Greenversations

Each week we write about the science behind environmental protection. Previous Science Wednesdays.

By Dayna Gibbons

As far as I’m concerned, daylight savings time could not have come at a better time. Last week, EPA released its final study plan to research the relationship between hydraulic fracturing and drinking water resources. As a member of the science communications team, part of my job was to help ensure the study plan and a host of supporting material—from a press release to web site updates to @EPAresearch “tweets”—were ready so we could share the news. There was a lot to do, and by the weekend I was grateful to have an extra hour of sleep!

Hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking” as it’s more commonly called, is a stimulus technique that gas producers use to extract natural gas out of sources such as coalbeds and shale formations. (It’s also used for other applications, including oil recovery.) Many are hopeful that fracking will play a key role in unlocking natural gas from reserves across large areas of the U.S. Yet, concerns have been raised about the impact such practices might have on drinking water resources.

Toward the end of 2010, Congress directed EPA to conduct research to examine the relationship between hydraulic fracturing and drinking water resources. Since then, EPA has engaged with the public, the scientific community, and interested stakeholders to ensure public input into the study’s design where appropriate. The draft plan went through a public comment period and was peer-reviewed by EPA’s Science Advisory Board to ensure a scientifically sound approach.

EPA’s study will answer questions across the full hydraulic fracturing water lifecycle. This means that the data our scientists collect will help us understand the potential impacts on water resources from the beginning to end of the fracking process—from using large amounts of ground and surface waters, to drilling activities and the use of chemicals and, finally, the management, disposal, and treatment of used water.

The first study results will be released in 2012, and the final report will be released in 2014. In addition, EPA will regularly host webinars—including today at 3:30pm and tomorrow at 2:30pm—and provide updates throughout the study in order to keep the public informed of the progress. I’m sure that will continue to keep me busy, but at least I have an extra hour of sleep under my belt.

About the author: Dayna Gibbons has worked in communications at EPA since 2002.

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.

By Danny Hart

I’m constantly amazed at the wide range of newly emerging technologies and techniques to deliver rich media. I’m equally a fan of usability so it’s interesting to me when I see really well done new media (or rich media or multimedia, whatever the term du jour is) that happens to be usable as well.

So, recently when I was challenged to find a better way to present our multimedia to the public I looked to how we currently delivered content in other areas of the site as the basis. I felt we could give folks great content without reinventing the wheel and still make it visually interesting.

Like other agencies, EPA has been shifting our rich and social media publishing to sites that specialize in usable interfaces and specialized infrastructure. We found we didn’t need to build whole new photo hosting sites or video platforms, they already existed and our users were already there. These sites had already worked out ways to deliver fast content that is easily searched and deliver it full screen with well-known interfaces. Leveraging our existing relationships with other sites seemed like a slam dunk. Take a look and let us know your thoughts.

About the Author: Danny Hart has been with EPA since 2006. He’s the Associate Director of Web Communications.

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.

By Paul Anastas

Wow! November 30th was an amazing day for the EPA. Not only are we in the midst of commemorating four decades of accomplishments in protecting the health and the environment, but Administrator Jackson also made a landmark speech at the Marian Koshland Science Museum of the National Academy of Science on the future of the EPA. That future is sustainability. The Administrator laid out her vision to a packed house of luminaries from across the spectrum, from academia to industry, to environmental groups.

The speech launched a study being conducted by the National Research Council (NRC) to provide an operational framework for EPA to incorporate sustainability into all the work we do; all of our decisions and all of our actions. While the Administrator was clear to emphasize that dramatic change like this doesn’t occur overnight, she also made it clear that just as the risk paradigm before it, a sustainability framework can have impact everyday even as it is continually refined and honed. In the summer of next year (2011) the NRC report with all of its recommendations will be completed and ready for review by the Agency. What this means is that we will continue to move forward and progress beyond the problem-by-problem approach to environmental protection and recognize that all environmental issues are linked; climate to energy; energy to water; water to agriculture, etc. We know that systems problems call for systems solutions and this sustainability framework will help us more effectively and more potently accomplish our mission in the future.

