48 



the last several years taken modest, but important steps in reorga- 

 nizing and streamlining its activities. EPA should also be com- 

 mended for recompeting the awards for university-based centers of 

 excellence this past year. This is a positive step in reinvigorating 

 the important work that EPA supports in the Nation's universities. 

 Five centers were selected. However, these are still very seriously 

 under-funded. These are useful steps, but they still do not address 

 the basic challenges facing our Nation and the world in providing 

 an adequate scientific and technological base for dealing with cur- 

 rent and past pollution. 



Since 1988, the Carnegie Commission on Science and Technology 

 in Government has commissioned a number of studies. Mr. Costle 

 mentioned the one study called "Environmental Research and De- 

 velopment: Strengthening the Federal Infrastructure," and I would 

 just like to select two out of the many recommendations in there, 

 to give you an example of the types of issues that ought to be con- 

 sidered. 



The first I have selected to illustrate the continued fragmenta- 

 tion of U.S. environmental efforts even after 22 years. The first rec- 

 ommendation, "A new Federal agency, the U.S. Environmental 

 Monitoring Agency should be organized by combining the National 

 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration now within the Depart- 

 ment of Commerce with the U.S. Geological Survey now within the 

 Department of the Interior." 



Monitoring, mapping, inventorying and forecasting vidth respect 

 to the National and global environment are really the cornerstones 

 of Federal environmental protection efforts, but most of these func- 

 tions do not now lie under the purview of EPA. 



Two key players, as you might have guessed, are NOAA and 

 USGS. Moving them out of their existing departments and combin- 

 ing them would establish the highly professional independent capa- 

 bility that the Nation clearly needs. This agency could operate as 

 an independent Federal agency or as an entity within the Depart- 

 ment of Environment. The Bureau of Economic Statistics called for 

 in S. 171 would logically be combined with an environmental moni- 

 toring agency. 



The second recommendation reads: "A Federal interagency envi- 

 ronmental technologies program should be established to promote 

 and support the development of advanced technologies by Federal 

 agencies, universities, industry and non-governmental organiza- 

 tions." 



Such a program would provide support to Federal agencies and 

 the private sector through grants, loans and cooperative agree- 

 ments. The Department of Environment could function as the lead 

 Federal agency providing funds to other agencies and other institu- 

 tions. EPA has experience in administering programs of this type. 



In the 1970's, the Federal Interagency Energy Environmental 

 R&D program successfully coordinated efforts with 16 Federal 

 agencies. I was intimately familiar with that program, since I was 

 its initial director beginning in 1974. I am convinced that a similar 

 program focused on environmental technology development could 

 also be successful, such as that proposed in the legislation intro- 

 duced in the last Congress by Representative Joseph Kennedy, 

 which would establish such an interagency program. 



