SKEB\
Times
NEWS FOR AND ABOUT EPA EMPLOYEES
INSIDE:
~	Paychecks Get Mailed
~	Phones Get Answered
~	Singles Get Together
VOLUME 1	NUMBER 14	June 8, 1984
GWE
Less than four percent of the four
million people in the EPA headquar-
ters area contribute our entire re-
source of blood. Your chance to be-
come a member of that elite group is
coming again on June 14 and 15.
The bloodmobile visits EPA head-
quarters four times a year, on the
average. So far, employees have don-
ated 537 units of blood in the Red
Cross fiscal year which ends June 30.
A few of these donors can point with
special pride at their lifetime dona-
tions of 80 or 90 odd units. But the BO
hospitals in Washington, Maryland,
Virginia, and West Virginia would be
sorely pressed were it not for the
many who will give this year for the
first or second time.
When you arrive at the bloodmobile
(it's much better if you have called for
an appointmentj a sample of blood
Headquarters
highest donors:
(left to right J
AJan Corson (67 unitsj,
Mike Shannon (96 unitsj,
Tony Andrella (86 unitsj.
will be taken. Once the
sample is checked out you simply lie
back and relax for eight to ten min-
utes while the blood is withdrawn.
Stick around for awhile though and
have some refreshments.
Within 24 hours your body will
have replaced the liquid in your
bloodstream to its normal 10-12 pints.
Within six weeks your red cells will
be back to your normal count. In the
meantime, all you'll feel is ready to
give again.
The Red Cross requires that blood
donors be healthy, weigh at least 110
pounds, and be between the ages of
17 and 66. If you are over 66 you can
give blood if you have your physi-
cian's approval. In West Virginia 17-
year-olds must have parental consent.
Watch for details on the bulletin
boards or call 382-3124. ¦
Clinton Named
Assoc. Administrator
Regional Operations
Administrator Bill Ruckelshaus has
named Carolyn M. Clinton to succeed
Samuel Schulhof as Associate Ad-
ministrator for Regional Operations.
Schulhof is leaving government ser-
vice to assume the position of Vice
President for Administration at the
Foundation for Applied Science and
Technology in Pittsburg.
Carolyn Clinton
Clinton has worked as a special
assistant to Deputy Administrator Al
Aim since last June. Before coming to
EPA she was Administrative Director
for External Relations at the Harvard
Business School. She has done man-
agement consulting and executive
education at the Gulf Oil Company's
Gulf Management Institute, and
served in a variety of management, re-
search, and editorial positions with
the Educational Development Center
in Newton, Massachusetts. A native of
Attleboro, Mass., Clinton received her
Bachelors degree in 1969 from Tufts
University's Jackson College in
Medford. ¦

-------
People
Q & A
Congratulations on 40 years of federal service to: Joseph
Mastandrea, Facilities and Administration Branch, Region2.
Mastandrea receives
40-year certificate
from Region 2
Administrator
Jacqueline Schci/er.
Retirees from Headquarters: Charles Mooney, 31 years,
Administration and Resources Management . . . John
Woody, 25 years, Administration and Resources Man-
agement . . . Glen Shira, 22 years. Research and De-
velopment . . . Charles Pierce, 20 years, External Affairs. .
Charles Miller, 20 years, Solid Waste and Emergency Re-
sponse.
Special Act Awards presented to: Debra Debowski,
Kathleen Knox, Jeff Kolb, A1 Jennings, Phillip Ross,
Gainor Eisenlohr, Delores Thompson, Gloria Cunning-
ham, James Wilson, John Cogliano, Meg Kelly, Chuck
Kent and Steve Greene, Policy, Planning and Evaluation. .
Susan Wahdan, Air and Radiation . . . Deborah Woitte,
Enforcement and Compliance Monitoring . . . Doris Hottin-
ger and Betty Fontaine, Office of the Administrator . . .
Donald Thie, Administration and Resources Management.
Continued Superior Performance award presented to:
Sheri Johnson, Policy, Planning and Analysis.
Quality Step Increases awarded to: Reginald Mathews
and Susie Mickens, Administration and Resources Man-
agement. ¦
Q. Seems like everytime I turn around there's some-
thing new happening with the phone system. On the other
hand, I hear that we have yet to resolve which compj^^^
will get the federal government's business. What's
happening?
A. Phone service at EPA seems to change rapidly be-
cause it reflects overall confusion in the entire telecom-
munications industry. Five months after the breakup of the
98-year-old telephone system, policies and procedures are
still evolving.
Which companies will get Uncle Sam's business remains
to be seen. There are still many unresolved legal issues
surrounding divestiture, and GSA has not completed the
contractual action for the purchase of existing equipment,
including final purchase price and exact terms of the war-
ranty. The Agency may be buying new equipment from
many companies (such as AT&T, Northern Telecom, GTE,
Comdial, ITT, Rolm, Ericsson, Lanier, Anderson Jacobson,
and Ven-Tel).