The body of excellent work on sustainability science has been rapidly growing for over two decades. There is widespread recognition across the scientific community that sustainability, holistic thinking, and a systems approach to environmental protection are the only way forward. The study launched yesterday is the critical step that so many sustainability scientists have been waiting for.

So what does this mean for the work of EPA? It means that the excellent work that is already being done—the science, the research, the innovative thinking and technology development—will of course continue. But, our work will be revitalized by taking advantage of the new tools, perspectives and enhanced effectiveness that goes along with sustainability.

The response to the Administrator’s announcement was uniformly positive and enthusiastic. This positive energy will continue to grow as the power and potential of sustainability science is realized.

Yesterday was a tremendous day for sustainability. But what’s most exciting is that it was just the beginning.

About the Author: Paul Anastas is the Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Research and Development, and is widely known as “The Father of Green Chemistry.”

By Jeffrey Levy

Wanna work for EPA? The first thing you need to do is find job openings and choose which ones to apply for.

At EPA, like every federal agency, we put our job listings on usajobs.gov.  Normally, you need to go to that site and search for what interests you. For example, here are our job listings .

Recently, we discovered that there’s a RSS feed associated with each search. If you’re not familiar with RSS feeds, that just means we can pull a particular search into various other places. So far, we’re putting them in three new places:

• on Twitter at a new account, @EPAjobs
• on our long-standing Facebook page, which will now also include automated job posts
• in daily emails you can subscribe to

We’re also working on an email subscription service, so you can get a daily email with that day’s listings.

If you have your own Web page or blog, you can also grab our job search widget.  That’ll let your readers easily search for EPA jobs right from our site. Here’s how it’ll look:

All of this is really just the start to help you find EPA jobs and understand what’s it like to work for EPA (I should mention that I love working here, and I’ve got 17 years in so far). Over the next several months, we’re going to revamp our current careers site to really take advantage of social media and multimedia.

Got any ideas on what we should include in the new site? Share ‘em below!

About the author: Jeffrey Levy is EPA’s Director of Web Communications

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.

Last month, I penned my first Greenversations post. I encouraged readers to share their ideas and feedback on a new component of the Draft FY 2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan, the Cross-Cutting Fundamental Strategies. Since then, close to 2,000 individuals have checked-out our Discussion Forum and dozens have shared powerful and thoughtful ideas that will help us shape the way we do our work to protect the environment and human health.

The Discussion Forum is a new tool for many of us at the Agency and it has provided EPA with a unique opportunity to engage with you. We have appreciated the feedback you have provided to date—about transparency, partnerships, environmental justice, children’s health, science, and work force. And we welcome your additional ideas and advice as we turn the strategies into actions and take steps to tangibly change the way we do our work.

Share your feedback on the Cross-Cutting Fundamental Strategies Discussion Forum until this Friday, July 30, 2010, which marks the close of the public comment period for the Draft FY 2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan.

About the author: Kathy O’Brien is the Director of EPA’s Office of Planning, Analysis, and Accountability and leads the efforts to develop and measure progress towards the Agency’s Strategic Plan. She lives in Virginia with her husband and two daughters.

As the editor of Greenversations’ “Science Wendesday” posts I get to engage in regular discussions about what makes for a good blog post. An articulate blogger-scientist who likes to share their work is always a good recipe. On top of that, my favorites are those that feature timely, interesting research projects. I’m fortunate that EPA science frequently involves all of the above.

But I have to admit that even after almost two years of having a front row seat to EPA science blogging efforts, I’m not so great at predicting which blog posts will be successful. For me, blog success is really measured in the comments that follow the post. In my opinion, a great blog post is one that sparks thoughtful, engaged discussion through the reactions and opinions shared in the comments section.

Social media, or “web 2.0 technology,” provides a great opportunity for us all to communicate better, and is quickly becoming an important tool for managers at EPA for engaging with the public for soliciting ideas and input.

