United States Environmental Protection Agency Administration And Resources Management (PM-221A) December 1992 EP A/220/N-92-013 c/EPA CARIBBEAN CURRENTS Vol. 2, No. 1 HEADQUARTERS LIBRARY ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY WASHINGTON, D.C. 20460 Welcome... tQ;1he first issue of Volume two of Caribbean Currentsthe quarterly newsletter for INFOTERRA National Focal Points in the English and French- speaking Caribbean. In^ftss issue we will take a look at how you can pqs|f|re answers for your patrons before you get their 'qilegjions. If you have any experiences with prfSStive services, or if you have any questions or dimples you'd like to share, send them in. A collection of National Focal Point (NFP) responses and ideas will be a part of the next issue. Volume 2, Number 2 will be published on March 1st 1992. Your input is valuable? The deadline for submissions is January 15, but feel free to send in contributions any time. Contact your Regional Service Centre (RSC) if you have any questions or submissions. fr IN THIS ISSUE FEATURE ARTICLE: Proactive Services p.1 INFOTERRA IDEAS: A Sample Bibliography on Waste Incineration .p.3 Bibiliographies from the RSC p.5 TIPs Directories Available p.6 Jump Into the Currents p.6 AROUND THE REGION: News from Dominica, Guyana, and Jamaica p.7 Upcoming Conference p.7 INFOTERRA NFP Directory p.8 dJ PROACTIVE SERVICES Getting the most from youF tlme and effort As a part of the INFOTERRA Information Network, each National Focal Point (NFP) provides a number of information services to a variety of patrons. In responding to these information needs, the NFP must be able to access an array of information and select those items which are best suited for the patron in question. The process of meeting a patron's information needs can be made much easier by establishing proactive services and tools. What are Proactive Services? There are two ways that information professionals can respond to the needs of their patrons. They can be REACTIVE, answering each question as it comes and then moving on to the next issue. Or they can develop PROACTIVE tools before the questions come in, so that some of the work that goes into answering a request is done in advance. REACTIVE Service: meets the specific, individual needs of the patron tailors responses to the type of patron (professional, academic, etc.) But also... requires starting from scratch with each question leaves room for inconsistency in responses PROACTIVE Service: saves time and effort streamlines operations lends itself to greater consistency But can... overlook specific items of interest to a given patron lead to impersonal service The key is to combine proactive tools with a reactive service. This way you can save time and energy providing the responses to frequently asked questions, and devote more time to tailoring your answers to the individual needs of the information client. (continued on page 2) Printed on Recycled Paper ------- PROACTIVE SERVICES (continued from page 1) Information Services Tools There are many different ways that you can make your information service more efficient and effective. Everyone uses some sort of proactive tools everyday, without even thinking about it. Just having to deal with similar questions on a regular basis provides an internal proactive tool. Each time you answer a question, you are better prepared to answer a similar question. You can extend this kind of activity, however, by taking time to analyze your service and prepare products to answer common questions and deal with typical information needs. Some examples of proactive tools are: Form letters for answering simple, common questions Bibliographies of key documents on common topics Newsletters, to share information with your patrons before they ask for it Information or document packages like the Technical Information Packages (TIPs) A list of frequently requested publications with ordering information A list of contact names and phone numbers of experts on key issues. Designing information tools All of these tools, which are quite different in form and application, have certain common elements, they are: Useful Pertinent Current. Usefulness: It is easy to become so involved in designing tools that you overlook the main reasons for creating them in the first placeto make life easier. If you receive numerous requests for documents and information on leachate testing, a list of experts on this field would be very useful to have. If you've only ever received one or two questions about acid rain, however, it would not be an effective use of your time to design a form letter to address that topic. Make sure that you will