United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA/600/8-87/051
Oct. 1987
Research and Development
vvEPA Solicitation for
Research Grant
Proposals
ion Agency
/ Room 1670
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Exploratory Research Grants
Introduction The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is
responsible for implementing laws designed to mitigate
or prevent environmental pollution. Central to the
execution of its responsibility is the need for reliable,
high quality scientific and technical information.
Recognizing that some of the information needed to
address current or emerging problems is not available,
the Agency has established a long term, exploratory
research program.
As part of this long term research effort, EPA's Office of
Research and Development (ORD) established the
Research Grants Program within the Office of
Exploratory Research (OER) in 1980. The objective of
this program is to develop an effective means to
stimulate extramural scientists to work on EPA's
technical problems, to complement existing EPA
programs and to provide a stronger creative base for
mission-oriented research needed for the Agency's
regulatory and enforcement purposes. To date, through
its Research Grants Program, OER has supported
approximately 600 research projects in various priority
areas as identified by the Agency's program planning
mechanisms and ORD's Research Committees. This
year, ORD's research priorities are in four major areas:
Human health risk assessment methods' development
P to u? ^ anc* application
p C? o Ecological risk assessment methods: development and
£> ^ j>_ Risk reduction research concerned with reducing or
o> co «< P eliminating the release of toxicants to the
° ^ ,-, I~I environment
CD 01 >-d
CD *~d 4
rt- tr1 o Grants are an important means by which EPA
M CD underwrites research on environmental topics in the
o* .£ 3- academic sector. Therefore, this document solicits
o £ investigator-initiated proposals to address ORD's
P priority research needs. This solicitation relates only to
S !» the research grants procedures as administered by
^ *§ ORD's Office of Exploratory Research and outlines the
2 procedures for applying for grants assistance.
^ Participation in the research grants assistance program
does not preclude individuals or institutions from
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engaging m EPA-sponsored research supported through
cooperative agreements or contracts with ORD
laboratories. Those interested in these aspects of EPA's
research and development programs are encouraged to
consult directly with personnel at the EPA laboratories.
A list of these laboratories appears in Appendix A
Through this solicitation, OER seeks proposals for
research in the following general program areas
Environmental Biology
Environmental Health
Environmental Engineering
Environmental Air/Water Chemistry and Physics
Specific research topics are presented under the
descriptions of each of the above program areas.
Although this document emphasizes certain needs in
the aforementioned research areas, it is by no means
all inclusive. Every scientifically meritorious proposal is
accorded full and fair consideration. The legislative and
administrative limitations of this program require,
however, that applications must be relevant to EPA's
mission
Application The Research Grants Program accepts applications that
Procedures respond to its general annual solicitation. In addition,
applications are sought through more narrowly defined
proposal requests, the Request for Applications (RFA).
Application procedures for both mechanisms are
outlined below.
General Grants
Application forms, instructions, and other pertinent
information including general regulations for assistance
programs at EPA are available in the EPA Research
Grants Application/Information Kit. Interested
investigators should review the material in this kit
before preparing an application for assistance The kits
are available from:
Grants Operations Branch
Grants Administration Division (PM-21 6F)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20460
or
Research Grants Staff
Office of Exploratory Research (RD-675)
Office of Research and Development
U S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
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Fully-developed research grant applications, prepared in
accordance with instructions in the Application for
Federal Assistance Form No. 5700-12, should be sent
to:
Grants Operations Branch
Grants Administration Division (PM-216F)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, DC 20460
A pre-addressed mailing label is provided in the
Application/Information Kit.
If this solicitation is the basis for submitting a proposal,
that fact may be entered on line 3 of Form 5700-12.
One copy of the application with original signatures
plus eight copies are required. Informal, incomplete, or
unsigned proposals will not be considered.
While applications are accepted year round, proposals
will be evaluated at regular intervals. Closing dates for
receipt of applications and review schedules are listed
separately in each program area description. Applicants
should contact the appropriate Science Review
Administrator, whose name appears at the end of each
program area description, for further information on
review schedules.
