NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
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This report has been reviewed by a group other than the authors according to procedures approved by a Report Review Committee consisting of members of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine.
This study was supported by Contract Number 68W40044 between the National Academy of Sciences and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the organizations or agencies that provided support for this project.
Library of Congress Catalog Card No. 97-67451
International Standard Book No. 0-309-05795-7
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Cover art created by Carrie Mallory. Ms. Mallory received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. She takes many of her themes from the natural world and she has provided covers for many National Research Council reports.
Copyright 1997 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
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COMMITTEE ON RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AND PRIORITIES FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
RAYMOND C. LOEHR, Chair,
The University of Texas, Austin
SANDRA O. ARCHIBALD,
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
JOHN I. BRAUMAN,
Stanford University, California
JOHN D. BREDEHOEFT,
The Hydrodynamics Group, La Honda, California
GEORGE P. DALTON,
The Procter & Gamble Co., Cincinnati, Ohio
KENNETH L. DEMERJIAN,
State University of New York-Albany
NINA V. FEDOROFF,
The Pennsylvania State University, University Park
ROLF HARTUNG,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
JAMES F. HAYS,
National Science Foundation, (retired), Arlington, Virginia
CHARLES E. KOLB,
Aerodyne Research, Inc., Billerica, Massachusetts
JUDITH McDOWELL,
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts
JUDITH L. MEYER,
University of Georgia, Athens
CHARLES R. O'MELIA,
The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
*MICHAEL J. WILEY,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
GARY M. WILLIAMS,
American Health Foundation, Valhalla, New York
ROY L. WOLFE,
Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Los Angeles
LILY YOUNG,
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey
THOMAS W. ZOSEL,
3M Company, St. Paul, Minnesota
Staff
MORGAN GOPNIK, Study Director
SHEILA DAVID, Senior Staff Officer
DAVID POLICANSKY, Senior Staff Officer (until 10/96)
ADRIENNE S. DAVIS, Senior Project Assistant (until 3/97)
STEPHANIE VANN, Project Assistant (as of 2/97)
ANGELA BRUBAKER, Research Assistant
ANNE McCASLAND-PEXTON, Intern
BOARD ON ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES AND TOXICOLOGY
PAUL G. RISSER, Chair,
Oregon State University, Corvallis
MAY R. BERENBAUM,
University of Illinois, Urbana
EULA BINGHAM,
University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
PAUL BUSCH,
Malcolm Pirnie, Inc., White Plains, New York
EDWIN H. CLARK II,
Clean Sites, Inc., Alexandria, Virginia
ELLIS COWLING,
North Carolina State University, Raleigh
GEORGE P. DASTON,
The Procter & Gamble Co., Cincinnati, Ohio
PETER L. DEFUR,
Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond
DAVID L. EATON,
University of Washington, Seattle
DIANA FRECKMAN,
Colorado State University, Ft. Collins
ROBERT A. FROSCH,
Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
DANIEL KREWSKI,
Health & Welfare Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
RAYMOND C. LOEHR,
The University of Texas, Austin
WARREN MUIR,
Hampshire Research Institute, Alexandria, Virginia
GORDON ORIANS,
University of Washington, Seattle
GEOFFREY PLACE,
The Procter & Gamble, Co., (retired), South Carolina
BURTON H. SINGER,
Princeton University, New Jersey
MARGARET STRAND,
Bayh, Connaughton and Malone, Washington, D.C.
BAILUS WALKER, JR.,
Howard University, Washington, D.C.
GERALD N. WOGAN,
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
TERRY F. YOSIE,
Ruder Finn, Washington, D.C.
Staff
JAMES J. REISA, Director
DAVID J. POLICANSKY, Associate Director and Program Director for
Natural Resources and Applied Ecology
CAROL A. MACZKA, Program Director for
Toxicology and Risk Assessment
LEE R. PAULSON, Program Director for
Information Systems and Statistics
RAYMOND A. WASSEL, Program Director for
Environmental Sciences and Engineering
WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY BOARD
DAVID L. FREYBERG, Chair,
Stanford University, California
BRUCE E. RITTMANN, Vice Chair,
Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois
LINDA ABRIOLA,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
JOHN BRISCOE,
The World Bank, Washington, D.C.
WILLIAM M. EICHBAUM,
The World Wildlife Fund, Washington, D.C.
