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Greetings OSP Staff:
This is the first OSP update of 2006, and I
wanted to take this opportunity to thank
all of the OSP staff members for their
continued leadership in ensuring that
strong science continues to play a promi-
nent role in Agency decision making,both
in the Program and Regional Offices. As
reflected by the articles within this
edition, we continue to make meaningful
contributions to our many customers,
including Dr. George Gray, ORD's new
Assistant Administrator and EPA Science
Advisor; ORD's labs, centers, and offices;
and the program and regional offices.
In addition,the new Integrated Service Staff
portal now is providing all ORD employees
in the Ronald Reagan Building highly effi-
cient and cost-effective financial and admin-
istrative services.l am proud of our A-team as
they continue to provide the same excellent
customer service to all of headquarters that
we have always enjoyed in OSP. I also would
like to thank Mary Ellen for her leadership in
managing the shift to this new administra-
tive andfinancial support paradigm for ORD.
As always, I look forward to hearing your
thoughts and ideas as we focus on the
opportunities and challenges that lie ahead
in service to our customers and protecting
human health and the environment.
February 2006
On May 16-18,2006, EPA will host its fifth
annual science forum to showcase EPA's
scientific accomplishments, demonstrate
EPA's commitment to quality science, and
highlight the impact of science in EPA deci-
sion-making. This year's forum is entitled
"Your Health,Your Environment,Your Future."
This exciting event is designed to bring
together top scientists, policy-makers, and
citizens to explore how collaborative
science and research are leading the effort
to better understand environmental chal-
lenges, and provide effective tools for help-
ing EPA meet its mission of protecting
human health and safeguarding the natu-
ral environment.The2006 Forum will high-
light advances in risk assessment science,
explore the relationship between public
health and our environment,and examine
the complementary roles of federal public
health agencies. This event is an ideal
opportunity to learn how science and
innovation are used to protect health and
the environment and how that informa-
tion is delivered to decision makers to
Forum continued on p. 2
zii
Both the Indian Program Policy Council (IPPC)
and the national EPA-Tribal Science Council
(TSQ convened meetings at the Navajo
Nation in Window Rock, Arizona, during the
week of Novem ber 14,2005. Kevin Teich ma n,
OSP Director, represents ORD on the IPPC, a
body of EPA senior managers who advise and
support the Agency on major policy, science,
and implementation issues affecting EPA
programs and activities in Indian Country.
Tom Barnwell, from the National Center for
Environmental Research (NCER), represents
ORDontheTSC, which consists of Agency and
tribal representatives developing collabora-
tive solutions to science issues for American
Indians. Claudia Walters, from OSP, serves as
the Executive Secretary for the TSC as well as
ORD's Senior Indian Program Manager.
The IPPC event consisted of various tours and
a business meeting, with the IPPC members
observing firsthand critical environmental
issues faced by the Navajo Nation including
uranium mining and milling impacts, open
dump sites,and leaking underground storage
tanks. The Navajo Nation also demonstrated
environmental programs it has initiated to
address these issues including air monitoring
activities associated with oil fields,mining,and
power plants; water quality improvements
and restoration activities; and enforcement
activities. For part of the business meeting,
which focused on a TSC presentation, RCRA
Subtitle D and Open Dumps, improving the
EPA-NavajoMeetings continued on p. 5
2006 EPA Science Forum
EPA Meetings at Navajo Nation
Successful ORD Products to EPA Regions
New Online Training Puts Federal Technology Transfer Activities at Your Fingertips.
HSTLs Annual Meeting Held in Conjunction with BOSC Review
HSTLs Release New Technical Support Times Newsletter. ,
BOSC Update
Project Horizon
OSWER/ORD Seminar Series
PatentWebsite Launched forTechnology Transfer Opportunities
Staff Corner
Communications Products—What's the Difference?.
ORD Environmental Justice Action Plan
Crossword Puzzle.... ,..
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The November 10, 2005 workshop, The
Successful Design, Development, and Deploy-
ment of ORD Products to the EPA Regions,
designed to foster the sharing of experiences
and ideas to enhance the utility and track the
applications of ORD science and science
products intended for use in the EPA regions
and states addressed questions such as:
• How can I be sure the regions will use my
product?