actually be able to make use of the tools you designin the long run they will save you time and effort. Pertinence: The tools you create should specifically address topics of interest. Include only the most important documents on a bibliography, so that you will oveiwhelm neither yourself nor your patron with too much information. Keep lists of experts short so that you can find the information you need when you need it. Currency: Make sure you check the accuracy of the information on a regular basis. Prices of items on a publications list may change, or the items may go out of print. Experts may move, change phone numbers, or retire. If the information included in your proactive tools becomes too outdated it loses credibility, and you will spend more time correcting errors than you would have spent checking the information regularly. You should review each product on a regular schedule, at least once a year. An Example: The Bibliography One of the most useful tools you can have for meeting frequent information needs is a concise bibliography of pertinent documents. Certain topics will be of common interest to most of your patrons and comprise the bulk of your reference questions. If you have compiled a brief list of the most useful items to address these topics, you're ready to answer these questions as soon as you get them. You can easily build a simple bibliography using the following steps: Select your topic Compile a list of documents Refine it and print it Use it Update and revise it periodically. Selecting a topic: Consider your frequent information requests. Choose a topic which is frequently asked and of clear interest to most of your users. Make sure that you do not select a topic which is so broad that it loses focus (like pollution) or so narrow that it has limited appeal (like marine disposal of textile industry wastes). Compiling a list: Take some time to collect a list of all the documents you think are relevant to your topic. At this point, include anything related to your subject. Refining the list: Once you have finished your basic list, go through and remove the items which are less appropriate. Remove any outdated, out of print, or less relevant materials from the list. Don't worry if your final list seems short. A simple, one-page bibliography can be invaluable. It's better to keep to the point than to be too long and lose usefulness. Print the list in an easy-to-read, attractive format. Make it look interesting, so that it will appeal to its intended autience. (continued on page 5) ------- INFOTERRA IDEAS E The following is a sample bibliography assembled by the RSC We have recently had a number of questions about waste incineration, and this bibliography was enormously helpful in responding to these questions quickly and effectively. It also saved time and effort when the next batch of incineration questions came in. Copies of this and many other bibliographies are available from the RSC. WASTE INCINERATION BIBLIOGRAPHY TITLE: Air Emissions from the Incineration of Hazardous Waste. Author: Oppelt, E. T. Publisher: Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH. Risk Reduction Engineering Lab. Year: 1990 NTIS Stock #: PB91-149641 EPA Report #: EPA/600/J-90/324 TITLE: Assessment of Incineration as a Treatment Method for Liquid Organic Hazardous Wastes. Publisher: Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation. Year: 1985 Summary and Conclusions. NTIS Stock #: PB86-162740 EPA Report #: EPA/230/02-86/002 Background Report 1. Description of Incineration Technology. NTIS Stock #: PB86-162757 EPA Report #: EPA/230/02-86/003 Background Report 2. Assessment of Emerging Alternative Technologies. NTIS Stock#: PB86-162765 EPA Report #: EPA/230/02-86/004 Background Report 3. Asst. of the Commercial Hazardous Waste Incineration Market. NTIS Stock#: PB86-162773 EPA Report #: EPA/230/02-86/005 TITLE: Cleaning of Municipal Waste Incinerator Flue Gas in Europe. Author: Brna, T. G.; Ellison, W.; Jorgensen, C. Publisher: Environmental Protection Agency, Air and Energy Engineering Research Lab. Year: 1988 NTIS Stock#: PB88-160304 EPA Report #: EPA/600/D-88/015 TITLE: Engineering Handbook for Hazardous Waste Incineration. Author: Bonner, T. A.; Cornett, C. L. ; Desai, B. O.; Fullenkamp, J. M.; Hughes, T. W. Publisher: Monsanto Research Corp.;Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste. Year: 1981 NTIS Stock#: PB81-248163 EPA Report #: MRC-DA-1090; EPA-68-03-3025; EPA/SW-889 3 ------- WASTE INCINERATION BIBLIOGRAPHY PAGE 2 TITLE: Guidance Manual for Hazardous Waste Incinerator Permits. Publisher: MITRE Corp. ;Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. Year: 1983 