RETHINKING THE COMPONENTS,
COORDINATION, AND MANAGEMENT OF THE
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency Laboratories
Committee on Strengthening the
US Environmental Protection Agency Laboratory Enterprise:
Phase 1—Priority Needs, Guiding Principles, and Overall Goals
Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology
Division on Earth and Life Studies
NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL
OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS
Washington, D.C.
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NOTICE: The project that is the subject of this report was approved by the Governing Board of the National Research Council, whose members are drawn from the councils of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine. The members of the committee responsible for the report were chosen for their special competences and with regard for appropriate balance.
This project was supported by Contract EP-C-09-003 between the National Academy of Sciences and the US Environmental Protection Agency. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for this project.
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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
Advisers to the Nation on Science, Engineering, and Medicine
The National Academy of Sciences is a private, nonprofit, self-perpetuating society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the furtherance of science and technology and to their use for the general welfare. Upon the authority of the charter granted to it by the Congress in 1863, the Academy has a mandate that requires it to advise the federal government on scientific and technical matters. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone is president of the National Academy of Sciences.
The National Academy of Engineering was establised in 1964, under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences, as a parallel organization of outstanding engineers. It is autonomous in its administration and in the selection of its members, sharing with the National Academy of Sciences the responsibility for advising the federal government. The National Academy of Engineering also sponsors engineering programs aimed at meeting national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers. Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., is president of the National Academy of Engineering.
The Institute of Medicine was established in 1970 by the National Academy of Sciences to secure the services of eminent members of appropriate professions in the examination of policy matters pertaining to the health of the public. The Institute acts under the responsibility given to the National Academy of Sciences by its congressional charter to be an adviser to the federal government and, upon its own initiative, to identify issues of medical care, research, and education. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president of the Institute of Medicine.
The National Research Council was organized by the National Academy of Sciences in 1916 to associate the broad community of science and technology with the Academy’s purposes of furthering knowledge and advising the federal government. Functioning in accordance with general policies determined by the Academy, the Council has become the principal operating agency of both the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering in providing services to the government, the public, and the scientific and engineering communities. The Council is administered jointly by both Academies and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone and Dr. C. D. Mote, Jr., are chair and vice chair, respectively, of the National Research Council.
COMMITTEE ON STRENGTHENING THE US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY LABORATORY ENTERPRISE: PHASE 1—PRIORITY NEEDS, GUIDING PRINCIPLES, AND OVERALL GOALS
Members
MAXINE L. SAVITZ (Chair), Honeywell, Inc. (retired), Los Angeles, CA
JONATHAN Z. CANNON (Vice-Chair), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
PATRICIA A. BERGE, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA
LYNDA T. CARLSON, National Science Foundation (retired), Arlington, VA
PHILIP E. COYLE, III, private consultant, Sacramento, CA
FRANK W. DAVIS, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
DONALD J. DEPAOLO, University of California, Berkeley, CA
PAUL GILMAN, Covanta Energy Corporation, Fairfield, NJ
CAROL J. HENRY, George Washington University, Washington, DC
PHILIP K. HOPKE, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY
SALLY KATZEN, New York University School of Law, Washington, DC
GARY S. SAYLER, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
DEBORAH L. SWACKHAMER, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN
MARK UTELL, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY
Staff
RAYMOND WASSEL, Senior Program Officer
KARA N. LANEY, Program Officer
MARK D. LANGE, Program Officer
NORMAN GROSSBLATT, Senior Editor
MIRSADA KARALIC-LONCAREVIC, Manager, Technical Information Center
RADIAH ROSE, Manager, Editorial Projects
ORIN LUKE, Senior Program Assistant
Sponsor
US ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
BOARD ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND TOXICOLOGY1
Members
ROGENE F. HENDERSON (Chair), Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, Albuquerque, NM
PRAVEEN AMAR, Independent Consultant, Lexington, MA
RICHARD A. BECKER, American Chemistry Council, Washington, DC
MICHAEL J. BRADLEY, M.J. Bradley & Associates, Concord, MA
JONATHAN Z. CANNON, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
GAIL CHARNLEY, HealthRisk Strategies, Washington, DC
DAVID C. DORMAN, Department of Molecular Biomedical Sciences, Raleigh, NC
CHARLES T. DRISCOLL, JR., Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
WILLIAM H. FARLAND, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO
LYNN R. GOLDMAN, George Washington University, Washington, DC
LINDA E. GREER, Natural Resources Defense Council, Washington, DC
WILLIAM E. HALPERIN, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, Newark, NJ
STEVEN P. HAMBURG, Environmental Defense Fund, New York, NY
ROBERT A. HIATT, University of California, San Francisco, CA
PHILIP K. HOPKE, Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY
SAMUEL KACEW, University of Ottawa, ON, Canada
H. SCOTT MATTHEWS, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
THOMAS E. MCKONE, University of California, Berkeley, CA
TERRY L. MEDLEY, E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company, Wilmington, DE
JANA MILFORD, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO
MARK A. RATNER, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
JOAN B. ROSE, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
GINA M. SOLOMON, California Environmental Protection Agency, Sacramento, CA
PETER S. THORNE, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
DOMINIC M. DI TORO, University of Delaware, Newark, DE
JOYCE S. TSUJI, Exponent Environmental Group, Bellevue, WA
Senior Staff
JAMES J. REISA, Director
DAVID J. POLICANSKY, Scholar
RAYMOND A. WASSEL, Senior Program Officer for Environmental Studies
ELLEN K. MANTUS, Senior Program Officer for Risk Analysis
SUSAN N.J. MARTEL, Senior Program Officer for Toxicology
EILEEN N. ABT, Senior Program Officer
MIRSADA KARALIC-LONCAREVIC, Manager, Technical Information Center
RADIAH ROSE, Manager, Editorial Projects
_________________________
1This study was planned, overseen, and supported by the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology.