WILFORD R. GARDNER,
University of California, (retired), Berkeley
EVILLE GORHAM,
University of Minnesota, St. Paul
THOMAS M. HELLMAN,
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, New York
CHARLES D. D. HOWARD,
Charles Howard and Associates, Ltd., Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
CAROL A. JOHNSTON,
University of Minnesota, Duluth
WILLIAM M. LEWIS, JR.,
University of Colorado, Boulder
JOHN W. MORRIS,
J. W. Morris, Limited, Arlington, Virginia
CHARLES R. O'MELIA,
The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
REBECCA T. PARKIN,
American Public Health Association, Washington, D.C.
IGNACIO RODRIGUEZ-ITURBE,
Texas A&M University, College Station
FRANK W. SCHWARTZ,
Ohio State University, Columbus
HENRY VAUX, JR.,
University of California, Riverside
Staff
STEPHEN D. PARKER, Director
SHEILA D. DAVID, Senior Staff Officer
CHRIS ELFRING, Senior Staff Officer
JACQUELINE A. MACDONALD, Senior Staff Officer
GARY D. KRAUSS, Staff Officer
ANGELA F. BRUBAKER, Research Assistant
JEANNE AQUILINO, Administrative Associate
ANITA A. HALL, Administrative Assistant
ELLEN DE GUZMAN, Senior Project Assistant
STEPHANIE VANN, Senior Project Assistant
COMMISSION ON GEOSCIENCES, ENVIRONMENT, AND RESOURCES
GEORGE M. HORNBERGER, Chair,
University of Virginia, Charlottesville
PATRICK R. ATKINS,
Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
JAMES P. BRUCE,
Canadian Climate Program Board, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
WILLIAM L. FISHER,
The University of Texas, Austin
JERRY F. FRANKLIN,
University of Washington, Seattle
THOMAS E. GRAEDEL,
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
DEBRA KNOPMAN,
Progressive Foundation, Washington, D.C.
KAI N. LEE,
Williams College, Williamstown, Massachusetts.
PERRY L. McCARTY,
Stanford University, California
JUDITH E. MCDOWELL,
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts
RICHARD A. MESERVE,
Covington & Burling, Washington, D.C.
S. GEORGE PHILANDER,
Princeton University, New Jersey
RAYMOND A. PRICE,
Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario, Canada
THOMAS C. SCHELLING,
University of Maryland, College Park
ELLEN SILBERGELD,
University of Maryland Medical School, Baltimore
VICTORIA J. TSCHINKEL,
Landers and Parsons, Tallahassee, Florida
E-AN ZEN,
University of Maryland, College Park
Staff
STEPHEN RATTIEN, Executive Director
STEPHEN D. PARKER, Associate Executive Director
MORGAN GOPNIK, Assistant Executive Director
GREGORY SYMMES, Reports Officer
JAMES MALLORY, Administrative Officer
SANDI FITZPATRICK, Administrative Associate
MARQUITA SMITH, Administrative Assistant/Technology Analyst
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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. Bruce M. Alberts and Dr. William A. Wulf are chairman and vice chairman, respectively, of the National Research Council.
Preface
As we approach the twenty-first century, the task of protecting human health and the environment is becoming ever more complex. Growing worldwide population, industrial growth, and related pressures on the environment, combined with a realization of the tremendous complexity of environmental systems, present us with new challenges. Identification of possible environmental problems early in their evolution, continued development of knowledge needed to better understand the severity and impact of these problems, and implementation of appropriate steps based on sound science to avoid or prevent the important problems and greatest risks are essential for the stewardship of the planet. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as the lead environmental protection agency in the United States, must have the scientific capacity to address both current and future environmental problems. To maintain and enhance this capacity, the EPA, in addition to carrying out its mandate to implement environmental laws, must maintain a strong research program.
In the fall of 1995, the EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) requested that the National Research Council (NRC) advise the agency on research opportunities and priorities that could help EPA address current and future environmental problems. To accomplish this task, the NRC, through its Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology and its Water Science and Technology Board, established a multidisciplinary committee, the Committee on Research Opportunities and Priorities for EPA (See Appendix 3 for biographical sketches of committee members.). The committee's members collectively possess decades of experience in governmental and nongovernmental organizations working on research and solutions related to important environmental problems. The NRC committee gathered relevant information for this report by meeting with and interviewing individuals from many organizations and with diverse backgrounds and by reviewing previous reports that have addressed similar topics. In addition, the committee drew upon the broad knowledge and experience of its members.
