skerh. Times NEWS FOR AND ABOUT EPA EMPLOYEES INSIDE: ~ Black History Month ~ Promotion Facts ~ Smoking Ban VOLUME 2 NUMBER 9 February 20, 1985 More Money, More People, More Work by Margherita Pryor For the second straight year, EPA has received one of the largest proposed funding increases in federal domestic spending. President Reagan has pro- posed an EPA budget for FY 1986 of $4.67 billion, up $339 million from this year. Funding requests include $1.4 billion and 11,365 workyears* for Agency op- erating programs; $900 mil- lion and 1,716 workyears for the the Superfund pro- gram; and $2.4 billion for the construction grants pro- gram. These figures include cuts of about $25 million coming from across-the- board administrative ex- penses (travel, printing, etc.) and from EPA's share ~A "workyear" is any combination of permanent, temporary, full-time, and part-time labor equivalent to the work done by one full-time employee in one year. of a proposed government- wide five-percent reduction in employee salaries. Overall, the proposed budget calls for an increase of 505 workyears over 1985 levels. Thus, EPA will be hiring more people while most other departments and agencies plan to reduce their payrolls. Also, there has been no request by the Administration for any cut- back in the regional offices. According to Acting Ad- ministrator Lee Thomas, the proposed budget confirms the President's high priority for EPA programs, es- pecially when viewed against the budget freezes imposed on many other federal offices. "This budget not only builds upon the foundation laid in the last 2 years," said Thomas, "it also represents a significant expansion in areas where our responsibilities must be met with increased re- sources. 14000 Four Percent Increase In Workyears for 1986 Most of the additional workyears will go to sup- port the increased effort to clean up and control hazardous waste. The proposed budget is now subject to Con- gressional consideration and negotiations between the Executive and Legisla- tive Branches. A final ver- sion will likely appear in an appropriations bill some- time in late summer. ~ Proposed 1986 Program Changes Superfund gains $280 million and 359 workyears. This will enable EPA to continue the momentum gained in the last 2 years and to more than double the number of sites undergoing the final cleanup phase of remedial actions. RCRA gains $54 million and 146 workyears. This will allow the Agency to begin implementing re- quirements called for in the 1984 RCRA reauthorization: banning certain wastes from land disposal, and regulating underground storage tanks and small-quantity generators. Enforcement efforts gain $34 million and 278 work- years, most of which support the Superfund and RCRA programs. In the Water program, EPA plans to emphasize compliance with pretreatment re- quirements. Research and Development gains $23 million and 10 workyears, most of which will be focused in three areas: acid rain, hazardous waste, and toxics/ pesticides. Construction grants will continue at the 1985 level of $2.4 billion. This represents the first step of a pro- posed 4-year phase out of the program. While EPA anticipates a reduced federal role in construc- tion financing, the Agency does expect to continue to fund existing projects which have previously re- ceived federal funds. State and local grants will continue at their full 1985 enacted levels, except for Hazardous Waste State Grants which increase by almost $8 million. Regional operations will have a substantial increase in workyears. Of the 505 Agency workyears in- crease, 391 will be directed towards the regions. Approximately 83 percent of the Superfund work- year increase will be for regional activities. ------- People Bronze Medals awarded to: Kenneth Wilk, John Zachar- ias, Leslie Buie, Richard Soloman, Phillip Mancuso, and Larrj Cooey, Office of the Inspector General. Quality Step Increases awarded to: John Santos, Cecilia Scott, Betty Jo Fontaine, and Brenda Frick, Office of the Administrator . . . Gloria Hendricks, Mark Stevens, and Carolyn Lowe, External Affairs . . . Kim Pearson, Enforce- ment & Compliance Monitoring . . . Annette DiLasacio and Margaret Hardesty, Office of General Counsel . . . Willie Hampton, Nathan Ives, Amal Manfouz, Beverly Davis, Mary Jordan, Richard Petrie, Bernard Schneider, and Lin- da Propst, Pesticides and Toxic Substances . . . Glenda Williams, Policy, Planning and Evaluation . . . Michael Binder, John Bonqirne, Anthony Musick, Diane Yanushefski, Robert Adachi, Melinda Als, Robert Coia, Marie Cullerton, Lawrence Gunn, William Spinazzola, and Barbara Vaughn, Office of the Inspector General . . . Shelly Allen, Administration and Resources Management . . . Nancy Dillion, Paulette Ballard, Kenneth Adams, Richard Thomas, Robert Bastian, James Wheeler, James Shuster, Charles Mooar, and Frances Dudley, Water . . . Delia Ferguson, Vicki Dellarco, and Brenda