Times news ion and y\nc)i/ r employees Inside: Feds to the Fore OEA Awards VOLUME 5 NUMBER 3 MARCH 1988 NAEP Honors Thomas EPA Administrator Lee Thomas was recently recognized by the National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP) with an honorary membership for his career achievements and leadership in environmental protection. NAEP President Audrey Binder, OTS, presented the award to Thomas at a reception held in his honor. NAEP is a non-profit, interdisciplinary professional society, headquartered in Washington but with over 1000 members nationwide, many of whom are EPA employees. Founded in 1975, the group publishes a journal and a newsletter, and is gaining national renown as the certifying organization for the environmental profession. ~ Presidential Awards Distinguished and Meritorious Presidential Rank Awards for 1987 have been presented by Lee Thomas to SES members for outstanding achievement in protecting the nation's health and environment. Distinguished Senior Executive Awards were given to Alexandra B. Smith, Deputy Regional Administrator, Region 8; Rebecca W. Hanmer, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water; and Michael B. Cook, Director, Office of Drinking Water. Meritorious Senior Executive Awards went to Herbert Barrack, Assistant Regional Administrator for Policy and Management, Region 2; Don R. Clay, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation; Frank M. Covington, Deputy Regional Administrator, Region 5; Willis E. Greenstreet, Director, Office of Administration and Resources Management, RTP; Norbert A. Jaworski, Director, Environmental Research Lab-Narragansett; James R. Moore, Regional Counsel-Region 10; Thomas A. Murphy, Director, Environmental Research Lab-Corvallis; Courtney Riordan, Director, Office of Environmental Processes and Effects Research; John H. Skinner, Director, Office of Environmental Engineering and Technology; and Stephen R. Wassersug, Director, Hazardous Waste Management Division, Region 3. ~ Brain Drain According to Mike Causey, Post columnist, the Senior Executives Association says the retirement rate for career federal executives has risen 61 percent in the last seven years. SEA President Carol Bonosaro blames the phenomenon on low pay and pay freezes, and claims the "executive exodus could spell trouble for federal programs and the career service." SEA has begun analyzing case histories to see why so many top federal executives leave and some stay despite munificent offers from the private sector. Causey also reports virtual unanimity among both Republican and Democratic officials of recent years, regardless of background or ideology, that they never worked with sharper or more dedicated people than civil servants, who they admit are generally underpaid and overworked. One caveat: these top guns also insist upon the importance of reforms that would let them fire outright the one-half of one percent who are incompetent, dishonest or disruptive. ~ PMS In March, many EPA executives, managers and employees will get a chance to evaluate how well the Performance Management System (PMS) is doing its job. The major features of PMS are performance agreements, mid-year performance and career development reviews, and annual performance appraisal and compensation decisions. The agency wants to know which parts of the system are working well and which may need some refinement, so about 2,600 questionnaires will be sent to a randomly-selected sample, asking managers and employees to share their experiences on PMS standards-setting and appraisal features. EPA commissioned a similar survey in 1984 that lead to an extensive management training and communication program stressing better and more frequent performance feedback. ~ Contracts Award Ceremony On January 14, 1988, EPA awarded $500,000 to the National Association of Minority Contractors (NAMC) to conduct training programs in Supeifund hazardous waste removal for small and minority contractors. Attending the signing ceremony were, left to right, seated: Thomas Beamer, EPA contracting officer; Ra/ph Thomas, Exec. Dir., NAMC; left to right, standing: Cong. Louis Stokes; John Ropes, Dir., Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business; Deputy Admin. Jim Barnes; David O'Connor, Dir., Procurement and Contracts Management Div. ~ ------- Feds to the Fore At a time when civil servants are still routinely savaged as leeches whose only function is to live off the fat of the land, one is always hungry for evidence to the contrary. A new Congressional Budget Office study shows that some 270,000 extra employees would have had to be hired over the last 10 years to accomplish that part of the rising workload due to population growth alone had not we feds boosted our output to match it. Some 70 percent of feds now work in defense, veterans services, the post office or health care, and employment has held steady during