One ongoing such effort is unfolding now as EPA asks you to join the discussion and lend your insights to the following question:

What improvements can be made to EPA’s research efforts? How can EPA better communicate its research to inform and empower communities?

Please share your thoughts!

The on-line discussion is part of the “Cross-cutting Fundamental Strategies” included in EPA’s Draft Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2011 to 2015. One of those strategies is “Advancing science, research, and technological innovation.” One of the best ways to achieve that is tap the collective creativity and expertise of as many people as possible. So please add your voice to the discussion.

About the author: Aaron Ferster is the lead science writer-editor in EPA’s Office of Research and Development, and the editor of the Science Wednesday section of “Greenversations.”

I am excited that the Draft FY 2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan includes a cross-cutting fundamental strategy for state, tribal, and international partnerships, and I hope that you will join me and share your thoughts on how EPA can strengthen and improve these partnerships to achieve environmental and human health outcomes.

Recognizing the importance of state, tribal, and international partnerships, Administrator Jackson highlighted building stronger partnerships as an agency priority. The cross-cutting fundamental strategy on “Strengthening State, Tribal, and International Partnerships” will guide the Agency in working towards that commitment.

EPA has laid out the guiding principles for this cross-cutting fundamental strategy in the Draft FY 2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan. Going forward for EPA, successful partnerships will be based on four working principles: consultation, collaboration, cooperation, and accountability. By consulting, we will engage our partners in a timely fashion as we consider approaches to our environmental work so that each partner can make an early and meaningful contribution toward the final result. By collaborating, we will not only share information, but we will actively work together with our partners to use all available resources to reach our environmental and human health goals. As our work progresses, we will cooperate, viewing each other with respect as allies who must work successfully together if our goals are to be achieved. Through shared accountability, we will ensure that environmental benefits are consistently delivered nationwide. In carrying out these responsibilities, EPA will ensure through oversight that state and tribal implementation of federal laws achieves a consistent level of protection for the environment and human health.

As we work to develop and implement this cross-cutting fundamental strategy, we encourage your feedback and insights. How do you think the EPA improve can its partnerships with state, tribal, and international stakeholders to achieve environmental and human health outcomes? Share your thoughts on the Cross-Cutting Fundamental Strategies Discussion Forum.

EPA has a long history of collaboration on environmental issues. In recent years, EPA’s partnerships with states, tribes, and the international community have taken on new significance in the face of shared environmental and governance challenges, such as global climate change and improving children’s environmental health. It is EPA’s vision that environmental progress in cooperation with state, tribal, and global partners can catalyze even greater progress toward protecting the environment and human health.

About the Author: Michelle DePass is EPA’s Assistant Administrator for International and Tribal Affairs. DePass is a lawyer, public administrator and policy analyst who has worked with environmental and human and civil rights organizations, academic institutions, and labor. She has also worked in all levels of government, including city, state, and federal.

I started my career at EPA as one of the first health scientists in the Superfund program in EPA’s Region 2 office in New York. In the regional Superfund program, we often met with communities impacted by Superfund sites. One of the questions that was most often asked was “Are my children safe?”

There are many things in everyday life that are important for protecting children’s environmental health. The air they breathe, the water they drink, the food they eat, and the places where they live, learn and play, all affect the health of children. Over the past two decades research has demonstrated many ways that children are different from adults in how they are affected by their environment. For EPA, this means that all of the actions we take to protect human health must be informed by the fact that children are not just little adults; we need to consider that early life exposures can cause lifelong disease and disability.

Often, the children that are most at risk are those that live in low income communities and communities of color that are overburdened by environmental pollution. These communities face a larger proportion of environmental hazards and, often, do not have the resources or capacity to ensure that community members, especially the most vulnerable members like children, are protected from these hazards (see Lisa Garcia’s post, Becoming an Environmental Justice Advocate). We know that there are disparities in exposures and health outcomes, such as elevated blood lead levels and respiratory diseases, in low-income and minority children. These issues cannot be addressed by one or two offices in the Agency. They must be central in all the work that we do to protect human health.

