University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, November 15, 1989
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EPA conference calls for base of common knowledge, unity
By Chris Evans Kansan staff writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On a stage that one conventioneer compared to a glitty Rolling Stone setup, EPA officials yesterday launched the first full day of their 1989 National Environmental Information Conference at the Hvatt Regency Hôtel.
When the flashing lights and sound effects died down, however, the message delivered was one fostered not from alfet, but from an idea of unity.
F. Henry Habicht, deputy administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, told more than 700 conventioneers that now was a time for all levels of governmental and non-governmental agencies to form a common base of information.
"We need to build a foundation of data," he said. "It allows us to communicate in ways we've never been able to communicate before, to people who aren't junkies in environmental affairs."
Dennis Kelso, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation commissioner, echoed those sentiments. He spoke in particular about Exxon's failure to clean up beaches and waters contaminated by the Exxon-Valdez oil spill.
"We need to create a shared data base of cleanup resources," he said. "Industry didn't know where the response equipment was.
"We need to make changes in state and federal law to make sure the spiller doesn't call the shots. It will really be a partnership between government, at both state and federal levels, and industry."
EPA Administrator William Reilly gave yesterday's lunch address. He said EPA officials needed to work toward a policy of pollution prevention.
"In all of it, we're going to need sound information, data carefully derived," Reilly said. "It has become clear to me, in the short time I've been at EPA, that all we really have is information."
A respect for sound science and sound information, coupled with efforts for interagency cooperation, is necessary if the EFA is to make expected advancements in areas such as global climate change, he said.
"There are probably people who think the EPA is run by Volvo-driving, tofu-eating zealots," Reilly said. "We, above all, must know what we're doing."
Reilly said he and other officials must act responsibly and ethically toward Earth's resources.
Conference activities will continue today and tomorrow. Officials will host several sessions today, addressing topics ranging from handling environmental indicators to coping with problems of toxic and hazardous waste.
Social Security reroutes calls
By Steve Buckner Kansan staff writer
A modern-day phenomenon has hit the Social Security Administration office — the phones don't ring.
Since Oct. 1, calls to the Social Security office, 2210 Yale Road, have been rerouted to a toll-free national "teleservice." The reason for the change, said Norm Franker, office manager, was so his eight-man staff could make optimal use of its time.
"The idea is that once the bugs are worked out, we'll be more efficient." he said. "Most people are working on more complex cases and can't handle phone calls. We are in an environment to make the best use of our resources."
A call now goes to one of four national teleservicenter centers, most often to Auburn, Wash., in suburban Seattle, Franker said. From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays, he said, a caller can get a specially trained representative to answer questions, and at all
other times a recording is used.
Franker said most calls were routine and could be answered by the representatives, all of whom had computer terminals at their desks. If the caller needs to file a claim, he said, the representative can access the Lawrence office's appointment schedule and set up a meeting between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Franker said his office received a teletype from the center immediately after a meeting was scheduled.
The representatives also give directions to the offices, he said. This service will become important locally, Franker said, because his office is moving Monday to 545 Columbia Drive, Suite 2001.
"We've had both positive and negative reactions," he said of the new service. "The major complaints have been having to wait and that the line had been busy too much.
"We're working on that, we're aware of it. It will probably take several years to get to the kind of
quality level we want."
Franker said most calls from college students were routine, such as needing another Social Security card for employment. He said the office would send workers to KU during enrollment in January to meet students' needs. The office's booth will be in Strong Hall near the Office of Foreign Student Services, he said.
Dave Martin, teleservice representative in the Auburn, Wash., office, said the management had praised them for their quality and quantity of work.
"I think it's an improvement of the Social Security system," he said. "The branch offices were getting swamped by calls. We can help the client and it lets us solve the phone call problem."
Martin said he was one of 400 employees hired out of 4,000 applicants. He said the representatives went through an intense six-week training program that ended Sept. 30, the day before the center opened and Kansas went on-line.
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The KU Bookstores are pleased to announce that all register receipts from cash or check purchases during period #85 (Jan. 1, through June 30, 1989) may now be redeemed for a 7% cash rebate through the end of December at customer service counters at either the
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Some purchases such as computer hardware may not be eligible for the student dividend program. Please ask the customer service representative should you have any questions.
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