OTHER REPORTS OF THE BOARD ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND TOXICOLOGY
Review of the Formaldehyde Assessment in the National Toxicology Program 12th Report on Carcinogens (2014)
Review of the Styrene Assessment in the National Toxicology Program 12th Report on Carcinogens (2014)
Review of EPA’s Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Process (2014)
Review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s State-of-the-Science Evaluation of Nonmonotonic Dose–Response Relationships as They Apply to Endocrine Disruptors (2014)
Assessing Risks to Endangered and Threatened Species from Pesticides (2013)
Science for Environmental Protection: The Road Ahead (2012)
Exposure Science in the 21st Century: A Vision and A Strategy (2012)
A Research Strategy for Environmental, Health, and Safety Aspects of Engineered Nanomaterials (2012)
Macondo Well–Deepwater Horizon Blowout: Lessons for Improving Offshore Drilling Safety (2012)
Feasibility of Using Mycoherbicides for Controlling Illicit Drug Crops (2011)
Improving Health in the United States: The Role of Health Impact Assessment (2011)
A Risk-Characterization Framework for Decision-Making at the Food and Drug Administration (2011)
Review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Draft IRIS Assessment of Formaldehyde (2011)
Toxicity-Pathway-Based Risk Assessment: Preparing for Paradigm Change (2010)
The Use of Title 42 Authority at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2010)
Review of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Draft IRIS Assessment of Tetrachloroethylene (2010)
Hidden Costs of Energy: Unpriced Consequences of Energy Production and Use (2009)
Contaminated Water Supplies at Camp Lejeune—Assessing Potential Health Effects (2009)
Review of the Federal Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research (2009)
Science and Decisions: Advancing Risk Assessment (2009)
Phthalates and Cumulative Risk Assessment: The Tasks Ahead (2008)
Estimating Mortality Risk Reduction and Economic Benefits from Controlling Ozone Air Pollution (2008)
Respiratory Diseases Research at NIOSH (2008)
Evaluating Research Efficiency in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2008)
Hydrology, Ecology, and Fishes of the Klamath River Basin (2008)
Applications of Toxicogenomic Technologies to Predictive Toxicology and Risk Assessment (2007)
Models in Environmental Regulatory Decision Making (2007)
Toxicity Testing in the Twenty-first Century: A Vision and a Strategy (2007)
Sediment Dredging at Superfund Megasites: Assessing the Effectiveness (2007)
Environmental Impacts of Wind-Energy Projects (2007)
Scientific Review of the Proposed Risk Assessment Bulletin from the Office of Management and Budget (2007)
Assessing the Human Health Risks of Trichloroethylene: Key Scientific Issues (2006)
New Source Review for Stationary Sources of Air Pollution (2006)
Human Biomonitoring for Environmental Chemicals (2006)
Health Risks from Dioxin and Related Compounds: Evaluation of the EPA Reassessment (2006)
Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of EPA’s Standards (2006)
State and Federal Standards for Mobile-Source Emissions (2006)
Superfund and Mining Megasites—Lessons from the Coeur d’Alene River Basin (2005)
Health Implications of Perchlorate Ingestion (2005)
Air Quality Management in the United States (2004)
Endangered and Threatened Species of the Platte River (2004)
Atlantic Salmon in Maine (2004)
Endangered and Threatened Fishes in the Klamath River Basin (2004)
Cumulative Environmental Effects of Alaska North Slope Oil and Gas Development (2003)
Estimating the Public Health Benefits of Proposed Air Pollution Regulations (2002)
Biosolids Applied to Land: Advancing Standards and Practices (2002)
The Airliner Cabin Environment and Health of Passengers and Crew (2002)
Arsenic in Drinking Water: 2001 Update (2001)
Evaluating Vehicle Emissions Inspection and Maintenance Programs (2001)
Compensating for Wetland Losses Under the Clean Water Act (2001)
A Risk-Management Strategy for PCB-Contaminated Sediments (2001)
Acute Exposure Guideline Levels for Selected Airborne Chemicals (seventeen volumes, 2000-2014)
Toxicological Effects of Methylmercury (2000)
Strengthening Science at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2000)
Scientific Frontiers in Developmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment (2000)
Ecological Indicators for the Nation (2000)
Waste Incineration and Public Health (2000)
Hormonally Active Agents in the Environment (1999)
Research Priorities for Airborne Particulate Matter (four volumes, 1998-2004)
The National Research Council’s Committee on Toxicology: The First 50 Years (1997)
Carcinogens and Anticarcinogens in the Human Diet (1996)
Upstream: Salmon and Society in the Pacific Northwest (1996)
Science and the Endangered Species Act (1995)
Wetlands: Characteristics and Boundaries (1995)
Biologic Markers (five volumes, 1989-1995)