NTIS Stock #: PB84-100577 EPA Report #: EPA-68-01-0092; EPA/SW-966 TITLE: Hazardous Waste Incinerator Performance Evaluations by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Author: Oberacker, D. A. Publisher: Environmental Protection Agency, Hazardous Waste Engineering Research Lab. Year: 1984 NTIS Stock#: PB85-138188 EPA Report #: EPA/600/D-84-285 TITLE: Incineration of Solid Waste. Author: Lee, C. C.; Huffman, G. L.; Stelmack, S. Publisher: Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH. Risk Reduction Engineering Lab. Year: 1989 NTIS Stock #: PB91-196238 EPA Report #: E PA/600/J-89/531 TITLE: Incinerator and Kiln Capacity for Hazardous Waste Treatment. Author: Vogel, G. A.; Goldfarb, A. S.; Zier, R. E.; Jewell, A. Publisher: MITRE Corp.;Environmental Protection Agency Hazardous Waste Engineering Research Lab. Year: 1986 NTIS Stock #: PB87-110896 EPA Report #: EPA-68-03-3159; EPA/600/2-86/093 TITLE: Overview of Hazardous/Toxic Waste Incineration. Author: Lee, C. C.; Huffman, G. L.; Oberacker, D. A. Publisher: Environmental Protection Agency, Hazardous Waste Engineering Research Lab. Year: 1986 NTIS Stock#: PB87-166245 EPA Report #: E PA/600/J-86/281 TITLE: Practical Guide - Trial Burns for Hazardous Waste Incinerators. Author: Gorman, P.; Hathaway, R.; Wallace, D.; Trenholm, A. Publisher: Midwest Research Inst.; Environmental Protection Agency, Hazardous Waste Engineering Research Lab. Year: 1986 NTIS Stock#: PB86-190246 EPA Report #: EPA-68-03-3149; EPA/600/2-86/050 TITLE: Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) Procedures for Hazardous Waste Incineration. Handbook. Author: Dux, T.; Gilford, P.; Bergman, F.; Boomer, B.; Hooton, D. Publisher: Environmental Protection Agency, Cincinnati, OH, Center for Environmental Research Information. NTIS Stock#: PB91-145979 EPA Report #: EPA/625/6-89/023 4 ------- PROACTIVE SERVICES (Continued from page 2) Using your list: Once the bibliography is finished, you're ready to use it. When you receive a question on the topic, you can: Give the bibliography to a patron Use the bibliography to collect documents to send to a requestor Start with the bibliography and add other materials to tailor a response to a more specific question. Be Prepared!_ The other benefit of proactive services: Sharing One of the great things about a proactive tool is that you can share it. If you have a bibliography on a topic, let the other NFPs know. As information professionals in the environmental arena, all the NFPs in the Region, as well as the RSC, respond to similar questions. A tool which is useful to you may very well be useful to someone else as well. Don't wait until someone asks, go ahead and share your ideas and tools with the other NFPs. Feel free to send anything you develop to the RSC for inclusion in the Currents. And if you have a question or a problem in getting your proactive services going, ask around. Somebody else may have already solved that problem. Share your problems, products and successes around the networkand everyone can benefit! [ An example of a topical bibliography I is on page 3. Bibliographies From the RSC INFOTERRA/USA has assembled a number of short bibliographies on frequently-requested environmental topics. (For an example, see pages 3-4.) You may find these lists helpful both in answering questions from your patrons and in designing biblbgraphies of your own. Currently, there are bibliographies available on: The Tanning and Textiles Industries Agricultural Uses of Sewage Sludge Waste Incineration Landfill Leachates Pollution Prevention Medical Wastes Wastewater Testing Methods. If any of these topics are of .interest to you, just let us know. The RSC is happy to provide copies of any or all of these bibliographies to you. Many of the documents included on these lists are EPA publicatbns. The RSC can provide microfiche copies of these documents to any NFP on request. This means that the bibliographies serve both as handy reference todls and as ordering lists for key publications. If something interests you, just ask. We're here to work with you. 5 ------- TIPs DIRECTORIES AVAILABLE The U.S. EPA Technical Information Packages (TIPs) have been shipped to all their depository locations. The TEPs are designed to provide background information on a number of significant environmental and public health issues. The depository locations provide free public access to the Packages in many countries around the world. The TIPs Directory provides a complete listing of all the depositories. It includes the name, address, telephone number, and (when available) fax number for each location. The directories are now available for