, administrative
materials, and text and periodical databases.
[Produced by West Publishing Company] &
Legislative from page 3
appropriations bills). Joan can tell you if a Report has been done and who to call for more information. [Unfortunately
she does not have the room to keep copies of all these Reports.]
The Legislative Library is open on Monday through Friday between 9 am and 5 pm (EDT) and is located
in room 2439M. Joan especially encourages the EPA librarians and other information professionals to call her for
assistance in identifying and obtaining copies of legislation and other Congressional documents and reports. If you
have any questions, please call Joan Platten or Pamela Abraham at (202) 260-5425. &	
INFOACCESS
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Profile of EPA's Law Library
by Barbara Morrison, OGC, with Mary Hoffman (contractor) Network Coordinator
The EPA Law Library, managed by Barbara Pedrini
Morrison, was established in the mid 1970s by the Office
of General Counsel to meet its information needs and
those of the Agency's enforcement staff. In 1981 the
Library moved to its present location under the
supervision of a full-time Law Librarian. Within one year
the Library's floor space was increased 40%, with a
corresponding growth in the collection.
The staff in the Office of General Counsel are the
Library's primary clientele, although legal information
services are also provided to EPA enforcement
personnel, the Administrative Law Judges, the
Environmental Appeals Board, attorney-advisers in the
programs, and Regional Office staff. In addition, the EPA
Law Library serves as a national resource to state and
local governments, private law firms, and educational
institutions for reference and primary source materials in
environmenal law.
For clients located in the Washington area, the
Library provides on-site access to legal and law-related
material concentrating on Federal law, with special
emphasis on administrative and environmental law.
The collection includes statutes, codes, regulations,
case reporters, digests, citators, looseleaf services,
newspapers, legal reference sources, and 75 current law
reviews and periodicals. The Library participates in a
local union list, COUNSEL, which provides access to the
periodical holdings of 166 law libraries in the Washington
area, and represents a unique source for interlibrary loan.
Database searches are conducted for attorneys,
attorney-advisers, and judges who require citations for
court decisions, the full text of judicial opinions, law
review articles, treaties, and related legal information.
Barbara consults DOJ's Justice Retrieval and Inquiry
System (JURIS), EPA's Enforcement Document Retrieval
System (EDRS), and the LEXIS system of databases for
these clients.
The Law Library's significant historical collections
include a complete set of the EPA General Counsel
Opinions, Statutes at Large from 1931 to the present,
U.S. Congressional and Administrative News from 1946
to the present, and Title 40 of the Code of Federal
Regulatbns from 1972 to the present.
Microfiche holdings include the Congressional
Record (1969 to date), the Federal Register (1270 to
date), legislative histories of laws relevant to EPA's
mission, and selected CFR titles from inception to
present: Title 5, Administrative Personnel; Title 21, Food
and Drugs; Title 33, Navigation and Navigable Waters;
Title 40, Protection of the Environment; Title 41, Public
Contracts and Property Management; Title 42, Public
Health; and Title 48, the Federal Acquisitions Regulation
(FAR) System.
The Law Library, located in Room 2902M, is open
Monday through Friday from 8 am until 5 pm. A
photocopy machine and a microfiche reader/printer are
available for patron use. Photocopying of copyrighted
materials by the public is not allowed. If you have
questions about legal information resources or the
Library, you can reach Barbara at (202) 260-5919 or on
the AII-in-1 electronic mail system at Library.Law. *
( Where do Dockets Fit In? )
There is another type of
information that is not strictly
legislative or legal, but is related to
both - regulatory information.
Regulatory information is generated
during the process of creating and
implementing regulations that are
mandated by legislation.
Rulemaking, or regulation
development, as it is called in EPA,
is defined as the agency process for
formulating, amending or repealing a
rule. Rules establish the particular
policies and procedures used in
carrying out the statutory goals
established by Congress. As part of
the rulemaking process, the Agency
is responsible for providing public
access to information considered in
developing rules and seeking public
comments on proposed rules.
