United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Issue No. 19
January 24, 1983
Page 73
oEPA TIMES
A Publication for EPA Employees
EPA Launches New
Personnel	Executive Development Program
More Retirement	EPA is starting two new executive development proyrams,
Changes	the Senior Executive Service (SES) Candidate Program and
This is the second article on the SES Incumbent Program. These programs were approved
recent changes to the Civil by the Administrator and the Executive Resources Board
Service Retirement System, (ERB), and are considered key strategies for building
which resulted from passage strong leadership and executive management capabilities
of PL 97-253, effective Octo- within the Agency,
ber 1, 1982. The amendments
are designed to improve the	The SES Candidate Program is designed for indivi-
administration of the system, duals who have served in GS/GM-15 or equivalent positions
as well as to reduce the	in EPA or other Federal agencies. The objective of the
growth of Federal expendi- program is to develop a cadre of highly trained managers
tures, while equitably serv- to meet future Agency needs. During the first year, up
ing Federal employees and to 6 individuals will be selected to participate in a
their survivors. The follow- 12-month developmental assignment tailored to their de-
ing information summarizes velopment needs,
the changes as they relate to
various aspects of the Civil	Locations for development assignments, both in Head-
Service Retirement law.	quarters and in the Regions, will be determined by the ERB.
Headquarters and Regional officials who wish to sponsor
Commencing Date of	development assignments should contact Ken Wright on the
Annuities:	Executive Development Staff.
Under previous provisions of
the law, annuities were ef-	The SES Candidate Program will be advertised
fective on the day following through March 1, 1983 in an announcement which provides
the employee's separation. detailed information on the contents of the program,
Annuities now begin on the qualifications requirements, and application procedures,
first day of the month after Mobility is a requirement for participation,
the month in which the re-
tirement occurs. This pro-	The SES Incumbent Program is designed for current mem-
vision only applies to op- bers of the SES, and is based on the individual Development
tional retirement and does Planning Guide which all SES members complete as part of
not apply to disability annu- their annual performance appraisal cycle. The individual
ities, survivor annuities, or needs identified during this process are translated into
annuities based on involun- specific training actions which help executives gain per-
tary separation. spective and insight into their professional careers and
serve as a basis for improving their skills.
Rounding Down of
Annuities;	Comprehensive briefings will be provided for Assistant
In the past, annuities were Administrators, Regional Administrators, members of the Se-
rounded off to the nearest nior Executive Service, and SES Candidate Program-eligibles
whole dollar. Annuities are during January. For further information regarding these
now rounded to the next	programs, contact the Executive Development Staff on 382-
lowest whole dollar. This 3356.
Continued on back page

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74
New Information Service	
A new information service has been estab-
lished at EPA headquarters to keep Agency
managers informed about television environ-
mental news coverage. The new service
provides a twice-daily summary of national
television news coverage of significance
to EPA.
Most of the material will be taken from
the network evening news shown the pre-
vious day. This will be supplemented,
when possible,, by the morning news shows,
special interview programs such as seg-
ments from Face the Nation, and internal-
ly produced videotaped messages.
Initially these summaries will be shown for
Headquarters closed circuit TV monitors at
10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. daily. These times
have been selected to present a complete
roundup of the news as soon as possible.
EPA Official Heads Chemists' Group
EPA Takes Westinghouse
To Court	
EPA has initiated court action against the
Westinghouse Electric Corporation over the
disposal of wastes containing PCBs (poly-
chlorinated biphenyls) at two sites at
Bloomington, Ind.
The complaint, filed in the the U.S.
District Court at Indianapolis, alleges
that Westinghouse discarded electric
capacitators containing PCBs at Neal's
Landfill and at Neal's Dump. The capa-
citators are exposed and leaking at both
sites, EPA said.
At Neal's Landfill, which is included
on EPA's national priority list of 418
hazardous waste sites, the waste has mi-
grated through groundwater into a nearby
stream system, according to the suit. At
Neal's Dump, PCBs may be migrating off the
dump site through surface runoff and ground-
water.