Special Targeted Grants
When the Agency wishes to expand an existing
research area or explore a new one in which current
Agency efforts are either minimal or non-existent,
targeted grants are awarded in a narrowly defined
research topic. The purpose of these exploratory grants
is to augment existing research within EPA with more
fundamental studies, or to determine whether a more
substantial research effort should be established by the
Agency in the area targeted for study. The Office of
Exploratory Research addresses this specific research
need by issuing a special solicitation called a "Request
for Applications" (RFA). The RFA is a mechanism by
which a formal announcement is released describing a
high priority initiative in a well defined scientific area.
Applicants are invited to submit research applications
for a one-time competition using the standard
application for Federal Assistance Form No. 5700-12.
One copy of the application with original signatures
plus eight copies should be mailed directly to:
Research Grants Staff
Office of Exploratory Research (RD-675)
Office of Research and Development
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U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
Funds for this special mechanism are generally set
aside for a specified number of RFA's (where five to ten
agreements are expected to be awarded per RFA). The
deadlines for receipt of applications are identified in the
RFA announcement. All responses received are
reviewed for scientific merit by ad hoc extramural peer
review panels.
As in the case of regular grants, an application for a
targeted grant is only considered when a fully
developed proposal is submitted on the required
Application for Federal Assistance Form 5700-1 2.
Eligibility Nonprofit institutions and state or local governments
are eligible under all existing authorizations. Profit-
making firms are eligible only under certain laws, and
then under restrictive conditions, including the absence
of any profit from the project.
Potential applicants who are uncertain of their eligibility
should study the restrictive language of the law
governing the area of research interest This
information is provided in the Research Grants
Application/Information Kit.
Federal agencies and federal employees are not eligible
to participate in this program.
Investigators at minority institutions or those who have
not previously received support are encouraged to
submit applications (See Minority Programs Section).
Funding For all regular and targeted grants, the funding
Mechanism mechanism will consist of a grant agreement between
EPA and the recipient.
Federal grant regulation 40 CFR 30.307 requires all
recipients to provide a minimum of 5% of the total
project cost, which may not be taken from federal
sources.
Review All applications are initially reviewed by the Agency to
Process determine their legal and administrative acceptability.
Acceptable applications are then reviewed by the
appropriate peer review panel. This review is designed
to evaluate and rank each proposal according to its
scientific merit as a basis for recommending Agency
approval or disapproval. Each peer review panel is
composed primarily of non-EPA scientists and
engineers who are experts in their respective
disciplines.
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The panels use the following criteria in their review:
Quality of research plan (including theoretical and/or
experimental design, originality, and creativity)
Qualifications of principal investigator and staff
including knowledge of subject area
Potential contribution to scientific knowledge
Availability and adequacy of facilities and equipment
Budgetary justification
Proposals which receive a panel's approval based upon
scientific merit are further evaluated by EPA officials for
relevance to the Agency's mission and budget
appropriations. A summary of the scientific review and
recommendation of the panel is provided to each
applicant.
The review process described above is applicable to all
applications received, whether in the general or
targeted (RFA) procedure.
Research
Areas
General
Grants
Program
Environmental
Health
The four research areas under which the general grants
program is conducted are described below. The
description of each area includes a list of general
research topics within that research area which are
considered to be especially relevant to the Agency's
mission In addition, a schedule of significant dates for
receipt and review of research proposals is included in
each research area for the anticipated FY 1 988
program.
The major objective of the Environmental Health
Research Program is to obtain and provide a scientific
basis upon which the Agency can make regulatory
decisions concerning human health risk assessment
after exposure to environmental pollutants. The
principle concern is to determine whether, and to what
extent, exposure to various pollutants contribute to
environmentally related health risks.