• How can I find the right partners in the
regions to participate in the design and
dissemination of my product?
• How can I locate resources to expand my
outreach efforts to the regions?
• How can I get feedback on the applica-
tions of my product and its contribution to
environmental outcomes?
The target audience—scientists and
managers in EPA's Research Triangle Park
(RTP) facility who are interested in learn-
ing more about how to communicate and
collaborate more effectively with the
regions—included more than 60 ORD
attendees and 7 regional employees,
including 4 Regional Science Liaisons
(RSL) to ORD who responded to questions
and helped record key discussion points.
The workshop got off to a great start with a
presentation by RSL Mike Callahan (Region
6) on the types and timing of science needs
in the regions and states,followed by presen-
tations and discussions of RTP-sponsored
ORD products considered successful in
meeting the regions' science needs. A
presenter from each ORD lab and center
located at the RTP facility identified
specific elements that they thought were
essential to the success of their products:
• Rebecca Calderon (NHEERL)—Identifica-
tion of Regional Accountability Projects.
^ Rob Elias (NCEA)—Integrated Exposure
Uptake Biokinetic Model for Lead in Chil-
dren (IEUBK Model) and the All Ages Model.
• Doug McKinney (NRMRL)—Municipal
Solid Waste Decision Support System to
States and Locals.
• Rochelle Araujo (NERL)—Mercury Science
and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL)
Tools to the Reg ions.
Some of the lessons learned that were present-
edand discussed at the workshop included:
^ The most successful ORD products for the
regionsareones that provide strong science
supports to region/state/local decisions
that result in significant, preferably measur-
able, health and/or environmental benefits.
-j Successful ORD products for the regions
result when strong, trusting, and interac-
tive relationships are created between
New Online Training Puts Fed yruJ Tech
J^ yi Your
Are you a researcher developing newtech-
nologies at your lab? If so, you can apply
for a patent on these technologies and
receive royalties when EPA licenses the
patents. Perhapsyou have an idea for part-
nering with industry or academia to
expand your resources and expertise.
Under a Cooperative Research and Devel-
opment Agreement (CRADA), you can
collaborate with external parties, which
may even include funding for the project.
So, how do you do that?
Under the authority of the Federal Tech-
nology Transfer Act (FTTA), federal labs
and researchers can engage in CRADAs,
patents,and licensing activities. To answer
NewOnlineTraining continued on p.3
science producers (ORD) and science users
(the regions and states).
• Count on the full-time equivalent (FTE) and
funding costs to be greater than expected.
• Up-front partnering within and outside
the Agency will likely be necessary to
leverage needed resources.
^ The science must be developed and deliv-
ered in ways that are directly applicable to
specific problemsfacing the regions.
^ To tailor its products to the needs of the
regions, ORD must understand the
"cultures" of the regions and states, includ-
ing the political, social, and economic
climates within which they operate.
• Involving regions early in the design and
development phases helps develop
needed "champions" willing to facilitate
product marketing and utilization.
^ If the regions are involved throughout the
research and product development phases,
they will understand product applications
and provide feedback on product uses.
^ Site visits for face-to-face interaction will
probably be necessary.
ORD Products continued on p. 3
Forum
Continued from p.l
make a difference. Mark your calendar
and plan to participate in this premier
Agency event, which will be held in the
Ronald Reagan Building and International
Trade Center in Washington, DC.
For more informationaboutthe2006 Science
Forum, please visit http://epa.gov/ord/
scienceforum or contact Megan Grogard at
grogard.megan@epa.gov or 202-564-6812.D
OSP Intranet http://intranet.epa.gov/osp/ospintra/ — OSP Internet http://www.epa.gov/osp
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The Hazardous SubstancesTechnical Liaisons
(HSTLs) held their annual meeting at ORD's
labs in Cincinnati, Ohio, on December
15-16,2005, in Conjunction with the Land
Research Program Review conducted by the
Board of Scientific Counselors (BOSC) Land
Subcommittee.
While participating in the BOSC Land Restora-
tion and Preservation Research Program
Review, HSTLs heard up-to-date presentations
on ORD's Land Research Program and
observed the Q&A sessions where members of
the BOSC Land Subcommittee queried ORD
and program staff on the research program, its
results, impacts,and outcomes. Additionally^
part of ORD's waste technical support program,
the HSTLs exhibited a poster at the BOSC
program review and were present to field
questionsfrom the Subcommittee members.
