™.ERV
Times
New Program
Launched for
ORD Transfers
Employees in the Office of Research
and Development (ORD) who wish to
transfer to non-ORD positions may
take advantage of a voluntary place-
ment program which has been
launched in fesponse to ORD's over-
ceiling and skill-mix problems.
The Deputy Administrator has es-
tablished a goal of placing 25 per-
manent ORD employees into vacant
positions with the Agency's regional
and program offices. These place-
ments may involve promotions, reas-
signments, or changes to lower grade.
In the latter case, eligible ORD em-
ployees will be given grade retention
for 2 years followed by indefinite pay
retention.
Vacancy information is available
from the four EPA Personnel Offices
that service ORD-HQ and its field in-
stallations (located in Washington,
Cincinnati, Research Triangle Park,
and Las Vegas). In addition, ORD has
begun to issue a weekly ORD Out-
placement Newsletter by E-Mail to
each ORD installation. ¦
NEWS FOR AND ABOUT EPA EMPLOYEES
INSIDE:
~	Performance Reviews
~	Superfund Update
~	Speechcraft
VOLUME 1 NUMBER 9 MARCH 30, 1984
Information Center Opens
Headquarters employees
visiting the Washington
Information Center.
Deputy Administrator
A1 Aim cuts ribbon
to officially open
the new Washington
Information Center.
What's Wrong With Secretaries?
Are memos late in going out? Are
there typos in the correspondence? Is
the mail in disarray?
All those things are probably true
in every office at one time or another,
and usually it's the secretaries who
get the blame. Dave Davis (Deputy Di-
rector of the Office of Federal Activi-
ties), after careful research and anal-
ysis of the bureaucratic breakdowns,
has come to the astounding conclu-
sion that non-clerical personnel are
sometimes at fault. At EPA alone,
Davis has identified nine "personal-
ity" types which are the bane of every
efficient clerical staff. Excerpts from
Davis' report to his co-workers follow:
The Bewildered Non-Planner lives
in a state of perpetual confusion and
chaos which results from an inability
to plan and organize. Requests for sec-
retarial support are always late, ill-
conceived, and poorly communicated.
Because the secretary cannot (and
should not) seize control of the situa-
tion and put the Non-Planner's world
in order, she is implicitly—sometimes
explicitly—blamed for non-
performance by the staffer.
The Perpetual Procrastinator al-
ways puts off until next week those
things which should have been done
yesterday. Frequently these are rela-
(Continued on back page.)

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People
Continued Superior Performance awards presented to:
James Bradshaw, Robert Brink, Gloria Brown, Lawrence
Cullen, Lynn Delpire, Robert Friedrich, David Mayer,
Janet Remmers, Bruce Sidwell, Sherell Sterling, Linda
Swinton, Alice Watson, Ruth Wilkerson, Robert Wright,
Cynthia Miller, Debra Harper, Steven Hassur, Paul Tobin
and David Johnson, Pesticides and Toxic Substances . . .
Rita Jones, Thomas Kelley, Susan Pai, Barbara Edmond-
son and Kevin Brittingham, Administration and Resources
Management . . . Rose Zaerr, Research and Development.
Quality Step Increases to: Betty Powell, Administration
and Resources Management . . . Shirley Bailey, Gloria
Davis, Pamela Kelly, Raymond Kent, Joseph Nabloz, Ram
Rakshpal, Susan Hazen, Stephanie Irene and David Wil-
liams, Pesticides and Toxic Substances . . . Gladys
Stroman, Policy, Planning and Evaluation.
Special Act awards received by: Arletheia Hardy,
Gerald Yetter, Diane Williams, Chestine Tillman and
Blair Lyons, Administration and Resources Management .
