&EPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Science for a Sustainable Future
EPA RESEARCH PROGRAM
OVERVIEW 2012 - 2016
Office of Research and Development
Overview: Science for a Sustainable Future
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EPA 601/R-12/002
Science for a Sustainable Future
EPA Research Program Overview 2012 - 2016
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
February 2012
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Table of Contents
Science for a Sustainable Future 4
Air, Climate, and Energy 9
Safe and Sustainable Water Resources 11
Sustainable and Healthy Communities 13
Chemical Safety for Sustainability 16
Human Health Risk Assessment 19
Homeland Security 21
The Path Forward to Sustainability 23
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Science for a Sustainable Future
EPA Research Program Overview 2012 to 2016
Not long ago, computers were clunky, room-sized
machines reserved for research institutions and large
corporations. People made calculations using slide
rules. Data-sharing required face-to-face meetings or
trips to the post office. These realities were accepted
as part of modern life.
But where some saw the status quo, others
saw opportunity. A special mixture of creativity,
imagination, and ingenuity sparked a technological
revolution that brought about game-changing
innovations such as personal computers, the internet,
cell phones, and other technologies that changed the
way people live and work.
Not long ago, city dwellers breathed air thick with
smog, rivers were choked with pollution, fish were
poisoned by acid rain, and second-hand tobacco
smoke was nearly ubiquitous. Pollution was viewed
as a necessary byproduct of modern society and
economic prosperity.
But the same combination of intellect and imagination
that put telecommunications devices into people's
pockets and global positioning systems on their
dashboards sparked a realization that societal
progress and a healthy environment are not mutually
exclusive.
Ground-breaking, innovative science and research
made possible a new era with a host of environmental
achievements such as lead-free gasoline, no-smoking
policies, low-emission vehicles, cleaner lakes, rivers,
and coastal waters, and restored hazardous waste
sites that are now safe for playgrounds and homes.
The cumulative benefits of this work are restored
ecosystems, improved public health, and increased
overall life expectancy in a time when our economy
and population have continued to grow. For example,
the value of goods and services produced in the US
increased dramatically over the same time period that
many types of air pollution decreased (see Figure 1).
Every day, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agenc\
(EPA) continues to turn the vision of a healthy
economy and a healthy environment into a reality for
all Americans. It's a vision that starts with science.
Aligning with Sustainability
EPA relies on the Office of Research and
Development (ORD) to produce the science,
research, methods, and tools needed to pursue
its mission of protecting human health and
the environment. In 2011, to ensure maximum
effectiveness of these activities, the Agency embarked
on a major effort to strategically realign ORD's
research portfolio around the concept of sustainability.
The realignment is designed to not only a cleaner and
less polluted environment, but one that is healthy,
productive, and fully sustainable.
"to create and maintain conditions,
under which humans and nature can
exist in productive harmony, that
permit fulfilling the social, economic,
and other requirements of present and
future generations."
- National Environmental Policy Act, 1969
Back in 1969,
the National
Environmental
Policy Act
(NEPA)
established "a
national policy
which [will]
encourage
productive and enjoyable harmony between man and
his environment." EPA focused its initial efforts on
tackling specific and obvious challenges—cleaning
the air, water, and land and developing ways to
prevent further contamination.
It is now time to focus efforts on tackling the complex,
interconnected environmental challenges that require
innovative thinking, new tools and sustainable
approaches. In its 2011 report, Sustainability and
the US EPA,1 the National Research Council of the
National Academy of Sciences stated that"... current
approaches aimed at decreasing existing risks,
however successful, are not capable of avoiding the
1. National Research Council, "Sustainability and the U.S. EPA,"
National Academies Press, Washington DC, 2011.
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90 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09
OCOM Domntic Product
CO. Emiition*
Aggregate Emission*
(Six Common Pollutants)
Figure 1. Comparison of Growth Areas and Air Emissions, 1980-2009
Over this time period, US gross domestic product and the total miles travelled by US vehicles
increased significantly. At the same time, the US population and total energy consumption in-
creased, as did emissions of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. Even while these increases
occurred, levels of 6 major categories of air pollutant emissions (e.g., particulate matter, sulfur
dioxide, others) decreased substantially, in large part due to Clean Air Act regulations.
problems in the US and globally that threaten the
planet's critical natural resources and put current and
future human generations at risk."
While EPA's historic efforts have led to major
improvements in our environment, we have reached
a critical juncture. We have a new awareness of
increasingly complex and global environmental
challenges, and new science, tools and technologies
to address them. With these insights and capabilities,
we can build upon our traditional expertise in research
for risk assessment and management, by conducting
innovative research for sustainable solutions.
Focusing on development of solutions also means
engaging decisionmakers and other users of research
from the beginning of the process—to ensure that the
end results will meet their needs. The overall goals
are to minimize risk, while maximizing benefits to
society, the economy, and the environment.
This new level of environmental protection calls for
systems-based thinking and approaches that account
for linkages between different environmental systems.
Systems-approaches recognize that actions taken
by industry and consumers affect the environment,
efforts to protect the environment impact industry
and consumers, and impacts on one system can
affect others and the larger whole (see Fig. 2). In the
pursuit of sustainable policies and practices, EPA,
states, tribes, and local communities, need the right
scientific tools to weigh environmental decisions with
a full evaluation of these cross-system impacts and
consequences. The realignment of EPA research is
geared toward producing scientific tools and solutions
that will support decision-making within the context of
environmental, economic and social goals.
With a sustainability focus and systems-based
approaches, EPA researchers are working
collaboratively, across many scientific disciplines
and in close partnership with EPA partners and
outside stakeholders, to conduct research that is truly
transdisciplinary. This means that researchers actively
engage experts not only from related scientific fields,
but also from other sectors, including economics, law,
policy, communications and information sciences.
This integrated, transdiciplinary approach to research
is designed to deliver results that meet the needs
of decision-makers and establish a broad scientific
foundation for a sustainable future.
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A Systems Approach to Sustainability
Industry
(products, energy)
Society
(communities, governments)
Products, Svrvit
Ecological goods
andsetvices
Minimize impact of waste »nrf
emissions on tfre environment and
piQtect Durability
ecological goods
Environment (air, water, land, humans & ecosystems)
Adapted 1rom: J. Fikstt, A Frairuiffort. (orSust»raitil» Materials Manajjimsnt JoiTnsI of Mounts. August 2006.