During their annual meeting, the HSTLs
received briefings from Randy Wentsel, ORD's
National Program Director for Land Research,
on his efforts guiding the Land Research
Program. Leah Evison,0ffice of Solid Waste and
Emergency Response (OSWER) Superfund
representative to the Land Research Coordina-
tion Team,spoke on the state of the Superfund
program and the status of OSWER"s newSuper-
fund Sediment Resource Center. HSTLs also
discussed 2005 accomplishmentsand outlined
goals and action items for 2006. Options for re-
designing the HSTL Web pages and ways to
improve Agency awareness and visibility of the
HSTL Program also were topics of high interest.
HSTLs Mike Gill (Region 9) and Terry Burton
(Region 6) provided a slide showand discussed
their experiences in Louisiana as members of
EPA's Hurricane Katrina Response Team. Felicia
Barnett,Region 4 HSTL,also showed slides and
discussed her role as a fill-in On-Scene-Coordi-
natorat a creosote site in Kentucky.
For more information on the HSTLs Program,
please contact Ken Sala at sala.ken@epa.gov
or 202-564-1567. D
11
jj
22152
In December 2005,the HSTL Program released
the third in a series of newsletters designed to
aid EPA staff with technical support issues rela-
tive to waste sites.This latest issue of the Tech-
nical Support Times (TST) newsletter focused
onthetopicofcontaminantfingerprinting,and
it was co-authored by Jon Josephs, HSTL in
Region 2,and Felicia Barnett,HSTL in Region 4.
Contaminant fingerprinting is analogous to
human fingerprinting, with both involving
pattern recognition. While humanfingerprint-
ing matches human fingerprint patterns,
contaminant fingerprinting uses methods to
compare patterns resulting from chemical
analyses with patterns associated with partic-
ular contaminants or waste materials. In the
December issue, Jon Josephs and Felicia
Barnett provide an overview of a number of
contaminant fingerprinting techniques and
provide referencesforfurther information.
Two contaminant fingerprinting case stud-
ies also are described: the lower Roanoke
River Site, North Carolina (Region 4) and the
Diamond Alkali Superfund Site, New Jersey
(Region 2). These studies used statistical
methods called Fingerprint Analysis of
Leachate Contaminants (FALCON) and Poly-
topic Vector Analysis (PVA), respectively, to
identify sources of dioxins in contaminated
sediments. Additionally, the authors discuss
ongoing or recently completed research on
this topic at ORD labs and centers. The
upcoming Spring 2006 Issue ofTST will focus
on mine waste remediation.
Issues of the TST are available in hard
copy from OSP and can be downloaded
from the Internetat http://www.epa.gov/osp/
hstl/techsupp.htm. For more information,
please contact HSTL Coordinator Ken Sala at
sala.ken@epa.govor202-564-1567. D
ORD Products
Continued from p. 2
-> Use existing networks—the RSLs to ORD
and the HSTLs are key links to the regions.
• Understanding region and state immedi-
ate science needs will assist ORD in priori-
tizing its long-term research objectives.
At the end of the open discussion period,
workshop participants were given the oppor-
tunity to share what they had learned and
what they were prepared to do to enhance
the effective design, development, and de-
ployment of ORD science in the regions.
Several ORD staff and the four RSLs attending
the workshop volunteered to participate on a
working grouptofurtherdevelopsomeof the
ideas and recommendations generated at
the workshop. One of the first activities
being undertaken by this "ORD Products
Working Group" is the creation of an ORD
Intranet site to provide information about
the workshop to others in the Agency.
For more information, please contact
Mimi Dannel at dannel.mimi@epa.gov or
202-564-9944. D
New Online Training
Continued from p. 2
all your questions concerning these
opportunities, you are invited to take the
new online training course designed
specifically for EPA staff. The training
addresses all aspects of the FTTA, as well
as provides specific examples and forms
to help you complete the process for a
CRADA,patent,and/or license.The training is
just a click away at http://intranet.epa.gov/
ospintra/ftta/onlinetraining/index.html.