A rulemaking docket is a
collection of documents that is the
basis for EPA rulemaking actions.
Generally, the rulemaking docket
contains the information relied upon
by the Agency, the public comments,
and any other documents the
Agency considers relevant to its
rulemaking decision. Some statutes
refer to a rulemaking record or a
docket and others refer to the
record. Those same terms or public
docket are often used to describe
the collection of documents available
to the public which reflect the
Agency's consideration and
promulgation of a rule.
Docket files are composed of a
copy of the proposed rule, final rule
or other rulemaking notice, technical
support documents used by EPA in
the development of particular rules
and comments from the regulated
community, individuals,
environmental organizations, and
various levels of government. A
docket can include EPA and
contractor technical reports,
economic analyses, regulatory
	Continued on page 11
SEPTEMBER 1992
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litis
Key Information Legislation
Official Title/Summarv
American Technology
Preeminence Act of 1991,
H.R. 1989, Public Law 102-245
[106 Stat. 7] signed 02/14/92.
Electronic Freedom of
Information Improvement
Act of 1991, S. 1940,
introduced, 11/07/91,
sponsor - Sen. P. Leahy (D-VT)
and Sen. H. Brown (R-CO)
Freedom of Information
Improvement Act of 1991,
S. 1939, introduced, 11/07/91,
sponsor - Sen. P. Leahy
(D-VT)
GPO Wide Information
Network for Data Online
(WINDO) Act of 1991,
H.R. 2772, introduced 06/26/91
sponsor - Rep. C. Rose (D-NC)
and a companion bill,
GPO Gateway to
Government Act of 1992,
S. 2813, introduced 6/4/92
sponsor - Sen. A. Gore (D-TN)
Summary- Section 506 of the Act provides for the establishment of
FEDLINE, the Federal Online Information Product Catalog, which would
serve as a comprehensive inventory and authoritative register of
information products and services disseminated by the Federal
government and assist agencies and the public in locating Federal
government information. It will be operated by the National Technical
Information Service.
To amend Title 5, United States Code, to provide for public access to
information in an electronic format, to amend the Freedom of
Information Act, and for other purposes.
Summary- Amends the Freedom of Information Act with respect to
public access to agency records electronically and agency compliance
with time limits in providing access to information.
To amend Title 5, United States Code, to amend the Freedom of
Information Act, and for other purposes.
Summary. To improve public access to agency records and information.
Documents shall be furnished without any charge, if disclosure is in the
public interest because such disclosure is likely to contribute directly or
indirectly to public understanding of the government and other matters
of public interest and not in the commercial interest of the requester.
A bill to establish in the Government Printing Off ice a single point online
public access to a wide range of federal databases containing public
information stored electronically.
Summary. GPO Wide Information Network for Data Online Act of 1991
directs the Superintendent of Documents to establish the GPO WINDO
program to provide a single point of online public access to a wide
range of Federal databases containing public information. Permits
depository libraries to access such databases through the program
without charge. Authorizes fees for other subscribers priced at the
incremental cost of dissemination.
Summary- To establish in the Government Printing Office an electronic
gateway to provide public access to a wide range of Federal databases
containing public information stored electronically. The Superintendent
of Documents, under the direction of the Public Printer, may charge
reasonable lees for providing access to databases through the GPO
Gateway.
