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NEWS FOR AND ABOUT EPA EMPLOYEES
INSIDE:
~	FWP Boss Sought
~	Distinguished Scientists
~	The Scarlet Oak
VOLUME 2 NUMBER 15 July 1985
What Are We Doing Here?
Do you get pulled aside at
parties to prescribe pesticides
for crabgrass? Do your
neighbors complain about the
lousy air and ask what you're
going to do about it? Are you
held personally responsible
for the local hazardous waste
site?
Congratulations! Somehow
you must have managed to
convey the scope and
diversity of EPA's
responsibilities. Nevertheless,
an unofficial survey by The
EPA Times found that many
people cherish the following
outrageous misconceptions
about EPA and its employees:
• They're officious tree
huggers, easily identified by
their L.L. Bean outerwear and
heavy-duty backpacks. They
live in caves and eschew
modern plumbing.
• They're legal barracudas,
closing in for the death blow
to American industry. In
addition to regulating
business out of existence,
their main professional duty
is to compete for the least
intelligible prose, with the
winners getting their work
published in the Federal
Register.
• They're from another
galaxy. Who else would
spend so much time wading
through kepone muck and
shuttling among toxic
dumps? Besides, no one has
seen these people out of their
moon suits in five years.
•There is no EPA. There are
only official spokespersons.
When pressed, their job is to
say convincingly "The
Agency is in the process of
developing a coordinated
strategy to address this
issue."
Now for a little reality.
EPA has more than 14,000
employees in over 200 job
categories. And, contrary to
one former administrator's
belief, there's not an official
tree hugger among them.
So what kind of people
does EPA employ?
You would expect EPA to
use the services of biologists,
economists, chemists,
physicists, and statisticians.
/oe Gormley.
a sanitary engineer
with the Office of Municipal
Pollution Control,
is a member of our
most populous job
classification. Hut most
members are called
environmental engineers,
a title that Gormley says
is "sexier."
Some employees like getting dressed up nice for the office, but
George Prince and Royal Nadeau find face masks and parkas
more appropriate for frozen ponds. The men are collecting
samples as part of their varied duties on EPA's Environmental
Response Team.
And it does. But most of all,
it uses sanitary engineers,
1746 of them. As of May 25,
1985, almost 40 percent of
the Agency's employees fell
into just four job categories:
sanitary engineers: secretaries
(1195); environmental
protection specialists (1189);
and physical scientists
(1116).
Those are the most
populous jobs. (Note that,
strangely enough, lawyers
are not included; the Agency
is left to fend with only 500
of them.) At the other end of
the scale are the 39 lonely
occupations that have only
one employee each. Due to
the unfathomable vagaries of
the civil service classification
system, EPA has. for
example, only one official
patent attorney, one lone
industrial engineer, and one
soil conservationist. And
then there are the jobs you
might never expect here,
such as barge operator,
psychologist. language
specialist, and mediator.
But the jobs our
investigators voted "most
unexpected" are held by six
employees at RTP. They are
cryptographic equipment
operators, and they probably
hold the only top secret
security clearances you are
likely to find in an
environmental agency. They
staff EPA's emergency
preparedness
communications system, and
they're on duty 24 hours per
day, 7 days a week.
Of course, most of us at
EPA aren't on call like that.
But in one way or another,
it's our job to prepare for or
prevent emergencies. From
administering the Agency to
maintaining the equipment,
from typing reports to
developing regulations—
we're all in the same line
of work. And if anyone
asks what we really do here,
just say we're in the
protection business. ~

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People
Region 10 employee Pamela Wright has received an
Employee-of-the-Year award from the Seattle Federal
Executive Board. A total of eight winners were selected from
among the 19,000 Federal workers in the Puget Sound area.
Wright received her award for work with non-community
public water systems in Oregon.
Walter Schuk, an engineering technician with EPA in
Cincinnati, was named Federal Employee of the Year in the
technician/assistant/aid category. Schuk, of Batavia, won for
his accomplishments in instrumentation and for the technical
assistance he has given many cities and municipalities. The
award was given by the Federal Business Association and the
Greater Cincinnati Federal Executive Board.