For more information about EPA's
technology transfer program in general,
visit the Intranet site at http://intranet.
epa.gov/ospintra/ftta/ftta.htm or contact
Kathleen Graham at graham.kathleen
@epa.gov or 202-564-2678. D
OSP Intranet http://intranet.epa.gov/osp/ospintra/ — OSP Internet http://www.epa.gov/osp
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C U rjrjy-
On September 12-13, 2005, the BOSC
Executive Committee met at the Hilton
Netherland Plaza in Cincinnati, Ohio,
for the Board's third face-to-face meet-
ing of the year. The 2-day meeting
included of a presentation of the draft
report from the BOSC Drinking Water
Subcommittee, a site visit to ORD's
National Homeland Security Research
Center, as well as a presentation on
ORD's perspective on the Global Earth
Observation System of Systems (GEOSS).
There also was a lessons learned session
where Subcommittee Chairs and Vice-
Chairs described what they had learned
in conducting their program reviews in
2005.
Since September, the final report of the
BOSC Drinking Water Subcommittee has
been transmitted to ORD from the BOSC
Executive Committee. The final report
can be viewed on the BOSC Website
at www.epa.gov/osp/bosc. The BOSC
Executive Committee also has commit-
ted to launch a program review of ORD's
Sustainabilty Research Program. In addi-
tion, ORD proposed two additional
program reviews—the Human Health
Risk Assessment Program and the Safe
Pesticides/Safe Products Program—at
the Executive Committee meeting held
February 13-14,2006, in Washington, DC.
These program reviews have target
meeting dates in late 2006.
Currently,four BOSC subcommittees are in
various stages of reviewing ORD research
programs:
• The BOSC Executive Committee
reviewed ORD's Global Change Research
Program during three conference calls
and a face-to-face meeting September
26-28,2005, in Alexandria,Virginia. The
BOSC Executive Committee reviewed
the draft report at its meeting in
February 2006.
• The Land Subcommittee is reviewing
ORD's Land Restoration and Preservation
Research Program. The Subcommittee
reviewed the program during three
conference calls and a face-to-face
meeting that was held on December
13-15,2005, in Cincinnati, Ohio. A final
draft report was reviewed by the BOSC
Executive Committee at the Board's
February 2006 meeting.
• The Water Quality Subcommittee is
reviewing ORD's Water Quality Research
Program. Two conference calls were
held recently in preparation for a
face-to-face meeting, which was held in
Cincinnati, Ohio, January 25-27, 2006.
The BOSC Executive Committee will
review the final draft report in
spring 2006.
• The Science To Achieve Results/
Greater Research Opportunities (STAR/
GRO) Fellowship Subcommittee will
review three NCER fellowship pro-
grams (STAR, GRO undergraduate, and
GRO graduate programs).Two confer-
ence calls will be held in preparation
for a face-to-face meeting, which will
be in Washington, DC, March 2-3,
2006.
Other BOSC activities include: a "meet
and greet" between ORD Assistant
Administrator George Gray and the
BOSC Executive Committee Chair Jim
Johnson on December 20; and in
November, an overview of the BOSC's
Risk Assessment Workshop held in
February 2005 was published in the
journal Environmental Science and Pollu-
tion Research.
To learn more about the BOSC and its
subcommittees and to review reports
and meeting summaries, please visit
www.epa.gov/osp/bosc. If you are
interested in serving as a Designated
Federal Officer (DFO) for the BOSC,
please contact Lori Kowalski at 202-
564-3408 or kowalski.lorelei@epa.gov
or Heather Drumm at 202-564-8239 or
drumm.heather@epa.gov. D
Project Horizon brings together U.S.
Government (USG) senior executives
from global affairs agencies and the
National Security Council (NSC) to
conduct long-term, interagency strategic
planning to develop realistic interagency
strategies and identify capabilities in
which the USG should invest to prepare
for the unforeseen threats and opportu-
nities that will face the nation over the
next 20 years.
Project Horizon, which will conclude in
May 2006, uses a scenario-based strate-
gic planning technique considered a
best practice in both the private and
public sectors and participants jointly
will create a set of scenarios that will
serve as the basis for a structured series
of strategic planning workshops. Deliv-
erables will include interagency strate-
gies that have been cross-tested across
a range of potential future scenarios.
