Research to Protect, Restore, and Manage the Environment (1993) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix A: Environmental Programs of Federal Research Agencies
Appendix A: Environmental Programs of Federal Research Agencies
Pages 129-200
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From page 129... ...
The existence of a large number of environmental research programs spread among many parts of the federal government makes it difficult to describe these activities comprehensively or with the same emphasis and detail that some agencies might see as appropriate. The descriptions in this appendix illustrate the breadth of environmental research activity in the federal government, but should not be assumed to be inclusive; nor should the lengths of descriptions be taken to indicate greater or less importance of some programs or sets of programs than of others.
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From page 130... ...
The AAAS report states that about $0.7 billion is expended for studies of human health related to the environment in addition to the $4.5 billion of the above-described expenditures. The analysis excludes funding for operational activities related to the environment, such as environmental-policy studies, training, technical assistance, and waste cleanup and $0.3 billion for extraterrestrial environmental sciences.
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From page 132... ...
Management agencies that implement most of the nation's environmental and resource laws (EPA; NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and National Ocean Service (NOS)
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From page 133... ...
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From page 134... ...
Sector-specif~c agencies provide about another 25%, primarily USDA's ARS and Cooperative State Research Service. Programs pertaining to global change account for about one-third of the 12% average annual growth for environmental life sciences from FY 1990 to FY 1992.
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From page 135... ...
National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program (NAPAP)
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From page 136... ...
ARS reports $9.5 million in expenditures for the U.S. Global Change Research Program (B.R.
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From page 137... ...
CSRS planned to spend $119 million in FY 1992 for environmental research; funds were distributed to SAESs and other college programs, competitive grants, special grants, and cooperative forestry. CSRS expenditures support environmental programs, including soil and water conservation; soil nutrient management; forest biology and management; water quality; alternative and sustainable agricultural systems; biological control of plant and animal pests and diseases; management of agricultural chemicals, nutrients, and wastes to protect environmental quality; management of soil, water, forests, and air resources; fish and wildlife ecology and management; and social, economic, and policy implications of environmental programs.
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From page 138... ...
· Provide the knowledge, techniques, and strategies needed to manage, protect, and enhance forest, rangeland, and associated aquatic ecosystems emphasizing sustained ecological processes, biodiversity, water quality and quantity, wildlife, and fisheries resources.
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From page 139... ...
· The U.S. Global Change Research Program under the auspices of the Committee on Earth and Environmental Sciences (CEES)
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From page 140... ...
Accurate environmental data must also be integrated into the design of smart weapons and automatic target recognition systems in order for them to function effectively. Thus, the SDIO and other DOD entities are developing technologies that can measure and simulate the atmospheric boundary layer, the seismic/acoustic and electromagnetic characteristics of terrains, maritime aerosols, "background clutter," and related strategic and tactical concerns.
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From page 141... ...
in 1990. The types of expenditures for SERDP include: costs associated with de-archiving and "sanitizing" environmental data previously collected by DOD researchers; the marginal cost of excess computer time on federal supercomputers made available to environmental researchers; the incremental costs of certain environmental data collection activities, including remote sensing; and funding for R&D on pollution prevention, nuclear, toxic, and hazardous waste management, and advanced energy generation and conservation technologies.
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From page 142... ...
The $62 million estimated for service-related mitigation engineering, science and technology is nearly double the level of activity in FY 1990. The Army and Air Force each account for roughly half of the funding for R&D on installation environmental restoration, pollution prevention, and atmospheric compliance.
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From page 143... ...
The global-change program is the largest environmental program in OHER, with planned expenditures in FY 1992 of about $75 million. The program consists of studies of the carbon cycle, climate diagnostics, effects on vegetation, atmospheric radiation measurement, computer-hardware advanced mathematics and model physics, ocean research, and education and the National Institute for Global Environmental Change.
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From page 144... ...
· Detect and quantify physiological and genetic adaptations of plant populations and soil microbial populations to variation in nutrient and water availability. · Develop the theoretical basis and analytical methods to understand the evolved dynamics and capacities of ecosystem adjustment to environmental change and its role in ecosystem resilience to perturbations and in developing ecosystem sustainability and biodiversity.
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From page 145... ...
Estimates the future concentrations and rate of increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide and other energy-related emissions and attempts to improve understanding and prediction of effects of emissions on climate and biota. · Strives to obtain scientific information to support energy policy options aimed at preventing, mitigating, or adapting to increasing greenhousegas concentrations and global environmental change.
