FIEN - THE
FOOD INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK
January 1, 1998
What is FIEN? - The Food Industry Environmental Network (FIEN)
is an alert service for the food and agricultural industry on policy, regulatory,
and legislative developments concerning food safety, biotechnology, pesticide,
hazardous substances, agricultural research and other environmentally-related
issues.
How can FIEN be Reached? - Contact:
Jack Cooper
Food Industry Environmental Network
33 Falling Creek Court
Silver Spring, Maryland 20904
Phone: 301 384 8287 --- Fax: 301 384 8340
Internet E-Mail: JLC@fien.com
World Wide Web Site: http://www.erols.com/jlc
How does FIEN Keep Its Clients up-to-date with Developments?
* FIEN issues a newsletter, "Food
Environmental Weekly of the FIEN," normally 48 weekends per
year on Sunday evening to "Subscriber" and "Retainer Clients"
primarily by e-mail, but also by fax if e-mail service is unavailable.
* When information comes to FIEN's attention believed
to be of interest to an individual or group of "Retainer Clients,"
the information is immediately communicated to "Retainer Clients."
* Areas covered in FIEN's update service include
policies, regulations and implementing legislation of EPA, USDA/APHIS/CSREES/ARS/FSIS,
FDA/CFSAN/CVM, OSHA, ATSDR, NTP, and other agencies concerning food safety;
biotechnology (genetically engineered animals and plants); global climate
change; food and agricultural research; pesticides; drinking water; ground
water protection; storm water; municipal and industrial hazardous and nonhazardous
wastes; PCB's, Dioxin, and other hazardous and toxic substances; California
Proposition 65; sewage sludge disposal on agricultural land; nonpoint sources;
Clean Air Act implementation; occupational safety and health; toxic release
inventory and other Community Right-to-Know Act reporting requirements,
potential health effects of Electric and Magnetic Fields (EMF), etc.
* Information is from the Federal Register,
Congressional Record, EPA, FDA, OSHA news releases, announcements from
the National Research Council/National Academy of Sciences, National Science
Foundation, National Institutes of Health/National Toxicology Program,
US General Accounting Office reports and testimony, environmental organizations
and other sources.
* The newsletter contains a citation for each article
and the phone number, fax number, e-mail address, and World Wide Web Site,
where ever possible, of an individual to contact for further information.
What are the Fees for FIEN Services? - There are two categories
of FIEN Services - "Retainer Client" and "Newsletter Subscriber,"
as noted below. For a separate consulting fee, FIEN responds to client
inquiries on the status of individual laws, regulations and policies or
activities of environmental organizations or other entities.
* Retainer Client Service - "Retainer
Clients" receive information of interest to their organization as
soon as it comes to FIEN's attention plus the weekly newsletter - "Retainer
Client" Service is available by e-mail to trade associations, companies,
government agencies, university departments and others for $150 per month,
plus $2 per month for internet access and out of pocket expenses for any
additional services provided, such as orders for documents noted in the
weekly newsletter. Fax newsletter service is available; however, for those
located outside the Silver Spring, Maryland local telephone calling area,
there is an additional $14.00 per month charge to cover out of pocket long
distance charges.
* Separate consulting services are available at
the rate of $37.50 per fifteen minutes plus out of pocket expenses and
travel time billed at $18.75 per fifteen minutes.
* "Retainer Clients" may have their name
added to as many of the following e-mail distribution lists as they wish
- FIEN will send timely information to members of these lists as soon as
the information comes to the attention of FIEN:
* Ag Research Funding Dist List,
* Artificial Sweetener Issues Dist List,
* Biotech Info Dist List,
* California Issues List,
* Chem Weapons Dist List,
* Citrus Distribution List,
* Clean Air Act Issues Dist List,
* Clean Water Issues Dist List
* Composting Dist List,
* Drinking Water Info Dist List,
* EMF Issues Dist List
* Environ Enf/Audits Dist List,
* Fisheries Info Dist List,
* Florida Issues Dist List
* Food Allergens/Sensitivity,
* Food Safety Issues Dist List,
* Hazardous Subs Mgt Dist List,
* Idaho State Issues Dist List,
* Meat and Poultry Dist List,
* Medical Issues Dist List,
* Mexico Issues Dist List
* Municipal Sewage Sludge List,
* NAFTA Issues Dist List
* North Carolina Info Dist List,
* Nutrition Issues Dist List,
* Olestra/Fat Replacement Dist List,
* Organic Food Issues Dist List
* OSHA Issues Dist List,
* Pennsylvania Issues Dist List,
* Pesticide Issues Dist List,
* Pineapple Issues Dist List,
* Plant Variety Protection List
* Potato Issues Dist List,
* Rangeland Issues Dist List,
* Sorghum Issues Dist List
* Transport. Issues Dist List,
* Underground Storage Tanks,
* Veg Dist List
* Newsletter Subscriber Service -
"Newsletter Subscribers" receive the newsletter each week.