Individual agencies then will have the
option of using the scenarios to
conduct their own internal planning
exercises.
Ideally, Project Horizon will yield a
structured set of interagency strate-
gies and associated implementation
considerations and action plans that
will fall into the following broad
categories: interagency capabilities/
tools; organizational models/processes;
management/operational models; know-
ledge/skill/training requirements; and
strategic planning approaches and
goal frameworks. It is anticipated that
Project Horizon's strategies will address
a range of interagency planning issues
including global security, develop-
ment, trade, health, resource manage-
ment, and humanitarian relief. It also
will deliver a strategic planning tool
set that will enable participating
agencies to apply this methodology
within their organizations and will
Project Horizon continued on p.6
0
OSP Intranet http://intranet.epa.gov/osp/ospintra/ — OSP Internet http://www.epa.gov/osp
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OSP Update Contributing Writers
On February 1,2006,OSWER and ORD held
the seventh presentation of the expanded
Seminar Series, which for 3 years focused
on contaminated sediments, but now
features ORD research pertaining to all
environmental media. OSP is coordinating
the series in conjunction with Leah Evison
in OSWER's Office of Superfund Remedia-
tion and Technology Innovation.The latest
presentation, titled "3MRA Multimedia
Modeling Capabilities and Applicability for
the Resource Conservation Challenge"
represents a state-of-the-art environmental
modeling system that integrates multi-
media, multi-pathway, and multi-receptor
exposure and risk assessment science
modules and databases within a software
EPA-Navajo Meetings
Continued from p. 1
Treatment as a State (TAS) process and
establishing water quality standards in
Indian Country and the "Snapshot" of the
Agency's Tribal Environmental Program, the
IPPC was joined by the National Tribal
Caucus, tribal leaders from the Navajo
Nation and other tribes across the country.
The TSC conducted a 3-day meeting that in-
cluded a presentation to the IPPQfinalization
of TSC technical documents,and introduction
by Dr.Teichman of two tribal representatives
who spoke on science. The tribes' concern
regarding how the EPA hierarchy prioritizes
and divides work issues was described, and
the IPPC was encouraged to consider tribal
values in EPA's decision-making processes. The
TSC Co-Chairs (EPA and tribal) presented back-
ground information on the TSC, next steps for
the TSC, and overviews of two documents
representing several years of working with
tribes and conducting workshops, which will
be circulated to EPAandtribesfor comment:
• The National Tribal Science Priorities, and
* Paper on Tribal Issues Related to Tribal
Traditional Lifeways, Risk Assessment,
infrastructure. 3MRA also facilitates the
conduct of site-based human and ecological
risk assessments at geographic scales ranging
from local to national. Originally designed
and implemented to inform national decisions
related to safe exit levels for the Hazardous
Waste Identification Rule, it has since
evolved to include a full suite of software
tools for conducting uncertainty and sensi-
tivity analysis as well as enhancements to
facilitate site-specific assessments of risks.
3MRA currently is being applied to several
regulatory assessments and its Framework
for Risk Analysis of Multimedia Environmen-
tal Systems (FRAMES) infrastructure is being
supported and utilized by modeling groups
across several federal agencies.
® Susan Peterson
• Lori Kowalski
• Ken Sala
• Anita Street
•~> Sarah Bauer
^ Megan Grogard
i David Klauder
• Kathleen Graham
o Jason Edwards
-j Claudia Walters
For more information on the OSP Update,
contact Susan Peterson at 202-564-1077
or peterson.susan@epa.gov.
For more information on the seminar series,
please contact Jace Cuje at cuje.jace@
epa.gov or 202-564-1795. D
Members of the Tribal Science Council
Top Row: David Charters (OSWER); Mimi Dannel (ORD); David Carillo (NCCH);
Dan Kusnierz (Penobscot Nation);Thomas Baugh (Region 4); Curtis Munoz (Kiowa Tribe);
Claudia Walters (ORD); Roland Hemmett (Region 2)
Middle Row: Rita Schoeny (OW); Brenda Groskinsky (Region 7); Denise West (Winnebago Tribe
of Nebraska); Vickie Kujawa (Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe); Christian Berini (Fond du Lac band of
Lake Superior Chippewa); Michele Dineyazhe (Region 9); Robert Hillger (Region 1);
Marshall Cheung (29 Palms Band of Mission Indian)
Bottom Row (two kneeling): Linda Logan (Tonawanda Seneca Nation);
Dana Davoli (Region 10)
and Health & Well Being: Documenting
What We've Heard.
