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NEWS FOR AND ABOUT EPA EMPLOYEES
INSIDE:
~ Secretarial Training Guide
~ Winning Scientists
VOLUME 1 NUMBER 8 MARCH 16, 1984
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People
Retiree from Headquarters: Samuel Verner, 24 years, Re-
search and Development.
First place winners of EPA's 1983 Scientific and Tech-
nological Achievement Award are: Richard Zepp and Pat-
ricia Schlotzhauer, Environmental Research Laboratory,
Athens, for "Sunlight Induced Reactions of Aquatic Pollu-
tants Photosensitized by Humic Substances" . . . Philip
Cook an d David Coffin, Environmental Research Labora-
tory, Duluth. for "Interpretation of the Carcinogenicity of
Amosite Asbestos and Ferroactinolite on the Basis of Re-
tained Fiber Dose and Characteristics in vivo."
Second place winners are: Richard Carlson, Duluth. for
"Some Characteristics of Ventilation and Coughing in the
Bluegill Lepomis macrochirus Rafinesque" . . . J.H. Gentile
and S.M. Gentile, Environmental Research Laboratory,
Narragansett, for "The Use of Life-Tables for Evaluating
the Chronic Toxicity of Pollutants to Mysiclopsis bcihio"
Robert Arnts, Robert L. Seila and Bruce Gay, Environ-
mental Science Research Laboratory, Research Triangle
Park, for "Estimates of Alpha-Pinebe Emissions from a
Loblolly Pine Forest Using an Atmospheric Diffusion
Model" . . . Robert Shaw, Robert Stevens and Jeffrey
Bowermaster, Research Triangle Park, for "Measurements
of Atmospheric Nitrate and Nitric Acid: The Denuder Dif-
Agency Activities
Regulatory Action: Administrator Bill Ruckelshaus an-
nounces a rapid reduction in residues of EDB in citrus
fruits and papayas, proposes an interim tolerance of 250
ppb for whole fruit—equivalent to 30 ppb for edible por-
tions . . . After September 1, any citrus fruits or papaya
with detectable residues of EDB would be subject to en-
forcement action . . . "This latest action moves us closer to
my goal of getting EDB out of the American diet in as
orderly a way as possible," said Ruckelshaus.
A final rule is promulgated clarifying public partici-
pation requirements to be included in state hazardous
waste management programs.
Notice of intent to suspend registration of certain 2,4,5-T
and silvex pesticide products is published in the Federal
Register.
Toxicity measurement through exposure of fish and
other aquatic animals to wastewater could be used to
move beyond technology-based requirements under a pro-
posal announced by the Agency.
In the first multi-site cooperative agreement negotiated
with any state under Superfund, EPA allocates $4.7 mil-
lion to Pennsylvania for the cleanup of 12 hazardous
waste sites.
On Capitol Hill: EPA's $4.2 billion budget proposal for
FY 1985 "represents a major investment in the future,"
Administrator Bill Ruckelshaus said in testimony before
the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee.
"Our budget proposals are...clearly focused on the
emerging needs of the Agency," he said. "With these re-
sources, we will be able to deal with the agenda that the
President, the Congress and the people have set for the
Agency" ... In earlier testimony before the same com-
mittee, Joe Cannon, AA for Air and Radiation, calls for ex-
tensive revisions in the hazardous air pollulant provisions
of the Clean Air Act and a crackdown on those who sell
or use devices to defeat vehicle emission control systems
. . . AA for Water Jack Ravan assures a House subcommittee
that his top management priorities include action to re-
duce the backlog of expired discharge permits, to improve
the compliance rate for both municipal and other per-
mittees, and to increase the number of municipalities with
approved pretreatment programs . . . Deputy Administrator
A1 Aim tells a Senate subcommittee existing law is ade-
quate to deal with the problem of leaking underground
storage tanks, but adds that more information is needed
before control strategies are decided. "Neither the states
nor the petroleum industry know how many gasoline
tanks there are in the country, what they are made of, how
old they are, or how many are leaking," said Aim.
Enforcement: Region 7 Administrator Morris Kay signs a
consent agreement under which the Mobay Chemical
Corp. of Kansas City, Mo., agrees to pay a $4,000 civil
penalty for illegally shipping hazardous waste to a non-
permitted landfill. The corporation has already removed
nearly 700 cubic yards of material contaminated with di-
sulfoton ... In an amended civil suit against six companies
accused of contaminating Bedford Harbor. Mass., with
PCB's, the government asks that the defendants undertake
removal and remedial actions
EPA issues notices of violation against seven gasoline
blenders and two fuel additive manufacturers on grounds
of selling illegal alcohol/gasoline blends. Civil penalties
totaling $140,000 are proposed.