Areas of interest include but are not limited to:
Improved Models and Methodologies for Human Risk
Assessment
Development of methods to assess the risk of
environmental contaminants for a variety of
health endpoints other than cancer (including
reproductive, developmental, behavioral
immunological, neurological and cardiovascular
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disorders, renal disease, chronic bronchitis and
emphysema)
Development of short-term assays which mimic the
metabolism and/or the molecular, cellular or
biochemical process being affected by specific
toxicants
Development of more extensive in vivo and in vitro
assays for all classes of potentially toxic
chemicals considered relevant to humans at risk
Studies of pharmacokmetics to determine the body
burden and effects of ingested and otherwise
contacted chemical and physical toxic agents
Studies to determine the adverse effects of
environmental toxicants on the immune function,
and ways to enhance immune response
Studies to determine the effect of predisposing
factors (e.g , genetic, hormonal, nutritional
factors, biological rhythm, previous exposure,
disease state, etc ) on reaction to toxic agents
Development of methods to program the results
obtained with validated testing strategies into an
artificial intelligence to predict toxicity based on
structural activity relationships
Risk Assessment and Predictions
Studies directed toward improved extrapolations
from high-to-low doses and from animal models
to humans; long-term animal studies of chronic
exposure to provide basis for high-to-low dose
extrapolations
Development of more sensitive techniques for
measuring chemical and physical toxic agents
and their metabolites in biological media
Development of risk extrapolation methods
incorporating information and mechanisms of
action, pharmacokmetics, and information from
mterspecies responses to related endpomts
Studies to identify the potential routes of exposure
in biological systems to chemical and physical
toxic agents, and the possible different toxicities
manifested following exposure by these diverse
routes
Studies of multiple exposure models to determine
possible synergistic, additive, and antagonistic
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effects of toxic agents
Studies that define the rates and mechanisms of
chemical reactions at the cellular level of
important toxic agents in the environment
In vivo and in vitro studies for developing and
validating rapid, reproducible, and sensitive
screening tests that can be used to assess
potential toxicity
Risk Assessment in Human Populations
Identification of target populations and effects on
these target populations at risk from exposure to
toxic agents The nature and range of
susceptibility should be included
Development of biological markers in populations
to improve early detection of exposure and future
chronic diseases, and to estimate their sensitivity
vs. specificity
Development of methods to better correlate
relationships between exposures and health
effects resulting from chronic long-term exposure
or where the interval between exposure and
effect is extended. Consideration should be given
to subtle effects such as genetic or behavioral
toxicity as well as morbidity or mortality
The following schedule applies to the Environmental
Health Grants Program in FY 1 988.
Application
Closing
Date
Panel
Review
Meeting
Relevancy
Review
Earliest Date
for
Notification
of Award
February 16 May June July
For further information, please contact:
George R Simon
Science Review Administrator (RD-675)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
(202)382-7445
Environmental The Environmental Biology Research Program supports
Biology a broad range of research in the areas of risk
assessment, ecosystem structure and function,
toxicology, biotechnology and degradation processes
The program seeks information that, in combination
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with exposure data, allows the prediction of the
environmental risk of pollutants on individual
organisms, populations, communities and ecosystems.