Ben Silversmith,a Native American elder, pro-
vided a discussion on the Navajo approach to
science, explaining that the Navajo believe
earth, water,air,and heat exist in every life—
in every living thing. The focus the Navajo
have on environmental health and impact
comes from this perspective. In addition,the
Navajo reported on a recent study they had
undertaken, referred to as the Navajo Nation
Lake Fish Study, which examined the pres-
ence of mercury, methyl mercury, and other
trace elements in fish at Navajo Nation lakes.
The TSC also discussed the upcoming
September 24-29, 2006, conference that
EPA-Navajo Meetings continued on p. 8
OSP Intranet http://intranet.epa.gov/osp/ospintra/ — OSP Internet http://www.epa.gov/osp
©
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Project Horizon
Continued from p. 4
The FTTA Program supports the federal
government's goal of moving tech-
nologies into the marketplace, as well
as provides collaborative environmen-
tal research opportunities for external
partners. Although CRADAs are most
commonly associated with this pro-
gram, there are other mechanisms
available providing benefits to the
public and business community, as
well as the Agency.
Licensing agreements and royalty
rights also are covered under the
FTTA, where EPA researchers can
patent inventions and receive royalties
if their inventions are licensed. Why
patent and license EPA technologies?
Patents are a key avenue to assist
in moving a technology from an EPA
research result into a useful tool
demonstrating environmental outcomes.
Patents promote public use of tech-
nologies, thus preventing potential
under-utilization. Through a license,
a technology developed in an EPA
lab or center can be transferred to
a partner for further development
and/or commercialization, in exchange
for a portion of the licensee's net
sales. And speaking of royalties, a
share of these funds goes to the
inventors as well as the EPA lab! If a
patent results from a CRADA, the
collaborator and the EPA researcher(s)
can jointly file for the patent and
share in royalties.
OSP assists EPA scientists in evaluating
the marketability of employee inventions
through a cooperative agreement with
the West Virginia High Technology
Consortium Foundation (WVHTCF). EPA
TechMatch, a new patent Website devel-
oped under this agreement and located
at www.epatechmatch.com, is a one-stop
shop for viewing licensing opportunities
for EPA patents. The public now has
access to view and search EPA's
patents, and to increase partnership
opportunities between nonfederal
entities and EPA laboratories. Visitors
also will gain an understanding of
EPA's research and development capa-
bilities.
"The goal of EPA TechMatch is to
encourage entrepreneurs to license
EPA technologies and develop new
products to strengthen environmental
protection and improve the growth
and competitiveness of our economy,"
said Dr. George Gray, EPA Assistant
Administrator for ORD.
One of the website's main benefits for
the industrial sector is the inclusion
of third-party independent analyses
performed by the WVHTCF of the
commercial potential of the tech-
nologies. Technologies that have been
assessed to have particularly high
market potential are highlighted on
the site. EPA TechMatch also includes
information on research conducted
within the Agency, technology transfer
success stories, and links to other
useful information associated with
technology transfer. Users can search
more than 130 EPA patents where they
will find information on the specifics of
each patent, and can link to the full
U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
description of each.
If you are interested in the patent
and license process or for more infor-
mation on legislative history, patents,
and partnership opportunities, visit
EPA's FTTA Web Site at http://www.
epa.gov/osp/ftta.htm. An online train-
ing course is available at this site
as well. For more information, you
also may contact Kathleen Graham
at graham.kathleen@epa.gov or 202-
564-2678. D
provide the foundation with an on-
going interagency strategic planning
process that will inform governmental
strategic planning.
The agencies participating in Project
Horizon include: Agriculture, Commerce,
Defense (Office of the Secretary of
Defense and Joint Staff), NSC, Energy,
Environmental Protection, Health and
Human Services (including Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention), Home-
land Security, Office of the Director of
National Intelligence, Labor, State, USAID,
Millennium Challenge Corporation, and
National Defense University/lnteragency
Training, Education and After Action
(NDU/ITEA).