Figure 2. A Systems Approach to Sustainability illustrates the flow of materials and services between
the three pillars of Sustainability - economy, environment, and society.
Designing Research to Meet Priorities
Beginning in 2011, EPA's research programs were
re-designed to be as responsive as possible to the
Agency's priority needs and to advance the science
of Sustainability. As a starting point, the research
programs are now aligned with the goals outlined in
the EPA's FY 2011-2015 Strategic Plan (see Figure
3).
Four integrated research programs address EPA
strategic goals, and two highly targeted research
programs focus on EPA's special responsibilities
related to homeland security and human health risk
assessment. The research programs address a
wide span of needs, from future-oriented anticipatory
research, to problem-specific research, to technical
support. The programs are designed to meet the
needs of partner offices within EPA and to be useful to
others who rely upon our research.
Transforming EPA's research portfolio in this
manner—by realigning thirteen research programs
into six integrated areas—has created many
opportunities to collaborate, leverage expertise
and coordinate research among areas that were
previously planned and managed independently.
For example, the Chemical Safety for Sustainability
program integrates research on pesticides and
toxics, endocrine disrupters, computational
toxicology, nanotechnology, and more. The Safe
and Sustainable Water Resources program brings
together research on drinking water and water quality.
Some topics, such as climate change and children's
health, involve multiple areas of research and,
therefore, are supported across multiple research
programs. To advance environmental Sustainability,
the six research areas contribute to and reinforce one
another, emphasizing the integration of environmental
science research (see Figure 4).
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EPA Strategic Go;
^^^^^^^^^^^^^H
Taking Action on Climate Change and
Ensuring Air Quality
Protecting America's Waters
Cleaning Up Our Communities
Current Research Program Former Research Program
Air, Climate and Energy
Safe and Sustainable Water
Resources
Sustainable and Healthy
Communities
Global Change
Clean Air
Other Research
Drinking Water
Water Quality
Human Health
Ecosystems
Other Research
Assuring the Safety of Chemicals
Chemical Safety for
Sustainability
Homeland Security
Human Health Risk Assessment
Endocrine Disrupters
Computational Toxicology
Other Research
Homeland Security
Human Health Risk Assessment
Figure 3: EPA's Research Programs Support Agency Strategic Goals
Integration across the six programs also ensures
that research is designed to tackle cross-cutting EPA
priorities, including environmental justice, children's
health, and science and technological innovation.
Research is conducted by hundreds of EPA staff
scientists and engineers in laboratories and research
facilities at 13 locations around the country. They are
joined by a network of collaborators, partners, fellows,
and grantees supported by EPA's Science to Achieve
Results (STAR) extramural research program. EPA is
also one of 11 federal agencies that participate in the
Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) program,
enacted in 1982 to strengthen the role of small
businesses in federal research and development,
create jobs, and promote technological innovation.
EPA has also taken several steps to foster creativity
and innovation through its research. The Agency
actively supports scientific competitions and
challenges, public-private partnerships, and other
activities that promote innovative thinking and
sustainable solutions. To spark innovative research
among EPA scientists, ORD sponsors an internal
competition known as "Pathfinder Innovation Projects"
that provides seed funding for the best, game-
changing proposals.
The environmental challenges of the 21st century
cannot be met by EPA alone. To engage a broader
community, EPA works to ensure that its research
is catalytic and high-impact. Collaborations with
other federal agencies, state and local governments,
and other entities help advance the environmental
protection mission. Developing scientific tools and
information that can then be used by the broader
environmental protection community empowers
others outside of EPA to develop innovative,
sustainable solutions. The Agency has also
recognized that excellent research, done invisibly,
cannot have impact. To this end, researchers are
committed to sharing results broadly through printed
communications materials, social media, webinars,
conferences and many other venues.
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Figure 4: EPA's Six Integrated Research Programs. EPA's six research programs emphasize coordina-
tion and integration. The Sustainable and Healthy Communities program integrates research across the envi-
ronmental spectrum. Air, climate, water and chemical research all inform the Agency's risk assessment and
homeland security research efforts.
In designing the research programs, EPA scientists
undertook an unprecedented effort to solicit ideas—
engaging managers and staff throughout the Agency,
conducting "listening sessions" with the public, and
hosting other open platforms. Through these efforts,
EPA researchers heard firsthand about needs for
advanced scientific and engineering knowledge,
data, methods, and analytical tools. The discussions
sparked collaboration, innovation, and creativity
from every corner of the EPA research community
in designing the needed research. Continuing
interactions will help ensure that Agency program and
regional offices, states, tribes, and other stakeholders
receive the scientific information they need to make
decisions and implement the nation's environmental
laws.
Brief descriptions of the six programs follow.
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Air, Climate, and Energy I
The ACE research program builds upon 40 years
of achievement in air pollution research that led to
landmark outcomes—including healthier communities
and longer life expectancies—by addressing air,
climate, and energy issues in an integrated way. The
program is designed to provide the science needed
to adapt to changing climatic conditions and prevent
harmful air pollution emissions, including greenhouse
gases.
The ACE program continues to fulfill Clean Air
Act requirements by providing scientific support
to decision makers on individual air pollutants of
concern. However, we all breathe mixtures of air,
and are not often exposed to air pollutants one-
at-a-time. ACE research is focused on assessing
cumulative impacts of exposures to a combination of
many pollutants in the air, preventing and reducing
emissions of pollutants including greenhouse
gases, and helping communities, states and regions
respond to the impacts of changes in climate and air
quality. The program also incorporates scientific and
technological breakthroughs such as smart phones,
sensors, multi-scale computer models and innovative
chemical design to help solve air pollution and climate
problems.
Integrating air, climate, and energy research into one
program has brought together scientists from a broad
range of disciplines including atmospheric and climate
science, air and water quality, environmental health,
exposure, ecology, economics, and more. These
scientists and engineers worked collaboratively with
those who use and depend upon our research—
EPA policy makers, regional officials and external
stakeholders—to ensure the ACE program is
responsive and relevant to priority needs. As a result,
ACE research is focused on three central themes:
Assess Impacts
The effects of air pollution on human health and the
environment result from exposures to mixtures of
pollutants in the atmosphere and occur at multiple
geographic and temporal scales. At the same time,
Challenges for Air, Climate, and Energy
We breathe a mixture of air pollutants. Current
scientific understanding of environmental and
health risks of air pollution is based on single
polluntants.
