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NEWS FOR AND ABOUT EPA EMPLOYEES
INSIDE:
~	Bearing Arms
~	Olympic Crowds
~	Milkshake Sailing
VOLUME 1	NUMBER 13	May 25, 1984
Unleaded Fuel Makes Cents
Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, Joe Cannon, shows the inside of a
catalytic converter to newspersons at the opening ceremonies of National Clean Air
Week.
Good Impressions at Xerox
Consumers who put leaded gasoline
into cars designed for unleaded in
order to save the 7 cents per gallon
difference in price are victims of faul-
ty economics, according to Joe Can-
non, Assistant Administrator for Air
and Radiation.
In his remarks at ceremonies open-
ing National Clean Air Week, Cannon
pointed out that "in the long run the
use of leaded gas in such cars will
more quickly foul the spark plugs,
wear out the exhaust system, degrade
the oil, ruin the catalyic converter,
and foul the oxygen sensor," and that,
"repair from misfueling will cost
motorists 19 cents a gallon."
Despite dramatic motor vehicle
emission reductions in the past dec-
ade, tampering and misfueling
threaten to cause a major air pollution
problem. In response, the theme for
this year's Clean Air Week is transpor-
tation and air quality, with special
emphasis on anti-tampering and anti-
fuel-switching. This year's campaign
slogan is "Don't Exhaust Our Air Sup-
ply."
Studies indicate that a major part of
the emission control system has been
removed or disabled on 17 percent of
the nation's vehicle fleet. In over 13
percent of the fleet, the use of leaded
fuel has ruined the catalytic con-
verters. When a catalytic converter is
removed from a vehicle the pollution
level in the vehicle's exhaust is seven
or eight times greater than with intact
equipment.
The news conference opening Clean
Air Week was held at a vehicle emis-
sions inspection station in Washing-
ton, D.C. The observance is co-
sponsored by EPA, the American Lung
Association, the State and Territorial
Air Pollution Association, and the
Association of Local Air Pollution
Control Officials. ~
By Dave Ryan, OEA
A motley, "pick-up" crew of 20 EPA
runners, assembled pretty much at the
last minute, participated in the Xerox
Corporation Marathon Relay on May 5.
Two relatively inexperienced but
high-spirited 10-person teams—one
captained by Office of External Affairs
Assistant Administrator Josephine
Cooper and the other featuring Toxic
Substances Office Director Don Clay—
competed with 68 other Washington-
area teams from business and gov-
ernment in the regional race.
The teams were competing for the
opportunity to go to the finals in Buf-
falo, New York and the chance to re-
ceive a free trip to the 1984 Olympic
Games.
Each team member covered 2.6
miles before handing off to the next
runner—the whole 10-person team,
therefore, covered approximately the
distance of a traditional marathon.
(See photographs inside.)
The relay was won by a team from
NASA. However, EPA's times were
impressive. The External Affairs con-
tingent finished 36th with a time of
2:01:39, and the "TSCA Tigers"
placed 50th with a 2:14:39 clocking.
Here's the lineup—in alphabetical
order—of the athletes who brought
glory to EPA at the Leesburg relay:
~	External Affairs Team: Lance
Ayrault, Office of the Administrator;
Josephine Cooper, External Affairs;
Michael Fleming, Congressional
Liaison; Denise Gerth, Air and
Radiation; David Parker, Federal Acti-
vities; Phil Ross, Office of General
Counsel; Dave Ryan, Public Affairs;
Matt Schweisberg, Federal Activities;
and Christopher Zarba, Water Regula-
tions and Standards.
~	Toxic Substances Team: Don
Clay, John Davidson, Dave Dull, Bren
da Francisco, Susan Hazen, Jan Lane,
John Leitzke, Kitty Miller, Shirley
Pate, and Janet Thompson. (The
whole team is in the Office of Toxic
Substances except for Miller who is i
the Office of Drinking Water.) ~

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People
Retiree from Research Triangle Park: Joshua Bowen, 16
years, Combustion Research Branch of the Industrial En-
vironmental Research Laboratory.
The 1984 ASTM Award of Merit presented to Tom Ben-
nett, Environmental Services Division, Athens, Georgia,
Cited for "conspicuous service in the development of
voluntary consensus standards" while serving on an
ASTM committee.
Bhushan Mandava elected president of the Chemical
Society of Washington. Mandava, the first EPA employee
selected for this high honor, is a counselor to the Amer-
ican Cancer Society in addition to his job with the Office
of Pesticide Programs. Mandava also is the recipient of the
USDA Superior Service Award for his recent work on the
effect of a plant growth hormone on crop yields.
Fred Fields named Director of the Press Division, Office
of Public Affairs, within the Office of External Affairs.