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from Capitol Hill
Title	Official Title/Summary
Information Infrastructure
and Technology Act of 1992,
S.2937, introduced 07/01/92,
sponsor - Sen. A. Gore (D-TN),
and a companion bill,
Information Infrastructure
and Technology Act of 1992,
H.R. 5759, introduced 08/04/92,
sponsor - Rep. G. Brown (D-CA)
National Archives and Records
Administration Authorization
Act Of 1992, H.R. 5356,
introduced 06/09/92,
sponsor - Rep. R. Wise (D-WV)
Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1991, s. 1139,
introduced 05/22/91,
sponsor - Sen. S. Nunn (D-GA)
Regulatory Review
Sunshine Act of 1991,
S. 1942, introduced 11/07/91,
sponsor - Sen. J. Glenn (D-OH)
and a companion bill,
Regulatory Review
Sunshine Act of 1992,
H.R. 5009, introduced 04/30/92,
sponsor - Sen. L. AuCoin (D-OR)
A bill to expand federal efforts to develop technologies for applications
of high-performance computing and high-speed networking to provide
for a coordinated federal program to accelerate development and
deployment of an advanced information infrastructure, and for other
purposes. [Text of the bill: Congressional Record, July 1,1992,
p. S9538-9541]
NOTE: A related measure, the High Performance Computing Act of
1991, S.272, was signed into law by President Bush on 12/9/91;
Public Law 102-194 (105 Stat. 1594)
A bill to amend Title 44, United States Code, to authorize
appropriations for the National Archives and Records Administration
and National Historic Publications and Records Commission, to
establish requirements for the disposal by Federal agencies of extra
copies of records, to establish requirements for the management of
public records, and to establish requirements applicable to the
National Archives Trust Fund Board. [This act shall establish an
Advisory Committee on Electronic Records.]
A bill to further the goals of the Paperwork Reduction Act to have the
federal agencies become more responsible and publicly accountable
for reducing the burden of federal paperwork on the public, and for
other purposes.
Summary: Amends the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1980 to reduce
the burden of Federal paperwork on the public.
To provide for procedures for the review of Federal department and
agency regulations, and for other purposes.
Excerpt: A reviewing entity shall establish procedures to provide public
access to information concerning each agency rulemaking activity
under its review. Such information shall include a copy of all written
communications, regardless of format, between the reviewing entity
and the rulemaking agency; between the reviewing entity and any
person not employed by the Federal government; as well as a
summary of all oral communications.
To provide for procedures for the review of Federal department and
agency regulations. A reviewing entity shall establish procedures,
consistent with subsection (b), to provide public access to information
concerning each agency rulemaking activity under its review. Such
information shall include a copy of all written communications,
regardless of format. *
SEPTEMBER 1992
1
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(Revising Circular A-130: OMB'S 1992 Proposal)
The current version of Circular A-130, Management
of Federal Information Resources, was adopted in 1985,
amid controversy relating to provisions which advised
agencies to place "maximum feasible reliance" on the
private sector for the dissemination of government
information, and further advised them to avoid
duplications of private sector information products
and services.
In 1989 the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) unsuccessfully attempted to amend Circular
A-130, proposing severe limits on value-added services
that agencies provide to the public. At that time OMB
proposed that agencies only provide 'wholesale'
information products and services; they would depend
on the private sector to provide 'retail' (value-added)
products.
1992 Proposed Revisions
On April 29,1992, OMB published a proposed
revision of A-130, dealing with the dissemination of
government information. Overall the revisions proposed
by OMB provide an improved framework for IRM planning
(focused on the information life cycle); State and local
government roles in managing IRM resources and
information; managing records, especially electronic;
promoting the electronic collection of information; and
promoting more active dissemination of Federal
information. The following describes some of the key
changes proposed in the 1992 revision. Keep in mind
that OMB defines "information products" as any type of
document, "regardless of physical form or characteristic,"
disseminated by an agency.
General Information Policy
In relation to general information policy, OMB
maintains that "government information is a valuable
national resource" and but omits mention of its economic
value in the marketplace. In the phrase "the benefits,
insofar as they are calculable should outweigh the costs,
the words "insofar as they are calculable" would be
omitted.
In the area of information resources management
OMB would encourage federal agencies to "plan in an
integrated manner for managing information throughout
its life cycle," and consider the effects of their actions on
the public. It would direct agencies to protect privacy
rights and provide public access where "required or
appropriate."
Disseminating Information
OMB has revised its policy on information
dissemination as it relates to privatization, stating that
"The nation can benefit from government information
dissemination both by Federal agencies and by diverse
non-federal parties..." OMB would encourage the use
of new information technology since "the availability of
Continued on page 9
Afrout OMB ...