The National Parks & Conservation Association has chosen
Joyce Kelly, former Division Chief for Recreation, Cultural,
and Wilderness Resources for the Bureau of Land
Management, as the Mid-Atlantic Regional winner of the
coveted Stephen T. Mather Award. Kelly, now with EPA's
Drinking Water Program, received this award which
recognizes public employees who have risked their careers for
the preservation of America's environmental integrity.
The Administrator has nominated Carolyn June, a secretary
with the Office of Research and Development, for the
Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues' Fifth Annual
Congressional Secretarial Fellowship.
Retiree: Agnes Olsen, 30 years, Region 6.
Quality Step Increases awarded to Michael Walker.
Enforcement and Compliance Monitoring . . . Barbara Moore,
John Walker, and Carol Parker. Pesticides and Toxic
Substances.
Special Act Awards presented to: Nelson Hallman and
Pamela Weems, Administration and Resources Management
. . . Victoria Edmunds and Dana Knudser. Research and
Development . . . Laura Cross and Margaret Benson,
Pesticides and Toxic Substances . . . John Jaksch, Policy,
Planning and Evaluation . . . Janett Leno, Air and Radiation . . .
Betty West, Water . . . Jim Marks, Janemarie Newton, and
Amelia Libertz. Region 3.
Sustained Superior Performance Awards to: Gloria Osman
and Eric Peterson, Policy, Planning and Evaluation . . . Janis
Jeffers, Water.
Bronze Medals for commendable service awarded to: Allan
Richardson, Stanley Lichtman. John Russell, Eleanor Jones,
William Ellett, Christopher Nelson, Neal Nelson, and Byron
Bunger, Air and Radiation.
The EPA running team of John Moore, Gareth Pearson, Bob
Snelling, Jim McNamara, and Don Betowski won third place
in the seventh annual Las Vegas Track Club Marathon Relay
on March 30. Their combined time of 3:03:33 was only 9
seconds slower than the winning time. All five men are EPA
employees at the Environmental Monitoring Systems
Laboratory, Las Vegas. ~
Training Opportunities
The following courses will be held in the Headquarters Training Center.
For further information contact the Progream Assessment and Support
Branch at 382-2997.
Introduction to Quantitative Decision Analysis. August 7-9.
Writing Skills for Secretaries and Administrative
Assistants. August 21-22.
Congressional Briefing Conference for Secretaries and
Administrative Assistants. September 9 and 10. ~
Secretaries Day 1985 observances in Region 2 included uuurds
to Angela Hernandez (lull), secretary of Ihe year; Laura
Cosenfino (center), Stay-in-School Program student of the year:
and Rosetta Picca fright) clerk-typist of Ihe year.
Around EPA
Region 6 receives a plaque recognizing highest
participation in the Agency's 1985 Savings Bonds campaign.
Congratulations to Joe Swick. Rosemary Henderson, campaign
coordinators, and John Floeter, Assistant Regional
Administrator for Management.
Nine top scientists selected as participants in EPA's
Distinguished Visiting Scientist Program. The 1985 selections
were made from a field of 70 candidates from five different
countries. They will conduct research in the Agency
laboratories. The winners are: Dr. Ananda Chakrabarty,
University of Illinois: Dr. Peter Chapman, University of
Minnesota; Dr. John Emlen, Oregon State University: Dr.
Robert Floyd, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation: Dr.
John Goldsmith, Ben Gurion University (Israel): Dr. Abraham
Hsie, Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Dr. Goran Lofroth,
Nordic School of Public Health (Sweden); Dr. Anil Nerode,
Cornell University; and Dr. Ronald Olsen. University of
Michigan.
Ten summer fellowships are awarded through a cooperative
agreement with the American Association for the
Advancement of Science. The ten fellows were selected from
200 applicants after a written and oral competition. Each
awardee will receive a weekly stipend and an $800 relocation
allowance. Eight of the Fellows will work with policy and
regulatory officials in EPA program offices; while the other
two will work in EPA laboratories. The 1985 winners are: Dr.
