United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Information Resources
Management
(PM-211D)
EPA 220-N-93-028
Issue Number 33
September 1993
&EPA INFO ACCESS
Library Network Communications
Update On Information Legislation - 103rd Conaress
by Jonda Byrd, IMSD
In the September 1992 issue of INFOACCESS,
we highlighted legislation that would have an
impact on information management. Since that time
there have been a number of new bills introduced in
the 103rd Congress that we thought would be of
interest to information professionals.
A large number of bills in the current Congress
address issues surrounding the public's right to the
free flow of information in a democratic society.
These issues include copyright, privacy, economic
competitiveness, Freedom of Information,
Right-to-Know, and networking. Almost all deal in
some way with a resolution to the problems relating
to electronic information and cover several aspects of
information delivery such as building an
infrastructure of telecommunication networks,
developing policies for electronic information
delivery and promoting public access.
Significant among the new legislation is The
Government Printing Office Electronic Information
Access Act of 1993 which requires the Superintendent
of Documents to establish a means for providing the
public with online access to electronic government
information. The companion measure Improvement
of Information Access Act of 1993 requires agencies to
disseminate information in diverse modes that will
permit and broaden public access to government
information.
Several of the bills promote libraries as a means of
disseminating information to the public. The
Electronic Libraries Act of 1993, would establish a
system of State based electronic libraries to deliver
an array of information and services to the public.
Because the Nation's public library system is an
established network for information dissemination
to citizens, it has been targeted as the logical
mechanism for the electronic dissemination of public
information.
In this issue, we have compiled a selected list of
these important pieces of information legislation,
and included an update on the role of EPA's Office
of Congressional and Legislative Affairs written by
the Legislative Librarian, Joan Platten.
f In this issue ...
Update on Information Legislation		1
Around the Network		2
EMAP Center Informa tion Services (EC1S)		3
The Role of OCLA		4
National Institute for the Environment	
Information Legislation - 103rd Congress
GPO Bill becomes Law	
EPA Cabinet Bill Update	
PIC List of Publications	
P^PI


INFOACCESS
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This section of INFOACCESS is used to report on
upcoming meetings and projects currently underway in
the Regions, Laboratories, and Headquarters.
Anyone who would like to contribute information for this
column can contact Ann Dugan (contractor), Network
Coordinator, at (202) 260-7762; or at email box,
Dugan.Ann; or via fax at (202) 260-6257.
"Do We Practice What We Teach?"
This article on recycling by Fred Friedman
(contractor), Head Librarian of the Research Library
for RCRA in Region 1, was published in the June
1993 issue of Waste Age. The article, entitled "Do
We Practice What We Teach?" reports on recycling,
waste reduction, and the procurement of materials
with recycled content at colleges and universities
in the United States.
Reauthorization Update - Water
EPA staff and contractors can keep abreast of
efforts to reauthorize the Clean Water Act and the
Safe Drinking Water Act by signing up for
Reauthorization Update, a weekly All-in-1 email
INFO
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: Ann Dugan (contractor), Network
Coordinator, PM-211B, EPA Headquarters
Library, 401 M Street, SW, Washington, DC 20460.
Telephone: (202) 260-7762; electronic mail:
^Dugan.Ann.	^
service provided by the Headquarters Library
Water Librarian, Anne Bolin. Each Friday the Water
Librarian summarizes reports in the press on
Congressional reauthorization events such as bills,
newly introduced bills and past hearings. Copies of
the articles are available in the library. EPA staff
can also request disk copies of pending legislation.
Email Bolin.Anne or call (202)260-8670 to be added
to the distribution list. Contributed by Anne Bolin
(contractor), Headquarters Library Water Librarian.
Moving to New Space
The Region 8 Library moved to new space on
the first floor of the Regional Office. The Library is
now located "on the mall," an enclosed shopping
and restaurant mall within the Denver Place
building complex, behind the Region's new Public
Information Center. Access to the Library will be
through the PIC. Library staff are pleased to be
gaining a little more space and periodical display
shelving. The staff will have the same phone
numbers that they had in the previous space, plus
they will have voice mail. The PIC staff will be
answering the Library's public phone
(303) 293-1444 beginning in mid-September.
NCEPI Publications Catalog
Several of the EPA libraries recently received a
copy of the NCEPI Publications Catalog for June
1993. The Catalog contains a listing of more than
4,000 different Agency documents and publications
contained in NCEPI as well as floppy diskettes,
transparencies, video and audio cassette tapes, and
posters. If you would like to obtain a copy of the
Catalog, contact Cathy Cain at the National Center
for Environmental Publications and Information at
(513) 569-7980.
