SKERV Times NEWS FOR AND ABOUT EPA EMPLOYEES INSIDE: ~ Pay Scale ~ Blood Honor ~ Roach Approach VOLUME 4 NUMBER 4 JANUARY 1987 Distinguished Executives Honored Howard M. Messner, Assistant Administrator for Administration and Re- sources Management, and Dr. John A. Moore, Assis- tant Administrator for Pesti- cides and Toxic Substances, were among 44 "Dis- tinguished Senior Execu- tive" awardees recognized by President Reagan in a White House ceremony on December 8. The awards are presented to managers for exceptional performance over a period of years in leadership positions in the federal government. The same day, Charles L. Elkins, Director, Office of Toxic Substances won a Meritorious Executive Award for his services. "Democracy in a nation as large as ours requires a dedicated team of skilled public servants to carry out the will of the people," the President declared. The Presidential Rank Awards "honor those who, through effort, leadership, and im- agination have most dis- tinguished themselves in this vital work." Constance Horner, Director of the Office of Personnel Manage- ment, said,"I know from my personal acquaintance with many former winners, and some of this year's, that they are toughminded and honorable stewards of democracy." Messner's distinguished career has included key management positions in the Congressional Budget Office, Office of Manage- ment and Budget, and De- partment of Energy, as well as EPA. He demonstrated extraordinary accomplish- ment in these positions by designing and successfully installing administrative and management functions for the newly established Environmental Protection Agency, designing and set- ting up imaginative ad- ministrative systems and a program analysis capability in the new Congressional Budget Office, creating an administrative structure for the new Federal Energy Ad- ministration, providing the thrust for implementation of the Federal Managers' Financial Integrity Act, pushing for programs to combat fraud and waste in government, initiating Re- form '88 as a long-term management effort, launch- ing the President's Private- Sector Survey on Cost Con- trol, and leading the Presi- dent's Council on Manage- ment Improvement in creat- ing and implementing inno- vative concepts to improve administrative services government-wide. Messner has been recognized for his many achievements through receipt of OMB's Award for Exceptional Service, the William A. Jump Memorial Foundation Award for Ex- emplary Service in Public Administration, and elec- tion to membership in the National Academy of Public Administration. During his federal career, Moore has demonstrated ex- traordinary accomplishment through personal initiatives Howard M. Messner in pursuing higher levels of cooperation between and among federal agencies, state governments, and the private sector. At the De- partment of Health and Hu- man Services, Moore de- veloped the National Toxicology Program with resources from several federal organizations, and he developed one of the most outstanding toxicology research groups in the country. At the Environ- mental Protection Agency, he upgraded public and pri- vate sector participation in the regulation and registra- tion of all pesticides mar- keted in the United States, the premanufacture review of new industrial chemicals introduced into commerce, and the assessment, testing, and regulation of industrial chemicals already in use. His innovative policies have greatly boosted the credibility and scientific validity of the regulatory process. Dr. John A. Moore Elkins was recognized for his signal contributions to the Agency over the past 16 years. He helped es- tablished EPA in late 1970 and the critical months thereafter. His positions have included Acting Assis- tant Administrator for Air and Radiation on two occa- sions, Acting Assistant Ad- ministrator for Hazardous Materials Control, Director of the Noise Control Pro- gram, and Director of the Acid Rain Policy Staff. Be- fore coming to EPA, Elkins was budget examiner at the Bureau of the Budget for HEW's environmental, occupational and consumer protection programs. Considering its size, EPA was extremely well represented in these awards; we can all be proud of our winners as well as share in a little of the credit for the valuable work we all do so well. ~ ------- People Retirees: Nanette Liepman, 16 years, Thomas Duke, 28 years, Edward McLean, 23 years, George Meyer, 25 years, Francelia Nelson, 23 years, Norman Whalen, 30 years, Harry Beard, 22 years, Headquarters . . . Melva Downey, 24 years, Hubert Duckett, 18 years, Region 7 . . . Amanda Markey, 7 years, Region 1 . . . Rosemary Witt, 25 years, Region 5 . . . Richard Jamron, 13 years, Ann Arbor . . . Kenneih Moss, 24 years, Las Vegas . . . Sara Sharpe, 20 years, Donald Walters, 28 years, Research Triangle Park. Special Act Awards presented to: Kirk Foster, Air and Radiation . . . Francis Schultz, Robert Peterson, Nancy Frost, and William Weis, Pesticides and Toxic Substances . . . Judith Ford, LuWan Davis, and Shirley Simpler, Research and Development . . . Arelia Wright, Paul Icke, Marie Perez, Cordelia Reynolds, and Joyce Hudson, Water . . . Joni Sage, Solid Waste and Emergency Response . . . Brenda Bray, Shirley Loftin, Janet Harvey, Christopher Dunlap, James Smith, Michael Rickey, Michael Simmons, Rita Fry, Roberta Block, Linda Hudson, Gerald McMillan, Lisa Menno, Rosemary Baratti, Martin Pinto, and Howard Hughes, Office of the Inspectui General. Continued Superior Performance Awards to: Tracy Frazier, Shirley Simpler, Roxanne Settle, Jayne Ramsey, Shirley Lucas, Nancy Kawtoski, Aileen Griggs, Wanda Chaney, Elenora Karicher, Ethel Bush, Patricia Edwards, Lydia Greene, Linda Jones, Barbara Beamer, Thomas Luminello, David Kleffman, Richard Livingston, Thomas Baugh, Lynda Erinoff, Pamela Pentz, Christopher Saint, Teresa Pagano, Patricia Mundy, Donna Thomas, Betty Maisonneuve, Ronald Matheny, and Evelyn Wary, Research and Development . . Waltine Thomas, Deborah Sahadeo, Margaret Beason, Lois Marshall, and Constance McClain, Pesticides and Toxic Substances . . . Sylvia Anderson, Iantha Carley, Patricia Lyttle, Barry Elman, Joyce Morrison, Elsie Windsor, and Joel Smith, Policy, Planning, and Evaluation . . . Joyce Johnson, Nancy Hunt, Pamela Lott, Eugene O'Neil, Patricia Miller, Duane Graham, Larry Wilbon, Robert Banks, Richard Duffy, Eloisc Furbush, Merle Miller, Lisa Oyler, and Linda Flick, Enforcement and Compliance Monitoring . . . Daniel Bell, Robert Beverly, Patricia Blacknall, Joseph Brinkmeller, Fernand Dahan, Gladys Davis, William Hill, Howard Kilgore, Frances Klacik, Russell Kulp, Ronald Mason, Roberta Miller, Percy Peacock, Delta Pereira, Cornelius Rousey, Barbara Royster, Carl Sandine, Silva Saracco, Dixie Taylor, Sterling Wallace, Charles Watkins, Victor Watson, Susan Brewer, Barbara David, Joseph Eastman, Frederick Langholz, Jerome Mackey, Carol Rivers, Christine Thomas, Severa Wilson, Michelle Bynum, Carolyn June, Sylvia Dodge, Phyllis McLaraney, and Mary Smith, Administration & Resources Management . . . Mary Belefski, Nancy Perry, Paula Monroe, Frank Hund, Susan Denagy, Donald Anderson, Glenda Nesby, Harold Coughlin, Denise Beverly, Eugene Crumpler, Dora Craig, Barbara Coracoran. Ann Carkhiiff, Lynda Buie, King Boynton, Hiranmay Biswas, Penny Barles, Warren Banks, Paulette Ballard, Robert Bailey, Christopher Zarba, Joseph Yance, Mitchell Dubensky, Edwin Drabkowski, Frances Desselle, Charles Delos, Janet Goodwin, Gloria Hamm, Nina Harlee, Michelle Harmon, Richard Healy, Evelyn Oakley-Gordon, Elvia Niebla, Michael Morton, Thomas Purcell, Mary Piatt, James Plafkin, Thomas Pandolfl, Alice Mavio, John Maxted, Debra Maness, Lowell Keup, Robert Horn, Sheila Edwards, Matthew Hnatov, Paulette Henry, Martin Brossman, Karen James, Dionne Atkins, Carmelita White]) James Werntz, Duane Wilding, June Lobit, Christine Powers, Mary Tiemann, Marie Winfrey, Carol Allen, Valerie Barnes, Robert Bastian, Georgette Boddie, David Moon, Don Niehus, Walter Gilbert, Richard Thomas, Rita Simon, Peter Shanafhran, Brian Thompson, Paula Williams, Lucy Reed, Sandra Duncan, Georgette Brown, David Evans, Edna Geter, Tod Gold, Sheila Hoover, Dolores Keith, Jannie Latta, Lawrence McGee, William Niess, Arnold Speiser, Eliot Tucker, and Alice Walker, Water . . . Mary Tuohy, Paul Anderson, Sheila Allen, Ann Gile, Beverly Garcia-Frias, Carol Jordan, Renee Goins, Jamie Burnett, Melissa Wing, Thomas Peake, Beverly Lavis, Stephany Cavallo, Bonnie Chiles, Sandra Connell, Richard Friedman, Debra Rosenberg, Wendy Reed, Marcia Ginley, Peter Lidlak, Patricia Little, Shirley Leonard, Anita O'Brien, Phyllis