By creating the cross-cutting strategy, “Working for Environmental Justice and Children’s Health,” we are not just highlighting the fact that children are uniquely vulnerable because of the stage of life that they’re in or that some communities are uniquely vulnerable because of the multiple environmental hazards they experience. We are incorporating these facts, and the data and research that support them, into the everyday business of EPA.

Tell us how you think EPA can best institutionalize working for Environmental Justice and Children’s Health? If we are successful, what do you think that success would look like?

About the author: Peter Grevatt is the Director of EPA’s Office of Children’s Health Protection and Environmental Education and the Senior Advisor to the Administrator on children’s environmental health.

As a supervisor here at EPA, I deal with a variety of issues involving the management of human resources, contracts, grants, and facilities nationwide. These experiences give me the opportunity to see the important role that sound administrative practices have in helping to support EPA’s mission to protect human health and the environment.

There is no question in my mind that EPA’s ability to achieve a cleaner, safer and healthier environment is dependent upon a top-notch, diverse and committed workforce. We are dedicated to hiring the best people and keeping them here, with supportive management, a high-quality work life program, good office and laboratory facilities, and access to cutting-edge technology. All of this is made possible by EPA’s outstanding stewardship of our financial and physical resources.

EPA’s Draft FY2011-2015 Strategic Plan addresses these priorities as one of our Cross-Cutting Fundamental Strategies: Strategy 5, Strengthening EPA’s Workforce and Capabilities. Strategy 5 lays the foundation for EPA to be a strong and innovative agency helping us to focus on the value of skilled, knowledgeable, and diverse employees. By following this strategy, we are working to be efficient and responsible in our fiscal stewardship and to provide an information infrastructure that is innovative, reliable and secure. Every day I take pride in our aggressive environmental management goals and systems to reduce the environmental footprint of our own facilities and operations. It is clear to me that we are truly following through with our commitment to be accountable and transparent in all we do. I hope you will share your ideas about how we can strengthen EPA’s workforce and capabilities through our discussion of the Cross-Cutting Fundamental Strategies.

I find EPA to be a personally fulfilling and special place to work because of our great mission. I think most of my colleagues would agree that EPA is a place where you can make a difference through hard work and dedication.

About the author: John Showman works in EPA’s Office of Administration and Resources Management (OARM). He is the Deputy Director for OARM’s Office of Policy and Resources Management. John was born and raised in Virginia. John keeps busy at home with his three dogs, and is a loyal fan of his alma mater, Virginia Tech.

Since 1997, EPA has developed four Strategic Plans, which chart the Agency’s path in protecting the environment and human health. I am especially excited to introduce the Draft FY 2011-2015 EPA Strategic Plan, and to invite you to share your ideas on a new and innovative element of the Strategic Plan: the Cross-Cutting Fundamental Strategies.

For me, the Cross-Cutting Fundamental Strategies are about changing the very fabric of our Agency, including what we do and how we do it. Inspired by the Administrator’s priorities and the ethos of accountability, openness, and inclusion that guide EPA’s work, the Cross-Cutting Fundamental Strategies articulate and set a framework for our commitment to:

• Expanding the conversation on environmentalism
• Working for environmental justice and children’s health
• Advancing science, research, and technological innovation
• Strengthening state, tribal, and international partnerships
• Strengthening EPA’s workforce and capabilities

Through our Discussion Forum, we are using web 2.0 technologies to provide a space for your engagement in the development of the Cross-Cutting Fundamental Strategies. Each week, we will be hosting a focused discussion around one of the Strategies. Your feedback will be used by senior Agency leaders who are “championing” the Strategies as we implement ideas and actions to tangibly change the way we do our work.

I am eager to hear your ideas on the Cross-Cutting Fundamental Strategies Discussion Forum— please share your input!

About the author: Kathy O’Brien is the Director of EPA’s Office of Planning, Analysis, and Accountability and leads the efforts to develop and measure progress towards the Agency’s Strategic Plan. She lives in Virginia with her husband and two daughters.