IPPfttl
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NEW ADDITION TO THE
NETWORK
EMAP Center
Information Services
(ECIS)
The Environmental Monitoring and Assess-
ment Program (EMAP) Center, Information Ser-
vices (ECIS), which works in cooperation with the
Environmental Research Center (ERC) Library in
Research Triangle Park, is the newest addition to the
EPA Library Network. The goal of ECIS is to
support the EMAP Research and Assessment
Center, the EMAP, and other scientific research, as
well as to assist the public. Reference, interlibrary
loan, online searching and CD-ROM search services
are provided to meet the needs of patrons.
Since the ECIS was only established a little over
two months ago, its collections are not yet well
established. The ECIS' primary collections will be in
assessment, landscape characterization, landscape
ecology, indicators, ecological risk assessment, and
agroecosystems.
The ECIS wil house two copies of each EMAP
document: one that will be available for interlibrary
loan and circulation, and the other for use only
in-house. This is to ensure EMAP staff constant
access to the documents. While we will interlibrary
loan one copy of the document, we will not be a
clearinghouse for EMAP documents. These will
have to be requested from EMAP Headquarters in
Washington DC, or from the Center for
Environmental Research Information (CERI) in
Cincinnati. Many of the EMAP documents are also
available through the National Technical
Information Service (NTIS).	
ECIS is staffed by contractors from the Univer-
sity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Staff are
setting up a generic account for ECIS which will
allow patrons to send and receive interlibrary loan
and reference requests by email. Network librarians
are encouraged to call or write if ECIS staff can be of
any assistance. Information services are available
weekdays from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm. (Contributed by
Anne McFarland (contractor), University of N.C., Chapel Hill)
EMAP Center Information Services MD-75
Catawba Building, Room 146
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
Research Triangle Park, NC 27713.
Telephone: (919) 541-0912
Fax: (919)541-3615
++-fr++-fr++4-
National Institute
For The Environment
(HR 2918)
House member Representative G. Brown
(R-NY) introduced legislation on August 6 to
establish a National Institute For the
Environment, to improve the scientific basis for
decision-making on environmental issues, and
for other purposes. The Act would increase scien-
tific understanding of environmental issues by:
•	Education/training in environmental fields
•	Interchange of scientific information
•	Establishment of research priorities
•	Evaluating Environmental status and needs
•	Address emerging Environmental issues
The Act would also establish an electronic
network using existing telecommunications
infrastructures to provide single point access to
environmental information including existing
collections of environmental information such
as libraries, specialized information centers, data
and statistical centers, government and
private sector repositories of information. HUM"
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The Role of OCLA: EPA's Office of
Congressional and Legislative
Affairs by Joan Platten, Legislative Librarian,
with Mary Hoffman (contractor), Network Coordinator
The Office of Congressional and Legislative
Affairs (OCLA), an arm of the EPA Administrator's
office, serves a unique purpose, that of coordinating
the Agency's relationship with Congress. At the
highest level, OCLA's Assistant Administrator,
Robert Hickmont, keeps EPA Administrator Carol
Browner informed about all Agency activities
relating to Congress, and all Congressional
activities that will affect the Agency.
The Office is responsible for coordinating
meetings between Agency staff and Congress,
hearing appearances and testimony of Agency staff,
and citizen requests for information that have been
made to Congressional representatives. OCLA also
responds to direct requests for information from the
public and from Capitol Hill. These calls are
handled by OCLA's receptionist, who channels calls
to the appropriate OCLA staff person for the
request; there are designated contacts for a number
of subject areas.
OCLA's congressional liaisons cover all EPA
related hearings, meet with Congressional
representatives, and accompany program staff to
hearings and other meetings on Capitol Hill. Their
purpose is to facilitate good working relationships
between Congressional staff and Agency staff.
The Agency's legislative lawyers facilitate the
coordination and clearance process for testimony
before Congress. They work with Agency program
staff and the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) to prepare testimony and statements,
carefully reviewing remarks that involve funding
and policy or legislative changes, to be sure that
they are appropriate and consistent with the
Administration's policies. OCLA's attorneys work
with the program staff to put the testimony into
final form and submit it to OMB for clearance.
OCLA's attorneys also analyze pending legislation
before Congress to determine what impact the
legislation would have, if passed, on the Agency
and current policies.