Science and Judgment in Risk Assessment (1994)
Pesticides in the Diets of Infants and Children (1993)
Dolphins and the Tuna Industry (1992)
Science and the National Parks (1992)
Human Exposure Assessment for Airborne Pollutants (1991)
Rethinking the Ozone Problem in Urban and Regional Air Pollution (1991)
Decline of the Sea Turtles (1990)
Copies of these reports may be ordered from the National Academies Press
(800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313
www.nap.edu
Preface
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is undertaking an integrated evaluation of its laboratories to strengthen the management, effectiveness, and efficiency of its laboratory network and to enhance its capabilities for research and other laboratory-based scientific and technical activities.2 EPA is collecting and analyzing data on the operating costs, workforce, facilities, and science contributions of its laboratory facilities. The evaluation is also intended to address US Government Accountability Office (GAO) recommendations that EPA improve cohesion in managing and operating agency laboratories and to help the EPA laboratory enterprise respond to change and be equipped to handle emerging scientific challenges.
As part of its effort, EPA sought independent expert advice from the National Research Council. In response, the National Research Council established the Committee on Strengthening the US Environmental Protection Agency Laboratory Enterprise: Phase 1—Priority Needs, Guiding Principles, And Overall Goals. The statement of task, developed in consultation with EPA, served as a guide for the committee’s work. The committee was asked to assess EPA’s highest-priority needs for mission-relevant laboratory science and technical support, to develop principles for the efficient and effective management of EPA’s laboratory enterprise to meet the agency’s mission needs and strategic goals, and to develop guidance for enhancing efficiency and effectiveness now and during the next 10 years. It was asked not to assess the organization, the facility-level and portfolio-level master plans, or the consolidation initiatives related to EPA’s laboratory enterprise, because such analysis is being undertaken in a separate effort.
The National Research Council assembled a committee of 14 members who had expertise in executive management and experience with multifacility laboratory organizations; environmental sciences; exposure science; health risk assessment; toxicology; environmental medicine; ecosystem services; ecologic risk assessment; environmental law, policy, regulation, and risk management; and environmental program design and management. The committee included members knowledgeable about the different types of EPA laboratories and their functions and contributions, relevant activities of other federal and state government and academic laboratories, and the nexus between laboratory science and decisions about risk assessment, protective human health and environmental standards, risk-management decisions, and regulations and EPA statutory requirements. We are grateful to the members of the committee for their efforts throughout this study.
In the course of preparing its report, the committee held public information-gathering sessions during four of its meetings. In addition to the information from those presentations, the committee requested written materials to describe the structure, function, and management of the EPA laboratories. Dale Pahl (EPA) coordinated the submission of extensive written materials in response to our request. We gratefully acknowledge the efforts made by those involved in providing us with that information.
In carrying out its task, the committee built on relevant previous reports of the National Research Council, GAO, and the EPA Science Advisory Board and Board of Scientific Counselors. The committee relied on its collective judgment and experience in identifying applicable aspects of the earlier reports in developing its principles and recommendations.
_________________________
2R. Perciasepe, US Environmental Protection Agency, presentation to the committee, September 17, 2013.
This report has been reviewed in draft form by persons chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council Report Review Committee. The purposes of the independent review are to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to ensure that the report meets institutional standards of objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the deliberative process. We thank the following for their review of this report: David A. Dzombak, Carnegie Mellon University; William H. Farland, Colorado State University, retired; W. Michael McCabe, McCabe & Associates; Mary D. Nichols, California Air Resources Board; Gordon H. Orians, University of Washington; Joel M. Schur, George Mason University; Martyn T. Smith, University of California at Berkeley; and John C. Wall, Cummins, Inc.
