United States Information Resources EPA 220-N-92-012 Environmental Protection Management November 1992 Agency (PM-211A) oEPA The Catalyst Information for Environmental Action An Information Service for EPA HQ Staff from the Headquarters Library PAIS (Public Affairs Information Service) CD-ROM Orientation The next CO-ROM orientation, focusing on PAIS, is scheduled for December 15,1992 from 10-11 am, fn the Headquarter Library. PAIS is a bibliographic database of citations to public policy literature in a variety of subjects, including: * ENVIRONMENT ¦ BUSINESS * ECONOMICS LAW * INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS POLITICAL SCIENCE SOCIAL SCIENCES References and summaries in English are provided to material published In any of six languages: English* French, German, Italian, Portuguese* or Spanish. Printed material In the following formats is included: journal articles books committee hearings public and private organization reports local, state, federal, and non-US government documents pamphlets PAIS can be searched by subject, title, authors, or keywords. Search results can be printed or downloaded to a 51/4" floppy disk. Remember to bring your own disk if you want to download information. Since orientation participants will be limited, please contact the Headquarters Library Reference Desk at 202-260-5921 to reserve a spot for PAIS orientation, ~ MIT Study Recent discussion has focused on the effects of strong environmental regulations on economic growth. The Headquarters Library has obtained a copy of a recent MIT study that compares the level of state environmental regulations with the economic status of the area. "Environmentalism and Economic Prosperity: Testing the Environmental Impact Hypothesis" by Stephen M. Meyer investigates the proposition that strong environmental policies inhibit economic growth and development. According to Meyer's study, environmentally strong states economically outperformed environmentally weak states by substantial amounts. If you'd like to read this study please ask at the Reference Desk for assistance. ~ See page 3 for more information on environmental economics. Jour ne$tgreat idea is in the T.TSi headquarters Li6rary EPA Headquarters Library (PM-211 A) WSM2904 202-260-5922 Printed on Recycled Paper ------- Author, Author! Agency employees recently published books and articles. The authors and the titles of their published works are listed below: Bell, Ruth Greenspan, International Activities Division, Office of General Counsel (LE-132N). "Industrial Privatization and the Environment in Poland." Environmental Law Reporter, News & Analysis. Vol. 22, February 1992, and "Environmental Law Drafting in Central and Eastern Europe." Environmental Law Reporter, News & Analysis. Vol. 22, September 1992. Breen, Joseph J., Chief of Industrial Chemistry Branch, Economics, Exposure and Technology Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics (TS-779) and Dellarco, Michael J., environmental scientist, Office of Modeling, Monitoring Systems and Quality Assurance (RD-680). Coeditors of Pollution Prevention In Industrial Processes The Role of Process Analytical Chemistry. ACS Symposium Series 508, Washington, DC: American Chemical Society, 1992. ~ EPA Information Systems Inventory Update The Agency is performing its annual update to the Information Systems Inventory (ISI). Because it is an automated, easily searchable catalog of over 500 of the Agency's manual and electronic data systems, ranging from models to administrative systems, it is an outstanding tool for use by EPA personnel. If you know of newly-developed systems, or have a particular system that you would like to promote, the ISI is an excellent way to communicate with a very wide audience. The purpose of the ISI is fourfold: Increase awareness of EPA information systems by providing a comprehensive inventory Reduce duplicative information system development and data collection efforts Improve EPA's oversight and coordination of information systems in general Enhance EPA's ability to respond to inquiries concerning Agency information systems The update is expected to be completed by the end of the calendar year. If you wish to contribute information to the Inventory, blank forms are available from Jeff Sabol (PM-211D, 202-260-8974, email SABOL.JEFF). ~ Register of Lists The Information Policy Branch (IBP) is now distributing the second quarterly update of the Register of Lists (RoL). The RoL is a chemical information "pointer" system. The Agency-wide workgroup designed RoL primarily to respond to the question, "Does EPA regulate chemical X"? A user enters a chemical identifier (name or number) and RoL "points to" the program office(s) that regulate that chemical and identifies the List Manager(s) who can supply more details. The RoL is PC based; it can also be installed on your LAN. RoL contains 31 of the largest, best known lists of EPA-regulated chemical substances and over 3,300 chemicals plus more than 10,300 synonyms. To obtain a copy of RoL or to make arrangements for a (pgr? demonstration of RoL for your A=j*k group please contact Jim Daley on 202-260-2743. ~ THE CATALYST NOVEMBER 1992 PAGE 2 ------- Economics and the Environment Recently, a number of articles discussing the