The Legislative Library, which is part of the
Office, has undergone a few changes in the past
year. The most significant change is that the
Hearing Transcript Unit is now part of the library.
OCLA's Hearing Transcript Officer, Trina Vanzego,
is responsible for the proper management of
Congressional hearing transcripts. The official
transcript can take anywhere from three months to
a year to be printed. In the meantime, the transcript
is made available to the EPA witness to edit for
clarification.
The Congressional Committee does allow other
Agency personnel to look at copies of the hearing
transcripts in the Hearing Transcript Unit; but
information in the transcripts are not allowed to be
quoted or reproduced. A hearing transcript be-
comes public record after being printed by the
Government Printing Office (GPO) and released by
the appropriate Committee. In some "special cases"
other Agency officials may receive copies from the
Hearing Transcript Unit if they are working on
responses relating to the hearing. If a wire service
has covered a hearing, their version, which is not
the official version of the hearing, can be repro-
duced in the Legislative Library for EPA staff.
Anyone needing information or with
questions on legislative matters can contact Joan
Platten, the Legislative Librarian, at (202) 260-5425,
or on All-in-1 at Platten.Joan. &
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Information Legislation - 103rd Congress


GPO Bill Becomes Law
Official Title: The Government Printing Office
Electronic Information Access Enhancement Act of
1993 [H.R. 1328, S.564] P.L. 103-40, signed June 8,
1993 by President Clinton.
Highlights: This year's version of last year's
compromise GPO WINDO/Gateway legislation
establishes, within GPO, a means of enhancing
public access to a wide range of Federal electronic
information. The bill calls for GPO to:
1)	maintain an electronic directory of Federal
electronic information;
2)	provide online access to the Congressional
Record and Federal Register, and other documents
distributed by GPO as determined by the
Superintendent of Documents;
3)	operate an electronic storage facility for Federal
electronic information to which online access would
be made available to the greatest extent possible -
open the storage and dissemination system to any
department or agency which chooses to use the
system to disseminate its information;
4)	make the directory and storage system available
to the Federal depository libraries without charge;
5)	consult users and information providers on the
quality and value of the system.
The bill is weaker than previous versions ....it
authorizes no new funding, drops all mention of
developing common standards, provides no
mechanism for dividing fees between the agencies,
and does not require agencies to participate in the
system.
Improvement of Information Access Act of 1993
[H.R. 629] 1/26/93,
Major Owens, D-NY
Official Title: A bill to amend Title 44, U.S. Code,
to promote improved public dissemination of
government information.
Highlights: This act would require each executive
and military department and independent
establishment to prepare and make available to the
public, upon request, a report which describes its
information dissemination policies and practices. It
would also require each such entity to provide an
opportunity for dialogue between responsible
agency officials and interested members of the
public regarding both proposed and existing
policies, procedures, and mechanisms for
disseminating information under the Act.
Agencies would be required to:
1)	disseminate information in diverse modes and
through appropriate outlets that will permit and
broaden public access to government information;
2)	use depository libraries, national computer
networks, and other distribution channels that
improve and assure free or low-cost public access to
government information.
Provides that except as specifically authorized by
statute, an agency may not:
1)	charge to depository libraries the costs of
distributing information products and services;
2)	charge more than the incremental cost of
distributing any information product or service
regardless of channels utilized; or
3)	charge any royalty or other fee for any use or
re-dissemination of government information.
Requires the Archivist of the United States and the
Director of the National Institute of Standards and
Technology to jointly issue and periodically revise
model performance standards under which
Agencies shall be encouraged to provide access to
public records.
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Paperwork Reduction
Reauthorization Act of 1993
[S.681] 3/31/93
John Glenn, D-OH
Official Title: A bill to amend
Chapter 35 of Title 44, U.S. Code,
relating to government
paperwork reduction, to modify
the federal regulatory review
process, and for other purposes.
Highlights: Title I of the Act
revises, reauthorizes and extends
the Paperwork Reduction Act of
1980. Title II of the Act -
Regulatory Review Sunshine Act
of 1993 - requires executive
branch regulatory review entities
to establish procedures for public
access to specified information
about each agency rulemaking
activity under review.
A companion bill...
Regulatory Review Sunshine
Act Of 1993 [S. 168] 1/21/93
John Glenn, D-H
Official Title: A bill to provide
for procedures for the review of
federal department and agency
regulations, and for other
purposes.