The procurement of telephone service involves numer-
ous steps and components. First, EPA form 5020-1, which
describes desired service, is submitted by an office's Ad-
ministrative Officer. The form goes to the Communications
Branch in room G-100 where a Telecommunications Ser-
vice and Equipment Specialist translates the request into
telephone terminology. After the order is written it is sent
to GSA where it is processeed and sent on to C&P for line
or software feature work, or to AT&T when multi-line tele-
phones are affected. The phone companies retype the^
orders and direct their installers to complete the worl|
the assigned due date (hopefully!). Finally, EPA's ow!
telephone technicians finish the installation of Agency-
owned equipment.
To get the best service:
~	Always go through your Administrative Officer.
~	Allow 2-3 weeks for service—plan your changes in
advance. ¦
' M
1
Around EPA
The Procurement and Contracts Management Division
issues a Small Purchase Handbook which prescribes EPA
policy and procedures in implementing and
supplementing the Federal Acquistion Regulations. Copies
of the handbook, which relates to procurements under
$10,000, are sent to all Agency purchasing agents.
The GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Com-
pany) Public Service Awards program solicits nominations
of federal employees (current and retired) who have "pro-
vided outstanding service to the public or otherwise con-
tributed noteworthy achievements" in the field of: alcohol-
ism, fire safety, physical rehabilitation, or traffic safety.
Five winners each will receive $2,500 and a com-
memorative plaque. To receive copies of the brochure de-
scribing the program, contact G.T. Jackson, GEICO Plaza,
Washington, D.C. 20076. Telephone 202-986-2039.
EPA SINGLES is an organization of single employees
interested in networking, sharing concerns common to
their status, and/or socializing with their counterparts at
headquarters. About 60 employees, representing a cross
section of Agency personnel, have begun the organization
process with brown-bag lunches and happy hours. For fur-
ther information contact Nereid Maxey at 382-4567, or Pat
Minami at 382-2712.
Under new rules for travel advances, employees who
have advances outstanding for more than 30 days will find
their paychecks docked and will be prohibited from
receiving advances for one year. After 10 days, advances
will be considered delinquent and subject to assessment of
interest, handling charges, and penalty charges. For more
information contact Mamie Walker on 382-5156.
Paychecks which are mailed to employees' homes may
be later in arriving due to a Department of the Treasuo^
decision not to mail checks earlier than two days pricB
the pay date. The decision is effective July 3. EmployeW
are urged to consider having their pay handled through
the Direct Deposit/Electronic Fund Transfer process. ¦

-------
Agency Activities
Chrysler Corporation volunteers to recall 235,000
passenger cars for compliance testing after EPA tests re-
^¦dexcess hydrocarbon and carbon monoxide emissions
^^vunding restrictions on highway planning in Chicago,
St. Louis and surrounding areas proposed due to state
failure to implement vehicle inspection and maintenance
program. EPA previously proposed restrictions on in-
dustrial construction in the area . . . Final standards pro-
posed to control "fugitive" benzene emissions from petro-
leum refineries, chemical manufacturing plants, and coke
oven by-product recovery plants. Proposed standards
withdrawn to regulate benzene emissions from maleic an-
hydride plants, ethylbenzene/styrene plants, and benzene
storage vessels, due to evidence showing insignificant risk
to public health.
Toluene will not be regulated as a hazardous air pollut-
ant under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act, based on
Agency determination that ambient air concentrations of
the chemical are not known to pose a significant risk to
public health. The chemical—used in benzene production
and as a gasoline additive—is already regulated as a vola-
tile organic compound . . . Priority consideration under
TSCA regs will be given to formaldehyde exposure in fac-
tories producing clothing from treated fabrics and in mo-
bile homes constructed of materials containing
formaldehyde-based resins . . . Final tolerance levels for
residues of EDB on citrus fruits and papayas set at 250
parts per billion until total ban begins on September 1,
1984 . . . Special review initiated of the herbicide ami-
trole, based on evidence that it induces thyroid, pituitary,
and liver tumors in laboratory animals. Use currently lim-
ited to non-crop areas.
EPA's mobile incinerator to be transported to the Denny
farm site for demonstration burns on dioxin wastes.
Consent order signed allowing dredging of PCB hot
spots in the Hudson River to be funded from Clean Water
Act money if New York receives all required permits for a
new disposal site within 3 years and proceeds with con-
struction within 5 years. Last October the site was found
ineligible for Superfund money . . . Region 5 begins
sampling activities at the A & F Materials site in Greenup,
Illinois, to identify potentially responsible parties. The
former waste oil recycling facility contains 12 tanks and
industrial waste lagoons . . . Wastes containing greater
than 50 parts per billion of PCBs will be removed from
Waukegan Harbor in Illinois. The project, costing Super-
fund about $21.25 million, will leave the harbor and all
slips intact . . . The Enterprise Avenue hazardous waste
site in Philadelphia will be cleaned up under an agree-
ment signed by Region 3 and Pennsylvania. A Superfund
grant of $2.41 million will be matched by the state to fund
disposal of 18,000 tons of soil contaminated with benzene
and other volatile chemicals. ¦
Agency Snapshots
Communicating With Congress
The Office of Congressional Liaison (OCL) is responsible for: monitoring the progress of all bills
affecting EPA, explaining Agency positions to legislators and their staffs, assisting officials who are
called upon to testify, and seeing that correspondence from Congress is satisfactorily answered.