The effects of climate change on air, water and
ecosystems will vary by region and locality.
Helping communities prepare for climate change
requires scientific data across a range of
geographic scales, not currently available.
Energy choices have trade-offs, but the health
and environmental risks and benefits of new
technologies and approaches are not well
understood.
Social, behavioral, and economic factors influence
the effectiveness of air quality and climate policies,
and methods are lacking to addess all factors
together.
complex interactions between climate change and air
quality result in health and environmental impacts that
are closely linked with socio-economic factors and
energy choices.
ACE research is developing and applying methods
to assess the impacts and effects of air pollution
exposure and climate change at individual,
community, regional, and global scales.
Prevent and Reduce Emissions
There is a growing need for systems-based, multi-
pollutant strategies that prevent air pollution without
unintended environmental consequences. ACE
research helps provide the science needed to
develop and evaluate approaches to preventing
and reducing harmful air emissions. The data and
methods resulting from this research can be used to
analyze the full life-cycle impacts of new and existing
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technologies and determine whether certain energy
choices are sustainable.
Respond to Changes in Climate and Air Quality
While reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a critical
part of minimizing future climate change, it is also
necessary to adapt to the environmental impacts
caused by unavoidable changes in climate. Because
climate and air quality are closely linked, communities
will need real time air pollution and health information
about pollutant mixtures to make informed decisions
about personal and public health under changing
climatic conditions.
ACE research provides modeling and monitoring
tools, metrics, and information on air pollution
exposure that can be used by individuals,
communities, and governmental agencies as they
make public health decisions related to air quality
and climate change. ACE is also looking over the
horizon, towards the development of high-tech air
pollution sensors that will provide real-time air quality
information to communities, regulators, and the public.
Research Examples
• Health impacts of multi-pollutant air exposures
Multi-city studies and multi-disciplinary Clean
Air Research Centers are currently focused
on explaining how meteorology, air pollution
composition and exposure may impact air pollution
health effects. New approaches are being used
to evaluate the health impacts of multi-pollutant
exposures across multiple life stages—from
infancy through old age—taking into account social
stressors, biological factors and susceptibility.
For example, air pollution impacts on the brain
and cardiovascular, respiratory, reproductive,
immunological and endocrine systems are all
being studied. This research will inform national air
pollution regulations, analyses of the benefits of
mitigating air pollution, and public health strategies
for those most susceptible to air pollution exposure.
• Next generation of air pollution monitoring
EPA research is underway to explore the use of new
technologies for faster, cheaper, hand-held access
to air pollution information. For example, sensor-
based technologies connected to cell phones
and ground-based remote sensing technologies
are being studied. In addition, research is also
investigating how satellite measurements and
data from modeling can be used to increase the
effectiveness of existing monitoring data and reduce
costs. Advances in air monitoring technology can
help individuals and communities make choices in
near real-time to better manage air quality. This
work is closely coordinated with the Safe and
Healthy Communities research program.
• Adapting to impacts of climate change
EPA's Climate Ready Estuaries program helps
coastal communities such as those in the San
Francisco and Massachusetts Bays develop
plans to protect important coastal resources from
the impacts of climate change. This research is
providing models of coastal ecosystem processes
and climate change sensitivity analyses to inform
local adaptation plans. This transdisciplinary
research is being coordinated with the Safe and
Sustainable Water Resources program.
ACE provides scientific and technical support to
EPA's Office of Air and Radiation, other EPA policy
and regional offices, and state and local governments
as they protect the air we breathe and help reduce
greenhouse gases. This research will directly advance
EPA's strategic goal to take action on climate change
and improve air quality.
Cross Program Collaboration on
"One Environment" Model
EPA is developing an approach to modeling "One
Environment" that will collectively address the
interactions of changes in global climate, land-
use, air quality, water quantity and quality and
economic development. This integrated approach
will provide new information to support strategic
policy decisions and national, regional and local
environmental decisions. This work is closely
coordinated among ACE, Safe and Sustainable
Water Resources and Safe and Healthy
Communities research programs.
Public Private Partnership on the Health Effects
of Air Pollution from Motor Vehicles
The Health Effects Institute, jointly funded by
EPA and the motor vehicle industry, sponsors
independent research on the health impacts of
motor vehicle emissions. This partnership includes
research on emerging technologies and fuels and
their potential health and environmental impact.
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Safe and Sustainable
Water Resources
Sustainable drinking water and water resources are
vital to supporting healthy people, ecosystems and
economies.
EPA's Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
(SSWR) research is designed to provide the
innovative science and technologies that the
Agency—and the Nation—need to maintain, deliver,
and protect our water. SSWR work includes research
for a sustainable water infrastructure, safe drinking
water delivery, stormwater management, sustainable
wastewater treatment and healthy aquatic systems.
SSWR integrates previously independent Agency
research programs on drinking water and water
quality with the simple rationale that water is all one
resource. Recognizing that the pursuit of sustainable
use, delivery and quality of our water requires
integrated approaches, the SSWR research program
spans two integrated research themes:
Sustainable Water Resources
Water resources are threatened by a host of complex
and far-reaching challenges—from naturally-occurring
contaminants, to those resulting from human activity,
to the demands of a rapidly increasing population and
the impacts of climate variability. EPA research in the
SSWR program focuses on delivering the science
needed to provide safe and sustainable drinking
water, recreational waters, and healthy aquatic
ecosystems.
Sustainable Water Infrastructure Systems
SSWR also focuses on research to support better and
cost-effective urban stormwater management through
the integration of natural and "green" infrastructure
with traditional "gray" water infrastructure.
Results from this systems approach to watershed
management provide resource managers and
decision makers with the information they need to
ensure the sustainability of critical water resources;
produce, store and deliver safe and high quality
drinking water; and provide transport and use-specific
treatment of wastewater and stormwater.