In February and March 2006, a series of
strategy workshops will be held in which
senior representatives from the 14
Project Horizon participating agencies, as
well as select external participants, will
develop and test interagency strategies
using the developed scenarios. During
the workshops, participants will be part
of an interagency planning team that
will be asked to "live" in this world and
develop an in-depth understanding of
the challenges and opportunities that it
presents for the USG. Each team will
develop strategies to address its assigned
scenario; the strategies of each team
then will be stress-tested across the
other scenarios to identify those strate-
gies that are most "robust" (in other
words, work across all scenarios).
Anita Street, OSP, has participated in
Project Horizon since September 2005.
OSP hosted meetings in both October
and December 2005 and expects to host
another round in April 2006.
For further information on Project
Horizon, please contact Anita Street at
street.anita@epa.gov or 202-564-3626. D
OSP Intranet http://intranet.epa.gov/osp/ospintra/ — OSP Internet http://www.epa.gov/osp
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EPA/600/N-02/005B
STAFF CORNER
February 2006
'OS
Intra-OSP Staff Moves!
Tia Rush of OSP's Cross Program Staff
has moved to the Regional Science Staff.
Sarah Bauer of OSP's Cross Program
Staff is working permanently with the
Technology Transfer Program.
Staci Gatica of OSP's Program Sup-
port Staff Land Team has returned
after a 6-month detail assignment
with OSWER.
Megan Grogard of OSP's Cross Pro-
gram Staff is working as OSP's
Communication Director.
We'll Miss You!
James Avery of OSP's Program
Support Staff has moved perma-
nently to the National Center for
Environmental Assessment after serv-
ing on a detail assignment with
them.
David Klauder retired after 30 years of
federal service and is living in North
Carolina.
Congratulations on the Marriage!
Congratulations and best wishes to
Maggie Javdan and her husband
Richard LaVay on December 23,
2005.
Congratulations and best wishes to
Peter Fargo and his wife Lauren on
their marriage on December 30,
2005. D
Ever get confused about the different
methods of communication used by
EPA? The following information is provid-
ed to give you an idea of the differences
between a few of these methods:
News Advisory—A notice inviting the
media to a conference or event.
News Release—A release issued to
announce or highlight significant activi-
ties that are newsworthy. It generally
contains at least one quote.
News Brief—The Office of Public Affairs
(OPA) issues weekly news briefs, usually
on Wednesdays, to announce significant
activities that do not rise to the expecta-
tions of a full news release. A news brief
generally contains no quotes, and cover
topics such as grants, awards, Federal
Register notices, etc. News briefs may be
issued on any day, but they require OPA
approval.
Desk Statements—Desk statements are
written official responses to respond
to: (1) issues coming from outside
the Agency such as letters, reports, or
news releases by Congress, interest
groups, states, etc.; or (2) respond to
issues generated by Agency activity
that are gaining considerable media
attention. They are not distributed
through news release channels but
are used to respond to media inquiries
by OPA and may be read, e-mailed,
or faxed to the media depending on
the situation. D
Dili)
siJra Arifou ?Jmj
ORD's FY 2006 Environmental Justice (EJ)
Action Plan represents a collaborative effort
of the ORD EJ Communication Network
(ComNet) and is organized to highlight the
substantial research in ORD that addresses
the Agency's EJ priorities. ORD is committed
to supporting environmental justice goals
and priorities through our research, expert
advice, and leadership in the development
of Agency science policies.
In accordance with Administrator Stephen
Johnson's November 4, 2005 memoran-
dum, Reaffirming the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency's Commitment to
Environmental Justice (http://www.epa.gov/
osp/EJ/admin-ej-commit-letter-l 10305.pdf),
ORD will continue to integrate EJ priorities
within our research efforts in support of the
Agency and continue to raise EJ awareness
among our employees. We already have
begun making strides towards this goal in
ORD by offering the introductory online
training, OEJ901. A special thanks to all who
participated in the online training course and
to our labs,centers,and offices that complet-
ed follow-up discussion sessions on ways in
which ORD can more effectively integrate EJ
principles/priorities into existing programs.