Fields comes to EPA from the Tennessee Valley Au-
thority's Office of Natural Resources and Economic De-
velopment.
Special Act Awards presented to: Dennis Hochbaum
and George Lavanco, Office of the Inspector General . . .
Cheng-Yung Hung and John Russell. Air and Radiation . . .
Judith Wheeler, Ralph Colleli, Jeffrey Camp and Patricia
Miller, Office of General Counsel . . . Larry Wilbon and
Matthew Amorello, Enforcement and Compliance
Monitoring . . . John Cross, Mike Kilpatrick, Kevin Garra-
han, Barbara Davis and Heidi Hughes, Solid Waste and
Emergency Response.
Continued Superior Performance Awards presented to:
Dov Weitman, Catherine Winer, Christine Kaneen,
Richard Anderson, Gail Cooper, Ellen Siegler and Karen
Wardzinski, Office of General Counsel . . . Edward Zager,
Policy, Planning and Evaluation . . . Kevin McCormack,
Pesticides and Toxic Substances.
Quality Step Increases awarded to: Maxie Nelson and
Karl Arne, Policy, Planning and Evaluation. ~
Around EPA
The first annual EPA statistician's conference will take
place June 11-14, 1984, in Raleigh, North Carolina. Co-
sponsored by the Office of Policy, Planning and Evaluation
and the Office of Personnel, the conference is open to all
Agency employees interested in statistical activities. For
further information on this unique opportunity contact
Mel Kollander, OPPE, 382-2680.
The 1984 Quality Assurance in Air Pollution Measure-
ments conference will be held October 14-18 at the Hilton
Harvest House Hotel in Boulder, Colorado. The conference
will explore quality assurance management concepts and^
principles as well as the application of quality assurance
methods in air quality, meteorological, source emissions,
and personal monitoring programs. For more information
contact the Air Pollution Control Association, P.O. Box
2861, Pittsburgh, PA 15230. Telephone 412-621-1090. ~
Tom Bennett
Bhushan Mandava
EPA Agents Gain Authority
To Make Arrests, Carry Arms
The effectiveness and security of the Agency's
criminal investigators should be markedly increased
when they become Special Deputy U.S. Marshals.
During a 90-day trial period the EPA agents will be
allowed to carry firearms, execute warrants, and
make arrests. All of EPA's investigators have several
years of previous law enforcement experience.
The Department of Justice action deputizing the
EPA agents was cited as "immensely valuable" by
Courtney Price, Assistant Administrator for Enforce-
ment and Compliance Monitoring. "We now have an
additional tool with which to effectively combat the
illegal disposal of hazardous waste," she said.
EPA had sought the increased authority because of
the risks associated with investigating the type of per-
sons often involved in illegal waste disposal and the
remote locations in which environmental criminal
activity frequently occurs.

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Good Impressions
—Good Fun
EPA employees
enjoy their
run in the sun
at the Xerox
Marathon Relay.
Dave Ryan approaches
the finish line.
&
L
David Parker talks with
Josephine Cooper as they
await the starting gun.
— • - L I *
ft:	&*£ • .i.'-.:JvV
The "TSCA" Tigers.	The External Affairs Team
»
k
Agency Activities
Asbestos in Schools Update: Within the last year 562
school districts out of the 906 inspected nationwide have
been found in violation of asbestos regulations and 363
have been sent notices of violation. Civil complaints have
been issued naming 16 districts and seeking penalties
totaling $342,400.
An Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking is an-
nounced for regulation of 1,3-Butadiene. Recent lab tests
indicate that the colorless gas may cause cancer. Primarily
used in the production of various types of rubber and plas-
tics, 1,3-Butadiene is a by-product of petroleum refining.
A long-standing litigation concerning clean water reg-
ulations for the steel industry is resolved by changes
which include reductions in allowable levels of toxics and
modifications in best-available-technology effluent limita-
tions.
New rule places control programs for underground in-
jection wells in 22 states and territories under direct Agen-
cy administration. More than half of the liquid hazardous
wastes in the country are disposed of through injection
wells. Combined with the 26 states already having respon-
sibility for their own programs, the new program covers
almost all of the known wells.
Enforcement activity increases significantly since Jan-
uary. Judicial case referrals from the regional offices to
headquarters and the Department of Justice are up from 22
in the first quarter of this year to 95 in the second quarter.
Over the same time frame Administrative Orders increased
from 402 to 712.
Civil suit filed against S.M. Allen, Inc., Toledo, Ohio,
charges that the firm has violated federal regulations for
the storage of hazardous wastes. A penalty of $21,000 is
proposed by Region 5.