The SSWR Program was designed by EPA scientists
in collaboration with water research foundations,
water industry associations, states, tribal groups
and partners from EPA's Office of Water and EPA's
Regional Offices—who work closely with State and
local governments to implement water protection
programs. Our partners identified six critical areas for
water-related EPA research and technical support:
• Nutrients - Implementation of cost-effective
strategies to reduce nutrients
• Chemicals - More efficient and effective
management and regulation of known and
emerging chemicals of concern
• Pathogens - Implementation of regulatory
strategies for new and emerging pathogens
• Infrastructure - Development of tools,
technologies and approaches for sustainable
water infrastructure
• Watersheds -Adoption of systems aproaches to
protect watersheds
• Climate change - Understand and address
the impacts of climate change on the
management of availability and quality of water
resources.
Challenges for Safe and Sustainable
Water Resources
Current drinking water and water treatment systems
are inadequate to serve a growing population.
Many water systems are outdated and inefficient,
losing trillions of gallons of water each year.
Stormwater overflows send billions of gallons of
sewage into lakes and rivers.
Nitrogen- and phosphorous-contaminated run-
off from suburbs and agricultural land pollutes
groundwater, lakes, rivers, and coastal waters,
causing widespread damage to aquatic ecosystems
and impacting public health.
Climate change will affect water resources,
impacting water supplies and aquatic ecosystems.
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Research Examples
• Meeting the challenge of nutrient pollution
Nutrient pollution of water is one of the
critica challenges faced in this decade. The
overabundance of the nutrients nitrogen and
phosphorus in water diminishes the integrity of our
nation's streams, lakes and reservoirs and poses
risks to human health.
To address this serious issue, SSWR research is
developing data and computer models that quantify
nitrogen and phosphorous inputs to watersheds,
calculate instream nutrient losses, demonstrate
approaches to establish stream nutrient criteria
that protect downstream waters, and develop new
approaches for reducing the amount of nutrients
flowing into the nation's waters.
• Addressing storm water management
challenges
Managing storm water flow and its impact on
wastewater treatment systems is an increasing
environmental and economic challenge for
communities across the nation. EPA scientists and
engineers are working collaboratively with other
agencies and municipalities to develop innovative
and efficient solutions.
Researchers are also investigating the use of
green infrastructure—such as rain gardens
and wetlands—to restore and maintain natural
hydrology. Green infrastructure can help
communities better manage excessive stormwater
flow and minimize impacts on wastewater and
drinking water treatment systems. Studies
are addressing the design, size, location and
integration of green infrastructure with engineered
infrastructure so that water quality can be optimized
with other benefits to the environment, economy,
and society.
Advancing Technologies for Real-time,
Accessible Water Quality Data
Researchers are exploring an experimental
satellite remote sensing technology that would
enable monitoring of coastal systems across a
range of spatial and temporal scales not currently
feasible. To test the accuracy of the satellite data,
scientists are comparing satellite information to
measurements of coastal pollution taken by small,
robotic submarines. This approach has many
additional applications, and has the potential to
make water quality data as accessible as weather
data.
Results from the SSWR research program provide
scientific and technical support to EPA's Office of
Water, EPA's other program and regional offices, and
state, tribal, and local governments as they protect
drinking water and water resources, through envi-
ronmental laws such as the Clean Water Act and
the Safe Drinking Water Act. This research will also
advance EPA's strategic goal to protect America's
waters.
Cross Program Collaboration on Hydraulic
Fracturing Research
Hydraulic fracturing is a process used by oil and
gas producers to recover oil and natural gas from
unconventional underground sources such as
coalbeds, shale gas formations and tight sands.
SSWR is assessing the impacts of hydraulic
fracturing activities on drinking water resources.
SSWR has taken a transdisciplinary research
approach that includes the hydraulic fracturing
water use lifecycle in its scope. EPA is working
in consultation with other federal agencies, state
and interstate regulatory agencies, industry, non-
governmental organizations and others in the
private and public sectors who have provided input
on study planning and are sharing existing data
and technical expertise. Issues include identifying
chemicals of potential health concern, examining
data on the composition and variability of hydraulic
fracturing fluids, assessing the amount of water
used in the process, and evaluating the potential for
contaminants to reach drinking water. This research
is designed to better understand whether drinking
water resources may be adversely impacted by
hydraulic fracturing. Research on hydraulic fracturing
is conducted in coordination with the ACE research
program.
Collaboration with the US Army on "Net Zero"
The US Army is pursuing a goal of net zero water,
waste and energy use at 20 Army installations
by 2020. SSWR, ACE, and SHC scientists are
partnering with the Army and contributing their
expertise in water treatment to help select strategies
and implement technologies for projects on Army
bases. This includes developing and applying
innovative technologies for water management, for
example, large-scale water reuse and closed loop
systems. Ultimately, the partnership will generate
practices that can be applied in communities across
the United States and around the world, helping to
ensure a sustainable water future.
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Sustainable and Healthy
Communities
How can we meet today's needs without
compromising the ability of future generations to
meet their needs? More specifically, how can we
protect our shared environment—air, water, land, and
ecosystems—in ways that sustain human health and
well-being, are economically viable, and socially just?
Providing the scientific foundation to answer these
questions is the goal of EPA's Sustainable and
Healthy Communities (SHC) research. Agency
researchers and their partners are working together
to better understand the balance between the three
pillars of sustainability—environment, society, and
economy. The transdisciplinary work conducted
through SHC will provide decision tools and data that
communities need to make strategic decisions for a
prosperous and environmentally sustainable future.
The SHC research program also conducts research
to seek more cost-effective means of accomplishing
EPA's mission to address existing sources of land and
groundwater contamination. Approaches are needed
that will maximize the benefits of multiple approaches
to environmental protection, recognize synergies
between protecting human and ecosystem health,
and reduce the likelihood that policy decisions will
have unintended negative consequences.
The design of this research program was truly
collaborative, as is its implementation. EPA scientists
held a series of meetings with internal EPA partners
in the policy and regional offices and conducted
listening sessions with community officials, Tribal
representatives, academic experts, and non-profit
organizations. These discussions highlighted
community and local government approaches for
managing their financial and natural resources and
for providing services that directly affect their local
economies, environment, and the health and well-
being of their residents.
These community approaches require decisions
about options for how to provide solid waste collection
and disposal; maintain and diversify transportation
options; develop building codes and zoning for land
use planning, and implement shared public/private
responsibilities for meeting infrastructure needs,
including distribution of water and power. Not only are
these decisions the focus of cutting-edge research on
sustainability, they are also the same decisions that
communities identified as their highest priorities for
sustainable practices. Communities repeatedly asked
EPA for new ways to better account for the full suite of
impacts and outcomes associated with their decisions
about how to provide these services.