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From page 146... ...
, National Park Service (NPS) , and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)
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From page 147... ...
Among the large USGS programs related to environmental sciences programs with large planned expenditures for FY 1992 are those in geological hazard surveys, mineral-resource surveys, energy-resource surveys, marine and coastal surveys, national water quality assessment program, volcano hazards, to~nc-substances hydrology, global-change and climate history, global-change hydrology, and core hydrological research. Large information R&D programs include those in federal-state water data collection and analysis, national mineral and energy surveys, national geological mapping, national digital cartographic databases, Landsat data archive, marine and coastal surveys, and global-change data systems.
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From page 148... ...
Each of the study-unit teams in the National Water Quality Assessment Program has a local liaison committee consisting of representatives of federal, state and local agencies, universities, and the private sector. USGS is cooperatively involved in water-resources research at 54 of the nation's land grant universities through its State Water Resources Research Institute Program.
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From page 149... ...
, passed October 28, 1992, repeals the Land Remote Sensing Commercialization Act of 1984 and directly affects programs of USGS. In stressing the unportance of Landsat data to national security and global environmental research, the act specifies the following: · Transfer of responsibility for the data archive from the Department of Commerce to DOI which delegates to the USGS.
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From page 150... ...
FWS activities include research on the physiological requirements of fish in culture systems, fish reproductive biology, optimal rearing methods for diverse fish species and life-history stages, nutrition and feeding technology, fish disease and health management, registration of chemicals and drugs used in fisheries, and concomitant improvements in hatchery water quality and reduction of effluent pollution to ensure compliance with federal and state environmental legislation. The final focus of fishery research is on the problems related to the unintentional introduction of aquatic nuisance species.
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From page 151... ...
This involves translating modern scientific information and technologies into operationally useful tools tailored to FWS-mandated responsibilities. A biodiversity-research effort consists mainly of development of gap analysis, a tool designed to identify gaps in the protection of biological diversity and of endangered species.
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From page 152... ...
, MMS provides scientific and technical information on the potential impacts of the development of oil, gas, and marine mineral resources on the U.S outer continental shelf (OCS)
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From page 153... ...
NATIONAL PARK SERVICE The majority of the National Park Service (NPS) environmental research program provides scientific information from field and laboratory studies to support protection, conservation, and restoration of natural and cultural resources in units of the national park system.
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From page 154... ...
The bureau manages aquatic resources in 17 western states for the protection of wildlife, fisheries, and water quality. Wetlands research focuses on assessing the value of wetlands in water-resources management and
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From page 155... ...
Evaluation of the importance of existing and restored wetlands in removing nutrients and improving water quality. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY The primary goal of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
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From page 156... ...
In addition, ORD maintains a longer-term research program intended to extend the knowledge base of environmental science and to anticipate environmental problems. Research programs are conducted through the Washington, D.C., headquarters offices, EPA laboratories and field locations, extramural contracts, and EPA exploratory environmental grants and research centers.
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From page 157... ...
· Implemented a new strategic planning process to set overall directions, with guidance from an agency-wide senior management group, the Research Strategy Council. · Started the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program to monitor status and trends in the health of the nation's ecosystems, whose budget grew to $33 million by FY 1992.
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From page 158... ...
· Placing greater emphasis on ecological research and ecological risk assessment. · Aggressively evaluating innovative approaches to risk reduction, for both pollution prevention and pollution control, that offer order-of-magnitude improvements over current practices.
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From page 159... ...
Waste management. Environmental cleanup.
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From page 160... ...
: Groundwater research, including the transport and fate of contaminants in the subsurface, and developing methods to protect and restore groundwater quality. · Athens, Georgia: Predictive environmental fate and exposure and modeling of ecological process in fresh-water, marine and terrestrial ecosystems.
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From page 161... ...
EPA also has a Health Effects Research Laboratory in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, to study human health effects resulting from exposure to environmental pollutants. RESEARCH GRANTS AND CENTERS EPA has a modest grants program that provides support to the academic community.
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From page 162... ...
OTHER RESEARCH ACTIVITIES The program offices and regional offices of EPA also undertake a variety of scientific activities, including research, assessment, and reviews of studies. For example, the Office of Water and Office of Prevention, Pesticides, and Toxic Substances Programs recently collaborated on a study of the nation's drinking-water wells for possible pesticide contamination.
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From page 163... ...
Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) , an interagency program to understand and predict global environmental change.
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From page 164... ...