Highlights: The Act requires the
executive branch regulatory
review entities to establish
procedures to provide public
access to specified information
concerning each agency
rulemaking activity under
review. Requires a rulemaking
agency to:
1)	upon request identify a
rulemaking activity, the date it
was submitted for review, and
any notice of any extensions of
review; and
2)	explain in its rulemaking
notice any significant changes to
such rule as a consequence of
regulatory review.
**** EPA Cabinet Bill****
(reprinted from a Legislative Library
article In The Catalyst, July/August
1993 Issue - there has been no new
action on the bill as of this printing)
As we go to press, the forecast
for the Department of
Environmental Protection (DEP)
cabinet legislation is uncertain,
On May 4 the Senate passed
S.171, Senator Glenn's (D-OH)
cabinet bill, with amendments.
Issues among the amendments
were comparative risk analysis,
environmental justice, Tribal
affairs, regulatory cost/benefit
analysis, and assistance for small
business and small governmental
jurisdictions. The vote was
79-15. We are now waiting for
Representative Conyers (D-MI),
in the House, to introduce his
version of this legislation. Once
the House passes the final
version of its bill, a conference
will be held to work out the
differences between the House
and Senate. This legislation still
has a long way to go. Please call
the Legislative Library for
current updates and stop by if
you need copies of this
legislation or a history of actions.
The Legislative Library daily
summary of the Congressional
Record is now available on email.
If you would like to quickly
receive the latest information on
what is happening in the
Congress, please call and ask to
receive this service.
Phone: (202)260-5425
Joan Platten
Legislative Librarian.
Paperwork Reduction Act of
1993 [S. 560] 3/10/93
Sam Nunn, D-GA
Official Title: A bill to further
the goals of the Paperwork
Reduction Act to have federal
agencies become more
responsible and publicly
accountable for reducing the
burden of federal paperwork on
the public, and for other
purposes.
Highlights: Title in of the
Act - Enhancing the Federal
Agency Responsibility and
Accountability for Reducing the
Burden of Federal Paperwork -
makes the senior official charged
with carrying out the responsi-
bilities of a Federal agency the
head of a separate office with
qualified staff responsible for
assuring agency compliance with
requirements under the Act.
The Act also requires each
agency to:
1)	prepare estimates of the
burden that will result from
proposed collection of
information;
2)	develop a strategic
Information Resources
Management Plan; and
3)	establish oversight procedures
for agency information systems.
Information Technology
Paperwork Reduction Act
of 1993
[H.R.1091] 2/24/93
Clinger, R-PA
Official Title: A bill to establish
the Commission on Information
Technology and Paperwork
Reduction.
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Highlights: This Act would
establish the Commission on
Information Technology and
Paperwork Reduction in order to
minimize the information
reporting burden imposed by the
Federal government, consistent
with the information needs of the
Government for policy purposes.
Lists specific commission
functions, which include the
study and review of the former
Commission on Paperwork
recommendations for paperwork
reduction. Requires a final
Commission report to the
Congress and the President and
action by the Office of
Management and Budget on
Commission recommendations.
National Information
Infrastructure Act of 1993
[H.R. 1757] 4/21/93
Boucher, D-VA
Official Title: A bill to provide
for a coordinated federal
program to accelerate
development and dissemination
of applications of high
performance computing and
high-speed networking, and for
other purposes.
Highlights: The Act directs the
Federal Coordinating Council for
Science, Engineering, and
Technology to:
1)	establish an interagency
applications program to develop
applications of computing and
networking advances under the
National High-Performance
Computing Program; and
2)	develop a plan for computing
and networking applications'
which shall identify applications
program goals and priorities and
set forth specific Federal agency
responsibilities.
Requires the plan to:
1)	foster local network access
programs and their connection
with Internet and;
2)	develop projects and
technologies in the fields of
education, health care, libraries,
and government information
access.
The Act also provides for the
establishment of a high
performance computing and
applications advisory committee.
Copyright Reform Act of 1993
[S. 373] 2/16/93
Dennis DeConcini, D-AZ
Official Title: A bill to amend
Title 17, U.S. Code, to modify
certain recordation and
registration requirements, to
establish copyright arbitration
royalty panels to replace the
Copyright Royalty Tribunal, and
for other purposes.
Highlights: The Act amends
copyright law so that the law
does not limit any rights under
State law with respect to
perfecting security interests. It
repeals a provision which
requires registration as a
prerequisite to certain remedies
for infringement, and converts
the Register of Copyrights from a
Librarian of Congress appointee
to a presidential appointee.