To organize this breadth of research, SHC is
structured into four interrelated themes having the
following objectives:
Challenges for Sustainable and Healthy
Communities
Communities face difficult decisions on
infrastructure, land use, transportation, and
waste management.
The social, economic, and environmental
tradeoffs of these decisions are not well
understood.
Information is limited on impacts to human
health, ecosystems, local economies and
disproportionate environmental burden.
Data and Tools to Support Community Decisions
SHC is using new technologies and other innovative
means to engage communities and stakeholders as
partners in the planning, design, and implementation
of research to meet their sustainability goals.
Research products will help communities diagnose
environmental problems, analyze alternatives,
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and track the performance of their approaches. In
particular, the suite of tools is designed to be highly
accessible through user-friendly interfaces based
on decision science and to which incorporate new
and emerging social networking technologies and
social networking platforms, such as smart phones,
environmental apps, and crowd-sourcing.
Forecasting and Assessing Ecological and
Community Health
SHC is conducting innovative research that will en-
able communities to assess the sustainable provi-
sion of ecosystem services and how the natural and
built environment affect the health and well-being of
their residents. Researchers are developing methods
to quantify the production of ecosystem goods and
services (i.e., benefits provided by functioning eco-
systems, such as maintenance of safe and productive
soils, protection from floods by coastal wetlands, and
uptake of carbon dioxide by trees). A key product will
be a searchable database of ecosystem services.
Researchers are also working to improve understand-
ing of how people - including sensitive populations
such as children, the elderly, and low income minori-
ties - are exposed to pollutants and environmental
stressors (e.g., exposures due to diet, housing, or
from contaminated land). This work will also identify
factors that lead to disproportionate impacts on sensi-
tive populations.
Implementing Near-Term Approaches to
Sustainable Solutions
Research in this area builds on EPA program office
experience to improve the efficiency and effectiveness
of methods to address existing sources of land and
groundwater contamination, while advancing innova-
tive regulatory approaches that reduce new sources
of contamination and enable recovery of energy,
materials and nutrients from waste.
This research provides the scientific support to EPA
program and regional offices and to states and tribes
that implement federal requirements and guidelines
related to land and groundwater contamination. Many
of these issues are also relevant at the community
level, such as contamination from waste sites, oil
spills, and leaking tanks at gasoline stations. SHC
science and analytical tools help programs evaluate
management options for sites contaminated by past
practices or current environmental releases. Waste
and materials management research informs choices
for reusing materials, deriving energy from wastes,
producing less waste and better management of
unavoidable waste streams. Student fellowships,
environmental justice, and small business innovation
research are all supported within this theme.
The research also provides scientific support to
regional and program offices on nitrogen impacts on
ecosystem services and sustainable nitrogen use.
Further, SHC is the home for the periodic production
of the Agency's State of the Environment Report.
Integrated Solutions for Sustainable Outcomes
SHC will assess the state of sustainable practices and
design approaches for achieving better outcomes for
four high-priority community decision areas: waste
and materials management; infrastructure, including
energy and water; transportation alternatives; and
planning and zoning for buildings and land use. It will
use whole-system modeling to integrate these four
areas to better achieve outcomes with multiple ben-
efits and to develop and test methods to estimate the
Total Resource Impacts and Outcomes of alternate
decisions (TRIO accounting). The work will begin in
Durham, North Carolina, using real world data and
conditions and will provide important feedback to all
other SHC themes.
SHC Research Examples
• Improving Materials Management
Decisions and Operations
To better manage the nation's waste streams,
environmental managers in both the public and pri-
vate sectors are seeking opportunities for increased
efficiency and more sustainable materials manage-
ment. SHC research is focused on identifying op-
portunities for beneficial reuse, developing methods
to derive energy from waste streams, and finding
ways to minimize wastes produced from construc-
tion and demolition operations while improving their
treatment and disposal. The research will be carried
out in partnerships across the public and private
sectors.
• Quantifying Ecosystem Services
SHC scientists are developing production functions
for ecosystem services and benefits for numerous
areas in the United States. These will be used to
build a searchable database that will allow research-
ers and developers of decision-support tools to have
the best available information on the distribution of
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ecosystem services and how they might change un-
der alternative future scenarios. In addition, a Na-
tional Ecosystem Goods and Services Classification
System will support standardization of metrics for
goods and services to facilitate comparison across
geographies, thus supporting ecosystem service
markets and trading.
• Sustainable Management of Nitrogen:
Excess amounts of reactive nitrogen in the envi-
ronment create a cascade of harmful effects that
include eutrophication of lakes, blooms of toxic
algae, "dead zones" (hypoxia) in the Gulf of Mexico
and other estuaries, acid rain, contributions to global
warming and ozone depletion, and health effects
due to pollution of air and drinking water. SHC re-
search products will help EPA and others implement
an integrated management approach that balances
the benefits of nitrogen use while minimizing its
negative health and environmental impacts. Key
products include: source maps of nitrogen inputs
to the United States; assessments of the certainty
associated with estimates of nitrogen sources to
U.S. surface waters; and a report to inform air
quality regulations that provides estimates of criti-
cal nitrogen deposition loads, locations of sensitive
ecosystems, and associated nitrogen effects on
ecosystem services. Local-scale products include
N-Sink, a simple geo-spatial tool designed to enable
watershed managers to describe sources and sinks
of nitrogen within a watershed, and a web tool that
provides local estimates of nutrient inputs. This work
is closely coordinated with ACE and SSWR nitrogen
research.
• National Atlas of Sustainability
The Atlas is an interactive web tool that will help
communities identify and quantify the benefits of
ecosystem services. Examples include the ability of
natural land cover to protect drinking water qual-
ity and reduce water treatment costs; urban trees
to reduce heat-island effects and absorb pollutants
from vehicle traffic; vegetation to remove carbon
dioxide from air and store carbon; and the physi-
cal and mental health benefits that people receive
from convenient access to parks, greenways, and
waterways. The Atlas will provide necessary infor-
mation to help communities thoughtfully design and
manage their built infrastructure in concert with their
natural environment.