Global Change Research Fellowships to train the next generation of earth scientists. The EOS program has put major emphasis on the Data and Information System (EOSDIS)
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From page 165... ...
, often associated as ERL joint institutes with universities, National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) facilities, the Sea Grant College Program Network, and undersea research operations.
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From page 166... ...
OAR is also responsible for management of the Sea Grant College Program Network and undersea research operations. The National Network of Sea Grant College Programs involves 26 colleges and three institutional programs.
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From page 167... ...
The National Ocean Service supports research in national estuarine research reserves and national marine sanctuaries. The National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NEARS)
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From page 168... ...
In total, NSF spends about $540 million a year on environmental R&D, which places it high among federal agencies for support of environmental research, including environmental science exclusive of development, life sciences, physical sciences, and social sciences. NSF sees its role in research on the environment to be to develop the fundamental knowledge base, support research facilities and infrastructure, and foster education and training.
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From page 169... ...
Global Change Research Program and a mainstay of the overall effort, seek to gain an understanding of how the earth system functions and to describe the major cause-effect relationships among the system's processes. Major scientific themes include studies of global ocean and atmospheric circulations; the continental hydrological cycle; global tropospheric chemistry; exchanges of biological and chemical materials within the oceans and among the atmosphere, land, and ocean ecosystems; the role of the polar regions in global change; properties of the solid earth and the geological record, especially tectonics and geodynamics; studies of the latitudinal coupling of the middle and upper atmospheric regions; and evidence of these processes operating in the past at various temporal and spatial scales.
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From page 170... ...
The National Center for Atmospheric Research received about $50 million of FY 1992 funds from NSF through GEO, and the directorate spent an additional $69 million for atmospheric-research projects. In total, GEO spent about $426 million on environmental research in FY 1992.
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From page 171... ...
For example, University Cooperation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
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From page 172... ...
The program officer's decision is made with the help of all the peer review~both mail and panel. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AT OTHER AGENCIES5 Four other agencies provided $126 million for environmental R&D in FY 1992-for projects addressing issues ranging from environmental management in developing nations to the environmental impact of snow- and ice-control methods on U.S.
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From page 173... ...
, $5 million for R&D on agricultural and other environmental priorities of international organizations, $4 million for research on economic and social policies affecting the environment (e.g., land tenure rights and natural-resource accounting) , $3 million for competitive grants for innovative scientific research on biodiversity and other subjects, $3 million for other biodiversity studies, and $2.5 million for R&D on pollution prevention.
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From page 174... ...
The $0.9 million budgeted for the International Environmental Science Program funded longterm, interdisciplinary monitoring of unique ecosystems, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. Finally, the Smithsonian's Astrophysical Observatory and National Air and Space Museum together spent $0.7 million in FY 1992 on global-change research.
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From page 175... ...
The $6 million budget for this R&D addresses both the mitigation and prevention of oil and hazardous-material spills, including R&D on countermeasures for damaged vessels, equipment for containing and cleaning up spills, and technologies for improved navigation. Mandatesin the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments explain most of the growth in environmental R&D at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
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From page 176... ...
First, CEQ performs continuing analyses and annually reports on the nation's environmental conditions and trends, and it reviews and coordinates the environmental data and monitoring activities of federal agencies pursuant to Section 201 of NEPA, as well as mandates in the Environmental Quality Improvement Act of 1970 and later executive orders. To assist CEQ in these activities, the it chairs the Interagency Committee on Environmental Trends.
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From page 177... ...
Determining the conditions and trends in environmental quality by collecting environmental data is essential for formulating, implementing, and evaluating national environmental policy. Reliable information on environmental status and trends also helps to define the long-term health of ecosystems and identify potential causes of environmental degradation.
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From page 178... ...
Reviewing the status of research conducted pursuant to the Acid Precipitation Act of 1980 and developing a revised plan that identifies important research gaps and establishes a coordinated program to address current and future research priorities. · Coordinating with participating federal agencies, augmenting the agencies' research and monitoring efforts, and sponsoring additional research in the scientific community as necessary to ensure the availability and quality of data and methods needed to evaluate the status and effectiveness of the acid-deposition control program (established by Title IV of the Clean Air Act Amendments)
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From page 179... ...
· Beginning in 1996 and every 4 years thereafter, reporting to Congress on the following: - Reduction in deposition rates that must be achieved to prevent adverse ecologic effects. - Costs and benefits of the emission-reduction program created by Title IV of the Clean Air Act Amendments.