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) was established by President Richard Nixon in 1970. OMB
prepares the president's annual budget, oversees its administration, reviews government regulations, and
coordinates administrative procurement and management policy. OMB's Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs
(OIRA) was created in 1981 by Executive Order 12291, issued by President Ronald Reagan, and is primarily
responsible for the management of federal information resources. It works to expand interagency coordination
among federal agencies, reduce unnecessary paperwork and excessive reporting requirements of federal agencies,
and reviews agency analyses of the effect of government regulatory activities on the U.S. economy.
Information-Related OMB Circulars
Circular A-3* Policies and procedures for approving
funding for Government periodicals to fulfill the
requirements of section 1108, Title 44, United States
Code, as amended, and for reporting periodicals and
non-recurring publications. Revised May 2,1985
Circular A-27 Policies and responsibilities on the
storage of electronic computer time and services in the
executive branch and TM-1. June 15,1964; Rescinded
August 30, 1974
Circular A-114* Policies and procedures for improving
the management of Federal audiovisual activities.
Circular A-130 Policies and procedures for the
management of federal information resources.
'The 1992 Circular A-130 revision proposes that OMB
rescind Circulars A-3 and and A-114, and incorporate
their policies and procedures within A-130.
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Revision from page 8
government information in diverse
media,including electronic format,
permits the public greater flexibility in
using the information."
The proposal further states that
"every agency has a responsibility to
inform the public within the context
of its mission. This responsibility
requires that agencies actively
distribute information, rather than
responding when the public requests
information," and "when the agency
establishes that there is a public
demand for information and that
it is in the public interest to
disseminate the information, the
agency may decide to disseminate
it automatically."
"Equitably and On Equal
Terms"
OMB's proposal suggests that
information be disseminated
"equitably and on timely and equal
terms." OMB would direct agencies
to 'lake advantage of all
dissemination channels, Federal
and nonfederal," and ask them to
consider whether a product available
"from other Federal or nonfederal
sources is equivalent to an agency
information product and reasonably
achieves the dissemination
objectives of the agency." The
circular revision states that "an
agency's responsibility to inform the
public may be independent of the
availability or potential availability of
a similar information product."
Electronic Information
The revised Circular states that
agencies should disseminate
information electronically when:
1)	the agency develops/maintains
the information electronically;
2)	it is more practical and cost
effective;
3)	information is disseminated
frequently;
4)	users have access to and training
of the necessary information
technology; and
5) changing to electronic
dissemination, as the only means
of disseminating, will not impose
substantial costs on users.
OMB would require agencies to
collect information electronically
when it reduces the burden,
increases efficiency, reduces costs
to government and the public, and/
or provides better service.
EPA's Response
EPA's Office of Information
Resources Management submitted
a coordinated response to the
proposed Circular A-130 revisions,
reflecting the collective comments
of EPA's IRM managers. The EPA
comments echo comments made
by participants at a June 10th
seminar about the A-130 revision,
emphasizing the need to resolve
conflicts between existing
legislation, regulation and policy,
and provide more detailed guidance
in the Appendices to promote
consistent implementation of the
policy across the Government.
Here are some of the comments
relating to specific functional areas
and issues addressed in the policy:
~	EPA endorses the policy that
agencies should plan in an
integrated manner for managing
information throughout its life cycle.
~	EPA supports OMB's
endorsement of active information
dissemination to the public.
~	EPA recommends that the
Circular be updated to be more
consistent with the FIPS publication
in regards to information security.
~	EPA recommends that OMB
clarify the language in the Circular
relating to unrestricted access to
information, to ensure a proper
balance between promoting public
access and protecting sensitive
information.
~	EPA supports the
incorporation of records
management functions into IRM. #
Public Access
"How-To" Guide
The Information Management
and Services Division (IMSD)
recently published Public Access: A
How-To Guide [EPA 220-B-92-021],
a publication developed to
provide EPA managers with
practical, implementation-oriented
information. IMSD, in its role as
National Program Manager for
Public Access, promotes the
coordination and enhancement of
public access activities to increase
efficiency in providing
information. EPA's current Public
Access Program is an informal
network of individual systems and
services primarily maintained and
operated by program offices. The
systems and services facilitate
access and dissemination to paper-
based and electronic information.