Research results provide scientific and technical
support to EPA's Office of Solid Waste and Emer-
gency Response, Office of Water, Office of Air and
Radiation, Office of International and Tribal Affairs,
Office of Community Sustainability, Office of Envi-
ronmental Justice, other EPA program and regional
offices, and state, local, and tribal governments.
The SHC research program directly supports EPA's
strategic goal to clean up communities and advance
sustainable development through improved access
to new tools and information, better accounting of
ecosystem services, and innovative solutions that
maximize co-benefits while minimizing unintended
consequences.
Cross Program Collaboration on
Children's Environmental Health
EPA's Children's Environmental Health and
Disease Prevention Research Centers,
jointly funded with the National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences, address a
broad range of issues including the impacts of
environmental chemicals on neurodevelopment,
vulnerability of the fetus during gestation, and
chemical and non-chemical stressors at all
stages of early development (e.g., physical
activity, psychosocial issues, and the condition
of school and residential buildings). The
factors that affect the vulnerability of children
to disproportionate environmental risks range
from local to national in scope. Research related
to children's health and environmental justice
is highly relevant to all of the other research
programs.
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Chemical Safety for
Sustainability
Ensuring chemical safety is a top priority for EPA.
Improving the safety of the chemical manufacturing
process as well as the chemicals themselves
is necessary for building a more sustainable
environment. Providing the information and methods
to make better-informed, timely decisions about
chemicals is also a critical part of this endeavor.
The challenges faced in today's chemical environment
are formidable. Over 80,000 chemicals are currently
registered for use and at least a thousand more are
introduced every year. Many of these chemicals have
not been evaluated thoroughly for potential risks
to human health and the environment or potential
consequences across their lifecycles. EPA's research
on chemical safety aims to meet these challenges.
Current processes and procedures for evaluating and
assessing the impact of chemicals on human health,
wildlife, and the environment were, for the most part,
designed decades ago. Many of these approaches
have not fully incorporated recent advances in
exposure science, biology, and computational
technologies. As a result, we do not have a full picture
of how chemicals come into contact with organisms,
how they interact with biological processes, and how
those interactions may lead to adverse outcomes. In
addition, current approaches are resource- and time-
intensive—making it increasingly difficult to keep pace
with the growing number of chemicals in commerce.
The Chemical Safety for Sustainability (CSS)
research program recognizes that transformative
approaches are needed to improve the information
used in chemical risk assessments. CSS research
focuses on new approaches to increase the pace
at which relevant information can be obtained and
integrated into assessment and decision making.
Information from these new approaches can
support sustainable approaches to chemical design,
production, and use across chemical, material, and
product life cycles. New methods can be developed
and applied to evaluating chemicals currently in
commerce and improving guidance for safer chemical
design and use.
Challenges for Chemical Safety
Each year more than 1,000 new industrial chemi-
cals and pesticides are introduced into commerce.
Most chemicals in use today have not been thor-
oughly assessed for health and environmental
risks.
Methods for assessing health risks of chemicals are
time-consuming and costly.
New types of chemicals, such as nanomaterials,
may require new toxicity testing methods.
Chemicals are rarely designed from the start to
fulfill the needed function while also minimizing
toxicity.
The following research goals guide the CSS program:
Developing the Scientific Knowledge, Tools, and
Models for Integrated Evaluation of
Chemical Toxicity
EPA researchers and their partners are developing
chemical testing methods to provide data for
different types of assessment and management
decisions. The research addresses: use of chemical
properties to predict toxicity; high-throughput and
other screening approaches to prioritize chemicals
for further testing; development of more efficient
approaches for exposure research and toxicity testing;
and new methods to address particularly complex
environmental risks.
Improving Methods for Assessment and
Informing Management for Chemical Safety and
Sustainability
Research addresses methods for improving the
practice of risk assessment using data from new
toxicity testing methods and strategies. Another
important focus is to synthesize and evaluate toxicity
and exposure data so that it is useful for decision-
makers and appropriate to the nature of the problem
being assessed.
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This includes cutting-edge sustainable molecular
design research that will lead to safer chemicals, able
to accomplish their functions without causing toxicity
or other environmental harm. This work on specific
chemicals will result in general guidance useful
for those who regularly design, produce and use
chemicals.
Targeting High-Priority Research Needs for
Immediate and Focused Attention
Work in this area focuses on the application of
methods and models to address the high-priority,
time-critical needs of EPA partner offices and
stakeholders. Examples of current research include
carbon- and metal-based nanomaterials that have
commercial potential and data methods and models
for characterizing PCB sources and exposures in
school environments.
Research Examples
• Understanding the inherent properties of
chemicals and their relationship to health and
environmental impacts
"Inherency" refers to the physicochemical
properties that characterize a chemical. CSS
researchers are compiling and sharing data on
inherent chemical properties and information on
the relationships between chemical characteristics
and health outcomes. For example, because of
their small size, nanoparticles may have unique
properties compared to larger particles of the same
chemical. Currently, there are not sufficient data
on the potential fate and toxicity of nanoparticles
to humans and the environment. CSS research
on nanomaterials research aims to assess the
potential risks of these materials by estimating
the transport, fate, exposure, and human and
ecological effects of nanomaterials in environmental
systems.
This research can be used to inform risk
assessment decisions, and ultimately, enable
the development of nanomaterials with reduced
potential toxicity and increased societal benefits
to reach the marketplace in a timely fashion.
Further, the research can inform the development
of additional testing guidance for use by material
manufacturers.
• Models of complex biological or environmental
systems
Systems models are multiple-level or multiple-
scale models that predict or simulate exposure,
effects, or sustainability of complex biological
systems. Research in this area investigates how a
chemical comes in contact and interacts with the
biological processes of human and wildlife to cause
adverse outcomes. For example, using advanced
computational techniques, models of organs such
as the liver enable researchers to predict how the
liver will respond if exposed to different doses of
chemicals. Another type of model predicts human
exposure to chemicals under different dietary
and residential scenarios. These models support
regulatory decision-making on chemicals by EPA
program offices and regions.
Innovative chemical screening technologies, such
as automated, rapid screening (i.e., high throughput
screening) are used to generate chemical data on
the adverse effects of large numbers of chemicals.
Rapid screening methods will help EPA address
the large backlog of chemicals in need of toxicity
evaluation. Chemicals identified as less toxic can
be channeled for expedited decision-making, and
those identified as more toxic, can be prioritized for
more thorough testing.