Appiah Amirtharajah, Johns Hopkins University; Dr. Patricia
Bradt, Lehigh University; Dr. Margaret Carter, West Chester
University; Dr. Jerzy Filar, Johns Hopkins University; Dr.
William McTernan, University of Wyoming; Dr. Lisa Nowell,
University of California-Davis; Dr. Deborah Ross, Proctor and
Gamble Company; Dr. Terry Shehata, State
Toxicologist-Maine; Dr. Aarne Vesiland, Duke University; and
Dr. Marylynn Yates, University of Arizona.
Howard Messner, EPA's Assistant Administrator for
Administration and Resources Management, has been selecte^^
as the first Vice Chairman of the President's Council on
Management Improvement. In that capacity, he will be
working directly to provide much of the planning, guidance,
and coordination of the President's Management Improvement
efforts. ~

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Agency Activities
Conferences, Etc.
EPA's Chief Judicial Officer holds that the agency cannot
hazardous waste law enforcement action when a state
a^Rorized by EPA to run its own hazardous waste program
already has taken reasonable and appropriate action. This
decision will reassure the states that EPA will lully support
their actions to enforce compliance with hazardous waste
rules But it also makes clear that EPA can act if state
enforcement is inadequate.
Ford Motor Company recalls approximately 119,000 1981
model year passenger cars to assure that the vehicles will
meet federal exhaust standards lor hydrocarbons and carbon
monoxide. The affected 1981 model year cars are Ford
Mustang. Grenada. Fairmont, and Tluiuderbird models and
Mercury Capri. Zephyr. Cougar, and XR-7 models equipped
with 4.2-liter or 5.0-hter eight-cylinder engines. California
vehicles are not included in the recall. The repair will consist
of replacement of the carburetor choke pulldown motor.
EPA, the State of Indiana, the Countv of Monroe. Indiana,
and the City of Bloomington. Indiana, reached a hazardous
waste settlement with VVestmghouse Electric Corporation to
clean up contamination from polvchlorinated biphenyls at six
sites in the Bloomington area. EPA estimates the settlement is
worth between S75 million and $100 million.
EPA proposes a civil penalty ot S650.000 against the
Imperial Petroleum Corporation of Seattle for improperly
blending alcohols with unleaded gasoline. EPA sent Imperial,
a distributor of gasoline in the Seattle area, a notice of
violation, which cites the company for violations of the Clean
Air Act fuel regulations for manulacturing an illegal unleaded
gasoline blend from December 1983 through September 1984.
•\ grand jury hands down a criminal indictment against the
(iei of a Califoiilia-based automobile Import and emission
testing facility which had submitted false emission test results
on imported cars to EPA. The U.S. Attornev's office in l.ns
Angeles is filing 35 felony charges a<;amsl Albert M;irdil'ian.
owner of Trend Import Sales and Albert Mardikian
Engineering in Orange County. California.
EPA announces a national strategy to reduce the rusks from
toxic air pollutants. The strategy specifically calls lor
expanding the focus of the national air toxics control program
from solely regulating individual pollutants to also regulating
multiple pollutants from different source categories.
EPA awards $45 million in grants and loans to the nation's
most needy schools to help abate asbestos hazards. A total of
341 schools were selected from 4800 applicants to get federal
funds under the Asbestos School Hazard Abatement Act ot
1984 (ASHAA). To help all schools. EPA is also pursuing a
variety of federal assistance measures under a new group
called the Asbestos Action Program, including helping states
set up contractor certification programs, establishing training
centers, and expanding and updating guidance and technical
assistance. ~
Available Information
Selections fro in k'PA Library holdings iWticli nxiv be <> I ^onern/ infiwcsl.