Public Access is one of the tools
IMSD has developed to assist
managers who are initiating or
enhancing existing public access
efforts. It outlines information for
responding to public requests for
information and provides a
contact list for quick reference.
Public Access will be updated on a
regular basis. If you would like to
obtain a copy of Public Access you
can contact the Public Information
Center at (202) 260-7751.
The Office of
Communications, Education and
Public Affairs (OCEPA) has a
document which complements
Public Access, Communicating with
the Public. Communicating discusses
other public affairs issues which
are related to information resource
issues outlined in Public Access.
If you would like to obtain a copy
of Communicating with the Public
you can contact OCEPA's Editorial
Services Division at (202) 260-4359.
SEPTEMBER 1992
INFOACCESS

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Around the Library Network
This section of INFOACCESS is used to report on upcoming meetings and projects currently underway in the
Regions, Laboratories, and Headquarters. Anyone with contributions for this column shoula contact Mary Hoffman
(contractor), Network Coordinator, at (202) 260-7762; Email: Hoffman.Mary.
ERL Lab Library - Duluth
The Library's interlibrary loan
requests reached an all-time high in
June at 550 requests; May's total
requests was also high at 408.
Library staff have attributed the
increased demand to the departure
of about 80 contract employees, and
completion of numerous projects in
the month before their departure.
Region 7 Library - Subscriptions
Review
The Library staff completed a review
of the subscriptions received by the
library at the request of the Assistant
Regional Administrator. In the
resulting report, for each title
received, it showed the divisions to
which the title was routed, the
number of individuals within each
division who are on the routing list,
and the cost of each title. Attempts
to analyze the cost by division, while
worthwhile, are impractical because
half of the titles are routed to more
than one division. About 12% are
routed to four or more divisions.
Such widespread distribution of
journal titles is a good use of funds,
but makes analysis by division very
difficult.
Region 8 Librarian Awarded
Barbara Wagner, Librarian at the
Region 8 Library in Denver, has
received the 1992 Meritorious
Achievement Award from the Rocky
Mountain Chapter of the Special
Libraries Association, "in
recognition of her many years of
dedication, support and service to
the Chapter." - from an EPA
Environmental News Release
EPA Journal Holdings Report
The Headquarters Library is
currently distributing copies of the
1992 edition of the EPA Journal
Holdings Report, EPA 220-B-92-019.
A limited number of copies were
printed this year, but the Report will
be available from the National
Technical Information Service
[PB92-217728; $35.00]. Keep in mind
that up-to-date journal holdings
information is also available on the
Online Library System.
OGWDW/OST Resource Center
The Office of Ground Water and
Drinking Water (OGWDW)
Resource Center moved to new
space in the East Tower basement in
June, and began the transfer of
Office of Science and Technology
(OST) publications to its collection,
becoming the OGWDW/OST
Resource Center.
The Center began distributing
drinking water documents and
related Federal Register notices in July
(formerly distributed by the Safe
Drinking Water Hotline), and will
begin distributing OST documents in
September. Plans have been made
to transfer documents from the
Office of Wastewater Enforcement
and Compliance (OWEC) beginning
in October, further expanding the
Center's scope.
The Center plans to develop and
maintain a database and reference
files for participating Office of Water
programs, and staff will also be
responsible for submitting new
publications to the National
Technical Information Service.
Headquarters Library - New
Management Bibliography
The Library has published a new
title in its Innovative Management
Strategies series, The Learning
Organization, that provides an
introduction to learning in
organizations, particularly in the
public sector. A learning
organization is defined as one that
experiments with new ways of
looking at the world, focusing on
creativity and growth. Included are
summaries of articles describing the
role of managers in building
learning organizations, and the need
for learning at all employee levels.