The task, as can be seen below, is large and complex.
Eight out of ten statutes, under
which EPA operates, have expired
and are funded only by continuing
resolutions.
There are at least 65 committees
and subcommittees with oversight
responsibilities for EPA.
Last year Agency officials appeared
before congressional committees
100 times.
Officials usually receive a 5- to
8- hour briefing by OCL prior to
testifying.
Last year OCL received 5,412 pieces
of congressional correspondence.
B
'he 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

-------
Setting the Record Straight
Public dialogs and debates among
environmental managers often occur
in the editorial pages of a few big-city
newspapers whose circulation in-
cludes only a small percentage of
Agency employees nationwide. A re-
cent exchange between Kathleen
Hughes, editor of Environmental Ac-
tion Magazine, and Administrator Bill
RuckeJshaus, which took place on the
editorial pages of The New York
Times, is a good example of writings
of special interest to EPA employees
which most of us are not likely to see.
Therefore, excerpts from Hughes' ar-
ticle are printed below (in boldface
type) among selected portions of
RuckeJshaus' response.
To the Editor:
"The professional staff of the En-
vironmental Protection Agency have
always had, and deserved, a reputa-
tion for toughness, technical com-
petence and resolute devotion to duty.
Their strength and sense of mission
were proven under fire during the re-
cent turmoil. They are determined to
protect public health and the environ-
ment, and cannot be shaken in that
resolution."
"Ridding the agency of scandal and
placating the workforce might be all
that Ruckelshaus can accomplish."
"For Kathleen Hughes to state that I
have wasted the last year 'placating
the work force,' implying that the
staff has permitted itself to be com-
promised, is a disservice to the truth
and to dedicated EPA employees."
"In his State of the Union address,
President Reagan announced plans to
push for a reauthorized Superfund
this year. We are still waiting."
"Miss Hughes suggests that by not
calling for an immediate reauthoriza-
tion of the Superfund we fail to fulfill
the intent of that legislation. The facts
say otherwise . . .
"EPA is conducting studies of all
facets of the program, which Congress
ordered to be completed under Sec-
tion 301 of the law by December
1984. We hope Congress will approve
reauthorization on the best possible
analytical base. In any event, the
Administration's commitment to
reauthorization of a strong, effective
Superfund is firm and well known."
hours working with Congress to sa^H
that they are, and that in the proc^H
they are also improved. We have
made our views known to the various
committees and worked closely with
Congressional staff to draft new
legislation. We are hopeful that Con-
gress will yet move on our legislative
agenda this session."
"The program to clean up more than
17,000 hazardous waste dumps is still
vastly underbudgeted; only six of the
546 high-priority sites have been
cleaned."
"Considering inflation, Mr. Reagan's
$1.21 billion proposal gives the agen-
cy the purchasing power it had in
1974."
"EPA and state officials are working
round the clock all across the country
to clean up hazardous waste sites as
mandated by law. We are making
vastly improved use of existing re-
sources, and we have hired more than
900 professionals in the past eight
months, the majority of whom work
in the field.
"In fiscal year 1983, $210 million
was authorized for Superfund. We
boosted that figure to $460 million
during this fiscal year, and the
President has requested $640 million
for fiscal year 1985. That's a 300 per-
cent increase since my return to EPA.
"We have also made significant
changes in how the program is man-
aged, which insure speedier cleanup
of dangerous sites.
"These steps have greatly acceler-
ated the Superfund program and ne-
cessitated budgetary increases. In fis-
cal year 1983, we completed 113
emergency cleanup operations where
sites presented immediate health or
environmental threats. This year,
more than 170 emergency operations
have been undertaken, and we expect
to complete at least that many next
year."
"All the major environmental laws
are up for reauthorization. But the
[Administration's] fervor ... is lack-
ing when it comes to insuring that en-
vironmental laws are passed."
"Miss Hughes' comment about
EPA's spending power does not recog-
nize the extent to which the agency's
priorities have shifted to greater em-
phasis on hazardous waste. Moreover,
the budget increases (27 percent since
I returned to EPA; 47 percent if you
count Superfund) reflect not only
these new program shifts but also a
realistic assessment of how much
money this agency can effectively^^
absorb in such a short period of t^J
"Mrs. Burford was criticized for not
enforcing the law. Things aren't
much better."
"Despite many management and
program advances over the past year,
EPA is not perfect. It never will be.
But the agency and its staff are honor-
ably motivated. In the last quarter, our
enforcement actions—civil and
criminal—were up sharply. We are in-
sisting on strict adherence to all pro-
visions of the laws under our man-
date.
"We are determined to protect the
environment of this nation as well as
the health of its people."
William D. Ruckelshaus
Administrator
Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, May 4, 1984
"Miss Hughes is correct in noting
that nearly all of the major statutes
under which EPA operates must be
reauthorized. We have spent countless

-------