Washington, Research and Development. Special Act Awards presented to: Brenda Frick, Donald Bronkema, Susan Vogt, Elouise Agee, Stanley Meiburg, and Betty Harderman, Office of the Administrator . . . Alice Nims, Office of General Counsel . . . Michael Gru- ber, Policy, Planning and Evaluation . . . Kennetta Lyles and John Walsh, Office of the Inspector General . . . Selma Attidore, Margaret Binney, John Edwardson, James O'Le- ary, and Alicia Rood, Administration and Resources Man- agement . . . Regina Femminella, Air and Radiation . . . Michael Cullen, Water . . . Janice Jones, Research and De- velopment. Continued Superior Performance Awards to: Lori Eichelberger, Cheryl Bentley, Barbara Robinson, John Graham, Renae Halsey, Rosemary Carroll, Deborah Good, Linda Hilwig, Jeralene Green, and Thelma Beverly, Office of the Administrator . . . Jay Benforado, David Cohen, Patricia Gaskins, Joan Jennings, Patricia Saylor, Matt Schweisberg, and Barbara Straughan, External Affairs . . . Cara Jablon, James Nelson, Douglas Henderson, Arnita Moore, Catherine Winer, Nancy Hutzel, Glenda Colvin,( Jacqueline Hawkins, Joseph Freedman, Ellen Siegler, Dov Weitman, Richard Ossias, Bonita Follins, Deborah War- rick, and Ralph Colleli, Office of General Counsel . . . Louvenia Sellers, Maureen Sherill, and John Jamula, Pes- ticides and Toxic Substances . . . Claudia Payne, Stacey Katz, Jeanne Briskin, Lorraine Butler, Helen Lovett, and Renee Howell, Policy, Planning and Evaluation . . . Harry Clark, Jerry Elliott, Diane Forrest, Jane Kinney, Keith Reichard, Donald Sullivan, Edward Gekosky, Sheleta Hudson, James Kreider, and Lana Washington, Office of the Inspector General . . . Donna Carmical, Saundra Drayton, Lynn Beasley, Margaret Padgett, Kristen Skogebo, Brenda Zollicoffer, June Moe, Linda McKay, David Stutz, Hector Suarez, Mary Miller, Stanley Coach- man, Patricia Johnson, Frances Hanavan, James Blumenschien, Joan Broome, and Teresa Harley, Adminis- tration and Resources Management . . . John Heath, Air and Radiation . . . Thomas Laverty, Michael Mundell, David Shedroff, Samuel To, Jennifer Simon, Lionda Raymon, Saladin Abdul-Hagg, Elisabeth LaRoe, Marcella DePont, Sylvia Bell, Barbara Burke, Joyce Edwards, Stephen Kroner, Donna Fletcher, Joyce Lemmon, Peggy Moran, Joseph Dowd, Yvonne Turner, Penelope Fenner- Crisp, Sara Neuber, Geraldine Collins-Lynch, Russell Roegner, Carrie Pope, Renee Rico, Debra Maness, Wood- ruff Johnson, David Schnare, Patricia Wilkins, Thomas Pandolfi, Hiranmay Biswas, John Pai, James Plafkin, Cherly Clark, Charlene Shaw, Walter Gilbert, Kittibell Miller, Wanda Crawley, Isabella Hodge, Peter Lassovsz^^ Martin Brossman, Charles Delos, Richard Healy, Eleanor Zimmerman, Elizabeth Southerland, Robert Horn, Eli- zabeth Barrera, Ronald DeCesare, Jessie Price, Sharon Evans, Cynthia Widdowson, and Carol Crow, Water . . . Elizabeth Price, Linda Pennington, Mary Alice Bolten, Morris Altschuller, Mary Delvin and Becky Parrott, Re- search and Development, n Around EPA Smoking banned in Region 1 offices as of March 4, 1985. Region 1 employees may select a stop-smoking pro- gram to attend during normal working hours. EPA will pay the costs up to $100.00. "Solving a problem, not creating a crisis" is the theme of the Michigan Industrial Hazardous Waste Conference to be held May 13-15, 1985 at the Hillcrest Convention Cen- ter, Mt. Clemens, Michigan. For further information con- tact: EMCEE Group, Inc., P.O. Box 7367, Ann Arbor, MI 48107. Abstracts are due on March 15, for papers submitted to the Eighth Annual Madison Waste Conference. The con- ference takes place in Madison, Wisconsin on September 18 and 19. For further information contact Philip O'Leary on 608-262-0493. a Letters To the Employees of EPA: EPA, in conjunction with the American Red Cross, .would like to thank the employees for their participation in the Blood Donor Program throughout the year. Through your giving spirit, we received over 600 units of blood. Although our goal this year was 550, 600 were realized. Many in the Washington community have benefited from your donation and numerous lives have been saved through your .generosity in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Because of your outstanding effort, the agency, on November 29, 1984, was honored by receiving the Amei^ ican Red Cross' "Outstanding Achievement Award." Thank you for a job well done! Leigh Diggs Personnel Management Division ------- Merit Promotion Facts October, EPA issued a revised Merit Promotion Pro- SPrn covering most employees in grades 1 to 15. Major changes include: new procedures for evaluating promotion candidates, consideration of recent performance ap- praisals, optional use of panels, and new forms. Some of the more frequently asked questions are answered below. Q. Is the new Program applicable in filling all EPA positions? A. No, historically the Merit Promotion Program is applicable in filling