Headquarters Library -
The [Electronic] Catalyst
The Headquarters Library's access
bulletin, The Catalyst, an information
service for EPA staff, is now
available via the Viewtext option
on All-in-1, beginning with the
August issue. The Catalyst informs
EPA employees about the services
and resources available from the
Headquarters Library. The
accessibility on AU-in-l will bring
The Catalyst to more EPA employees,
and will decrease the number of
paper copies printed.
	Continued on page 11
INFOACCESS itf»H SEPTEMBER 1992

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Around from page 10
ECOBRASIL '92
Staff from INFOTERRA and the
Office of Pollution Prevention &
Toxics (OPPT) Library participated
in ECOBRASIL, an environmental
technology trade show held in Sao
Paulo, Brazil, during the first week
in June. ECOBRASIL provided a
forum for demonstrations of the
latest in pollution control
equipment, resources for
environmental information and
technology, and discussions
involving government and business
representatives from around the
world. It was held in conjunction
with the United Nations Conference
on Environment and Development
(UNCED) held in Rio de Janeiro.
INFOTERRA staff provided
information about the Office of
International Affairs' Technical
Information Packages (TIPs), and
distributed INFOTERRA's USA
Directory of Environmental Sources
and brochures. OPPT Library staff
demonstrated the Toxic Release
Inventory (TRI) on compact disk and
handed out information on TRI. $
Greendisk Paperless
Environmental
Journal
The Greendisk Paperless
Environmental Journal is a new
publication that is published on
computer disk. It provides thousands
of pages of information while using
an absolute minimum of trees and
landfill space.
A typical issue contains the
complete text of the Smithsonian's
Biological Conservation Newsletter,
the Sierra Club's National News
Reports¦ research papers from
environmental and governmental
organizations; and a newsletter on
environmental computer networking;
newsletters, magazines, and
summaries from environmental
groups; conferences and contacts;
teaching aids, videos, slide shows;
and university environmental
program descriptions.
If you would like more
information about the journal,
contact The Greendisk, P.O. Box
32224, Washington, DC 20007;
Phone: (202) 337-4175; BITNET:
. *
Dockets from page 5
impact analyses, technical resource
documents guidance documents,
surveys, meeting summaries, trip
reports, summaries of telephone
conversations, correspondence,
and transcripts of public hearings.
A regulatory docket may also include
agency responses to public
comments.
Most of EPA's dockets were
established to provide access to
regulatory (or rulemaking)
information relating to specific
environmental legislation such as the
Resource Conservation and
Recovery Act (RCRA) or the Safe
Drinking Water Act (SDWA) or the
Toxic Substances Control Act
(TSCA). For example, the EPA Air
Docket, which is maintained by the
Office of General Counsel, contains
the public record of information used
in the promulgation or revision of
Agency rulemaking and certain other
decisions under the Clean Air Act.
All files are available for public
inspection and copying, and a
variety of indices facilitates access
to the individual dockets and to each
document therein. #
Region 2 Beta-Tests CELDS
The Region 2 Library is participating in Beta testing for the Computer-aided Environmental Data System
(CELDS), an online environmental law database developed by the Army Corps of Engineers and the Environmental
Technical Information System (ETIS) of the University of Illinois. The system employs a user-friendly, full search
system and will become virtually a "desktop library" of environmental laws. The test period began in July, and the
library has full access to the database.
The CELDS database contains full-text information on:
~	Federal and State statutes and regulations
(also includes abstracts).
~	Federal interagency agreements.
~	International treaties.
~	National Contingency Plan.
~Federal executive orders.
~Native American tribal laws.
~Federal Register.
CELDS also contains the EPA Catalog of Superfund Publications; ARARs policy documents; an ARARs training
tutorial and contacts; environmental review/NEPA guidance; lists of contacts in Federal and State agencies, and
Native American tribal organizations; and a bulletin board. - Contributed by Eveline Goodman(contractor),
\Repion 2 Librarian. New York &	' 	
SEPTEMBER 1992
INFOACCESS

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PIC... your window to environmental information...
