An   SAB   Synopsis
Volume 2 Number 1
                             A Summary of a Just-Released SAB Report
                           March 16, 1999
       Review of the FY2000 Presidential Science and Technology
     Budget Request for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
                               EP A-S AB-RS AC-99-012
    i;
       [n completing  a review  of the USEPA's
       .(Agency's) science budget request for FY
2000, the Science Advisory Board (SAB) applauded
the Agency's continued progress  in developing  a
goal-based budget for science. The Board found the
budget request to be closely linked to the Agency's
Strategic Plan, in general, and to the Strategic Plan of
the Office of Research and Development (ORD), in
particular.
      At the  same time, however,  the Board
expressed concern about the adequacy of the
Agency's proposed budget to address all of its
scientific research  needs.   In  their view,  the
research budget may not be sufficient in several
areas  (i.e.,  tropospheric  ozone,  endocrine
disrupters, waste site  remediation technologies,
microbial pathogens and indoor air) to generate the
scientific and technological information needed to
meet the goals established in the Strategic Plans.
The Board recognizes that there are constraints on
any budget but urged that the Agency be more
open in explaining the difficult choices that have to
be made.
      In its report, the Board urges  that future
science budgets be developed using a prioritized list
of research needs. The budget request should clearly
show what research needs are being addressed and
which ones are not, together with an explanation of
the choices made.
      The Board was  encouraged by  the internal
cooperation among the various  Agency  offices.
Coordinated by the Chief Financial Officer and ORD's
Office of Science Policy, the Agency laid out a much
larger collection of scientific activities than in previous
years.  The data revealed that the  whole of EPA is
indeed a science agency, in that ORD conducts only
about half of the scientific work done by the Agency.
      The SAB report resulted from the work of the
SAB's Research  Strategies Advisory Committee
(RSAC), under the chairmanship of Dr. W. Randall
Seeker  of  Energy  &  Environment   Research
Corporation in Irvine, CA.  Dr.  Seeker said, "Having
looked at EPA science budgets for more than half a
decade, I am particularly encouraged by the progress
that we have seen over the past two years." Dr. Joan
Daisey of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,
Chair of the SAB Executive Committee that approved
the RSAC report  in a public meeting on March 8,
noted that "This year's presentation of the budget was
much more forthcoming in displaying the extent of
scientific activity throughout the Agency. We urge the
Agency to  take additional steps  in  presenting  a
comprehensive, coordinated picture  of scientific
efforts in future budgets. We believe that things are
moving in the right direction."
      Dr.  Seeker will provide testimony on the
SAB's report  at  a hearing  of the Energy and
Environment Subcommittee of the House Science
Committee on March 18.
      A complete copy of this report from the SAB's
RSAC  is  available   on the  SAB  Website
(http:/www.epa.gov/SAB), by request from the SAB
office through Email to [thomas.patricial@epa.gov],
or by Fax at [202-260-1889].
      The SAB is a body of independent scientists
established  by  Congress in 1978 to examine the
technical underpinnings of EPA positions.
          Office of the Science Advisory Board, US Environmental Protection Agency
                              Website: www.epa.gov/SAB

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