the past decade in these areas, with the exception of health, while productivity escalated. Meanwhile, the proportion of staff with college or graduate degrees has shot up to a level far higher than in the labor force EPA Celebrates OIG Week EPA's Office of Inspector General celebrated its eighth anniversary February 9. Three EPA managers were presented the "OIG Recognition Award" for exemplifying teamwork to promote efficiency, effectiveness and integrity: Pasquale (Pat) A. Alberico, Deputy Director, Compliance and Program Operations, Office of Enforcement and Compliance Monitoring; Kittybelle Rivera, Assistant Regional Counsel, Region 4; and Harold W. Hopkins, Chief, Facilities Construction Branch, Water Management Division, Region 4. Rivera is shown here with Lee Thomas(L) and John Martin, IG. ~ as a whole, despite the low wages paid professionals in the public sector. According to CBO and other sources, the size of government is hard to cut because of the critical nature of the services providedmanaging our two-trillion dollar debt, regulating transportation safety, conducting scientific and medical research, overseeing the stock exchanges, protecting public health, building highways, spreading educational opportunity, safeguarding the environment, gathering business statistics, negotiating peace and trade agreements, serving in the Peace Corps, sending out those social security checks and so forth. These and hundreds of other vital functions have earned strong political support across the country. If government is too big, they ask, where should the knife be applied? ~ Meyers to OIA Lee Thomas has announced the appointment of Sheldon Meyers as Acting Associate Administrator for the Office of International Activities, effective January 24, 1988. Meyers has been Director of the Office of Radiation Programs since September 1984, responsible for the development and promulgation of national radiation rules and regulations, the operation of a national ambient radiation monitoring system, the introduction of a national indoor-radon program and running a nuclear emergency-response team. He has served in a number of senior positions here at EPA and the Department of Energy. Meyers comes to his new post with a strong background in a broad range of international activities including the negotiation of bilateral agreements and representing the United States at numerous international meetings and symposia. He also has extensive experience in environmental, nuclear and hazardous waste management and government operations and methods. Thomas said he expects Meyers to make a valuable contribution in leading OIA at a time of intensified activity. He has been succeeded as head of ORP by Richard Guimond, quondam chief of the Radon Division. ~ 1987 OEA Awards Individual Bronze Medalists Al Heier, OPA Christo/er Ho//, OLA Paul Kaldjian. OFA Lee Herwig, OFA Group Bronze Medalists/ Indians Workgroup Anne Milier, OFA Lee Price, OFA Casey Ambutas, Region 5/OFA Al Havinga, ODW/OFA Deborah Gates, Region JO/OF A Group Bronze Medalists/ Human Resources Forum Connie Thonlpkins Clara Mickles Pamela Abraham /anice Berry-Chen Jack Lewis Carolyn Lowe Paul Murray Linda Strachan Yvonne Weber Vera Hannigan Don Flattery Mary McCarthy-O'Reilly Certificates of Appreciation Pearl Young, OFA Robert Storey, OAA Ho I ley DurJey, OFA Frank Saunders, Confractor/Faciiities Special Achievement Plaques Frank Rusincovitch, OFA Johanna Hunter, OCL Rob Brenner, OAR Barbara Goetz, Region 6 Loretla Marzetti, EPA Library Gretl Cox, EPA Library Emma McNamara, EPA Library Plaques/Certificates of Appreciation for Outsiders Dave Ketcham, U.S. Forest Service Carol Kochesien, National League of Cities Barbara Paley, National Association of Counties Nancy New, National Conference of State Legislatures OEA Communicator Awards Pat Bonner, Chesapeake Bay Office Hazel Groman, Office of Wetlands Protectic Brooke Cook, Director of Public Affairs, Region 1 Jim Marshall. Director of Public Affairs, Region 2 Janet Viniski, Director of Public Affairs, Region 3 ------- blA4+A£t*hliJ, Note* «iman perimentation An interagency committee is about to conclude a long-term project to develop a model federal policy for the prolectiun uf human leseaich subjects. It is expected that many of EPA's health effects and exposure-monitoring studies will be subject to these strictures because the policy "applies to all research involving human subjects conducted, supported or otherwise subject to regulation by any federal department or agency," with few named exemptions. Lee Thomas is requesting that each EPA office sponsoring or requiring human studies nominate a representative to an Agency-wide workgroup to be charged with updating human-research-subject procedures. Dr. Ken Sexton, Director of the Office of Health Research, ORD, will chair this important effort. ~ Security "Security Guidelines for Government Executives", a