. Laura Cross, Pesticides and Toxic Substances . . . Mattie
Montgomery, External Affairs . . . Joan Larock, Mattie
Bright, Angeline Holowka and Sharon Payne, Air and
Radiation . . . Theodora McManus, Caroline Previ and An-
gela Tyler, Policy, Planning and Evaluation . . . Sonia
Ruiz, Office of General Counsel . . . Robert Brooks,
Charles Miller, Clifford Yee, Barry Shulman and William
Eichelman, Office of the Inspector General. ¦
Agency Activities	
An extension until December 31, 1984, has been granted
to Del Monte Corporation in Rochelle, Illinois, to comply
with emission limitations for volatile organic compounds .
. . EPA has approved state requests to increase sulfur di-
oxide emissions in six states and proposes to approve six
others. Joseph Cannon, Assistant Administrator for Air and
Radiation, points out that, "EPA has no choice but to
approve these requests if the increases in the state emis-
sions limits would still keep them below the national stan-
dards.
Public comment sought on the dangers of PCB transfor-
mer fires. In an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,
EPA asks for data on risks, probability, economic costs,
chemical processes, and options for reducing risks.
Dioxin information centers established by Region 5 to
distribute data, plans, study results, press releases and
names of contacts. For further information call the
Midland Health Department on 517-832-6685.
Hazardous Waste: A new regulation requires a uniform
manifest form which will eliminate the confusion and
compliance difficulties currently encountered by transpor-
ters of hazardous waste in using different manifests re-
quired now by different states. The manifest regulation,
developed by EPA and the Department of Transportation,
will also help ensure the reporting of illegally dumped
shipments before they become a threat to the public . . .
States have new options for expediting remedial cleanups
of hazardous waste sites targeted for priority action. New
guidelines provide for multi-site EPA/State agreements,
and extensions of the time during which EPA will share
costs at a remedial site, among others.
Superfund Update: The number of hazardous waste sites
identified by EPA has reached 17,000 . . . Since our last
report (Feb. 3) preliminary assessments have been con-
ducted at 200 sites, raising the total to 7,300 ... In-
vestigations undertaken are up 800 to 2,700 . . . The num-
ber of emergency removals approved has increased by 13
to 244 . . . Remedial cleanup is planned or being im-
plemented at 157 sites (up 10 from last month) . . .
Cleanup work is now in progress at 195 sites.
Enforcement: A penalty of $25,000 is being sought from
Glazer Enterprises, in Region 5, for violation of PCB dis-
posal regulations. The company allegedly dumped water
from a transformer vault onto a shopping center parking
lot in Cincinnati. . .$20,000 is sought from Graph-On, Inc.,
of Franklin Park, Illinois, for failure to meet Agency re-
quirements on the use and management of hazardous
waste containers and personnel training.
The Beacon Cadillac Olds and Jeep dealer of Bangor,
Maine, is cited for removing catalytic converters from cars
brought in for repairs. EPA seeks a penalty of $70,000 . . .
General Motors is ordered to recall 180,000 1980-model-
year vehicles that are exceeding the federal emission stan-
dard for hydrocarbons. (Mostly Oldsmobiles and Buicks
equipped with 5.0 and 5.7 liter engines.)
In the first administrative civil complaint ever issued
under the Agency's school asbestos rule, a $24,000 penalty
is assessed against a New Hampshire school district. ¦
Around EPA
Headquarters employees can improve their verbal com-
munication skills by signing up for SPEECHCRAFT, pre-
sented by the EPA Toastmasters Club. SPEECHCRAFT is
an eight session program conducted in an informal, non-
classroom atmosphere which is designed to assist you in
preparing and presenting short speeches, using au-
diovisual aids, impromptu speaking, and listening more
effectively. Whether you are an experienced speaker or a
novice, you are likely to benefit from this learning-by-
doing opportunity. Beginning April 10, sessions will be
held on Tuesdays from Noon to 1 p.m. in room 2123 of
the Mall. Please register by April 6. A fee of $5.00 covers
all eight sessions and instructional materials. For further
details contact Norma Hughes (755-2927) or Herman
Baucom (382-7021). ¦
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 oi opinion, ques-
tions, comments, and suggestions to1 Miles Allen, Editor, The EPA
Times. Office of Public Affairs (A-107). Telephone 382-4371 In-
foimation selected for publication will be edited as necessary m
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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Letters
Dear Editor:
1 was pleased to read in the March 2, 1984, issue that
OPM now thinks that it is a worthwhile idea to allow in-
clusion of a "common disaster clause" when completing a
designation of beneficiary for FEGL1. I am somewhat puz-
zled that what has now been acknowledged to be a good
idea was not recommended for adoption when I initially
proposed it (Suggestion # 81-2, submitted through the
EPA suggestion program in February, 1981), based on OPM's
evaluation then. I'm thankful that no common disaster
befell my wife and I in the interim period, and plan to file
the necessary new designation form as soon as one can be
furnished, along with any necessary guidance or in-
structions.