Areas of interest include but are not limited to:
Risk Assessment
Methods to assess and predict environmental risks
of single-chemical or complex mixture on
ecosystems and their components
Development of comparative risk assessment
procedures to estimate the risk associated with
hazardous waste sites
Techniques that will permit testing and validation
of laboratory findings and model verification
under field conditions, especially in the areas of
biological availability and effects of contaminants
Determining the pathways, interactions, and
impacts of genetically engineered
microorganisms which enter environmental
systems. Of particular interest are applications for
environmental monitoring and ecological risk
assessment
Screening methods for predicting exposure, fate
and eco-toxicity of chemicals, including chemical
mixtures at low concentrations. The development
of systems and models (including the structure-
activity concept) through which persistence,
bioaccumulation, eco-toxicity, and biodegradation
may be predicted
Ecosystem Structure and Function
The cycling, including sorption/desorption of
pollutants and biodegradation products with long
time constants in biological systems and
ecological processes
The relationship of ecological genetics and natural
selection processes as they are influenced by the
impact of pollutants upon ecosystem properties
The differential importance of components of eco-
systems to the whole. Studies are solicited which
assess the vulnerability of ecosystem components
to natural and anthropogenic damage and the
relative ecosystem resiliency and recovery
Modeling studies to develop new qualitative and
quantitative methodologies in order to predict
pollutant effects
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Studies of pollution impacts on biotic resources in
cold-climate ecosystems including the tundra and
estuarine areas
lexicological Effects
Studies delineating the effects of gaseous and
particulate air pollution (e.g., acid rain) on forests,
crops, and receiving waters and their biota
Studies to examine the biochemical, physiological
and ecological mechanisms by which major
pollutants combine to alter plant growth and
produce pathological symptoms in plants
Studies on the sublethal effects of toxic chemicals
and their biodegraded products on the behavior
growth, reproduction and cellular/molecular
processes in animals
Modes by which aquatic and terrestrial organisms
are exposed to chemicals in waters, sediments,
soils and air
Studies defining the role of microorganisms in the
movement, transfer and destruction of pollutants
in soil and water
Effects of chemicals on wildlife, including effects
on populations and individuals
Ecological significance of the loss, due to exposure
to toxic chemicals, of a portion of a natural
population
The following schedule applies to the Environmental
Biology Grants Program in FY 1988.
Application
Closing
Dale
Panel
Review
Meeting
Relevancy
Review
Earliest Date
lor
Notification
of Award
February J5 May July August
For further information, please contact:
Clyde C. Bishop, Jr.
Science Review Administrator (RD-675)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
(202)382-7445
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Environmental The Environmental Engineering Research Program
Engineering supports fundamental research needed to provide
solutions to pollution control problems outside the
scope of the Agency's response-directed research
program. New, innovative toxic substances control and
waste management techniques are sought to provide
cost-effective advanced multi-media (solid, liquid,
gaseous) pollution control technology.
Areas of interest include but are not limited to:
Proof-of-concept research in high-risk, high-potential
technical areas
Biodegradation of toxic substances; the treatment
of complex mixtures of pollutants to reduce
toxicity
In-plant unit process operations minimizing or
eliminating toxics generation and release to the
environment
Biotechnology advances for the degradation of toxic
and/or hazardous wastes in contaminated water,
ground water, and sediments and for improving
biological process treatment and mitigation of
environmental pollution problems
Development of improved techniques to prevent
ground-water degradation and to clean up
ground-water contamination
Prevention technology to minimize adverse human
health and ecological effects resulting from
accidental releases of toxic materials
Pilot-scale evaluation and cost performance testing of
innovative technologies
Improved thermal destruction (incineration) or
other treatment techniques, e.g., biological or
chemical, for the final disposition of hazardous
materials
Handling and disposal of hazardous solid wastes,
including detoxification, solidification, and
otherwise fixing organic waste before disposal in
secure landfills
Innovative approaches for reduction of indoor air
pollution
Improved techniques for low cost capture of
particles less than 10 micrometers including
condensation aerosols, in retrofit applications,
prior to exiting stack
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Innovative techniques to control or remove toxic air
emissions and VOCs from industrial or
combustion sources, including vent and flue
gases
Simultaneous control of particulate matter, NOx
and SOx in combustion and/or post combustion
processes
Municipal water and wastewater sludge volume
reduction and final disposal practices which lower
concentrations of pathogens, heavy metals, and
synthetic organics; recovery techniques for
metals from industrial sludges
Clean-up techniques (e.g., in-situ treatment) for
contaminated soils, structures, surface and
groundwater, and asbestos
Fundamental thermal destruction/combustion
research leading to less pollutant production and to
better incineration of hazardous waste
Investigation of flame reactions, propagation, and
quenching mechanisms
Investigation of selective and non-selective
catalysts for control of NOx and organic
particulate matter in high temperature
combustion processes
Investigation of operating conditions enabling
development of predictive models for products of
incomplete combustion in hazardous waste
incineration
The following schedule applies to the Environmental
Engineering Grants Program in FY 1988.