EPA asked for a preliminary injunction
requiring Westinghouse to install runoff
containment measures and remove exposed
capacitors and contaminated soil at Neal's
Landfill, and to fence both sites.
The Agency also requested that the
court order Westinghouse to plan and carry
out final remedial actions at the two
sites.
Warren R. Bontoyan,
Chief, Chemical and
Biological Investi-
gations Branch, OPTS,
has been elected Presi-
dent of the Association
of Analytical Chemists
(AOAC). Bontoyan, a
fellow of the AOAC and
the American Institute
of Chemists, is the
first EPA scientist
to hold this office.
The EPA laboratories in Beltsville, MD,
which he directs, are concerned with pes-
ticide residues, pesticide degradation,
toxic impurities and/or contaminants
associated with pesticides in technical
materials, commercial products, and the
environment. In addition to their lab-
oratory contributions to EPA, Bontoyan
and his colleagues provide laboratory
assistance to state, municipal and for-
eign government laboratories.
Bontoyan, editor of EPA's Manual of Chem-
ical Methods for Pesticides and Devices,
published by AOAC, has written approx-
imately 25 publications in this field and
has made numerous presentations at nation-
al and international meetings on special
studies and the analysis of pesticides.
He is listed in Who's Who in America.
Booklet on EPA
Available to Public
A 24-page booklet describing the or-
ganization and programs of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency is
now available at the Agency's national
and regional offices. "Your Guide to
the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency" provides brief summaries of
the major environmental statutes ad-
ministered by EPA and the programs
established to carry then out. The
organizational structure of the
Agency is also depicted.
Single copies may be obtained
without charge. Write to: Public
Inquiries Center (PM-211-B), U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency,
Washington, D.C. 20460.

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75
OPA Reorganization Proposed
Clay Jones
Earl Voss
Clay Jones, EPA's Deputy Chief of Staff for
External Affairs, has been named by Admini-
strator Anne M. Gorsuch to serve as Acting
Director of the Agency's Office of Public
Affairs.
Jones replaces Byron Nelson III in this
post and will serve until a permanent dir-
ector is chosen. Nelson has accepted an
appointment as Special Assistant for Policy
Management on the immediate staff of Dr.
John Todhunter, Assistant Administrator for
Pesticides and Toxic Substances.
Jones came to EPA last September from
Rockwell International under the President's
Executive Exchange program. At Rockwell,
Jones was a Director of Business Development
for the company's North American Aircraft
Operations.
Paul Schuette
In other proposed changes, Earl Voss,
v/ho has been Special Assistant to the
Assistant Administrator for Sol id Waste and
Emergency Response, became Acting Deputy
Director of the Office of Public Affairs.
When approved by the Administrator,
the reorganized office will consist of three
branches. The branches and the chiefs for
each one are:
News Media Relations, Richard Hoffmann,
(acting); Publications and Writing Services,
Paul Schuette; and Program Services, Inez
Artico.
Jones explained that the purpose of
the reorganizations is to provide a staff
structure that will be more effective in
responding to EPA's program needs as well
as presenting Agency activities to external
audiences.
EPA Begins
New External Newsletter	
EPA started publication last week of a
new external newsletter, EPA UPDATE, to
provide more information about Agency ac-
tions and activities to its various con-
stituencies and the general public.
The four-page newsletter will be
published every other week by the Office of
Public Affairs. The publication is avail-
able by subscription from the Government
Printing office at a cost of $32 a year
in the U.S.
Copies of the new publication will be
available at EPA's libraries.
EPA UPDATE will provide brief, sum-
mary reports on a wide range of Agency
actions. Each issue also will include a
Calendar listing upcoming hearings, meetings
and other events.
EPA Times will be continued as the
Agency's internal newsletter.
Settlement Was Fair,
Court Says	
The U.S. District Court for the Southern
District of Indiana has reaffirmed its
approval of a consent decree under which
24 firms agreed to do $7.7 million in
surface cleanup work at the Seymour Recy-
cling Corp. hazardous waste site.
In a memorandum opinion, the court
concluded that the settlement was fair
even though other companies not covered by
the decree may eventually have to pay
more than the firms that settled.