new booklet published by GSA, tells federal managers how to protect themselves, their coworkers and their families from criminal acts, abnormal behavior and terrorist tactics. Prepared by GSA's Federal Protective Service, the 28-page ^lblication is part of the Agency's ongoing Urime-prevention program, and contains extensive recommendations for office, home, family and travel protection. There is also an in-depth treatment of entry security, including locks, doors, windows and a handy checklist. Director Richard Hankinson said FPS is willing to work with federal executives in conducting physical-security surveys of the workplace and devising appropriate protection and response plans. In November 1987 the Service issued "What You Should Know About Preventing Thefts in the Federal Workplace." Additional titles are forthcoming; in the DC metro area call 472 1632 for free copies. ~ Task Force on Enviro-Disease Lee Thomas has submitted to Congress EPA's Ninth Annual Report of the Task Force on Environmental Cancer and Heart and Lung Disease. The task force sponsors workshops and promotes cooperation among 15 member agencies in an effort to identify risks and consolidate scientific research recommendations, with the goal of reducing dangers posed to human health by environmental pollutants. During 1986, the task force examined federal risk-communication Ktivities, conducted a workshop for academically-based cupational-medicine physicians and completed a five-year plan of activities based on analysis of critical issues. The current report presents three recommendations. The first two emphasize the need for education and training of health professionals with regard to hazards that may exist in certain environmental and occupational settings, and the need for surveillance and collaboration among physicians when identifying and treating patients so exposed. The third touts primary health-care providers in the community as important sources of information to patients about potential health effects of exposure to pollutants. The task force also provides guidance to the scientific and regulatory community on the complex relationship betweon environmental pollution and human disease. Thomas said "tho coordination of task force agencies continues to result in scientific and educational advances and in more open communication with health professibnals and the general public." ~ Enforcement Management Council Deputy Administrator Jim Barnes has announced the establishment of an Enforcement Management Council, a forum for representatives of all components of the Agency's enforcement program to discuss policy and coordination issues. The Council is expected to identify ways to streamline administrative and judicial case management, foster region-specific strategic planning, including enforcement targeting, and bolster follow-up vis-a-vis settlement agreements and orders. This action arises from a meeting last August in Easton, Maryland, focused on ways to streamline and enhance the enforcement process. One product of that session was a recommendation that the group be given a clear mandate for future action. The Council consists of headquarters and regional representatives from each program area, one environmental services director, a representative of the Administrator's office, and representatives from offices of regional counsel and the Office of Enforcement and Compliance Monitoring. "The participants have been selected", Barnes said, "for their valued experience within the agency, and the sound judgment and agencywide view they bring to this effort. In designating members wo also sought to achieve broad regional representation." The Council chairmanship will rotate annually between OECM and the lead region for enforcement. While its permanent membership is established in a charter, others will be invited to participate on given matters of interest. Barnes stated that he is enthusiastic about the work of the Council and looks forward to "collaborating with it in finding concrete ways to improve enforcement. I will rely upon the Council to evaluate and review enforcement issues and to make recommendations to me for implementation through normal agency mechanisms." ~ New Bibliography The Headquarters Library has developed a new bibliography in support of waste minimization and to improve access to current source reduction and rocycling information. Compiled with assistance from the Office of Solid Waste, Waste Minimization: Hazardous and Non-Hazardous Solid Waste (1980 to Present), includes citations from journals, books, government reports, bibliographies, conference proceedings, techno-scientific ------- H bioXtA papers and speeches. The document includes five appendices on state programs supporting waste minimization, EPA regional minimization contacts, recycling periodicals, etc. Call Sheila Richard, Headquarters Library, 382-5922, for information. ~ The