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive comments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or recommendations, nor did they see the final draft of the report before its release. The review of the report was overseen by the review coordinator, Edwin H. Clark II, Earth Policy Institute, and the review monitor, Lawrence T. Papay, Science Applications International Corporation, retired. Appointed by the National Research Council, they were responsible for making certain that an independent examination of the report was carried out in accordance with institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered. Responsibility for the final content of the report rests entirely with the committee and the institution.
The committee is grateful for the assistance of the National Research Council staff in preparing this report. Staff members who contributed to the effort are Raymond Wassel, project director; James Reisa, director of the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology; Mark Lange, program officer; Kara Laney, program officer; Constance Karras, research associate; Keri Stoever, research associate; Norman Grossblatt, senior editor; Mirsada Karalic-Loncarevic, manager of the Technical Information Center; Radiah Rose, manager of editorial projects; Ricardo Payne, program coordinator; and Orin Luke, senior program assistant.
Maxine L. Savitz, Chair
and
Jonathan Z. Cannon, Vice Chair
Committee on Strengthening the US Environmental Protection Agency
Laboratory Enterprise: Phase 1—Priority Needs, Guiding Principles, and Overall Goals
Abbreviations
ARPA-E | Department of Energy’s Advanced Research Projects Agency – Energy |
BOSC | EPA Board of Scientific Counselors |
CMAQ | community multiscale air quality |
DARPA | Department of Defense’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency |
E-ARPA | Environmental Advanced Research Projects Alliance |
EPA | US Environmental Protection Agency |
ERLN | Emergency Response Laboratory Network |
GAO | US Government Accountability Office |
GPRA | Government Performance and Results Act |
GRO | EPA’s Greater Research Opportunities fellowships |
NEIC | EPA National Enforcement Investigations Center |
NERL | EPA ORD National Exposure Research Laboratory |
NHEERL | EPA National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory |
NRMRL | EPA ORD National Risk Management Research Laboratory |
NVFEL | National Vehicle & Fuel Emissions Laboratory |
OAR | EPA Office of Air and Radiation |
OCSPP | EPA Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention |
OECA | EPA Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance |
ORD | EPA Office of Research and Development |
OSWER | EPA Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response |
SAB | EPA Science Advisory Board |
STAR | Science To Achieve Results |
VERA | voluntary early retirement authority |
VSIP | voluntary separation incentive payment |
Contents
Committee’s Approach to its Task
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Mission
The Environmental Protection Agency Laboratory Enterprise
Science in the Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental Protection Agency Science Directions and Challenges
Strategic Science Goals and Resource Allocation
Purpose of the Analytic Framework
Touchstones of Efficiency and Effectiveness
Framework for Aligning the Laboratory Enterprise with Strategic Agency Goals
3. LABORATORY SCIENCE CAPABILITIES
Tools for Achieving Workforce Expertise
Training Grants and Fellowships
Tools for Meeting Strategic Scientific and Technical Goals
Pulling the Enterprise Together
Collaboration with Entities Beyond EPA
5. ADDRESSING FUTURE CHALLENGES
Research and Technical Infrastructure
6. PRINCIPLES AND RECOMMENDATIONS
A Vision of the Laboratory Enterprise
Ensuring Laboratory Functions Meet the Highest Priority Mission Needs
Communication and Partnerships
Synergies with Other Organizations
A STATEMENT OF TASK OF THE COMMITTEE
B BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ON THE COMMITTEE
C PRESENTERS AT THE COMMITTEE’S INFORMATION GATHERING SESSIONS
D RELEVANT FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM PREVIOUS REPORTS
E SUMMARY OF EPA PERSONNEL BY LABORATORY TYPE FOR 2013
BOXES, FIGURES, AND TABLES
BOXES
1-2 Current and Emerging Environmental and Human Health Challenges for EPA
3-1 EPA Processes for Managing and Acquiring Laboratory Equipment
FIGURES
1-1 EPA regions in the United States
2-3 Aligning agency strategic goals to the ORD portion of the laboratory enterprise
2-4 Aligning agency strategic goals with the regional office laboratories
2-5 Aligning agency strategic goals with the program office laboratories
3-1 Total federal EPA-laboratory employees in all EPA laboratories
3-2 Total nonfederal EPA-laboratory employees
3-3 Number of new postdoctoral scientists in EPA ORD by year, hired under R authority
4-1 Aligning agency strategic goals to the ORD portion of the laboratory enterprise
4-2 Aligning agency strategic goals with the regional office laboratories
4-3 Aligning agency strategic goals with the program office laboratories
TABLES
1-1 Summary of Major Pollution Laws Administered by EPA
1-2 Goals and Objectives in EPA’s Current Strategic Plan