non-bargaining unit positions up to grade 15. However, the new Program is consistent with the AFGE Master Agreement signed in June 1984, so that the procedures are also applicable in filling AFGE bargaining unit positions. Promotion procedures for other bargaining unit positions are subject to negotiations. Q. Is it true that now more employees can be upgraded without going through competition? A. Yes, the revised Program is consistent with the Federal Personnel Manual procedures that allow employees to be promoted when their jobs are upgraded (i.e., given higher graded duties and responsibilities) without having to compete for their own positions. Q. Do employees applying for a reassignment under merit promotion have to compete? A. Under the Merit Promotion Program issued in 1977, «y did have to compete. However, under the revised Pro- m, employees bidding on a vacancy with the same grade as their present grade will normally be referred for consideration on a separate list except when there is great- er promotion potential in the vacancy than the applicant's own position. Q. How does the method of evaluating candidates change with the revised Program? A. Under the 1977 Program, applicants were rated in four elements: experience, training, potential, and promo- tion appraisal. Total points added up to 100 and up to 10 candidates with the highest scores above 80 were referred to the selecting official in rank order. Under the new Program, applicants will be rated against the knowledges, skill, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAO's) identified by a subject matter expert as necessary for successful performance in the job. KSAO's will be de- fined at four levels and applicants rated on a 4,3,2,1 scale for each factor. Applicants who receive a 3.0 average are considered highly qualified. The top 10 candidates are re- ferred to the selection official in alphabetical order. Q. What is a subject matter expert? A. A subject matter expert (SME) is an individual who is thoroughly familiar with the duties and requirements for a given occupation. Normally the SME has worked in the f pupation or supervised others in the occupation. SME's ) recommended by the selecting official and work with e personnel specialist in developing the rating specifica- tions. The SME's must be at least equivalent to the grade of the position being filled and not be an applicant for the position. The selecting official should not serve as the subject matter expert unless no other SME is available. Q. What forms must be submitted by an applicant for promotion consideration? A. The Merit Promotion Vacancy Announcement lists the forms required for a particular vacancy. Generally they are: a current Personal Qualifications Statement, SF-171; a copy of your more recent annual performance appraisal; a copy of your most recent Notice of Personnel Action, SF- 50; and a Merit Promotion Information Record, EPA-3115- 9, which acknowledges application receipt and is used to send you the final results. Q. With the interview optional rather than required, does this mean most candidates will not meet the select- ing official? A. No, it should have little effect on the interview proc- ess. Most, if not all, vacancy announcements will be wide open with no particular candidate having an advantage. Selecting officials generally prefer to interview to help them decide whom to pick. If the interview is used, all "highly qualified" candidates will be interviewed unless unavailable for more than a week or if they were pre- viously interviewed by the same selecting official for a similar position in the past year. ~ Agency Activities Conditional waiver granted to E.I. Dupont de Nemours & Co., Inc. to market a new blend of unleaded gasoline con- taining methanol and other cosolvents. Dupont has de- veloped an evaporative emissions index which will help determine the environmental impact of the new fuel blend. Bubble approach used for first time under new source performance standards (NSPS) of the Clean Air Act. For example, Central Illinois Public Service (CIPS) power plant can reduce sulfur dioxide emissions at two of its boilers by imposing a tighter than necessary emission limit on one unit to offset a less strict limit on the other. This will reduce the overall sulfur dioxide emissions from the two boilers by 3,100 tons a year while allowing CIPS the flexibility to use less costly fuel. General Motors Corporation agrees to voluntarily recall approximately 225,000 1981 and 1982 vehicles to repair catalytic converters that may be defective. California vehi- cles are included in the recall. The recall affects vehicles equipped with 4.1 liter V-6 gasoline engines. ~ 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 themselves and of fellow employees, letters of opinion, questions, comments, and suggestions to: Miles Allen, Editor, The EPA Times, Office of Public Affairs (A-107). Telephone 