99 



report and I would be delighted to talk with you further about these issues in the 

 months ahead. 



The establishment of a Department of the Environment, the reinvigoration of a 

 capacity in the White House to develop and coordinate environmental policy, and 

 the enhancement of EPA's research programs are the major elements of what I re- 

 ferred to earlier as a useful first step in improving the organization of Federal pro- 

 grams. 



Changes to Consider after Establishing a Department of the Environment 



The second phase in improving the Federal Government's capacity to protect the 

 environment and ensure sustainable development is in many respects even more im- 

 portant than the first. Once the Department is established, Congress and the Presi- 

 dent should £igree on broader Federal organizational and decision-making initia- 

 tives. Let me briefly outline a few of the most significant changes that I think 

 should be considered. 



Our ability to protect the environment is strongly dependent up>on our capacity to 

 characterize the present state of the environment, assess the way it is changing in 

 light of natural processes and human activities, and evaluate the effectiveness of 

 environmental policies and programs. Our Carnegie Commission task force on envi- 

 ronmental R&D came to the conclusion that the Federal Government should place 

 its environmental surveying and monitoring activities under one roof and give these 

 programs greater visibility. To accomplish this, we suggest that the National Ocean- 

 ic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) be moved out of the Department of 

 Commerce, where it is somewhat of an orphan, and that it be combined with the 

 U.S. Geological Survey presently within Department of the Interior, to form a new 

 Environmental Monitoring Agency (EMA). The EMA could be affiliated with a De- 

 partment of the Environment or it could be an independent agency. Establishing an 

 EMA within the Department is the preferred option in my view because it provides 

 a linkage between our regulatory programs and our monitoring efforts, yet insulates 

 them from the day-to-day regulatory activities of the Department. 



The EMA would be responsible for survejring, monitoring, and regularly reporting 

 on the quality of national and global air, land, and freshwater and ocean resources. 

 This information will be very useful in developing the annual report on environ- 

 mental quality which has been a responsibility of the Council on Environmental 

 Quality and would contribute directly to the development and periodic revision of 

 the National Environmental Strategy that we propose. 



In the future it is critically important that we view our resources as a whole and 

 develop policies with this broad perspective in mind. This will, for example, help us 

 avoid the practice of simply moving pollution from one medium to another. 



After a Department of the Environment is established, I also encourage Congress 

 and the President to consider developing sm organic statute for the Department that 

 clearly states its mission and responsibilities, establishes a general organizational 

 structure, authorizes a strong research and development program, assures a strate- 

 gic planning capacity, and integrates science and risk analysis appropriately into 

 the Department's activities. Ultimately, it is the proper application of sound science 

 and innovative technology that enables us to meet our environmental protection 

 goals. 



Let me say in closing that I believe we have reached a critical point in the evolu- 

 tion of our nation's environmental policies. As we look to the future, we must be 

 sure that we have the organizational structures and decision making procedures in 

 place that will enable us to achieve the ambitious goals we are setting for ourselves. 

 We simply do not have those structures and procedures in place now. As a first step, 

 we need a Department of the Environment. As soon as this is accomplished, howev- 

 er, it is important that Congress and the President begin to consider a broader 

 range of innovations. 



Mr. Chairman, thank you again for inviting me to comment on your important 

 legislative prop^al. I hope that both Houses and the President will act upon it 

 quickly. 



References 



1. National Commission on the Environment, Choosing a Sustainable Future, Island 

 Press, Washington, D.C., 1993. The general issue of setting long-term goals is also 

 discussed in the Carnegie Commission on Science, Technology, and Government 

 report. Enabling the Future: Linking Science and Technology to Societal Goals, re- 

 leased in September of 1992. 



