European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 11, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday March 11,1993 . The stars. And stripes b Page 7report details Epa mismanagement Washington a Environ mental Protection Agency contracts Are riddled with massive Cost overruns and Are so poorly managed that highly paid professionals end up caring for animals a report says. Money earmarked for other purposes ended up in travel budgets contracts have been awarded without the required competitive bids and in one Case 530,000 in research and development funds were improperly spent on a plan for a Day care Center Epa inspector general John Martin reported in a March 8 summary. Epa administrator Carole m. Browner planned to testify wednesday before the House Energy and Commerce oversight and investigations subcommittee about the Epa problems. The panels chairman rep. John d. Dingell a mich., requested the inspector general a report. Since taking office with the Clinton administration Browner has made the straightening out of contract messes a priority spokeswoman Loretta Ucelli said tuesday Quot the situation that we be inherited is appalling and outrageous Quot Ucelli said. The report summarizing the inspector general a surveys of several Epa laboratories last year details a raft of management problems including work per formed outside the contracts. The contracts involve private firms As Well As universities and other government agencies that perform work for the environmental Agency. In the Case of a $67.2 million contract at the Epars health effects research Laboratory in research Triangle Park n.c., contractor Mantych environmental technology used engineers and computer programmers to care for test animals. A therefore Epa May have been billed for higher classified and More costly personnel to Complete tasks originally intended for lower level personnel Quot the internal report said. It did not give a Dollar amount. Mantych also used technical lab contractors for a Handyman duties Quot including painting and moving furniture the re port said. The report said payments were made for services never rendered and services were provided for payments that were delayed for months. It also found prefer once in contracting and possible conflicts of interest. The inspector general a staff said its work had been hampered by inaccurate and contradictory statements by Epa staff and contractors and by missing documents. Cosmonauts at Nasa russians Sergei Kri Kalev left and Vladimir Titov Are shown tuesday at Houston s Johnson space Center where the cosmonauts Are training for a flight on the shuttle discovery. Only one of them will join five americans on a research Mission in november the other will serve As a backup. Titov 46, has spent 368 Days in space. Kri Kalev 34, has 463 Days to his credit he was stuck on Russia s Mir space station during the soviet Union s collapse in 1991. The november flight the first .-russian manned space Mission since the Apollo soyuz Docking in 197s, is part of an agreement reached by presidents Bush and Boris n. Yeltsin last summer. Clinton applauds t a a s before committee Washington tap attorney general designate Janet Reno Saia wednesday that despite her opposition to capital punishment she recognizes the duty of prosecutors to seek the death penalty for killers who Are a totally contemptuous of human  a if the Law requires it if the procedure is right you ask for it Quot she said in her second Day of testimony before the Senate judiciary  Clinton on wednesday Ion cd other democrats in praising the 54-Ycar-old Miami prosecutor s performance before the committee. A i think she did real Well yesterday Quot Clinton said. A i m proud of  asked if he thought Reno would be confirmed he remarked a i sure Hope  Reno also reaffirmed wednesday her support for the so called Brady Bill in Congress which would require a waiting period before the Purchase of handguns. Reno said if it were up to her she might even go further noting that in Florida she urged testing of would be handgun purchasers to determine whether they know How to use the weapon  that s been my personal position in Florida. But As you know in a now reflecting the president s position Quot she testified. Reno appears headed for Quick confirmation. Democrats who were dismayed by the Clinton administration s stumbling search for an attorney general have been pleased by the Reno nomination. A it could not have gone More smoothly thus far Quot sen. Joseph Biden a Del told reporters tuesday after the initial Day of confirmation hearings before his Senate judiciary committee. A but it s not Over until it s  no other witnesses were scheduled to testify before the committee wednesday. Lest some unforeseen problems strike Clinton s second nominee for attorney general democrats Are trying to get it Over with As quickly As possible. The difference this time is that republicans Are joining  peace talks to reopen april 20 in . Washington apr Mideast peace talks will be reopened Here april 20 for what May be a a one time Opportunity to arrange a settlement Between Israel and the arabs Secretary of state Warren m. Christopher said wednesday. Brushing aside a threatened palestinian Boycott Christopher said the Clinton administration would play a More Active role in the talks and that should entice the palestinians to participate. A i strongly feel we have not heard the last word from the palestinians Quot he said after palestinian spokeswoman Hanan Ashrafi said an invitation from the cosponsors a the United states and Russia a had been rejected. The invitations also were extended to Israel Syria Jordan and Lebanon for a two week round beginning april 20. Additionally Christopher said the delegations were being asked to Send representatives Here for preliminary talks later this month and in Early april. A we must seize the Opportunity to play the role of full partner Quot he said. Christopher said he was particularly hopeful Israel and Syria would make Progress in their dispute. A fall of us must act to seize and enhance these opportunities Quot he said. In Jerusalem Ashrafi said the invitation conveyed by . Consul Molly Williamson had been rejected. A there Are serious pending issues that still have to be resolved Quot Ashrafi said. A now is the time to take bold and serious Steps to put the peace process Back on  Ashrafi said the main obstacle was israelis refusal to repatriate immediately 396 palestinians deported to Lebanon on dec. 17 on suspicions of promoting terrorism. Also she said Israel must agree not to order additional deportations. A we have refrained from accepting the invitation and receiving the invitation itself Ashrafi told the associated press. A we do not give any response because we did not receive the invitation. They tried to present it and we told them in View of the fact there Are still obstacles and impediments on outstanding issues that have not been resolved we will not receive the . Christopher said he had not yet a a confronted the question whether the talks would proceed in the event of a palestinian Boycott. A we be issued invitations to All the parties today Quot he said a we think the important fact Here is to keep the momentum up. Personally i think that Alt the parties will come a a he said a with our willingness to participate fully As an Active party to be an intermediary to facilitate the discussions we think the parties realize this is an unusual Opportunity for them and frankly i think they will end up accepting the  he did not explain what the United states might do to help arrange a settlement. At one Point Christopher recalled former president Carter s role in summoning the late egyptian president Anwar Sadat and israeli prime minister Menachem begin to his Camp David Mil Retreat in 1978 and bridging differences Between them. But Christopher said there were no precise antecedents in history for the current situation. The palestinians objected to israelis proposals for limited self Rule on the West Bank and in Gaza and More recently to terms reached by the United states and Israel for the repatriation of the deportees