"Dashboards" for decision-makers
Providing regulatory decision-makers with user-
friendly tools to access all available data about
chemicals is critical to the success of the CSS
research program. "Dashboards" are interactive
web-sites that provide access to software and
data that are needed to evaluate a chemical for a
policy decision. The CSS program is producing
dashboards that yield a graphical depiction of all
the available chemical data that will help answer
questions about chemicals. Using dashboards,
decision-makers will access summary information
derived from chemical exposure and hazard
data, decision-rules, and predictive models, and
seamlessly integrate this information to arrive at
more holistic risk assessment and risk management
decisions.
The CSS research effort unites chemists, exposure
scientists, biologists, engineers, and economists
and other social scientists. The data, methods,
and scientific tools developed in the CSS research
program will help prevent pollution through the
design of safer chemicals and processes and
guide the development and use of chemical
prioritization and testing processes. This research,
in turn, informs different types of health and safety
decisions, including those related to regulations,
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chemical development, production, use and
management.
Research results provide scientific and technical
support to EPA's program offices, particularly the
Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention,
regional offices and state, tribal, and local
governments. The research will also help advance
EPA's strategic goals to clean up communities,
advance sustainable development, and ensure the
safety of chemicals and prevent pollution.
Cross-Program Collaboration on
Sustainable Molecular Design
CSS researchers are collaborating with
partners in the Air, Climate, and Energy (ACE)
research program on potential green chemistry
alternatives to hazardous air pollutants. For
example, experts from both programs are
working together to develop and evaluate
safer cleaning agents, including halogenated
solvents—chemicals used for major cleaning and
degreasing operations by many industries and
the military. Although highly effective cleaning
agents, halogenated solvents pose unacceptable
risks to people and ecosystems. CSS and
ACE researchers are also working to develop
chemical screening methods needed for volatile
chemicals.
Cross-Program Collaboration: Next
Generation Risk Assessment Approaches
Researchers from both the CSS and Human
Health Risk Assessment (HHRA) research
programs are working together to ensure that
EPA's risk assessment methods keep pace with
advances in molecular systems biology, the
understanding of gene-environment interactions
and the large volume of high-throughput, toxicity
test data now becoming available. A collaborative
project on the next generation of risk assessment
methods will result in assessments that are
designed to use the amount and quality of
scientific evidence needed for the nature of
the problem being addressed, ensuring more
efficient use of resources.
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Human Health Risk
Assessment
EPA's Human Health Risk Assessment (HHRA)
program provides state-of-the-science and
independently peer-reviewed human health
assessments for individual chemicals and chemical
mixtures that are emitted into air, water and land.
The HHRA program serves as an interface between
EPA's research programs and EPA's decision-makers.
The scientific assessments produced by HHRA
researchers are used extensively by EPA program
and regional offices, as well as other public and
private entities, to make decisions, develop regulatory
standards for environmental contaminants, and
manage cleanups.
The program's four themes are aligned with the needs
of EPA offices and produce health assessments for
both specific chemicals and chemical mixtures:
Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS)
IRIS is a human health assessment program
that evaluates qualitative and quantitative risk
information on health effects that may result from
exposure to chemicals in the environment. In
addition to assessments of individual chemicals
and chemical mixtures, the program is improving
methods for statistical approaches, dose-response,
and pharmacokinetics analyses used in IRIS
assessments. IRIS assessments are technical
documents that provide a scientific foundation for
decision making at EPA, state, tribal, and local
governments, and the private sector.
Integrated Science Assessments (ISAs)
Integrated science assessments summarize the
current science for the six criteria air pollutants
regulated by the Clean Air Act through National
Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS): ozone,
particulate matter, sulfur and nitrous oxides, carbon
monoxide, and lead. ISAs, together with the Agency's
health risk assessments, provide the scientific
foundation for the EPA Administrator's decisions on
Challenges for Human Health Risk Assessment
The needs of decision-makers continue to grow for
timely scientific evaluations of the risks of an ever-
expanding number of environmental contaminants.
New approaches are needed to better assess ex-
posures to multiple pollutants and cumulative risk.
Current risk assessment methods do not fully
reflect scientific advances in molecular biology and
computational sciences.
Communities need technical support to assess
urgent issues of environmental contamination.
setting NAAQS. New approaches for developing
multipollutant assessments are also underway. This
work is closely coordinated with the ACE research
program.
Community Risk and Technical Support for
Exposure and Health Assessments
HHRA is developing health assessments and
analytical tools to provide technical support for
urgent issues of environmental contamination. HHRA
researchers are developing approaches to incorporate
additional, non-chemical stressors (e.g., stress,
poverty) into community risk assessment and better
understand the impact of those stressors. The goal
of these efforts is to improve the way we characterize
exposure and risk.
Methods, Models and Approaches to Modernize
Risk Assessment for the 21st Century
HHRA is incorporating recent advances in molecular
biology and computational sciences into risk
assessment. It is also advancing approaches to
better quantify dose-response relationships for both
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cancer and non-cancer health effects to better support
EPA decisions. HHRA scientists translate research
conducted under the CSS program into practical
applications for developing health assessments.
HHRA Research Examples
• Rapid Risk Assessment and Applied Technical
Support
Scientists in the HHRA program and in the
Homeland Security program are frequently called
upon to assist EPA programs and regions in
responding to chemical and other environmental
contamination issues that may require rapid
response or crisis-level support. These situations
potentially involve very high exposures to chemicals
or other substances for significant segments of the
population.
Past examples of where HHRA's rapid response
capabilities have been used include the World
Trade Center Disaster, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita,
and the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. While it
is difficult to anticipate the type and scope of rapid
response analyses that will be needed in the future,
HHRA scientists are prepared to address these
emerging needs on an ongoing basis.
• Advancing Dose-Response Analysis: Increased
demand for risk assessment and the recent
explosion of scientific knowledge on the topic
present a unique opportunity to modernize
the practice of dose-response analysis. HHRA
researchers are undertaking a systematic approach
to addressing several decision-maker needs for
quantitative dose-response characterization,
including maximizing the use of available data and
methods, better characterizing uncertainty and
variability, and developing a better understanding of
how to quantitatively address susceptibility.