Anderson, Sylvia Correa, and Sheena DuPree, Air and Radiation . . . Barbara Vandeemer, Carol Morey, Nancy Murley, Jacquelyn Davis, William Wagner, Curtis Chetwood, Carl Urattain, Diane Scull, Dennis Poltrine, Zelda Wootzlovsky, Rosemarie Ferghan, Gary Robertson, Karen Sperekas, David Scott, Paul Jalbert, Sheldon Kantrowitz, and Geoffrey Pierce, Office of the Inspector General. Around EPA On October 7.8, EPA was piesenled an award by the American Red Cross for its outstanding contributions in meeting the needs of the Washington Metropolitan Community. EPA welcomes individuals who are committed to helping others join us in recruiting blood donors. In March 1985, Joan LaRock, an EPA employee, recruited donors for a very special reason, to provide blood for her mother during a life-threatening illness. LaRock's efforts helped EPA exceed its goal for the very first time. The next Blood Drive is scheduled for March 19-20. Headquarters employees interested in participating in the EPA Band, Chorus, or Folk Group may contact Mary Mclnnis for all the facts. Telephone: 475-6645. On November 13, EPA held its 4th Annual Small and Disadvantaged Business Awards Ceremony. The Hazardous Site Control Division, Office of Emergency and Remedial Response was named as the Outstanding Headquarter's Program and specific mention was made of the contribution of Paul Nadeau, William Kaschak, Scott Fredericks, and Nancy Willis. George Coblyn, the MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) Coordinator of Region 1, was named as the Outstanding EPA Individual of the Year. Also named were Region 2 as the Outstanding Region for tho socond successive year; NUS Corporation as the Outstanding Prime Contractor, and Analysis Group, Incorporated was named as the Outstanding Minority Business Enterprise of the Year. The Department of Environmental Conservation, State of New York received the award as the Outstanding State program and the City of Pueblo, Colorado was named as the Outstanding Municipal program. Howard Curren of the City of Tampa, Florida was named Outstanding Municipal Program Individual of the Year. ~ ------- One of Us Our thanks to Mary Ellen Guay of Region 6 for submitting the material for this story. Efcofile: Harless Benthul—Region 6 Harless Benthul, associate regional counsel for Region 6, has been called a man of many parts, and his physical activities bear witness to it—technical rock climber and mountaineer, coastal seaman, jogger. He has surmounted Mexican volcano Popocatepetl (17,800 feet), Colorado's Blanca Peak (14,300 feet) and the Crestone Needle (14,100 feet)—the latter two by technical, north-face routes—as well as numerous other climbs in Colorado, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Benthul prepares for such outings by jogging and doing power work-outs, and often drives more than 80 miles after work to practice on rocks near Mineral Wells, Texas. He is past chairman of the Rock Climbing Section of the Dallas Sierra Club. As a native Texan, Benthul translated a love of sailing on Lake Dallas into volunteer work on the restoration of the Elissa, the only authentic square-rigger between Baltimore and San Diego, which sailed to New York for last year's July 4 Miss Liberty Celebration. Built in 1877, the iron barque is an operational sailing ship cum maritime museum. Benthul says that "except for the sore muscles" he enjoyed manning the capstan winch that lifted the mast, just as in the old days. He occasionally serves as a guide aboard the Elissa at her home port in Galveston, regaling locals and tourists alike with his nautical tales from the days when fighting off pirates and trips to Davy Jones' locker were part of every sailor's PD. Benthul is a member of the Dallas Chapter of the U.S. Power Squadron, a private organization of boating enthusiasts with 50,000 national members. He has taught seamanship and coastal piloting to the group and is now serving as assistant treasurer. At EPA, Benthul focuses on litigation having to do with grants, contracts, and personnel matters. If you had a problem with a contractor who failed to meet his obligations, for example, he would probably be the guy to »j your complaints. He is said by colleagues to enjoy the ety as well as the mental challenge of the law. He appreciates the unusual interest the Agency