PIC LIST
			 /
A limited number of the following titles are available from the Public Information Center (PIC) this
month. If you are interested in obtaining copies of any of these titles, call the Public Information
Center at (202) 260-7751.
Building a Shared Vision for Environmental Education:
A Conference Sponsored by the Federal Task Force on
Environmental Education, April 1992. Office of
Communications, Education, and Public Affairs
(OCEPA). EPA 171-R-92-021
Citizen's Guide to Radon: The Guide to Protecting
Yourself and Your Family from Radon (Second edition),
May 1992. EPA Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Public
Health Service. EPA 402-K-92-001
Clean Air Marketplace Conference (speech by
Administrator William Reilly), April 23, 1992. OECPA.
EPA 175-K-92-008
Cleaning up Radioactive Contamination: The Office of
Radiation Programs, June 1992. Office of Air and
Radiation. EPA 400-F-92-001
Consumer 's Handbook for Reducing Solid Waste,
August 1992. Office of Solid Waste and Emergency
Response (OSWER). EPA 530-K-92-003
Credible Science, Credible Decisions (speech by
Administrator William Reilly), March 19,1992. OCEPA.
EPA 175-K-92-006
Current Federal Indoor Air Quality Activities, April 1992.
Indoor Air Division, Interagency Committee on Indoor Air
Quality. EPA 400-B-92-003
Environmental Education at EPA, June 1992. Office of
Environmental Education. EPA 171-K-92-001
Environmental Equity: Reducing Risk for All
Communities, Volume 1: Workgroup Report to the
Administrator, June 1992. Office of Policy, Planning
and Evaluation (OPPE). EPA 230-R-92-008
The Guardian: Origins of the EPA, Spring 1992.
Management and Organization Division, Office of
Administration and Resources Management,
EPA Historical Publication-1
Healthy Lawn Healthy Environment: Caring for Your
Lawn in an Environmentally Friendly Way, June 1992.
Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances.
EPA 700-K-92-005
Managing Chemicals Safely: Putting it All Together,
March 1992. EPA Chemical Emergency Preparedness
and Prevention Office, Occupational Safety and Health
Administration. EPA-510-K-92-001
National Estuary Program After Four Years:
A Report to Congress, April 1992. Office of Water.
EPA 503-9-92-007
New Environmentalism (speech by Administrator
William Reilly), April 30, 1992, OCEPA.
EPA 175-K-92-009
Office of Water Environmental and Program I
nformation Systems Compendium: FY 1992,
April 1992, Office of Water. EPA 800-B-92-001
Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds
Publications, June 1992. Office of Water.
EPA 840-B-92-001
Public Access: A "How To" Guide, July 1992.
Office of Administration and Resources Management.
EPA 220-B-92-021
Recycle: You Can Make a Ton of Difference,
April 1992, OSWER. EPA 530-F-92-003
Report to the President on the 90-Day Review of
Regulations, May 1992. OPPE. EPA 230-R-92-001.
School Recycling Programs: A Handbook for
Educators, August 1990, OSWER. EPA 530-SW-9-023
Seven Cardinal Rules of Risk Communication,
May 1992. EPA 230-K-92-001
Updated Radon Information [fact sheet], May 1992.
Office of Air and Radiation.
Wider Caribbean Environmental and Development
Conference (speech by Administrator William Reilly),
March 5, 1992. OCEPA. EPA 175-K-92-007 *
ACCESS EPA Update ...
The 1992 edition of ACCESS EPA went to the printer
in July and is expected back in September. The order
numbers for the 1992 edition are:
EPA
NTIS
GPO
EPA 220-B-92-014
PB92-147438 [$21.00]
055-000-00406-4 [$21.00]
INFOACCESS
ACCESS EPA was reviewed in the Jul/Aug 1992 issue
of CHOICE journal [p. 1651 ] u This is simply the best tool
for ferreting out information from the many nooks and
crannies of the EPA." - Terry Link Michigan State
University Love Canal Environmental Task Force	
SEPTEMBER 1992

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