I United States Environmental Protection Agency Issue No. 20 February 7, 1983 Page 77 &EFA TIMES A PUBLICATION FOR EPA EMPLOYEES Personnel WEATHERING THE WEATHER Hie Office of Personnel Man- agement (OPM) has developed centralized procedures for Headquarters employees to re- duce serious traffic problems in snow and other hazardous weather conditions. OPM will make the decision to close agencies or to authorize early dismissal or delayed arrival in consultation with the D.C. Mayor's Office. When the decision is made during work hours, OPM will tell Personnel Directors and will also inform the media. The following OPM terms will be used to define the emergency condition and leave policy: Early Dismissal: When weath- er and street conditions are expected to create hazardous afternoon and evening traffic conditions, agencies will be authorized to dismiss employ- ees, without charge to leave, a specific number of hours in advance of their normal quit- ting time. Delayed Arrival and Liberal Leave: When weather con- ditions make it desirable to reduce or delay the flew of morning traffic, supervisors may grant a reasonable amount of excused absence, without charge to leave, to those who report to work late be- cause of commuting delays. continued on back page EPA's Budget Continues At $3.6 Billion The $3.66 billion fiscal 1984 budget proposed for EPA by President Reagan is only slightly below the 1983 level of $3.68 billion. Major changes for 1984 are: • Spending for Superfund increases by 48 percent, up from $210 million in 1983 to $310 million in 1984. • The Agency's operating budget decreases by 9 percent or $91 million dollars—dropping from $1.04 billion to $949 million. • Construction grants continue at essentially the same level as 1983—$2.4 billion. • Overall, there would be a reduction in permanent work- years of 456, dropping from 9,125 in 1983 to 8,669 in 1984. Joseph A. Cannon, EPA Associate Administrator for Policy and Resource Management, said that the focus of EPA'S 1984 budget "is minimizing public health risks while at the same time realizing economies in our day-to-day operations." The proposed budget represents a decrease of six tenths of one percent in funds and 5 percent in permanent work- years frcm fiscal year 1983 appropriations. Cannon noted that while the total funding request remains essen- tially level, "substantial redirection has occurred in program areas." For example, the Agency's water quality research pro- gram is being reduced $11.3 million primarily because EPA's leadership believes industry should play a greater role in fields such as wastewater treatment technology research, because Great Lakes research projects have been completed, and because the development of data to support effluent guidelines has been finished. In addition, exploratory research activities are being shifted to the interdisciplinary program, the Chesapeake Bay study will be completed in 1983 and the States can now take over the Clean Lakes grant program which EPA launched. Normal attrition in employment is expected to facili- tate the proposed drop in workyears, and there is no planned reduction in force to reach the new personnel totals, according to Associate Administrator Cannon. The impact of the proposed budget on individual op- erations programs is as follows: continued on back page ------- 78 Two Directors Named The appointment of two directors in EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Bnergency Response was announced recently by Administrator Anne M. Gorsuch at an employee awards ceremony. Dr. John H. Skinner was named Director of the Office of Solid Waste and Gene A. Lucero as Director of Waste Programs Enforcement. Both men had been acting directors since July 1982. The appointments were disclosed at a recent awards ceremony in the Depart- mental Auditorium in Washington. A total of 85 employees were recognized for their work on three national hazardous waste;' programs administered by the Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response. Senator Jennings Randolph (D.-W. Va. ), rank- ing minority member of the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works, was guest speaker at the ceremony. The awards were presented by Rita M. Lavelle, Assistant Administrator for Solid Waste and Emergency Response, who said "the national hazardous waste program is one of the nation's fastest moving programs. We have made great progress in addressing the problems of hazardous waste." The 85 employees recognized at the ceremony were: Merit Pay Cash Bonus Award Recipients: M. Susan Absher, Francis J. Biros, Brint Bixler, Kathryn S. Bouve, Harry Butler, Stephen Caldwell, Eileen Claussen, John Connolly, Elizabeth Cotsworth, Hans Crump- Weisner, Authur Day, Truett DeGeare, Stephen Dorrler, Bruce Engelbert, Kevin G. Garrahan, Terrance