We currently are engaged in designing a
more ORD-centric course, to address the
unique needs and aspects of ORD.
For further information regarding the
EJ Action Plan (http://www.epa.gov/osp/
EJ/FY2006_ORD_EJ_ActionPlan.pdf)
or ORD's EJ Program, please contact
Jason Edwards at edwards.jason @epa.gov
or 202-564-5568. D
OSP Intranet http://intranet.epa.gov/osp/ospintra/ — OSP Internet http://www.epa.gov/osp
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Across
1. Allows collaboration with external parties
2. PVA
3. Contaminant fingerprint analysis method
4. EPA holds one each year
5. Comprised of tribal leaders from across the U.S.
6. Held one on ORD products
7. The labs develop it
8. _ Administrator
9. Invites the media to an event
1 0. A foundation helping to evaluate the
marketability of EPA employee inventions
11. Grants program
1 2. _ rights are covered under the FTTA
1 3. Reasoning in a clear and consistent manner
14. Uses methods to compare patterns resulting
from chemical analyses with patterns
associated with particular contaminants
15. Topic of OSWER/ORD Seminar
16. 3MRA infrastructure
17. OSP Update is one
18. _ relief
19. They help facilitate product marketing and
utilization
20. Mining of this is a concern to the Navajo Nation
21. A proposed BOSC program review
Down
Program to clean up worst hazardous waste sites
Rebecca Calderon's ORD Products Workshop topic
New Orleans nightmare
A focus of the 2006 Science Forum
_ Science Liaisons
New Web site launched for technology transfer
TSCmetat _ Nation
OSP's Director represents ORD on it
One of the BOSC Subcommittees
10. Environmental _
1 1 . Will yield a structured set of interagency
strategies and action plans
12. Necessary with tight budgets
1 3. Encourages entrepreneurs to license EPA
technologies
14. Earth observation is its focus
15. __ Times
16. Allows EPA to work with external partners
17. The A Team now provides it to all of ORD
1 8. Serves as a pattern or model
19. DirectorTeichman commended OSP staff for
this quality
20. FTTA training course is available _
21. EJ _ Network
22. Involving risk or danger
23. Annual meeting was held with BOSC review
24. _ tools — a topic of Rochelle Araujo's
ORD products workshop presentation
• •• 2 •••••••••• ••• •• ••
• •••• •• •' •• •••• ••• •• ••
•••• •• ••
• ••••
I12 ••• •• ••
H II I :: : :
i23 •
Solution to October OSP Update Word Puzzle
1. FUEL TANK VENTILATION SYSTEM
2. HIGHLY INFLUENTIAL SCIENTIFIC ASSESSMENTS
3. EPA SCIENCE FORUM REGIONAL SESSION
4. LICENSED PATENT EXHIBIT BOOTH
5. VARIABLE COMPRESSION RATIO ENGINE
6. DRINKING WATER SUBCOMMITTEE
7. GLOBAL EARTH OBSERVATION SYSTEM OF SYSTEMS
8. BIOMASS CONCENTRATOR REACTOR
9. STAR FELLOWSHIP SUBCOMMITTEE
10. FEDERAL TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER ACT
11. NATIONAL VEHICLE & FUEL EMISSIONS LABORATORY
12. HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCE TECHNICAL LIAISONS
13. INTEGRATED RISK INFORMATION SYSTEM
14. EXHAUST AFTERTREATMENT SYSTEM
15. VULNERABILITY AND LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT
16. MARINE AND ESTUARINE MONITORING
EPA-Navajo Meetings
Continued from p. 5
the TSC is planning to hold at the Quinalt
Indian Nation Hotel in Ocean Shores, Wash-
ington.0verall,the conference will consist of
2 days of training and 2 days of concurrent
sessions on various science issues of impor-
tance to tribes.
Both meetings were highly productive
and subsequent meetings and activities
are scheduled to continue the good
work. For more information on the TSC
and related activities, please contact
Claudia Walters at walters.claudia@
epa.gov or 202-564-6762. D
OSP Intranet http://intranet.epa.gov/osp/ospintra/ — OSP Internet http://www.epa.gov/osp
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