Montreal Protocol EPA continues to push hard for implementation of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The Department of State completed the final stages of document preparation and on December 21 the President sent the Protocol to the Senate, where it awaits hearings. Lee Thomas, in trips abroad and meetings with foreign officials in Washington, has been urging all parties to sign and ratify the Protocol as soon as possible. On December 1, Thomas signed a proposed rule laying out EPA's method of implementation and a final rule requiring firms to notify us of their production, import and export levels of ozone-depleting compounds in 1986. These data will provide a clear basis for determining the U.S. baseline and will be checked against data from the Chemical Manufacturers Association (CMA) and the International Trade Commission. In Montreal, Resolution Three called for all signatories "to take expeditiously all steps necessary to acquire data and report on the production, import and export of controlled substances in a complete and timely fashion." UNEP has already cabled nations requesting these data and has tentatively scheduled a meeting in the coming months to discuss data collection and implementation. EPA has briefed House and Senate staffs on the Protocol, which proposes an "allocated quota" approach to limiting production of specified chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons, with provisions related to timing, scope of coverage, reduction scheduling, trade and review. The Agency's December 1 proposal states that its rule would take effect co-evally with the Protocol. While EPA is optimistic that the required number of signatories will ratify by January 1, 1989, if that does not occur EPA regulations would be suspended. Assuming that the Protocol, and therefore our rule, goes into effect, EPA has promulgated the same scheduled phase-down in production and consumption of regulated chemicals required by the Protocol. At a recent public hearing on the proposed rule, the Agency received virtually unanimous support from industry for full implementation of the Protocol. Though this reduction schedule legally fulfills our commitment, EPA has asked for comments on various options to be used with or in lieu of the allocated quota system, making it clear that the scheduled reductions are subject to periodic review and emendation by the parties. ~ Triple-T Terminates Lee Thomas has distributed to leading EPA executives the final report of the Administrator's Task Force on Technology Transfer and Training, representing the culmination of many months of collaborative effort among senior managers from federal, state and local governments. "The conclusions and recommendations in this report reflect a solid consensus", said Thomas. "I consider this a an excellent report and concur with its recommendation^ Thomas commended the task force members for their contribution and has requested that the report be given serious attention by all addressees. The Administrator pointed out that improvement of state and EPA relations is one of his highest priorities, and that implementing task force recommendations will be a good way to upgrade existing institutional partnerships. He intends to support a significant action-oriented technology transfer and training program this year. In this connection Thomas announced the appointment of Tom Parker as the Director of the recommended agencywide technology transfer staff, initially housed within the Office of Regional Operations. The new staff will sustain the positive momentum of the task force and set priorities which address agency processes, identify problems and provide solutions. Thomas said he expects everyone to work together to build an organizational framework that stimulates agencywide, cross-media, multi-disciplinary technology transfer and trainingin other words, constructive action across and beyond traditional boundaries. Thomas pointed out that the new focus is not intended to obstruct or impede ongoing efforts, but rather to strengthen EPA capabilities through systematic implementation of the task force recommendations. The task force will convene at an appropriate time this year to assess progress and identify any necessary mid-course corrections. He commended task force executive director Jack Stanton for his sedulous work in the development of the report. Stanton is slated to continue to provide a significant contribution through his new technology-transfer management role in the Office of Research and Development. ~ Bringing the Bad Guys to Justice Lee A. DeHihns III (r.), Acting Administrator for Region 4, accepts an initial payment of $387,001 from Gene Roberts, Mayor of Chattanooga, TN for damages recovered by the city after contractors were found guilty of bid-rigging on EPA-funded wastewater-treatment facilities. The total recovery was $4.1 million. ~ ------- |