A total of $45,000 in penalties is being sought from Pan-
asony Electronics Corp.. of Skokie, 111., for misrepresenting
the effectiveness of their product, PEST FREE. The De-
partment of Interior tested the product for EPA and found
the ultrasound ineffective in combating pests. A complaint
has been filed under the authority of the Federal In-
secticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act.
Speaking Out: "The questions about EDB have been not
whether to remove it, but when and how. We believe our
actions have proceeded rationally and effectively to pro-
tect public health, and that we are well on the way to
eliminating EDB from the nation's food supply." Adminis-
trator Bill Ruckelshaus before House Government Op-
erations subcommittees March 5.
"We have come to recognize more recently that the
federal coffers are not limitless, and that compliance
should not be tied automatically to whether or not a com-
munity receives a federal grant. There are, in fact, many
communities that can afford to build wastewater treatment
facilities on their own—without federal financial assis-
tance. I believe we have a significant task here—both from
the Agency's and from Congress' standpoint—in educating
the public to the true costs they will have to bear over
time for clean water." AA for Water Jack Ravan before
House Public Works and Transportation subcommittee
March 8. B
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ference Experiment" . . . Thomas Dzubay, Roberl Stevens
and Charles Lewis, Research Triangle Park, for "Visibility
and Aerosol Composition in Houston, Texas" . . . R.J. Kav-
Iock, Neil Chernoff, Ellen Rogers, Douglas Whitehouse,
Brenda Carver, Jacqueline Gray and Kathy Robinson,
{Health Effects Research Laboratory, Research Triangle
Park, for "An Analysis of Fetotoxicity Using Biochemical
Endpoints of Organ Differentiation" . . . L.E. Gray, R.J.
Kavlock, Neil Chernoff and Joseph Otsby, Research
Triangle Park, for "Prenatal Exposure to the Herbicide 2,4-
bichlorphenyl-p-Nitrophenyl Ether Destroys the Rodent
Harderian Gland" . . . Jeff Inmon, Andy Stead, Michael
Waters and Joellen Lewtas, Research Triangle Park, for
"Development of a Toxicity Test System Using Rat Liver
Cells."
Third place winners (for various papers) are: Charles
McKenney and Parmely Pritchard, Environmental Re-
search Laboratory, Gulf Breeze . . . William Lonneman,
Joseph Bufalini, George Namie, A.P. Dufour, E.R.
Strickland and V.J. Cabelli, Environmental Science Re-
search Laboratory, Research Triangle Park . . . Allan
Batterman and Philip Cook, Environmental Research Lab-
oratory, Duluth . . . Victor Bierman and Wayland Swain,
Environmental Research Laboratory, Narragansett . . . W.H.
Benton and R.L. Ward, Health Effects Research Laboratory,
Cincinnati . . . Robert Clark, Thomas Love and Richard
Eilers, Municipal Environmental Research Laboratory, Cin-
cinnati . . . Neil Chernoff, R.J. Kavlock, Gary Hatch, Fred-
erick Miller and Judith Graham, Health Effects Research
Laboratory, Research Triangle Park.
Bronze Medal Awards, in recognition of "outstanding
^contributions to the air quality management program and
extraordinary efforts to develop policy and guidance
regarding post-1972 air quality attainment and mainte-
nance issues," presented to: Robert Bauman, David
Stonefield and Johnnie Pearson, Durham . . . William Bak-
er, Region 2 . . . Steve Rothblatt and Robert Miller, Region
5 . . . David Calkins and Eric Ginsburg, Region 9 . . .
Clark Gaulding and Loren McPhillips, Region 10 . . .
Brian McLean, Policy, Planning and Evaluation . . . Tina
Kaneen, Office of General Counsel.
Bronze Medal Awards, for technical assistance to the
Agency and independent evaluation of the Agency's im-
plementation of the Federal Managers Financial Integrity
Act, presented to: Barry Shulman, Chuck Miller, Robert
Brooks, Clifford Yee and William Eichelman, Office of In-
spector General.
Quality Step Increases awarded to: Janet Peck and Con-
stance McClain Pesticides and Toxic Substances . . . Betty
Powell, Administration and Resources Management . . .
Dennis Deely, Office of Inspector General.
Special Act awards to: Fannie Freeman, Air and Radia-
tion . . . Arthur Varela, Enforcement and Compliance
Monitoring . . . Glenn Shira, Curtis Harlin, Henry Thack-
er and Jan Mitchell, Research and Development . . . Joan
Moyer, Mary Radzikowski and John Jamula, Pesticides
and Toxic Substances . . . Ronald Farrah, External Affairs
. . . Bart Ostro, Tim Matzke, Michael Grepo, Cheryl
Wasserman and Sandra Oden, Policy, Planning and
Evaluation.