takes in developing its human resources and knows he's part of a real team. EPA, he thinks, "is a great place to spend a substantial part of one's professional career",and he eagerly looks forward to the "protean challenges of the '90s." Friends describe Benthul as another of EPA's Renaissance men, with broad intellectual interests and social commitments. He loves opera and reads widely. A long-time Sierra Club enthusiast, Benthul recognized 20 years ago how urgent it is to save the hydrological, climatological, and geophysical systems that "support our prosperity and our way of life." Benthul attended Texas A&M in his undergraduate years and got his law degree at Southern Methodist. He began his career with University Computing Co. and later joined Texas Instruments. Now 50, he likes to teach young people how to climb safely, for "any excess of bogus machismo can get you killed in a hurry." We bet that Benthul will reach many more peaks, both in his private life and at EPA. ~ The EPA Times is published monthly to provide news and informa- tion for and about EPA employees. Readers are encouraged to submit news of themselves and of fellow employees, letters of opinion, ques- tions, comments, and suggestions to the 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. Features Editor: Don Bronkema Departments Editor: Marilyn Rogers ------- Getting the Bugs Out ... Of Headquarters The concern over the bur- den that pesticides place on the environment extends to EPA's own office facilities. In consequence, an inno- vative program for cock- roach control at Waterside Mall is now being im- plemented. Utilizing integrated pest management (IPM) princi- ples that seek to minimize hazardous control measures and to maximize safe ones, the new approach should result in fewer roaches and less exposure to chemicals—all for less money. A joint study group, comprised of representatives of EPA employees, the pest manager (Paramount Pest Control), and building man- agement (EPA General Ser- vices Branch and Town Center Management), ad- dressed the overall prob- lem. Now a plan of op- eration has been devised by the IPM Unit of the Office of Pesticide Programs, based on data from an IPM cockroach management demonstration program at the U.S. Army's Aberdeen Proving Grounds in 1982- 83. The plan does require a high degree of cooperation by EPA employees. If you suffer from roach excess, complain directly to the EPA Trouble Desk at 382- 2100. Even without pro- fessional treatment, how- ever, individuals may appreciably lower the roach and rodent population by eliminating access to food and water and by keeping offices clean and orderly. For information on IPM and cockroach management, call the Unit office on 557- 5017. ~ The developers of the Waterside pest management plan: (seated, J.to.r.) Myra Cypser, Elaine Suriano, and Lois Dicker, representing the National Federation of Federal Employees; (standing) William Currie of the Office of Pesticide Programs; . Robert Lewis of Paramount Pest Control; and Kenneth Watkins of the Office of Administration and Resources Management. Grade 1987 Federal Pay Scale General Schedule f Step)— 1 2 3 4 5 6 V 8 9 10 1 9,619 9,940 10,260 10,579 10,899 11,087 11,403 11,721 11,735 12,036 2 10,816 11,073 11,430 11,735 11,866 12,215 12,564 12,913 13,262 13,611 3 11,802 12,195 12,588 12,981 13,374 13,767 14,160 M 4,553 14,946 15,339 4 13,248 13,690 14,132 14,574 15,016 15,458 15,900 16,342 16,784 17,226 5 14,822 15,316 15,810 16,304 16,798 17,292 17,786 18,280 18,774 19,268 6 16,521 17,072 17,623 18,174 18,725 19,276 19,827 20,378 20,929 21,480 7 18,358 18,970 19,582 20,194 20,806 21,418 22,030 22,642 23,254 23,866 8 20,333 21,011 21,689 22,367 23,045 23,723 24,401 25,079 25,757 26,435 9 22,458 23,207 23,956 24,705 25,454 26,203 26,952 27,701 28,450 29,199 10 24,732 25,556 26,380 27,204 28,028 28,852 29,676 30,500 31,324 32,148 11 27,172 28,078 28,984 29,890 30,796 31,702 32,608 33,514 34,420 35,326 12 32,567 33,653 34,739 35,825 36,911 37,997 39,083 40,169 41,255 42,341 13 38,727 40,018 41,309 42,600 43,891 45,182 46,473 47,764 49,055 50,346 14 45,763 47,288 48,813 50,338 51,863 53,388 54,913 56,438 57,963 59,488 15 53,830 55,624 57,418 59,212 61,006 62,800 64,594 66,388 68,182 69,976 16 63,135 65,240 67,345 69,450 Maximum rate of basic pay is $70,800. ------- |