A Bib/iogrnphv of Documents Issued hv the GAU on Mailers
Related to A OP'. JK468.A8 1984
^^pmpendium of GAU's Views on the Cusl Savings Proposals
ipffie Grace Commission: Report Io the Chairman. Senate
Committee on Governmental Allans Hv the Coinjilrol lei General
of the United Stales. JK 42 l. A (Hi. 1985.
Energy Productivily: Kev hi Knvironmenluf Protection
li'conomic Progress. I IC79 VV(>7 no 1)3. 1985.
Pollution Research and I he Research Coancds TDI78.7 G7
157. 1977 ~
The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
(SETAC) will hold its Sixth Annual Meeting November 10-13.
1985. in St Louis. Missouri. This year's theme is "New
Perspectives in Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry."
For more information, contact the SETAC Office. P.O. Box
4352. Rockville. Maryland 20850 Telephone: 301-468-6704.
The National Water Well Association and the International
Ground-Water Modeling Center. Holcomb Research Institute,
will present "Practical Applications of Ground-Water
Models—a Conference and Exposition." This 2-day
conference will be held August 19-20. 1985 at the Fawcett
Center for Tomorrow. Columbus. Ohio. For more information,
contact Lisa Ammerman, 500 W. Wilson Bridge Rd.,
Worthington, Ohio 43085. Telephone 614-846-9355.
The Acid Rain Information Clearinghouse (ARIC) will
sponsor a conference "Liming Acidic Waters: Environmental
and Policy Concerns" October 30 and 31 at the Hilton Hotel.
Albany. New York. For more information, contact ARIC. 33 S.
Washington Street, Rochester, New York 14608 Telephone
716-546-3796 ~
Letters
. . ci mucins for Agency ompkneus to conimmnccite Io oilier employees
ivhcilovor messages of criticism, praise opinion, or explanation thc\ :io
desire Ihvvitv and i;oni;tnicthi> suggestions cue encouraged obscenity and
rudeness cue dn.nl/oivod Lulluru iidl be published iiy space allow:: and nine
be edited for clarity und conciseness No attempt is made bi the editor to
t'on/irm cmy data prusunted bv conespondents and tlw opinions e\pi\:;ised
should not bo Icikun to represent Agency pouilioiui. unit::;:; ai^ncd by llu'
hocid of thu appropriate office All letters must be ji^iu:d and ckVumpiiiik.d
by submitter's office foccilion and telephone number
Dear Editor.
The article "New Dollars for New Ideas" (The EPA Times
May 1985) is both encouraging and discouraging. It is
encouraging because the fresh attention being paid the
suggestion program may turn it into a better program. It is
discouraging because it reminds me of the many problems we
have had at RTP.
This is not the place to list the local problems, but let me
compare one local experience with the article's example ot
the approved suggestion that we use word processing
software to check spelling. In June. 1983. three ot us caretully
researched and submitted a suggestion to put many EPA
standard forms on Lexitron diskettes. It was rejected We
responded to all reasons given for the rejection, and
resubmitted the suggestion. It was rejected a second time So
we implemented it locally, on our own. It is our
understanding that the Information Systems Division also
implemented it and made it available to anyone who wants it.
The system works quite well: the forms are very easy to use,
and here they now are used routinelv.
This suggestion, if implemented Agency-wide, would save
EPA thousands of dollars. Why it would not be ap|jroved.
when a suggestion to buy readily available canned software
would be. is difficult to understand.
John Kobson
Research Triangle Park

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Women's Program
Manager Needed
by Patricia Minami
EPA's Federal Women's
Program (FVVP). established
by law to work toward equal
oppportunity for women
within the federal
government, is seeking a
new manager (FWPM) for
Headquarters. This position
needs to be filled as soon as
possible due to the pending
resignation of Dr. Penny
Fenner-Crisp, who served as
FWPM for over two years.
The FWP extends its thanks
to Penny for her dedication
and hard work.