"The government's action in entering
into this decree is reasonable and is in
the public interest," the court said. "In
reaching this determination, the court
has particularly considered the need to
abate the hazardous conditions at the site
as expeditiously as possible and the una-
vailability of any other prcmpt plan to
undertake the cleanup."

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76
Atlantic Dump Site Proposed
EPA has proposed designating an Atlantic
Ocean site about 100 nautical miles off
the New Jersey coast as an approved dump
site for both industrial wastes and muni-
cipal sewage treatment sludges.
The so-called 106-mile site was ap-
proved on an interim basis in 1973. It
has been used primarily as a disposal
site for industrial wastes. Under the new
EPA proposal, approval of the site for the
disposal of sludge would be for a five-year
period. Studies of the effects of dumping
sludge would be conducted during that time.
EPA also announced that it is con-
sidering petitions frcm New York and
New Jersey agencies for the redesignation
of the 12-mile site and the 60-mile site,
both closer to them, as sludge dumping
locations. Use of these sites was to have
ended by December 31, 1981, but continued
dumping was authorized by court order.
Canments on the future of designation
of all three sites will be accepted
through February 18. They should be sent
to T.A. Wastler, Chief, Marine Protection
Branch (WH-585), EPA, Washington, D.C.
20460. Those who want additional infor-
mation may call Wastler at (202) 755-0356.
PERSONNEL (continued)
provision applies to annu-
ities which began on or
after October 1, 1982, as
well as to any adjustments
(including cost-of-living)
or redeterminations made on
or after October 1, 1982.
Disability Retirement:
In the past, a disability
annuity would be terminated
if the retiree earned more
than 80% of the current salary
of the position fran which
retired (grade and step) for
two consecutive years. The
annuity continued for a one-
year grace period before actual
termination. Effective for
income earned during calendar
year 1983 and beyond, the
period to determine whether a
disability annuitant has been
restored to earning capacity
has been shortened frcm the
current 2 years to one year;
and the grace period during
which annuity payments may
continue after earning cap-
acity has been restored, is
shortened frcm 1 year to 6
months. Affected annuitants
are required to report their
earnings on or before Feb-
ruary 15 each year.
Discontinued Service Annuity:
In the past, employees who
were involuntarily separat-
ed for reasons other than
misconduct or delinquency
(primarily job abolishment
or RIF) and were at least
age 50 with 20 years of
service, or who had 25 years
of service, were entitled
to an immediate annuity even
if they declined offers of
a position at the same grade
and pay. Employees in this
situation who decline reason-
able offers of other posi-
tions are now no longer eligi-
ble for discontinued service
retirement. A reasonable
offer is defined as a position
in the same agency and ccm-
muting area for which the
employee is qualified, and
which is no more than two
grades below the employee's
current grade.
Personnel
U.S. Savings Bonds Now
Paying 11.09%
U.S. Savings Bonds are now
paying competitive, market-
based rates under recent
legislation passed by Congress.
The current rate, effective
through April 30, 1983, is
11.09 Percent.
Under the recently
signed law, Savings Bonds
will pay variable interest
rates pegged at 85 per-
cent of the average return
on 5-year Treasury market-
able securities. Currently
that translates to the 11.09
figure. Bonds may be cashed
in at any time six months
after purchase, but draw full,
market-based rates only when
held five years or longer.
Interest rates on the new
bonds may rise with the mar-
ket, but may never fall be-
low 7.5 percent when held
the full five years. Bonds
held less than five years
yield pro-rated returns, de-
pending on the period held.
The new, market-based
bonds, called Series EE, are
available to EPA employees
through payroll savinqs, or may
be purchased over the counter
at banks in $25 denominations.
Most old Series E Bonds can
also draw the new, higher in-
terest rates. Contact the EPA
payroll office for complete de-
tails.
The EPA Times is published every two weeks by EPA's Office of Public Affairs, A-107,
Washington, D.C. 20460, to provide current information for all EPA employees. It is
punched with three holes for binding for future reference.

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