Very truly yours,
Norman Whalen
Office of Water
Dear Editor:
Please allow me to respond to Mr. Southerland's letter
concerning the phrase "in Southern States" used in the
- February 4, 1984 article on bidrigging.
This article provides a factual account of bidrigging in-
vestigations by the Office of Inspector General, including
some phrases used on several occasions by contractors
under investigation. The phrase "bidrigging is a way of life
in Southern states" was not added by the author or the
editor of this article.
These investigations have so far resulted in 14 in-
dictments and 14 convictions. Based on the detection of
these bidrigging schemes, OIG investigations of bidrigging
will be expanded to all regions.
The Office of Inspector General has a statutory require-
ment to detect and report fraud, waste and abuse, and to
prevent its recurrence. We depend upon employees to also
detect, report and prevent wrongdoing ivherever it occurs.
This can be done by calling the OIG toll free Hotline: 800-
424-4000 or 8-382-4977.
Paul E. Olson
Assistant Inspector General
for Investigation
Dear Federal Employee:
On behalf of the 42 nonprofit research and health ser-
vice organizations who comprise the membership of the
National Capital Area Council of the National Health
Agencies, I wish to express our sincere appreciation and
gratitude for the support you gave us during the 1983
Combined Federal Campaign.
There is no way of showing you how much your con-
tribution benefits the many individuals living and working
in the Washington metropolitan area who are affected by
the various illnesses and disabling conditions that are rep-
resented by the National Health Agencies. However, I can
assure you that the effectiveness of our programs of care,
health services and research would be far less without
your support.
In the past decade, scientific discoveries and improved
medical treatment and services have extended and im-
proved life for millions of Americans. As a supporter of
the National Health Agencies in the Combined Federal
Campaign, you have played an important role in extending
and improving those lives.
So, from all of us of the National Health Agencies and
the citizens of the Capital Area you are helping everyday—
Thank you for last year!
Sincerely,
James A. Fitzgerald, Jr.
Chairman, National Capital
Area Council
National Health Agencies for
the Combined Federal Campaign
April Performance Reviews
April is an important time on the performance review calendar.
The following are highlights of the April requirements.
Mid Year Review for SES/Merit Pay employees and GS
employees now covered by PMS:
Supervisory Responsibilities—
•	review organization's goals and workplans
•	review employee accomplishments and contributions
towards goals
•	give feedback to employees
•	adjust goals and expectations in performance
agreements if necessary
Employee Responsibilities—
•	review performance agreement
•	think about performance and accomplishments
•	adjust performance agreement as needed
Official Evaluation for GS and WG employees in offices
not fully covered by PMS:
Supervisory Responsibilities—
•	review employee performance requirements
•	assess performance per EPA Order 3110.11 A
•	meet with employee to discuss performance,
strengths/weaknesses
•	record official rating of Part IV, EPA 3160-4
•	obtain employee and reviewing official signatures and
submit signed form to personnel office
Employee Responsibilities—
•	review performance requirements
•	review performance to prepare for supervisory
discussion
•	sign Part IV of EPA 3160-4, after discussion with
supervisor
If you have any questions contact your local personnel office.