382-4359. Information selected for publication will be edited as necessary in keeping with space available. ------- Black History Month Observed Maureen Bunyan speaks at Black History Month ceremony. By Marilyn Sogers Black History Month this year marks the 59th an- niversary of this com- memoration of the contribu- tions of black people to America. The Association for the Study of Afro- American Life and History, organized by Carter G. Woodson, established this annual celebration in 1926 as "Negro History Week." Originally this observance took place in February be- tween the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. However, beginning with the Bicentennial, the celebra- tion was extended from one week to the entire month of February. Under the leadership of Nathaniel Scurry, Director of EPA's Office of Civil Rights, the first program "The Afro-American Fami- ly: Historical Strengths for the New Century" took place February 4 at a Wash- ington, D.C. elementary school. Maureen Bunyan, Anchor- person for WDVM-TV's 6 p.m. news, was the key- note speaker. Also partici- pating in the celebration were Oxon Hill High School's Color Guard, and its Championship Drill Team. Other scheduled pro- grams include: a panel dis- cussion on "How To Get Ahead in EPA"; a lecture/ demonstration on "Contri- butions of Blacks to the Evolution of Music"; and a wine-and-cheese reception, sponsored by the EPA Chapter of Blacks in Gov- ernment, following the clos- ing ceremonies. Black History Month prompts us to reflect on the struggles of all people to rise above their cultural re- strictions. The following ex- cerpt from Robert Louis Tinsley's works seems worth quoting. We can learn many posi- tive lessons from the water lily that grows in less than ideal surroundings. One may wonder how it is pos- sible for a water lily to maintain its fresh, clean appearance while sur- rounded by mucky water. The answer is simple: The water lily resides in its im- pure environment but draws its life-giving nutri- ents through its stems, which are implanted deep into the earth—far beneath the filthy waters. Those who live in less than pleasant or ideal en- vironments need not be- come negative products of those environments. In- stead, the key to successful survival is to tie one's prin- ciples and values to the firm foundation of religious, moral and social ideals. When this is done, one becomes like the water lily— overcoming the neg<^ tive factors and in/Juence^j of its immediate environ- ment and surviving pro- ductively, gracefully and with a great deal of dig- nity. ~ Environmental News "Indians may kill bald eagles and other protected an- imals on reservation lands as long as the feathers and body parts are used only for religious purposes, a federal ap- peals court has ruled. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Ap- peals said that century-old treaties that gave Indians reservation lands included exclusive hunting privileges."—Washington Post, 1/11. "Engine 614—the 1948 vintage Chesapeake & Ohio steam locomotive—has been refurbished and is now haul- ing freight six days a week across the 100 miles between Huntington and Hinton, W. Va. The service is a monthlong experiment set up by Ross Rowland Jr., a millionaire New York City commodities broker and train buff, to demonstrate that railroads should scrap their diesel en- gines and return to coal-fired steam power. Rowland con- tends that rebuilt steam locomotives, still burning coal but equipped with new antipollution devices, can now run more cleanly than diesels."—Time, 1/21. "A private investment firm has been awarded a contract to rent 11,000 square feet of space in downtown Kansas City, Kansas to the Environmental Protection Agency. The awarding of the lease removed one of the last obstacles to the transfer of the environmental agency's regional offices from Missouri to Kansas. The contract, worth $825,000 over 10 years, was awarded Friday to Minnesota Center, Inc. for space at 742 Minnesota Avenue."—The Kansas City Star, 12/23. "William Marks, a longtime environmental activist from New Jersey, may have found a prescription for reviving ponds damaged by acid rain. He dumps seashells in them. Recent tests of Harlick's Pond—a biologically dead pond when it was loaded with seashells a year ago—show that acidity around the shells is being neutralized. In less than a year, the pH level went from 4.0—very acidic—to 5.5. 'That's a considerable improvement—5.5 is suitable for trout,' Marks said."—Providence Journal, 12/23. "You undoubtedly have heard of noise pollution. But how about fighting pollution with noise? Researchers at Pennsylvania State University have been studying a way clean pollutants from smokestacks with high-intensity sound. The sound waves cause tiny soot particles to clump together, making it easier to trap tbem before they enter the atmosphere."—Newsday, 1/8. ~ SYSTEMS GPO 91 3-076 ------- |