A companion bill...
Copyright Reform Act of 1993
[H.R. 897] 2/16/93
Hughes, D-NJ
Official Title: A bill to amend
Title 17, U.S. Code, to modify
certain recordation and
registration requirements, to
establish copyright arbitration
royalty panels to replace the
copyright royalty tribunal, and
for other purposes.
Library of Congress Fund Act
of 1993 [S. 345] 2/4/93
Claiborne Pell, D-Rl
Official Title: A bill to authorize
the Library of Congress to
provide certain information
products and services, and for
other purposes.
Highlights:
The Act expresses the intent of
the Congress that core Library of
Congress services shall continue
to be provided at no cost.
Defines:
1)	"core library products and
services" as domestic interlibrary
loan and information products
and services customarily
provided by libraries to users at
no charge; and
2)	"specialized library products
and services that exceed core
services, that are not national
library products and services,
and that are designed for indi-
viduals or discrete groups of
persons or entities.
Electronic Library Act of 1993
[S. 626] 3/22/93
Bob Kerrey, D-NE
Official title: A bill to establish a
system of state-based electronic
libraries, and for other purposes.
Highlights: This Act authorizes
the National Science Foundation
and other Agencies to make
grants to States to develop a
system of State based electronic
libraries. This bill would allow
delivery of or access to a wide
array of interactive multimedia
materials through public
libraries, electronic databases and
telecommunications systems
such as the Internet and other
networks.
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PIC
LIST
V	
A limited number of
the listed titles are
available from the
Public Information
Center (PIC) this
month. If you are
interested in obtaining
copies of any of the
titles, call the Public
Information Center at
(202) 260-2080.
National Enforcement
Investigations Center, Office
of Enforcement, EPA 330-K-
93-001
Progressive Environmental
Management: Leveraging
Regulatory and Voluntary
Action, March 1993, Office of
the Administrator,
EPA 100-S-93-001
U.S. EPA Oral History
Interview - 2: Russell E.Train,
July 1993, Office of
Administration and Resources
Management (OARM), EPA
202-K-93-001
Acid Rain Titles:
Acid Rain Program - It's
Working, June 1993, Office of
Air and Radiation (OAR),
EPA 430-F-92-027
Environmental Benefits of
Reducing Acid Rain, June
1993, OAR, EPA 430-F-92-026
Environmental Careers Titles:
(EPA National Recruitment
Program August 1992)
~	Careers in Engineering,
EPA 210-K-92-007
~	Careers in Environmental
Research,
EPA-EPA 210-K92-005
~	Careers in Science,
EPA 21K-92-005
~	Employment Overview,
EPA 210-K-92-004
~	Environmental Public
Service, EPA 210-K-92-006
~	Student Work Study,
EPA 210-K-92-011
~	Administrative Careers
Serving the Environment,
EPA 210-K-92-008
Ozone Titles:
Air Conditioners and the
Ozone Layer, June 1993, OAR,
EPA 430-F-93-006
Ten Commonly Asked
Questions About Ozone
Depletion, March 1993, OAR
Disposing of Appliances with
Refrigerants: Wnat You
Should Know, May 1993,
OAR, EPA 430-F-93-003
Motor Vehicle Air Conditioner
Servicing, June 1993, OAR
Pesticide Titles:
~	EPA Efforts to Encourage
Alternatives to Traditional
Chemical Pest Control, March
1993, Office of Prevention,
Pesticides and Toxic Sub-
stances (OPPTS)
~	Pesticide Safety Tips, April
1992,	OPPTS
~	Pesticides and Child Safety,
September 1992, OPPTS
~	Safety Precautions for Total
Release Foggers, March 1993,
OPPTS
~	Using Insect Repellants
Safely, September 1992,
OPPTS
Pollution Prevention Titles:
Green Lights: The Second Year:
March 1993, OAR,
EPA 430-R-93-006
Water Titles:
Lead In Your Drinking Water,
June 1993, Office of Water,
EPA 810-F-93-001
Office of Wastewater
Enforcement and Compliance
(OWEC) Primer, July 1993,
Office of Water, EPA 830-K-
93-001
Xeriscape Landscaping: Pre-
venting Pollution and Using
Resources Efficiently, April
1993,	Office of Water,
EPA 840-B-93-0014
£ I INFO ACCESS
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