Application
Closing
Dates
February 15
August 15
Panel
Review
Meeting
June
October
Relevancy
Review
July
November
Earliest Date
for
Notification
of Award
August
January
For further information, please contact.
Donald F. Carey
Science Review Administrator (RD-675)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
(202) 382-7445
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Environmental
Air/Water
Chemistry and
Physics
The Environmental Air/Water Chemistry and Physics
Program supports research leading to the basic
scientific tools for establishing the levels at which
pollutants occur or might occur in the environment The
program includes projects in analytical chemistry,
studies on chemical reactions and their rates and on
the physics of the movement of pollutants in air, water,
and soil. The resulting tools and information will allow
the estimation of total exposures needed for risk
assessments.
This program is divided into:
I. RESEARCH ON AIR POLLUTION
II. RESEARCH ON POLLUTION OF FRESHWATER,
MARINE/ESTUARINE WATERS, GROUNDWATERS,
SOILS AND SEDIMENTS
Areas of interest include but are not limited to:
I. AIR POLLUTION
Exposure Monitoring Systems and Advanced
Analytical Methods
Development of exposure monitoring systems,
instruments or devices for continuous and
discrete sampling of inhalable pollutants
Development of advanced analytical methods
for the direct analysis of organic compounds in
the gaseous and solid phases and for the rapid
screening of samples for the presence of
classes of organic compounds
Transport and Fate Studies
Studies of the physical structure and chemical
composition of fine particulates. Studies on
how these particulates are formed,
transported, and removed from the atmosphere
Studies of the chemical and physical
transformations of specific toxic and hazardous
compounds (and their intermediates) in
ambient air
Assessment and quantification of the role of
solid aerosols in atmospheric reactions
Studies to assess whether anthropogenic
emissions into the atmosphere have a
significant effect on local or global climate
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Modeling Studies
Continued development and refinement of
receptor model and source apportionment
techniques
Development of reliable models for predicting
ground-based pollutant concentrations in
complex terrain from single and multiple
sources
Development of models capable of quantifying
pollutant concentrations or deposition rates
over urban, mesoscale and large areas
The following schedule applies to the Environmental Air
Chemistry and Physics Grants Program in FY 1988.
Application
Closing
Dates
March 15
August 15
Panel
Review
Meeting
May
October
Relevancy
Review
June
November
Earliest Date
for
Notification
of Award
July
December
For further information, please contact:
Louis G. Swaby
Science Review Administrator (RD-675)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
(202)382-7445
RESEARCH ON POLLUTION OF FRESHWATER,
MARINE/ESTUARINE WATERS, SOILS, GROUND-
WATERS, AND SEDIMENTS
Transport and Fate Studies
Studies of transport and transformation
processes in the surface and subsurface
environment in order to predict the impact of
surface conditions on ground-water systems.
Studies of the transport and fate of toxic
chemicals in lakes, rivers, and estuarine
waters with emphasis on providing information
required for use in predictive exposure models
Development of predictive water quality models
and techniques of varying complexity for
application to toxic substances, nutrients,
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anoxic conditions, and resuspension of
dredged material after aquatic disposal
Monitoring Systems and Analytical Methods
Research in chemistry and physics to develop
advanced analytical and monitoring techniques
for increasing sample through-put, sensitivity
and selectivity, and for field use
Develop new methods for screening a variety of
samples for toxic substances and classes of
organics and for monitoring waste streams
Develop geophysical monitoring techniques
applicable to the measurement of flow and
migration rates of groundwater and leachate
The following schedule applies to the Environmental
Water Chemistry and Physics Grants Program in FY
1988
Application
Closing
Dates
March 15
August 15
Panel
Review
Meeting
May
October
Relevancy
Review
June
November
Earliest Date
for
Notification
of Award
July
December
Request for
Applications
For further information, please contact
Louis G Swaby
Science Review Administrator (RD-675)
U S. Environmental Protection Agency
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
(202)382-7445
The number of RFA's that will be issued in 1 988 is
subject to the availability of funds in OER's FY 1 988
Research Grants Program. While a specific research
topic has not yet been chosen, it is anticipated that one
RFA will be issued during the month of March 1 988,
covering some aspect of pollution abatement and
control from Superfund sites The Request for
Applications will appear in the Federal Register,
Commerce Business Daily, and various technical
journals relative to the subject matter of the RFA.