This report is intended to help shape a new framework for research conducted and sponsored by EPA. As such it does not contain a detailed assessment of current activities, management policies, or budgets. Nor does it provide prescriptive guidance in respect to implementation of its recommendations. Rather, it is a broad, forward-looking document intended to assist EPA managers responsible for strategic planning for the Office of Research and Development in laying out new directions and policies for the Agency. It should also be of value to Congress and the White House as they consider appropriate roles and directions for EPA.
Another NRC committee, the Committee on Research and Peer Review at EPA, has been working in parallel with this committee. That committee, whose report will be released later in 1997, is exploring questions concerning EPA's research management practices. Its findings should serve as a useful complement to the research framework presented in this report.
The committee hopes that this report will help EPA and the nation add to the building blocks of scientific knowledge needed to better protect human health and the environment. Our aim is to ensure that the EPA develops a permanent mechanism for conducting the research necessary for better environmental stewardship. At the same time, the EPA must work cooperatively with others to take advantage of important research being carried out in other organizations.
Because EPA's mandate is so broad, and its research correspondingly wide-ranging, no single discipline or research topic could be covered fully in this report. The many shaded boxes serve as illustrative examples of valuable research areas. Many other important topics could also serve to illustrate the themes laid out in this document.
The ideas presented in this report represent the breadth of knowledge and creativity of the committee members. Committee discussions were wide-ranging and thought provoking. It was a pleasure serving as chair and being a member of such a capable, hard-working, and distinguished group of individuals.
The committee is very grateful for the assistance and dedication of the NRC staff who aided the committee and helped prepare this report. In particular, we wish to recognize Morgan Gopnik, study director, whose expertise added to the discussions and whose hard work and skill in organizing, integrating, and polishing the various chapters are responsible for the readability of the report. In addition, we would like to recognize and thank Sheila David for her hard work and assistance in helping prepare and finalize the committee report. In addition, we would like to thank Adrienne Davis for arranging the committee's meetings and to thank Stephanie Vann for bringing the manuscript to completion. Finally, we wish to recognize the staff members of EPA's ORD for their dialogues with the committee and for their continued efforts to manage a high-quality research program in the face of difficult budget constraints.
RAYMOND C. LOEHR
Chair
List of Boxes, Figures, and Tables
BOXES
1-1 |
Selenium Contamination at Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge: Research Helps Solve Identified Environmental Problem |
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2-1 |
The Three Components of Core Environmental Research |
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2-2 |
Soil and Ground Water Contamination: Limited Knowledge of Environmental processes Slowed Progress |
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2-3 |
Understanding Humic Substances: Core Research Can Be Used to Address a Variety of Environmental Problems |
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2-4 |
The Impact of Airborne Particulates on Human Health: Core Research Needed to Identify Cause-and-Effect Relationships |
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2-5 |
Measuring Large-Scale Air Pollution: Application of New Tools |
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2-6 |
Applying Biological Microchip Technology to Environmental Assessment, Analysis, and Remediation Problems |
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2-7 |
Sub-Microgram Analysis Techniques for Geochemical and Geophysical Characterization |
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2-8 |
Human Variability in Toxic Response: Incomplete Understanding of Biological Processes Hinders Accurate Risk Assessments |
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2-9 |
Risk Characterization and Communication: Developing Better Methods to Apply to Many Environmental Problems |
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2-10 |
The Challenges of Long-Term Ecosystem Monitoring |
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3-1 |
Nutrient Contamination of Coastal Waters: Attacking a Difficult Problem |
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3-2 |
Effectiveness of Control Strategies for Tropospheric Ozone |
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3-3 |
Drinking Water Disinfection |
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3-4 |
Criteria for Selecting Among Identified Environmental Issues |
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3-5 |
Environmental Endocrine Modulators: Reducing Uncertainties |
4-1 |
Global Climate Change: A Large-Scale, Complex Problem Requires an Interdisciplinary, Multi-Agency Approach |
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4-2 |
Long-Term Studies Lead to Understanding of Complex Interactions |
FIGURES
1-1 |
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and ozone depletion: Advances in science and policy through 1996 |
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2-1 |
Accurate, sustained monitoring efforts at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii demonstrated rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere— an important piece of the climate change puzzle |
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2-2 |
Elements of a successful environmental monitoring program |
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3-1 |
Identification and mitigation of environmental problems is a continual process |
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3-2 |
The growth of industry and agriculture in the past 200 years has promoted at least six identifiable components of global environmental change |
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3-3 |
The risk assessment process |
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4-1 |
Some of the many partners in the environmental research endeavor |
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5-1 |
A framework for environmental research at EPA |
TABLES