The duties of the FWPM
include recommending
sources for recruiting
qualified women, identifying
opportunities and barriers to
implementing the Agency's
Affirmative Action Plan, and
promoting both the FWP and
recognition of women at
EPA. This is a collateral
position—the incumbent,
with the supervisor's
approval, officially schedules
FWP duties in addition to the
incumbent's normal
responsibilities. Anyone
interested in this position
may call Cecelia Scott at
382-4563. Note: Similar
positions are open for
manager of EPA's Black
Emphasis Program and the
Hispanic Emphasis Program.
For more information, call
Jim Maes at 382-4569. ~
Environmental News	
A selection of noteworthy lines chosen from the 300-400 newspaper unci
magazine articles on environmental matters which we receive every two
weeks.
"Mounds of fish waste grew higher and smellier on fishing
piers from Gloucester to New Bedford in one of the worst
garbage-disposal crises ever to plague the Massachusetts
fishing industry. The wastes have been accumulating since a
Gloucester processing plant shut down more than two weeks
ago because of residents' complaints of noxious fish odors.
Tons of inedible parts discarded from fish filleted for
restaurants and homes throughout the country have piled up
in coolers, bins, and trailer trucks as leaders of the industry
and state environmental officials have sought ways to get rid
of the problem."—Boston Globe, 5/26.
"The country's first full-scale wastewater treatment plant
dedicated to bringing sewage effluent up to drinking water
standards is going through final shakedown operations in El
Paso, Texas. Scheduled for dedication on June 7, the
$26-million plant will treat and polish municipal wastewater
for injection into the city's main water supply, the shrinking
Hueco Bolsen aquifer. El Paso Water Utilities General
Manager John Hickerson estimated the Hueco Bolsen would
be 97 percent depleted by 2040 if the city pumps water at a
rate of 150,000 acre-ft per year without increasing the
recharge rate. Using technology developed for industrial
wastewater treatment, El Paso will treat its municipal sewage
with a six-step process. Operating costs for the $33-million
project are $1.90 per 1,000 gallon of water, $1.30 more than
present costs."—Engineering News Uncord. 5/9.
"Microscopic bugs that devour toxic chemicals may one
day be used to purify contaminated underground water
supplies quickly and economically. Federal environmental
scientists say discovery of the bacteria could provide the first
real breakthrough in cleansing huge subterranean aquifers
contaminated by leaching toxic chemicals. To clean an
aquifer, methane gas would be pumped into the underground
water reserve along with the bugs—actually a group of
bacteria known as methanotrophs. The bacteria would oxidize
the methane and degrade the chemicals." Syracuse
Herald-Journal, 4/8. U
In celebration of the University of Georgia's 200111 anniversary, a
scarlet oak ivas planted at the EPA's Environmental lieseurcll
Laboratory in Athens. The tree, provided by the t.'niversiM . is
one of several hundred planted at public and private locations
throughout the city. Participating in the planting ceremony (from
left) were Mr. lames Finger. Director a I Hegion 4's Environmental
Services Division: Mrs. Haley D. Haley. Contract/Administration
Specialist; and Dr. liosemarie Husso. Director of' OHD's
Environmental Research Laboratory. The location ot each tree
has been registered with the University with the expectation that
many will be in their full maturity for the tercentenary in 2085.
As part oj the 50th anniversary celebration of the soil and ivater
conservation movement this past April, a special exhibit
highlighted ongoing cooperative soil and water conservation
efforts. Pictured above is I'eter Myers. Assistant Se< relarv for
Naturul Resources and Environment. U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA), in front of a display illustrating cooperative
efforts between FA'A and USDA In controlling nonpoint source
water pollution. fMvers ivas Uhiel of the Soil Conservation
Service	This display was developed by /im Meek of
EPA's Nonpoint Sources Branch a ml lul McKay o I EPA's
Audiovisual Division.
The HI'A l imns is published 24 times per year to provide news and ™
information lor and about 101 'A 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 Kt'A
Times, Office of Public Affairs (A-107). Telephone ;)82-4:(,r>9. Information
selected lor publication will be edited as necessary in keeping with
space available.
I! 11H' It!1 I'totc, lion Atu,

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