relationship between economics and the environment have appeared in the popular press. How much does it cost to protect the environment? Can environmental protection stimulate economic growth ? The following journal and newspaper articles provide a variety of answers to these and other questions on the economics of the environment. "You Can't Get There from Here." (Environmental Protection Agency) Forbes July 6,1992 p.59. "The Big Green Payoff." (Ecologically Sound Products) Time June 1,1992 p.62. "The Price of Green." (Economic impact of sustainable development) The Economist May 9, 1992 p.87. "Food for thought." (McDonald's Corporation works with Environmental Defense Fund to form policies) The Economist. August 29, 1992 p.64. "Saving the Earth, Creating Jobs." World Watch. Vol.5 No. 1 February 1992 p. 10. A Look at...Pollution vs. Payrolls. Lighten Up, Loggers - Environmentalism Actually Creates Jobs." The Washington Post, Outlook Section, October 4,1992 p.C3. "Japan Bids for Global Leadership in Clean Industry." Science Vol.256 May 22,1992 p. 1144. ~ Audiovisual Residuals SExtraZ JFIash! As this is being written, one of the Library's hottest audio titles is actually on the shelf, waiting to be checked out. Understanding Risk is a two-tape recording of a Crystal City scrap tire conference session held in September 1991. Peter Sandman, of the Rutgers University journalism school, casts a non-scientist's eye on the complex task of risk communication. His emphasis rests on determining the best ways of delivering vital information to a skeptical public in as objective and non-threatening a fashion as possible. A vital function for the EPA is the selection of candidates to fill job openings. The following audio tape complements several books in our Management Collection on the subject of interviewing: The Selection Interview, written by Raymond Valentine and produced by the American Management Associations, pairs an audio program with a printed workbook. The two combine to provide a thorough introduction to carrying out a job-applicant selection interview. For example, Valentine describes several objectives for interviewers to pursue, including: acquiring an adequate knowledge of organizational operations; developing and maintaining contact with the "customers" of the interviewing process (the supervisors of the positions to be filled); keeping personal bias and prejudice at bay; and avoiding a patronizing attitude. If you'd like to pick up one of these titles today, you can use your telephone to request that a tape be held for you. Don't forget to ask about our personal audio cassette players and headphones and batteries. ~ THE CATALYST NOVEMBER 1992 PAGE 3 ------- Journal Kernels Are you interested in topics such as the concentration of lead in vegetables grown around a car battery factory? Articles on many topics in volving ecology/en vironmental issues appear in journals in the EPA Headquarters Library collection. Here is a sampling of what we have to offer: Science, probably the best known of the general science magazines in the Library's collection, examines what's new in the scientific community and also publishes reports on a number of important experiments, (weekly; Holdings: 1960- 1988 on microfilm, 1988-present on shelves) Science News, "The Weekly Newsmagazine of Science" packs in a lot of news and information on science in a very thin 20-25 page publication. Included with weekly reports on the news are research notes on areas like astronomy, biology, biomedicine and earth sciences, (weekly; Holdings: 1966-1988 on microfilm, 1987-present on shelves) The Science of the Total Environment, published 42 times a year, delves into the research involved in environmental changes caused by man's activities, specifically dealing with those changes that may eventually harm man himself. (Holdings: 1975-1977 on microfilm, 1978-present on shelves) Scientific American prints articles on a variety of subjects that not only interest the science community, but also the public in general. Included are departments on science and the citizen and the relationship between science and business, (monthly; Holdings: 1965-1988 on microfilm, 1989-present) ~ Conferences, Meetings, Symposiums, Workshops This is a selected list of meetings and conferences chosen for their potential interest to EPA staff. If EPA staff wish to have an EPA- sponsored event listed here, please forward the information to The Catalyst, HQ Library, 401 M St.,SW - PM-211 A, Washington, DC 20460 or email Library.HQ. 1993 Environmental Train-the-Trainer Workshop. January 10-14, 1993, Las Vegas, NV. Sponsored by the National Environmental Training Association. For more information contact: The National Environmental Training Association, 2930 East Camelback Road, Suite 185, Phoenix, AZ 85016-4412 or call (602) 956-6099. Course on Sanitary Landfill Design. January 20-22,1993, Madison, Wl. Sponsored by The College of Engineering University of Wisconsin-Madison. For more information contact: Department of Engineering Professional Development, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 432 N. Lake St., Madison, Wl 53706 or call (800) 462-0876. The Role of Meteorology in Managing the Environment in the '90s. January 26-29, 1993, Scottsdale