* The fee for Newsletter Subscriber Service for companies,
trade associations and other nongovernment supported organizations is:
$780 per year, plus $24 per year for internet access and fees and out of
pocket expenses for any additional services provided, such as orders for
documents noted in the weekly newsletter, bill every six months. Fax newsletter
service is available; however, for those located outside the Silver Spring,
Maryland local telephone calling area, there is an additional $14.00 per
month charge to cover out of pocket long distance charges
* The Fee for Newsletter Subscriber
Service for university and government agency departments is: $300 per
year, plus $24 per year for internet access and any out of pocket expenses;
however with invoices sent for the time period beginning April 1, 1998,
the rate will increase to $350 per year plus $24 per year for internet
access - Fax newsletter service is available; however, for those located
outside the Silver Spring, Maryland local telephone calling area, there
is an additional $14.00 per month charge to cover out of pocket long distance
charges
* Separate consulting services are available at the rate of $37.50 per
fifteen minutes plus out of pocket expenses and travel time billed at $18.75
per fifteen minutes.
* Designation of Individuals to Receive FIEN
Information - Each "Retainer Client" or "Newsletter
Subscriber" may designate up to five separate e-mail addresses within
their organization or department to receive FIEN information at no additional
charge.
Who is Jack Cooper? - Jack served from January 1974 through
August 1990 with the National Food Processors Association in Washington,
DC, the last 13 years of which as the Association's Director, Environmental
Affairs. Jack resigned from NFPA to provide consulting services to smaller
trade associations that can not afford to hire a full time environmental
staff and to meet individual company needs for environmentally-related
information that may not be readily available from their trade associations
or other sources. Jack has Bachelors (Dec. 71) and Master's (Mar. 73) Degrees
in Food Science from the University of California at Davis - Jack Cooper,
operates FIEN as a Sole Proprietorship.
Who Are Some of FIEN's Clients? - Several food industry trade
associations and companies, pesticide and agracultural biotechnology companies,
university food science, animal science, and crop protection departments,
consulting firms, professional societies, and federal and state agencies
with activities in the food and agriculture industry.
What Additional Services Are Available from FIEN? - In
addition to the immediate alert service for "retainer" clients
and the weekly Newsletter, the following consulting services are available
from FIEN at a rate of $37.50 per fifteen minutes plus reimbursement of
all out of pocket expenses, with travel time charged at $18.75 per fifteen
minutes:
1. Assistance and consultation in review and interpretation of draft, proposed
and final rules;
2. Preparation of draft comments on proposed regulations and legislation
that clients can edit and file with the appropriate agency or organization;
3. Preparation of draft letters that client staff can edit for communicating
with other individuals on specific environmental topics;
4. Filing of Freedom of Information (FOI) Requests with Government Agencies;
5. Obtain recently released EPA and other agency press releases and documents;
6. Obtain reference materials and documents from EPA's Public Dockets,
including the Toxic Substances Control Act, Clean Air, and Superfund Dockets,
the Library of Congress and other information sources;
7. Conduct research on environmental topics and prepare research reports;
and
8. Participate in client meetings to make presentations or serve as a resource
specialist.
Contact FIEN at:
Jack Cooper
Food Industry Environmental Network,
33 Falling Creek Court
Silver Spring, Maryland 20904
Phone: 301 384 8287 --- Fax: 301 384 8340
Internet E-Mail: JLC@fien.com
World Wide Web Site: http://www.erols.com/jlc
END of FIEN Information