Grogan, Peter Guerrero, Penelope Hansen, Bill Hanson, Cheryl Hawkins, Curtis Haymore, Joyce Hay, Stephen Heare, John Hol- loway, Francine Jacoff, John Heffelfinger, William Kaschak, Barry Korb, Joseph Lafornara, Alfred Lindsey, Stephen Lingle, James Louns- bury, James Michael, Anthony M. Montrone, Sam Morekas, Richard Nace, Paul Nadeau, Royal Assistant Administrator Rita M. Lavelle presents U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph with an honorary EPA plaque and other mementos at a recent awards ceremony for, Solid Waste and Emergency Response employees as Administrator Anne M. Gorsuch watches. The senator was also given a Superfund site cleanup hard hat similar to the one the Administrator is holding. Nadeau, David O'Brien, Maragaret Podolak, James Poppiti, Arline Sheehan, Thomas Sheck- ells, Harold Snyder, Elaine Stanley, Chris- tina Stone, David Sussman, Henry Van Cleave, Bruce Weddle, Nancy Willis, Jan Wine, and Russel Wyer. Special Achievement Cash Awards and Quality Step Increase Recipents: Robert Axelrad, James Bachmaier, Susan Baldyga, Gloria Bobo, Karen Burgan, Michael Burns, Alan Corson, Eugene Crumpler, Michael Flynn, David Friedman, Glen Galen, Allen Geswein, Douglas Henderson, Carole Holland, Pamela Holt, Carol Lawson, Nancy Livingstone, Edward Martin, James McAlister, Mark Mjoness^ Alessi Otte, B. June Price, Ralph Rizzo, Kathy Robinson, Emily Sano, L. Aubrey Smith, Sadie Smith, Matthew Strauss, Susan Tejada, Claire Welty, Beverly Wester, and Deborah Wolpe. EPA Official Elected Head of Chemical Group An EPA scientist, Bushan Mandava, has been voted President-Elect of the Chemical Society of Washington. Dr. Mandava is a senior science advisor to Dr. John Todhunter, Assis- tant Administrator for Pesticides and Toxic Substances. A former research leader at the U.S. Department of Agricul- ture's laboratory facilities in Beltsville, Md., Mandava joined the Pesticides and Toxics Office in November 1982. He received his doctor's degree in chemistry from the Indian In- stitute of Science in Bangalore, India. ------- 79 Davies Named to Key EPA Water Post Frederic A. Eidsness, Jr.,. EPA Assistant Ad- ministrator for Water, has announced the ap- pointment of Tudor Davies as Director of Program Management and Operations for the Office of Water. In commenting on Davies' selection, Eidsness praised both his management skills and his impressive scientific background. He said the appointment is another example of this administration's commitment to the importance of good science. Davies has been Director of the EPA Environmental Research Laboratory in Nar- ragansett, R.I., where for three years he directed a staff in research work relating to the regulation of marine and estuarine pollution. Davies grew up in a mining valley in South Wales and attended the University of Wales where he was awarded a Ph.D in Geology-Geochemistry in 1964. He first came to the United States to teach on the faculty of the University of South Carolina, where he taught geology and ecology and developed interdisciplinary pro- grams in marine science from 1966-1972. From 1972-1975 he was the Director of the EPA laboratory at Grosse lie, Mich., in- volved in a research project on the Great Lakes to protect the ecosystem. In 1975 he became Deputy Director of the Environ- mental Research Laboratory in Gulf Breeze, Fla., where he managed an interdiscip- linary research program on the effects of toxic materials on estuarine and coastal ecosystems. Davies' projects covered a wide variety of areas, including coordinating joint research problems related to Kepone in the James River, directing research on pollution prob- lems of the Chesapeake Bay, and serving as U.S. Chairman of the Working Group on the Protection of Lakes and Estuaries under the U.S.-U.S.S.R. Cooperative Agreement. J&L Steel Asked to Pay $100 Million The Justice Department, acting in behalf of EPA, is seeking more than $100 million in civil penalities from the Jones and Laughlin Steel Corp. for air pollution violations at five steel plants. J&L's parent company, LTV Corp., and a subsidary, YoungstowA Sheet and Tube Co., also were named in the contempt of court motions. The firms were cited for violating court orders signed in .1981 requiring pollution controls to be installed at plants in Pitts- burgh; East Chicago, Ind.; Campbell, Ohio; Cleveland, and Alliquippa, Pa. Rules Exemption OK in Hazardous Waste Emergencies People taking emergency action to respond to a discharge of hazardous waste are exempt from requirements governing the treatment and storage of such waste under a regulatory change published in final form by EPA. Once the emergency has ended, normal regulatory requirements again apply. The final rule was published in the Federal Register January 19. States Offered Stronger Voice in Federal Aid New