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(Continued from front page.
tively small actions like filing travel
vouchers which take little time and
effort to do early, but which cause
great excitement and unpleasantness
when it comes time to "pay the piper"
(that is, when the Agency notifies the
culprit that his/her next paycheck will
be docked).
The Top Dog believes his work is
always top priority. Virtually nothing
this individual produces is routine.
This is frustrating not only to secretar-
ies but also for other staffers whose
work somehow never seems to make
the "urgent" threshold. This behavior
is the institutional equivalent of "cry-
ing wolf"—at some point the world
stops listening.
The Pig-Pen Draftsman derives aes-
thetic gratification in creating patch-
work quilts from little slips of multi-
colored paper which, when stapled
and taped together, form some
approximation of a normal page of
draft work. This artist frequently
embellishes the work with a healthy
dose of arrows, footnotes, and multi-
ple attached inserts. The secretary is
frequently blamed for any failure to
accurately transform this puzzle into
print.
The Born-Yesterday Bureaucrat—
regardless of age, grade, and time in
service—maintains a studied ignor-
ance of all office or Agency pro-
cedures and facts, including organiza-
tional names, correct titles of regula-
tions and laws, normal format con-
ventions, and the like. Frequently this
extends to total ignorance of special
needs for such actions as con-
currences by outside parties, inclusion
of appropriate appended material, or
unusual requirements. Again, the sec-
retary gets the blame when said staffer
discovers that E-Mail doesn't deliver
itself.
The Insecure Novelist's work all
tends to approximate Tolstoy's War
and Peace both in length and preci-
sion of crafting. Half a dozen drafts
prior to review by supervisors or col-
leagues are not unusual. We all accept
the necessity of having to revise our
work to accommodate the valid (or
silly) concerns of our supervisors, but
we ought to be able to get our own
thoughts sufficiently organized and
expressed to suit ourselves before we
present our work to our secretaries for
typing. (Many of us fall prey to the
lure of the Lexitron as a wonderous
crutch to help us avoid doing the job
right the first time.)
The Archivist believes that every
act, however trivial, must be com-
memorated on paper and all must be
typed. Secretaries are faced with an
endless stream of memos to file and
formal notes/memos within the same
staff. Individually, the typing de-
mands are small but collectively they
add up to create the impression that
there is too much work to do and not
enough (good) secretaries to do it.
The Timid Non-Communicator so
fears dealing with secretaries that he/
she always arranges to drop work on
the secretary's desk while the latter is
out of the room. Normally these mes-
sages are limited to "type this," omit-
ting any trivial details like priority,
type of paper, whether tissue copies
are needed, etc. As a result, the secre-
tary is left to guess what her client
wants and gets the devil when she
guesses wrong. An important variant
on this type is the supervisor who for
reasons other than shyness provides
little information to this secretary
(partly because he may not feel the
pressures of competing for secretarial
support that others do). As a result, he
also just hands over a pile of draft
memos or taped dictation without in-
dicating the relative priority of his
work. Out of an innate sense of self-
preservation, the secretary always
does the boss' work first even though
its actual priority may have been
much different.
The Know-It-All's ego precludes
this person from admitting a lack of
all the answers or of the authority to
make all the decisions, or both. As a
result, work is always prepared in fin-
al form (multi-colored tissues and all)
before anyone else in the world is
allowed to see it, regardless of the
complexity of importance of the issue.
This telegraphs quite loudly to super-
visors or other reviewers that their
only function is that of rubber
stamp—that their views are immateri-
al and their authorities unnecessary.
Unfortunately for the poor secretary,
this ploy rarely succeeds on difficult
issues, so she finds herself filling the
wastebasket with tissue copies, buck-
slips, and high-cost stationery—not to
mention the wasted extra time of put-
ting the pretty little packages together
neatly and accurately.
(Note: Mr. Davis did not inform The
Times as to whether or not he typed
his 4-page single-spaced memo
himself.) ¦

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