United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Issue No. 8
Aug. 16, 1982
Page 29 	
EPA TIMES
A PUBLICATION FOR
EPA EMPLOYEES
Personnel
EPA Monitors Ocean Beaches
PERFORMANCE
APPRAISALS
Have you and all of your
subordinates received
training in the Performance
Management System (PMS)--
the agency's performance
appraisal system?
The system is based on the
premise that employees are
more likely to perform
effectively when they under-
stand what is expected of
them, participate in set-
ting their performance
objectives, and know how
these objectives relate to
unit and Agency goals. It
requires that managers work
with their employees in the
establishment of critical
job elements and perform-
ance standards. An Agency-
designed PMS Workshop
prepares employees to
develop their own perform-
ance agreements. Head-
quarters managers whose
employees have not received
this training should sign
up those employees for the
workshop to be offered in
Washington during mid to
late August. Field man-
agers should contact their
servicing Personnel Office
to arrange training for
their employees.
Managers must have their
Fiscal Year 1983 Perform-
continued on page 32
—limfr*- -¦
EPA's Huey helicopter on mission over Jones Beach, Long Island.
Note sampling probe beneath fuselage.
New York--If vacationers see a white helicopter with "EPA"
in blue lettering hovering off their favorite Long Island or
New Jersey ocean beach this summer, they will be watching
part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's program
to monitor ocean beach water quality. The program involves
the helicopter and analytical laboratory, as well as
"hotline" telephone numbers for citizens, to provide current
indications of beach water conditions.
Scientists from EPA's Regional Environmental Services Div-
ision regularly sample over 130 points along the entire
Atlantic coast of New Jersey and most of Long Island's south
shore during the beach season. The sample points—from the
water edge to 15 miles off shore, from the surface to near
bottom--are checked for numerous pollution indicators. The
EPA data in turn are used by local health and environmental
agencies in their decisions on beach access postings and
other water advisories.
Toll-free telephone numbers allow individuals to report
sightings of fish kills, oil slicks or pollution along the
coastline. In New York, the number is (800) 631-5316; in
New Jersey, (800) 272-1108.	continued on page 32

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REGIONAL PROFILES This is another in a series of profiles of the Agency regional offices and lat
A Report on Regaon 7
"The environmental success we enjoy in
Region 7 is the direct result of the spirit
of the cooperativeness we enjoy with our
States." declares John J. Franke, Jr.,
Regional Administrator.
"Nearly 12 million people make their homes
in Region 7. traditionally thought of as
that.great Midwest agricultural belt of
Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, and Kansas. The
vast span of hundreds of miles of farmland
and grassland prairie may be a natural
reason for our cleaner air, but nearly 65
percent of the population lives in the
industrialized urban areas of Kansas City,
St. Louis, Omaha, and the Quad Cities of
eastern Iowa. All citizens hold deep
concerns over the disposal of industrial
wastes and the protection of any and all
water sources, vital ingredients to an
economy dependent upon agriculture.
"In our partnership with the States and the
New Federalism, any accomplishments the
States made during the year became our
accomplishments as well. Therefore, we
asked State environmental officials for
their perceptions of last year's achieve-
ments. or current environmental successes,
and this is their response," Franke said.
#
Iowa reports that a study committee has
decided to keep the existing ammonia-
nitrogen water quality standard, but to
modify procedures by which discharge
limitations are established for National
Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
permits. A bioassay study was completed
during the winter at Marshalltown and a
summer study is in progress. These may
become pilots for establishing effluent
limits for other Iowa wastewater treatment
plants to set discharge limits. Iowa's
Department of Environmental Quality recently
made an official request for returning
primacy to the State for the Safe Drinking
Water Program.
Iowa has also made progress in clean air
efforts. The Progressive Foundry at Perry
becomes the first industry to use the
"bubble concept" at its gray-iron foundry.
The plan will reduce dirty air emissions
while keeping costs down, according to Steve
Ballou, Executive Director. Iowa Department
of Environmental Quality.
#
Kansas has a commitment to improve air
quality. The Department of Health and
Environment has submitted State Imple-
mentation Plans for hydrocarbon emission
control and a permitting system for major
new source construction within Kansas City,
as well as a voluntary vehicle Inspection
and Maintenance program in Wichita.
