62 



Appendix III 



Several Agencies Are Assessing R&D 

 Facilities' Funding Needs and Missions 



In recent years, the eight federal agencies have improved management 

 oversight of their laboratory faciliUes to address the growing need to 

 maintain, repair, and upgrade aging buildings. However, the eight agencies 

 cited a total backlog of at least $3.8 billion in needed repairs for their 

 laboratories, and facilities managers at six of the eight agencies told us 

 that funding to renovate existing laboratory facilities or construct new 

 ones is either inadequate or only slightly adequate. 



Laboratory Facilities 

 Management 



The eight federal agencies have strengthened their management of 

 laboratory facilities through several initiatives designed to improve 

 facilities planning and provide a basis for justifying increased funding to 

 maintain, repair, or upgrade their laboratory facilities. For example, both 

 ARs and NOAA have conducted facility condition surveys to identify and 

 prioritize their laboratories' repair and replacement needs, and nih and epa 

 are updating their laboratories' master site plans for future development.' 



As part of its modernization plan initiated in 1985, ars has completed 

 comprehensive assessments of maintenance and repair needs at about 15 

 m^or laboratories and used in-house personnel to assess needs at its 

 other laboratories, ars' estimate of its backlog of needed repairs grew 

 from about $350 million in 1985 to $700 million in 1993 primarily as a 

 result of these assessments, which provided better information about 

 needed repairs, and cost growth for making repairs. 



NOAA became concerned about the deteriorating condition of its 

 laboratories and other facilities about 4 years ago. Because maintenance 

 and repair competed with r&d programs for limited funds, noaa's 

 laboratories repaired or replaced mvac equipment, roofs, and other 

 facihties almost entirely on an emergency basis without a plan for 

 repairing and maintaining them in an acceptable condition. As part of its 

 capital improvements program initiated in 1990, noaa has completed 

 comprehensive assessments at 15 laboratories. In addition, the Congress 

 established a construction account for noaa in fiscal year 1992. Although 

 most of the $94.5 million appropriated in fiscal year 1993 is designated for 

 Weather Service modernization projects, a line item m the account is 

 designated for facilities maintenance. 



Nil! is updating its site master plans for the potential future expansion of 

 its facilities to meet the r*ii mission needs of its laboratones in Bethesda 

 and Poolesville, Maryland. In particular, the Bethesda plan, which was lasi 



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