United States Information Resources February/March 1995 Environmental Protection Management EPA220-N-95-018 Agency (3404) oEPA The Catalyst Information for Environmental Action An Information Service for EPA HQ Staff from the Headquarters Library Computer Select CD-ROM Orientation Curious about the new world of Novell? Wonder if Microsoft will ever release the new Windows version? Are you eager to hop on the Information Superhighway? Then join us in the EPA Headquarters Library on Thursday, March 16th at 10:00 for a demo of Computer Select. This CD-ROM is available on the EPA Headquarters Library LAN (from your desktop if you have access to the Library LAN). Computer Select indexes and provides abstracts and, when available, full texts of articles from leading computer journals, such as Byte, PC Magazine, Internet World, Macworld, and PC Computing. Please call the Headquarters Library at 260-5921 to reserve your seat -- we hope to see you there! ~ The Records of Decision (RODs) CD-ROM The Hazardous Waste/Superfund Information Center (HWSIC) in the EPA Headquarters Library announces the arrival of a new way to search for Records of Decision (RODs). A ROD is a document issued by the EPA that describes the cleanup strategy at a Suerfund site. RODs are available in hard copy at rhe HWSIC. They are also available from the National Technical Information Service. The Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response has recently made ROD information available on a CD-ROM. The ROD CD-ROM will be updated quarterly. A copy is located in the Reference area of the EPA Headquarters Library. A user's manual is also available or ask Library staff for assistance. Accessing the RODs CD-ROM One of the advantages of the ROD CD-ROM is that it allows searching specific sections of a ROD. Each record on the ROD CD-ROM contains the following fields of information: Site Name: the official name of the Superfund site Operable Unit Name or Number: the name or number of a specific area of a site which is being remediated EPA ID: the site tracking number assigned by EPA Location: the city and state in which the site is located Region: the EPA region where the site is located ROD date: the date the ROD was issued ROD ID number: the document number assigned to the ROD and EPA region number Abstract: a summary of activity at the site and the proposed cleanup strategy Remedy: the chosen cleanup strategy Media: the substance that is contaminated, i.e., air, water, or soil Keys and Rod text: the complete text of the Record of Decision. For a demonstration or for further assistance using the RODs CD-ROM, call the HWSIC at either 202-260-5934 or 202-260-3102 or see a reference librarian at the EPA Headquarters Library. ~ EPA Headquarters Library (3404) WSM2904 202-260-5922 ------- FEDWORLD: FEDERAL DATA ON THE INTERNET One of a series of articles highlighting various information sources on the Internet Recently, one of the EPA Headquarters Library staffpersons was asked by a patron for some information on Federal job openings. What was the suggested source? One good source for Federal information is fedworld. fedworld is a "network-of-networks," a "mini-Internet," an "electronic clearinghouse." It's a service provided by the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) to link dozens of electronic information resources maintained by scores of federal agencies. At last count, more than 130 information systems produced by 60 agencies were available. Anyone who has access to the Internet, or anyone who has a computer with a modem, can connect to fedworld. See the accompanying box below for connection information. The Headquarters Library can also provide access to fedworld. Use our Internet-connected patron terminal in the library, or dial in using the Washington Information Center's modem pool, also accessible via an in-Library patron terminal. Get That Data Some examples of the kinds of information to be found using fedworld: o The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance, source of information about many federal grant programs. o Federal Job Announcements', a lengthy listing of federal job opportunities, updated daily. The announcements are classified by region and include a separate list of SES positions. o NTIS publication information, including Quick Bulletins and the Superfund Early-Bird Window: often fedworld hosts the first public announcement of important government publications. o Connections