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From page 180... ...
Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)
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From page 181... ...
For FY 1993, five initiatives were originally identified: global-change research, mathematics and science education, high-performance computing and communication, biotechnology research, and advanced materials and processing. FCCSET developed a category, a national research program (NRP)
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From page 182... ...
Among the latter is the Council on Environmental Quality Interagency Committee on Environmental Trends, which works to foster enhanced federal reporting on the collection, analysis, and dissemination of environmental data. GLOBAL CHANGE DATA MANAGEMENT In recognition of the importance of effectively managing the massive quantities of data and information to improve understanding of global-change processes, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)
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From page 183... ...
Assessments of the Forest Service, and the Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act (RCA) Appraisal of the Soil Conservation Service.
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From page 184... ...
It cooperates with the Department of State, the Library of Congress, and the Defense Mapping Agency to map population data for many countries. NOAA routinely collects large amounts of environmental data and information in its own work and is officially charged to maintain environmental records for the nation.
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From page 185... ...
NOAA's earth-system data and information management program builds on existing national data centers and independent centers of data in NOAA, which contain data from meteorological stations and satellites on snow and ice, tides, fisheries, bathymetry, geodesy, nautical charts, sea level, and hydrology. The data provide extensive information on climate, marine ecosystems, coastal oceanography, and tides.
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From page 186... ...
DOE has several international working relationships related to global-change data and has nominated its Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center to become a world data center in the ICSU network of centers. Department of the Interior The process of identifying which existing Department of the Interior (DOI)
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From page 187... ...
DOI has been very active in encouraging public access to earth-science information through such sources as the Earth Science Data Directory, Earth Science Information Centers, and the National Water Data Exchange. The USGS Library System supports global-change research with its comprehensive earth-science collection of 1.3 million volumes and 450,000 maps.
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From page 188... ...
Participants in WICP are required to collaborate with other groups coordinating related categories of information, including meteorology and spatial data. An Advisory Committee on Water Data for Public Use solicits input from 16 national organizations involved in water issues, and the Interagency Committee on Water Data has representatives from 30 Federal organizations that either collect or use water data.
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From page 189... ...
are NASA's institutional response to the requirements of the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP)
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From page 190... ...
and the production, archiving, and distribution of data and products in support of the EOS scientific research program and general earthscience research worldwide. EOSDIS will serve as NASA's earth-science data system and will begin with a process of consolidating and improving NASA's existing earth-science data-management capabilities, beginning as soon as possible to improve support for interdisciplinary global-change research efforts.
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From page 191... ...
and provides overall management, coordination, and adjudication of the ground-system resources. EOSDIS will also provide linkages to non-NASA data centers, which provide related data sets required to support generation of EOS products or of critical importance for the EOS scientific research program, or data centers-Affiliated Data Centers (ADCs)
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From page 192... ...
Where standards do not exist, suitable archive and exchange formats are developed within the project. Data- management plans are coordinated with other participating agencies, and the data are archived at existing national and international centers, e.g., the National Center for Atmospheric Research data centers and the World Data Centers.
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From page 193... ...
. FEDERAL GEOGRAPHIC DATA COMMITTEE Under provisions of revised OMB Circular A-16, the DOI, through USGS, chairs the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FDGC)
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From page 194... ...
The memorandum delegates lead responsibility for the Water Information
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From page 195... ...
Global Change Research Program and the Spatial Data Committee, for example, USDA data on vegetation and soils and DOI data on wetlands. Other focal points for the management of data are being established, for example, the EPA Center for Environmental Statistics.
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From page 196... ...
The Guide lists data sets from most agencies involved in environmental research. The center includes among its information bases such other extensive resources as the Global Change Master Directory, the Guide to Selected Spatial Environmental Data, and the Guide to Selected Ecological Information and Statistics.
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From page 197... ...
Global Change Research Program.
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From page 198... ...
USGS administers two research programs authorized by the Water Resources Research Act of 1984: the State Water Resources Research Institute program and a national competitive water resources research grant program. The institute program provides matching grants for partial support of 54 water-resources research institutes at land-grant universities across the nation.
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From page 199... ...
Because of its large role in environmental-data matters, the scope of NOAA's data activities, including and beyond global change, is briefly summarized here. NOAA manages six world data centers, three national data centers, and over 30 centers of data.
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From page 200... ...
, and ecosystem surveys. National Science Foundation NSF,s Long-Term Ecological Research network has 19 sites from Alaska to Antarctica with a network office in Seattle.
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