A $3.2 million Federal grant will be used
for soil conservation and water quality
management for the Wakarusa River Watershed,
one of 13 such projects in the U.S. Addi-
tionally, Kansas has prepared a Groundwater
Quality Management Plan to protect sources
from further pollution. In 1982, legisla-
tion established regulations for the oil-
gas industry to prevent contamination of
other water sources.
O
Progressive in planning for safe management
of low-level radioactive wastes, Kansans
have passed legislation in 1982 for forming
an inter-State compact of nine States to
study the problem, according to Jim Aiken,
Director, Division of Environment, Kansas
Department of Health and Environment.
#
Missouri has its own paradoxes in urban and
rural areas. The State Department of
Natural Resources reports St. Louis has the
cleanest air it's had in 50 years while
farming areas suffer from some of the worst
sheet water erosion in the nation. St.
Louis citizens breathe easier because of
strides made in improving air quality, and
$30 million is earmarked for the next five
years to deter future soil erosion on farms.
Considered as a model for other States.
Missouri has passed strict legislation to
deal with disposal of the 650.000 metric
tons of hazardous wastes generated yearly.
Approximately 73 percent of these wastes are
managed by the generators and remain on
sites where produced.
Citizens are reluctant to allow the openings
of new facilities for disposing of indus- \
trial wastes in farming areas. A permit to
operate a hazardous waste facility in rural
Macon County was denied recently by the
State. Three other permits to operate such

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:>oratories that EPA TIMES is presenting.
sizable waste facilities were received by
the Missouri Department. One applicant
later withdrew after being informed the
Plissouri Department of Natural Resources
would deny the permit, and the other two
permits remain under State review. Appli-
cants continue operating under temporary
permits, reports Bob Schreiber, Director,
Division of Environmental Quality, Missouri
Department of Natural Resources.
#
Nebraska's Department of Environmental
Control has modified its priority rating
system for Construction Grant projects. The
ratings will emphasize water quality bene-
fits where surface and groundwater uses are
impaired. Selection also will stress
improvement of the public health.
The State's environmental agency will seek
construction projects which are most cost
effective in view of limited funding. The
new Nebraska system, approved June 24, will
give particular attention to strength of the
effluent, assimilative capacity of the
receiving stream, beneficial use of the stream,
and cost per pound of pollutant removal.
Nebraska plans to conduct its own Under-
ground Injection Control Program although it
has not received EPA approval. The State's
regulations are in force and the Department
of Environmental Control is hiring personnel
now.
The mining of uranium is of immediate concern
to Northwest Nebraskans. The State agency
has a Memorandum of Understanding with the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission to ensure that
water, land, and air quality are protected.
Creation of nuclear wastes will bring up new
problems. The Department of Environmental
Control plans a series of 10 public meetings
in October 1982 to acquaint residents with
the nature and safe management of low-level
radioactive wastes. Compact legislation,
similar to that passed in Kansas, could
surface during the 1983 session of the
Nebraska Legislature.
With limited industrial areas. Nebraska's
air quality remains good. Particulate
levels are reported to be the lowest since
monitoring began in 1971, according to Dan
Drain, Director, Nebraska Department of
Environmental Control.
EPATargets 45 More Waste Sites
Forty-five additional hazardous waste
sites will be eligible for action under
Superfund, EPA Administrator Anne M.
Gorsuch recently announced. They are in
addition to 115 sites targeted by the
Agency last October.
"We continue to make remarkable progress
in the Superfund program," Mrs. Gorsuch
said. "Since its enactment, Superfund has
financed 76 emergency removal actions at a
cost of S25 million, and remedial action
at 57 sites at a cost of almost $63
million. Private parties also have agreed
to support cleanups at 22 sites at an
estimated cost of about $80 million."
Superfund is the common name for a trust
fund established under the Comprehensive
Environmental Response, Compensation, and
Liability Act passed at the end of 1980.
EPA has lead responsibility among Federal
agencies to administer cleanups under the
Act. The law provides funds from industry
and the Federal government to clean up
hazardous waste sites where responsible
parties cannot be identified or cannot
afford to pay for such work.