to major agency bulletin boards and systems including: EPA's TTNBBS, Nuclear Regulatory Agency, Department of Energy, Internal Revenue Service, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. o Other information including White House press releases, National Performance Review reports and OMB circulars and bulletins. ~ Connecting to FEDWORLD Dial-Up: Set your telecommunications software to N-8-1 (no parity, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit) and dial 703-321-8020 Internet: Telnet to fedworld.gov THE CATALYST FEBRUARY/MARCH 1995 PAGE 2 ------- Selected Recent Additions to the Headquarters Library Collection: Books: Ranking Hazardous-Waste Sites for Remedial Action, by Committee on Remedial Action Priorities for Hazardous Waste Sites, National Research Council. Washington, D.C., National Academy Press, 1994. TD 1052 R36N38 1994. EPA publications: Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics: Semivolatile Organic Compounds in the General U.S. Population: NHATS FY86 Results. Volume I. July 1994. EPA/747/R-94/001 Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response: Guide to Environmental Issues. August 1994. EPA/520/B-94/001 Office of Water: Analytical Methods for the Determination of Pollutants in Pulp and Paper Industry Wastewater. October 1993. EPA/821 /R-93/017 Other government publications: Developing and Using Questionnaires. U.S. General Accounting Office. GAO/PEMD-10.1.7. AG500 A3 1992. This methodology transfer paper is a relatively detailed introduction to questionnaire design and question development. Productivity Statistics for Federal Government Functions. Fiscal Years 1967-92. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, February 1994. JK468 P75P76 1967-92. Other publications: The 1992 Green Gauge Reports, the Business & Marketing Report. New York, N.Y., The Roper Organization, 1992. HF5413 R674 1992. Survey results and analysis of American consumers' behavior affecting the environment. A Blueprint for Constructing a Credible Environmental Risk Assessment Policy in the 104th Conoress. Washington, D.C. The Institute for Regulatory Policy, Federal Focus, Inc., 1994. TD179.5.B58 1994. ~ Author, Author! Agency employees recently published a book. The authors and title are listed below: Breen, Joseph J., Economics, Exposure and Technology Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, (7406) and Stroup, Cindy R., Chemical Management Division, Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, (7404), editors, Lead Poisoning: Exposure, Abatement, Regulation, Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton, Florida, March 1995. If you have written or edited a journal article or book, please let us know by sending the information to The Catalyst, 3404 or email Library-HQ. ~ THE CATALYST FEBRUARY/MARCH 1995 PAGE 3 ------- 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--3404, Washington, DC 20460 or email Library-HQ. 21st Annual Risk Reduction Engineering Laboratory (RREL) Research Symposium. April 4-6, 1995, Cincinnati, OH. Sponsored by US EPA Office of Research and Development. There is no registration fee, but all antendees must register by mail or onsite. For more information contact: SAIC Technology Transfer Department, 768 North Bethlehem Pike, Suite 205, Lower Gwynedd, PA 19002 or call 1-800-783-3870 or fax 215-628-8916. United States Environmental Protection Agency (3404) Washington, DC 20460 Water Quality Standards Academy Basic Course. April 24-28, 1995, Clackamas, OR. Sponsored by US EPA Office of Science and Technology Office of Water. For more information contact: The Cadmus Group, Inc., 12401 Middlebrook Road-Suite 201, Germantown, MD 20874 or fax 301-601-9765. 11th Annual Waste Testing and Quality Assurance Symposium. July 23-28, 1995, Washington, DC. Sponsored by US EPA and American Chemical Society. For more information contact: Gail Hansen: 202-260-4797 or David Friedman 202-260-3535. They are the symposium co- chairs. You may also fax 202-260-4346. ~ Reference Inquiries 202-260-5921 Circulation Inquiries 202-260-5922 Interlibrary Loan 202-260-5060 Hazardous Waste-Reference 202-260-5934 INFOTERRA-Reference 202-260-5917 Water-Reference 202-260-8670 Email Library-HQ The Headquarters Library is contractor- operated and managed by the Office of Information Resources Management (OIRM) Information Access Branch. Official Business Penalty for Private Use $300 THE CATALYST FEBRUARY/MARCH 1995 PAGE 4 ------- |