Research results provide scientific and technical
support to EPA's proram and regional offices, EPA's
Office of Environmental Information, EPA's Office of
International and Tribal Affairs, and state, tribal, and
local governments. They will also advance EPA's
strategic goals to take action on climate change and
improve air quality, protect America's waters, clean
up communities, ensure the safety of chemicals, and
address the crosscutting issues of children's health
and environmental justice.
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Homeland Security
Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001,
EPA was directed to tap its collective scientific and
technical expertise to help protect human health and
the environment from the effects of such events.
In response to this direction, EPA helps
decontaminate buildings and large public areas,
protect our nation's water supply, and rapidly provide
scientific and technical information to key decision-
makers, stakeholders and impacted communities on
contamination and human health risks.
EPA's Homeland Security (HS) research program is
designed to support this important leadership role
in remediating chemical, biological, or radiological
contamination from weapons of mass destruction.
The program also conducts research on drinking
water and wastewater systems—a reflection of EPA's
role as federal lead for water infrastructure. Many
of EPA's homeland security research products and
technologies have broader applications for protecting
the environment and human health and can be
harnessed to increase the sustainability and resilience
of communities.
The HS research program conducts research
that increases EPA's capabilities in protecting
human health and the environment, while actively
coordinating with other federal agencies including the
Department of Homeland Security, the Department
of Defense, and the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. While aimed primarily at homeland
security issues, HS research can be applied to a
broad set of environmental emergencies. Built on
a systems approach to prepare for and recover
from chemical, biological or radiological attack, HS
research helps ensure that in a crisis, up-to-date
scientific information on sustainable approaches
(rapid, health protective, and cost-effective) to clean
up is readily available to decision makers.
HS research priorities are determined in consultation
with EPA's Office of Homeland Security, and with
other EPA program and regional offices—especially
on-scene coordinators and laboratory personnel, the
Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response,
and the Office of Water. The HS research program
also consults with the President's Office of Science
and Technology Policy, the Department of Defense,
Department of Homeland Security, and other federal
agencies and states.
Challenges for Homeland Security
Terrorism poses potentially large scale threats to
public health and the environment.
Natural disasters and industrial accidents can also
release toxic materials to the environment.
Devising and adapting methods and technologies to
effectively respond, requires understanding of the
nature of each threat
The planning and conduct of HS research is
organized into three themes:
Securing and Sustaining Water Systems
Research provides the science needed to help
states, tribes, local municipalities and utilities design
and operate water systems so that they are more
resilient to disasters (due to terrorism, natural
disasters, or other emergencies). This theme includes
research that addresses scientific gaps in preparing
water system operators to detect and respond to a
contamination event, cleaning up the system including
contaminated water, rapidly restoring it to service, and
making water systems more inherently safe.
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Characterizing Contamination and
Determining Risks
In the event of a chemical, biological, or radiological
attack, EPA is charged with site characterization,
which includes defining the degree and extent of
contamination. Research under the HS program
develops innovative and efficient improvements
to sampling and analytical methods used for site
characterization. HS research also supports site
clean-up activities by conducting risk assessment
research, ranging from applied information gathering
and technical support, to strengthening existing
risk assessment approaches and developing new
assessment methodologies.
Remediating Indoor and Outdoor Environments
Research is supporting many aspects of site
remediation, such as determining how chemical,
biological and radiological contaminants behave in the
environment - and which decontamination methods
are most effective in cleaning up. Also, research is
underway to address the management of wastes
following an event.
HS Research Examples
• Enhancing rapid detection of chemical,
biological, and radiological contamination
To mitigate the public health and economic impacts
of contamination incidents, HS researchers are
developing and testing technologies to enhance
rapid detection of contamination in drinking
water. This research includes the development
of software, models, decision-support tools, and
technologies that help secure and sustain water
supplies.
• Developing Provisionary Advisory Levels
To protect emergency responders and residents
of impacted areas from short-term, high-dose
exposures to chemicals, HS scientists are
conducting research to determine safe exposure
levels.
• Testing and evaluating cost effective
decontamination strategies
HS researchers are comparing methods to
decontaminate buildings and public areas following
an anthrax attack or dirty bomb explosion.
By helping enhance community resilience to
disasters, the HS program is integrally connected to
the Sustainable and Healthy Communities research
program. The program also directly informs
preparedness for ~ and response to ~ attacks on
our water systems (SSWR) and chemical releases
into the air (ACE). Coordinating with the other
research programs on measurement methods,
decision support tools, modeling, and human health
risk assessment is an integral part of HS research.
Research results also provide scientific and technical
support to EPA's Office of Homeland Security, Office
of Solid Waste and Emergency Response, Office of
Water, other EPA program and regional offices, and
state, tribal, and local governments. This research
helps advance EPA's strategic goals to clean up
communities, advance sustainable development, and
protect America's waters.
Sustalnability
t
Community resiliency
to disasters
t
EPA guidance
and support
Research
Developing and compiling sampling and
analytical methods
By developing new and compiling existing
approaches, HS researchers are improving EPA's
capability to analyze the large numbers of samples
often required to adequately characterize the
environment following a terrorist attack or other
disaster.
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The Path Forward to Sustainability
Together, EPA's six research programs—Air, Climate,
and Energy; Safe and Sustainable Water Resources;
Sustainable and Healthy Communities; Chemical
Safety for Sustainability; Human Health Risk
Assessment; and Homeland Security Research—
represent an integrated, solutions-oriented approach
to protecting human health and the environment and
pursuing Sustainability.
The programs were designed to be agile, integrative,
and responsive to the needs of those that use and
depend upon EPA's research. They also reflect the
recognition that pursuing Sustainability is both a need
and an opportunity. By using the latest science to
address the complex and emerging challenges of the
21st century, we can pursue the use and development
of cutting-edge technology, cross-sector partnerships,
and sustainable solutions for a healthier and more
prosperous nation.
Scientific research helps catalyze positive change.
Throughout history, scientific research has improved
our quality of life, given us new technological
capabilities, and helped our economy flourish.
Research will continue to be instrumental to
addressing the complex challenges facing society
today. It will also be necessary to build a sustainable
future. In alignment with EPA's mission of protecting
human health and the environment, the Agency's
Office of Research and Development has built this
concept—science for a sustainable future—into
the very foundation of all its research activities and
scientific work.
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