procedures intended to give state and local governments a larger role in the re- view of federal assistance programs have been proposed by EPA. The proposed rule would implement Pre- sident Reagan's executive order of July 14, 1982, on the intergovernmental review of federal programs. EPA programs that would be covered under the new procedures include grants for air pollution control; construction management assistance; water quality management plan- ning; state public water system supervision; state underground water source protection; hazardous waste management; and pesticide enforcement, applicator certification and training. ------- 80 BUDGET (continued) Air program—$191 million and 1,350 per- manent workyears, representing a decrease of $21.3 million and 24 permanent workyears from 1983. Water quality—$151.4 million and 1,663 permanent workyears, a decrease of $64.6 million and 288 permanent workyears. Drinking water—$66.4' million and 465 permanent workyears, a decline of $11.6 million and 6 permanent work years. Hazardous waste—$110.1 million and 626 permanent workyears, a decrease of $6.4 million and 17 permanent workyears. Pesticides—$52.7 million and 653 permanent workyears, a decrease of $.2 million and nine permanent workyears. Radiation—$10.9 million and 127 permanent workyears, no change in funding, but a reduc- tion of 21 permanent workyears. Tbxic Substances—$66.7 million and 606 permanent workyears, a decrease of $3 million and 21 permanent workyears. Energy—$23.5 million and 37 permanent workyears, a decrease of $1.5 million but no significant change in the workforce. Management and support—$234.6 million and 2,117 workyears, no change in funding but a reduction of 87 permanent workyears. Research and development—$205.5 million and 1,212 permanent workyears, a reduction of $23.3 million and 137 permanent workyears. Interdisciplinary (multidisciplinary approaches to environmental problems, in- cluding EPA's exploratory research core program; research and development technical information and liaison; National Environ- mental Policy Act (NEPA) compliance; Federal Agency compliance; enforcement policy and operations; and technical support for legal and enforcement counsel)—$41.3 million and 353 permanent workyears, an increase of $17.4 million and 28 permanent workyears. PERSONNEL (continued) Employees may likewise choose to take a reasonable amount of annual leave or leave with- out pay without receiving ad- vance supervisory approval. Closure: When weather con- ditions dictate that Govern- ment offices should not open for the day, employees will be granted excused absence. Regional Administrators and directors of laboratories and other field installations have authority to excuse em- ployees under their juris- diction because of hazardous weather and other emergency conditions. The release of EPA employees should be co- ordinated with the release of employees from other Federal agencies in the vicinity, and in accordance with procedures established by the appropri- ate Federal Executive Board or other appropriate local coordinating organization. RELOCATION ALLOWANCES The General Services Admini- stration has liberalized re- gulations governing the trans- portation and housing cost reimbursement for government employees in "permanent change of station" status. The ap- plication of the revised al- lowances, which became effec- tive October 1, 1982, is gov- erned by the date the em- ployee reports for duty at the new official duty station. The new regulations make the following changes; o Single employees will be re- imbursed for shipment of up to 11,000 pounds of household goods (the same as married employees), an increase fran 7,500 pounds. • Household goods may be stored for up to 180 days, extended from 60 days. o Mileage rates for trans- portation have been increased from 8, 10, 12, and 15 cents, to 15, 17, 19, and 20 cents, depending on the number of members of the immediate family traveling. ® Reimbursement for temporary quarters has been increased from 75% to 100% of an em- ployee's per diem rate for the first ten days. Re- imbursement for dependents remains unchanged at two- thirds| of the employee's rate. ® Reimbursement for miscel- laneous expenses for employ- ees without families have been raised from $100 to $350 and employees with families from $200 to $700. • Employees may now take three years, rather than two, to complete residence trans- actions and still receive reimbursement. In addition, the government will now re- imburse up to $15,00[0 for expenses on the sale of a house (increased from $8,000), and $5,000 on the purchase expenses of a new residence (increased from $4,000). Further information on the new relocation allowances may be obtained by contact- ing Mamie Walker in the Finan- cial Management Division on 382-5113. ------- |