distribution. INFOTERRA/USA, operating as the RSC for the English and French Speaking Caribbean, has numerous copies of the Directory available for distribution. If you would like copies to distribute from your NFP, just contact the RSC and let us know how many you would like. JUMP INTO THE CURRENTS Have you had a particularly successful activity or project recently? A difficult problem that you could use some help in solving? How about an interesting publication (like a brochure or bibliography) that makes your work easier? Everyone can benefit from sharing these ideas. As the Newsletter for the English and French-speaking Caribbean, Caribbean Currents is your opportunity to communicate with one another. We encourage you to submit articles for publication. By sharing your ideas, questions, promotional materials, and problems with each other, you can make your lives easier and better serve your patrons. Your suggestions are also welcome as to topics for the feature articles. Please let us know if there are topics or concerns you would like to see addressed in the next issues. Send in your ideas and questions. The RSC can put them together into the newsletter and everyone comes out ahead. Even a small contribution may make someone else's day. Remember that the Currents 'ฎ your regional newsletter. Let's work together to make it a superb product. So come on, jump into the Currents! 6 ------- AROUND THE REGION NFP Newsnotes from Jamaica NFP Resource Registration Activities Intensify: Starting in early November, the Jamaican National Resources Conservation Authority (NRCA) will intensify its source registration drive. The objectives of this exercise are to: reregister forty-one existing sources register an additional twenty-five new sources. It is expected that by mid-December a national registry of INFOTERRA sources will be produced for local use. The most recent International Directory includes nine Jamaican sources. NFP Welcomes New Director of Public Environmental Education: Mrs. Lawayne Jefferson recently assumed duties as head of the NRCA's information section. This section comprises the library which serves as the seat of NFP activities. We expect that Mrs. Jefferson's expertise will make for a more vibrant National Focal Point. submitted by Sharon O'Connor, INFOTERRA/Jamaica fr UPCOMING CONFERENCE The Second International Conference On Environmental Management of Enclosed Coastal Seas, EMECS '93, will be held in Baltimore, Maryland, USA on 19-21 July 1993. For more information, contact: EMECS Secretariat c/o University of Maryland CEES P.O. Box 775 Cambridge, MD 21613 United States Telephone: (410) 228-9250 ^ ^ New Network Partner A warm welcome to the new INFOTERRA NFP in Dominica. Dominica joins us as the eighth member of the English and French-speaking Caribbean Region. You can contact INFOTERRA/Dominica at: The Director Forestry and Wildlife Division Ministry of Agriculture Roseau, DOMINICA Telephone: (809) 8240, ext. 270 and 282 Welcome aboard! Address Change Please note the following change of address for INFOTERRA/Guyana: Ms. Mavis Taylor INFOTERRA Officer c/o UNDP P.O. Box 10960 Georgetown GUYANA Fax: (592-2) 62942 7 ------- fr NFP DIRECTORY (Please notify the RSC of any changes.) Glenn Archer Department of Environmental Health Services P.O. Box N-3729 Nassau, THE BAHAMAS Telephone: (809) 322-4908 FAX: (809) 426-8959 Marguerite Blemur Ministere de l'Agriculture et des Resources Naturelles et du Developpement Rural P.O. Box 1441 Port-au-Prince, HAITI Telephone: 509-22-1867 FAX: 509-22-3599 Vemese Inniss Administrative Officer (Environment) Ministry of Labour, Consumer Affairs and the Environment Marine House, Hastings St. Michael, 29, BARBADOS Telephone: (809) 427-2326 FAX: (809) 426-8959 Sharon O'Connor Natural Resources Conservation DMson Ministiy of Tourism & the Environment 531/2 Molynes Road, P.O. Box 305 Kingston, JAMAICA Telephone: (809) 923-5155 FAX: (809) 923-5070 Jaime Villanueva Fisheries Department Princess Margaret Drive P.O. Box 148 Belize City, BELIZE Telephone: 501-2-44552 FAX: 501-2-32983 John Husbands Health Planner Ministry of Health, Labour, Information Broadcasting, and the Environment Chausee Road Castries, ST. LUCIA Telephone: (809)453-1960 FAX: (809)453-1080 The Director Forestry and Wildlife Division Ministry of Agriculture Roseau, DOMINICA Telephone: (809) 8240, ext. 270 or 282 Mavis Taylor INFOTERRA Director c/o UNDP P.O. Box 10960 Georgetown, GUYANA FAX: 592-2 62942 Emma J. McNamara INFOTERRA/USA U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters Library Room 2904, PM-211A 401 M Street, S. W. Washington, D. C. 20460, USA Telephone: (202) 260-5917 FAX: (202) 260-3923 8 ------- |