AZ. Sponsored by the Air and Waste Management Association. For more infor- mation contact: Martha Swiss, Air and Waste Management Association, P.O. Box 2861, Pittsburgh, PA 15230 or call (412) 232-3444. Federal Facility 1993 Environmental Update Course. January 28-29, 1993. Arlington, VA. Sponsored by Government Institutes, Inc. For more information contact: Tim Hohman, Government Institutes, Inc., 4 Research Place, Suite 200, Rockville, MD 20850 or call (301) 921 -23455 or Fax (301) 921 -0373. ~ Reference Inquiries 202-260-5921 Circulation Inquiries 202-260-5922 Interlibrary Loan 202-260-5060 Hazardous Waste-Reference 202-260-5934 INFOTERRA-Refererice 202-260-5917 Water-Reference 202-260-8670 Email libraryJiQ Information Access Branch. THE CATALYST NOVEMBER 1992 PAGE 4 ------- United States EPA/IMSD o, -ra Environmental Protection November 1992 fsggzf Ai= Info Page: Plastics Amidon, Arthur. Recycling agricultural plastics. In Resource Recycling, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 35-42, January 1992. ANTEC 90 plastics in the environment: yesterday, today & tomorrow. Brookfield, Conn.: Society of Plastics Engineers, 1990. TP1081.S63 1990 Cathcard, Jim. Recycling photodegradable plastics: a case study. In Resource Recycling, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 68-74, January 1992. Curlee, T. Randall; Sujit, Das. Identifying and assessing targets of opportunity for plastics recycling. In Resources Conservation & Recycling, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 343-364, August 1991. Degradable plastics and the environment 1988 environmental symposiums. Pittsford, NY: Mobil Chemical Company, 1988. Hegberg, Bruce A. Technologies for recycling post-consumer mixed plastics: plastic lumber production, emerging separation technologies, waste plastic handlers. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Center for Solid Waste Management and Research, 1991. Hirata, Michimasa. Development of biodegradable plastics and their significance. In Science & Technology in Japan, Vol. 10, No. 38, pp. 16-18, July 1991. Howell, S. G. Ten year review of plastics recycling. Cincinnati, OH: Environmental Protection Agency, Risk Reduction Engineering Lab., 1992. PB92-153402 Kirsch, F.W.; Lobby, G.P. Waste minimization assessment for a manufacture of printed plastic bags. Cincinnati, OH: Environmental Protection Agency, Risk Reduction Engineering Lab., 1990. PB91 -179036 Degradable plastics standards, research and development. Washington, DC: General Accounting Office, 1988. HW TP1127.U54 c.1-2 Methods to manage and control plastic wastes. Washington, DC : Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, 1990. PB90-163106 Guide to plastics property and specification. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1989. Hegberg, Bruce A. Post-consumer mixed plastics recycling characterization, collection, costs and markets. Chicago, IL: University of Illinois Center for Solid Waste Management and Research, 1991. Model plastics refuse control and minimization for ships. Seattle, WA: Northwest and jf Alaska Fisheries Center, 1989. VM481.M62 1989 Modern plastics encyclopedia '92. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1991. ------- Moore, Taylor. The promise of conductive plastics. In EPRI Journal, Vol. 16, No. 5, pp. 4-14, July-August 1991. O'Hara, Kathryn. Citizens guide to plastics in the ocean: more than a litter problem. Washington, DC: Center for Environmental Education, 1988. GC1085.032 1988 Plastics recycling as a future business opportunity. Lancaster, PA: Technomic Pub., 1988 HW HD9661.U62T39 1988 Environmental Protection Agency, Region II. Recycling plastics and polymeric waste (Oct. 76 -Nov. 89): citations from the COMPENDEX database. Springfield, VA: National Technical Information Service, 1989. PB90-854415 Ryan, J.V., et al. Chemical and biological characterization of products of incomplete combustion from the simulated field burning of agricultural plastic. In Journal of the Air Pollution Control Association, Vol. 39, No. 6, pp. 836-846, June 1989. PB90-100835 Sadun, Anita Glazer. Breaking down the degradable plastics scam: A report prepared for Greenpeace. Flushing, NY: Center for the Biology of Natural Systems, Queens College, 1990. Shoemaker, J.D., Krishnan, R. Guides to pollution prevention: the fiberglass-reinforced and composite plastics industry. Cincinnati, OH: Environmental Protection Agency, Risk Reduction Engineering Lab., 1991. PB91 -227967 VandenBerg, Nancy. Plastic film recycling. In BioCycle, Vol. 32, No. 12, pp. 67-72, December 1991. Weis, Peddrick, et al. Toxicity of construction materials in the marine environment: a comparison of chromated-copper-arsenate- treated wood and recycled plastic. In Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, Vol. 22, No. 1, pp. 99-107, January 1992. Wolf, Nancy A. Plastics: America's packaging dilemma. Washington, DC: Island Press, 1991. Wolf, Paris. Big three to study recycling auto plastics. In Recycling Today, Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 30-32, January 1992. The preceding list of documents may help provide answers to some questions about plastics and recycling plastics. EPA Headquarters staff can borrow these items from the Headquarters Library. ~ ------- |