A Region 5 Superfund immediate removal action is in-
itiated to construct a temporary purge system at the Ver-
ona Well Field, Battle Creek, Michigan. The system will
remove volatile organic compounds using granular acti-
vated carbon filters. ~
The EPA Times is published 24 times per year to provide news and information for and about EPA employees. Readers are encouraged to
submit news of fellow employees, letters of opinion, questions, comments, and suggestions to: Miles Allen, Editor, The EPA Times, Office of
Public Affairs (A-107). Telephone 382-4379. Information 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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Don't Go to L.A.
In the Summertime
The cost of going to Los Angeles,
Las Vegas, or any nearby city during
July and August will be much higher
than usual due to the summer Olym-
pic games (July 23 through August 17).
The manager of the Scheduled Air-
lines Traffic Office, Jack Salpeck, re-
ports that most of the major airlines
have applied black-out dates on their
promotional fares and many gov-
ernment discount fares. Most hotel
and car rental companies in the area
also will not be honoring government
rates. Securing reservations for the
Olympic period already is almost im-
possible.
Employees are advised to avoid
summer travel to the area if possible.
If you must go, make reservations far
in advance and be prepared to pay
premium prices during your stay. ~
The crew of the research vessel Roger R. Simons was forced to interrupt its spring
limnology survey of the Great Lakes due to ice in the St. Clair River. Sailing from
Port Huron to Lake St. Clair, a normal 9-hour trip, required 2'A days. David Rock-
well, an environmental scientist on the trip, said moving through the slush was "like
sailing through a milkshake." The 122-foot, 342-ton Simons is operated under EPA's
Great Lakes National Program Office.
Air Quality Continues To Improve
For the second year in a row, aver-
age levels of all major air pollutants
fell in 1982, according to EPA's latest
"National Air Quality and Emissions
Trends Report."
Joe Cannon, Assistant Administrator
for Air and Radiation, said it was
clear that "America's air is getting
cleaner. There are long-term im-
provements in almost all of the major
pollutants. However, there is still
much to be done in order to have all
areas of the country fully meeting the
national air quality standards."
For the period from 1975 to 1982:
•	Total suspended particulate
levels dropped by 15 percent.
•	Sulfur dioxide levels decreased
by 33 percent.
•	Carbon monoxide levels fell by
31 percent.
•	Ozone levels were reduced by 18
percent.
•	Lead levels dropped by 64 per-
cent.
•	Nitrogen dioxide levels dropped
back down to their 1975 level after
having increased 5 percent prior to
1981.
The data in the report represent
the average air quality found through-
out the nation. Although there has
been a substantial reduction in air
pollution nationwide over the re-
ported period, a few local areas have
not experienced improvements.
The analysis in the annual Agency
report, the tenth in a series, is based
on data from EPA's National
Aerometric Data Bank. This data bank
consolidates air quality measurements
from some 5,000 air pollution moni-
tors throughout the nation, most of
which are operated by state and local
air pollution control agencies.
Monitoring sites are concentrated in
areas of high population to reflect the
air quality to which most Americans
are exposed.
The Agency's automobile emissions
reduction programs seem clearly re-
lated to the improvements in air qual-
ity. Carbon monoxide (CO) pollution
originates primarily from automobiles.
The reduction in CO levels in the
atmosphere reflects primarily the 11
percent reduction in emissions
resulting from federal standards for
new cars. At the same time, the lead
pollution drop stems mostly from a 69
percent reduction in the use of leaded
gasoline. Carbon monoxide can
seriously affect the heart and brain by
reducing the amount of oxygen
reaching human tissues. Lead can
irreversibly damage the brain and kid-
neys and impair the circulatory and
nervous systems.
The decrease in sulfur dioxide
(S02) levels reflects, in part, a 17 per-
cent decrease in emissions due to a
combination of energy conservation
measures and the use of cleaner fuels
in residential and commercial areas.
Some of the decrease in measured
S02 is caused by a shift in the use of
high-sulfur fuels away from power
plants in urban areas, where the
monitors are concentrated, to plants
in rural areas having fewer monitors.
Sulfur dioxide can irritate the upper
respiratory tract and cause lung dam-
age.
Emissions of particulates, which
can also cause respiratory illness and
breathing problems, were reduced 27
percent. Particulate levels, generally,
do not improve in direct proportion to
emission reductions because air quali-
ty levels are influenced by factors
such as natural dust, reintrained street
dust, construction activity and other
sources which are not included in the
emission estimates.
Ozone, which can seriously irritate
eyes, mucous membranes, and the res-
piratory system, is not emitted di-
rectly into the atmosphere but is pro-
duced by a complex series of chem-
ical reactions initiated when volatile
organic compounds and nitrogen ox-
ide emissions are exposed to sunlight.
Copies of the report are available
from the Monitoring and Data Anal-
ysis Division, Office of Air Quality
Planning and Standards, Research
Triangle Park. ~
GPO 907-042
SIMONS
Slush Stalls Survey Ship

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