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Minority
Institutions
Assistance
(MIA)
Minority Research Grant and
Student Fellowship Programs
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has initiated
a special assistance program entitled, Minority
Institutions Assistance (MIA) program. The objective
of the program is to award grant funds for the support
of exploratory research by faculty and to support
undergraduate and graduate fellowships for students
enrolled at eligible institutions. The principal purpose of
this program is to provide Federal assistance to
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's) as
directed by Executive Order 12320, issued on
September 15, 1981.
Terms and Restrictions for Research Assistance
Consideration will be given only to applications
submitted by institutions subject to Executive Order
No. 12320, and identified by the Secretary of the
Department of Education as Historically Black
Colleges and Universities
In contrast to the regular grants program,
preapplication assistance is available upon request.
A potential investigator may submit a preproposal for
informal scientific review and determination of its
relevance to Agency research goals
The Application Form (5700-1 2), instructions and
procedures are the same as those used for EPA's
regular research grants, except that "MIA" should be
typed in item (3) on the face page to identify the
program to which the application is directed.
All of the topic areas described previously for the
regular research grants program are applicable to the
MIA program
Terms and Restrictions for Student Fellowship
Assistance
Consideration will be given only to applicants who are
enrolled full-time and in good standing with an
eligible institution (HBCU).
The applicant must be a senior or graduate student
with a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3 0
or higher on a scale of 4.0.
All applications will be reviewed and evaluated for the
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following: (1) individual's orientation towards and
commitment to a career in the Physical Sciences
(Chemistry, Physics, Math, Engineering), Biological
Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Computer
Sciences, (2) Grade Point Average (GPA) verified by
college transcript, (3) applicant's statement of
objectives and personal goals (4) recommendations
by the sponsor and faculty and (5) employment
experience related to the field of study.
These Student Fellowship applications must be
properly executed on EPA Forms. Failure to complete
all forms with appropriate signatures will delay
processing or disqualify the application Each
application must enter "MIA" in the upper left hand
corner of the face page, EPA Form 5770-4
Applicants must be citizens of the United States or its
possessions, the U.S. Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico.
The Environmental Protection Agency reserves the
right to limit the number of awards to a particular
college or university.
For further information, please contact.
Walter H. Preston
Ombudsman, MIA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (RD-675)
401 M Street, SW
Washington, DC 20460
(202)382-7445
or
Clyde C. Bishop, Jr.
Science Review Administrator
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Appendix A Laboratories of The Office of Research and
Development, USEPA
Health Effects Research Laboratory
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
(919)541-2281
Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory
P.O. Box 93478
Las Vegas, NV 89193-3478
(702)798-2100
Water Engineering Research Laboratory
Cincinnati, OH 45268
(513)569-7951
Environmental Research Laboratory
South Ferry Road
Narragansett, Rl 02882
(401)789-1071
Environmental Monitoring Systems Laboratory
Research Triangle Park, NC 27711
(919)541-2106
Environmental Research Laboratory
Sabine Island
Gulf Breeze, FL 32561
(904)932-5311
Hazardous Waste Engineering Research Laboratory
Cincinnati, OH 45268
(513)569-7418
Environmental Monitoring and Support Laboratory
Cincinnati, OH 45268
(513)569-7301
Environmental Research Laboratory
200 SW 35th Street
Corvalhs, OR 97333
(503)757-4601
Environmental Research Laboratory
College Station Road
Athens, GA30613
(404)546-3154
Environmental Research Laboratory
6201 Congdon Boulevard
Duluth, MN 55804
(218)727-6692
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