Continued Superior Performance awards to: Douglas
Barrett, Sherry Kaschak and Regina Solomon, Adminis-
tration and Resources Management.
The EPA Times salutes the volunteer spirit behind The
Capital Chemist (the newsletter of the Chemical Society of
Washington). The monthly 12-page paper is staffed entire-
ly by volunteers, many of them EPA employees. Anne Kel-
ler, the editor, is a chemist in the Office of Pesticides and
Toxic Substances, 0
Around EPA
Training opportunities at headquarters in coming
months: Beginning Secretarial Development, for em-
ployees new to secretarial positions, March 27-29 . . .
Effective Writing for Professionals. March 27-29 . . . How
to Deal With Secretarial Stress, helps clerks, secretaries
and administrative assistants deal with office stress. March
30 . . . Managing People, for managers and supervisors,
April 2 . . . Time Management for Supervisors and Man-
agers, April 6 . . . Congressional Briefing Conference, pro-
vides an in-depth understanding of the functioning of the
Legislative branch, April 9-11 . . . Executive Secretarial
Seminar, an overview of interpersonal and office man-
agement skills, office automation, public relations and
office communications for the senior-level secretary, April
11-12 . . . Effective English, (one-half day for ten days)
April 16-27 . . . Timekeeping for Secretaries, April 18-19
. . Selection, Interviewing, Coaching and Counseling
Skills, for supervisors and managers, April 23-24 . . . Man-
agerial Techniques for Secretaries and Administrative
\ssistants, skills and principles needed to effectively
organize and administer an office staff, April 26 . . . Open
the Door to a Better Day, lunch-time workshops designed
to help secretarial/clerical employees reach,their utmost
potential, March 28—Child Care for Working Mothers,
April 4—You and Your Resume/SF-171, April 11—Stress,
Exercise and Nutrition. Call 382-2997.
Field Practice Programs in Ground Water Technology,
offering direct experience with field equipment in actual
operational settings, will begin June 11. Sponsored by
Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, the program con-
sists of fourteen five-day courses designed to meet the
interests and needs of the practicing professional and the
educator/practitioner. For information contact Gloria Ropp,
FPP Associate Director, at 513-873-3456. Q
The EPA Times is published 24 times per year to provide news
and information for and about EPA employees Readers are encour-
aged to submit news of fellow employees, letters of opinion, ques-
tions, comments, and suggestions to: Miles Allen, Editor, The EPA
Times, Office of Public Affairs (A-107) Telephone 382-4371 In-
formation selected for publication will be edited as necessary in
keeping with space available All letters of opinion must be signed
and accompanied by submitter's office location and telephone
number.
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Secretarial Training Opportunities
Secretaries and clerical employees
will have more and better opportuni-
ties for training in the coming months.
The Human Resources Development
Branch (HRDB), focusing recently on
the training and development needs of
EPA's secretarial and office support
personnel, consulted a large number
of secretaries and clerks and met with
various interested groups. The feed-
back of current needs gleaned from
these interactions led to the es-
tablishment of a comprehensive cur-
riculum that includes courses for all
levels from beginning clerical through
executive secretarial positions.
The curriculum has been arranged
so that employees can easily identify
the programs most appropriate for
them at their present and future grade
levels and positions (see chart below).
A special training course catalog and
guide for secretarial and clerical staff
is being developed. Career counseling
services are also being offered by
HRDB.
Detailed course information and
dates are announced through Training"
Opportunity Bulletins distributed
throughout headquarters and to field
personnel offices. For further informa-
tion about secretarial/clerical training
contact Brenda Cunningham or Jim
Guy on 382-2997. n
Secretarial/Clerical Development Guide
Beginning
Clerical
Clerical
Secretarial
Executive
Secretarial
COURSES GS/GW
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Beginning Clerical Development
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Proofreading
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Better Office Skills & Service
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Timekeeping
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Travel Procedures
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Beginning Secretarial Development
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Effective Listening for Secretaries &
Administrative Assistants
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Time Management for Secretaries &
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Stress Management for Secretaries &
Administrative Assistants
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Writing Skills for Secretaries
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Executive Secretarial Seminar
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Management Skills for Secretaries &
Administrative Assistants
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Lexitron Training—Basic & Advanced
Will be provided in Washington & RTP by the EPA National Computer Cen-
ter. Contact HRDB on 382-2997 for further information; contact NCC on
FTS 629-3648 for registration. There is a charge for these NCC courses.
* HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
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MAY BE APPROPRIATE
GPO 906-01 4
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