The 45 sites will be considered for
inclusion on a list of 400 national
priority targets that Superfund law
requires EPA to identify.
Mrs. Gorsuch said that cooperative
agreements for cleanups have been signed
by 21 States and six EPA-State contracts
have been negotiated. As of July 23, a
total of $265 million had been appro-
priated for Superfund and $147 million had
been allocated or obligated.
"This, I repeat, is a very satisfying
record," the Administrator declared. "We
are adding these 45 new priority sites
simply because we ran out of work on the
earlier 115. We are pushing progress on
those sites as rapidly as possible."

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32
PERSONNEL continued
EPA MONITORS OCEAN BEACHES continued
ance Standards in place for
all employees by October 1,
1982. Managers should
consult the "Diagnostic
Guide for Improving the
Quality of Performance
Elements and Standards,"
which is now being dis-
tributed 'to managers and
supervisors Agency:wi'de,
and make sure their employ-
ees each have a copy of the
PMS Workbook, extra copies
of which are available in
Personnel, where assistance
is also available. In
Headquarters, managers
should contact Bob Pavlik
(Telephone: 382-3269) or
their personnel team leader.
For managers of merit pay
employees, training in the
mechanics of the Merit Pay
System, under which GM pay
is determined, is also
available for GM-13/GM-15
employees.
SIGN UP
FOR CPR
Can you handle an emergency?
The agency sponsors or
presents cardiopulmonary
resucitation (CPR) training
at almost all of its loca-
tions throughout the United
States. Mrs. Gorsuch adds her
personal support to this
sign-up campaign. "We have
documented two instances of
EPA employees trained by
the Special Forces saving
lives using CPR. I encourage
all EPA employees who are
not presently certified in
CPR to sign up and learn
these lifesaving techniques.v
Headquarters employees can
contact the Health Unit,
382-4349 to enroll in their
next regularly scheduled
CPR class.
"Millions of New Yorkers, New Jerseyites and visitors use
the Atlantic beaches every year,"says Jacqueline E. Shafer,
EPA Region 2 Administrator. "Therefore, EPA continues to ^
regard the monitoring program as a worthwhile investment otfl
its resources. Our coastal waters are unique because of the
combination of the recreational and commercial use they
receive, the amount of wastes discharged into them, and the
-geographic and climate conditions they are subject to.
"The Atlantic beach program is the only such Federally run
monitoring program in the country," she added. "The
helicopter vastly increases our sampling speed, frequency
and range to help us keep track of what is happening out
there. The data collected over the last several years show
the water quality has generally been very good. The water
quality readings so far this season continue to be so. But
nature and population pressures can cause recurring prob-
lems," she cautioned.
Fish kills have occurred in the past when algae blooms or
stagnant water layers, resulting from natural weather
conditions such as prolonged heat waves, deprive ocean life
of oxygen. In addition, persistent on-shore winds can drive
floating materials on shore. Agricultural and urhan strppt
runoff, debris f r um pier' fires, and garbage from boats are
some of the sources of this pollution. The summer of 1976
provided an example of both fish kills and floating debris
that closed many beaches.
Coastal pollution can result from other sources as well.
Flow from the Hudson-Raritan estuarine system, inadequately
treated municipal and industrial effluents, combined storm
sewer discharges, and oil spills contribute. While many of
these sources are being brought under control through
Federal and State pollution control programs, enough
contaminants are still present to warrant continued
mon i tor i ng .
EPA will measure dissolved oxygen, salt content, nutrients,
suspended solids, organics, heavy metals, temperature,
pathogen and virus levels in addition to bacteria counts.
The EPA monitoring service is coordinated through an
advisory committee made up of many Federal, State and local
health and environmental units. Members include health
departments of Nassau and Suffolk Counties and the town of
Hempstead on Long Island; the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion, Food and Drug Administration, Coast Guard and Army
Corps of Engineers, as well as the New Jersey and New York
State health and environmental departments.
The EPA limes is published every two weeks by EPA1 s Office of Public Affairs, A-107T^asTrh^Wn,
D.C., 20460, to provide current information for all Agency employees. It is printed on paper
with three ring holes so that it can be filed in a binder for future reference.

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