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90 ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH ANt DEVELOPMENT 



The recently initiated Strategic Environmental Research and Devel- 

 opment Program (SERDP; presents nr*. opportunities for further develop- 

 ment of research and technology' within the Dcfetise Department. SERDP 

 is intended to bring the department's technological capabilities to bear or . 

 environmental problems. Initiully, most funds will be directed toward rn- 

 vironmcntal ctcanuf' activities, but in the longer term some resources are 

 likely to be used on probicnis related to global climate change. 



As a key component of the SERDP, the U.S. Army Corps of Engi- 

 neers plays an important environmental R&D role at DoD. The Corps also 

 maintains an active wetlands study. The Office of Naval Research in the De- 

 partment of the Navy supports a sizeable basic research program, partic- 

 ularly in the oceanography area. It devotes about $500 million per year to 

 research related to such subjects as tides, meteorology, and ocean pollution. 



In pursuit of its mission, the Defense Department has contributed 

 to the development of remotely piloted vehicles (RPVs), which can be em- 

 ployed in a variety of atmospheric studies. RPVs can provide a critically needed 

 adjunct to satellite-based remote sensing by maintaining conunuous obser- 

 vations at critical altitudes such as the tropopausc, where satellites are less 

 effeaivc. Ir addition, RPVs can condua in situ sampling. This capability 

 could yield information on the abundance and nature of aerosols, which 

 strongly influence the radiative balance within the atmosphere and play 

 a key role in cloud formation. 



The integration of the Dc^Mise Department's enviionmcntal research 

 and technology development programs into the federal environmental R&D 

 efFon requires improved coordinating mechanisms. At present, the civilian 

 agencies are iinfamiliar with DoD's capabilities. By requiring the Depan- 

 ments of Defense and Energy to develop joint programs in consultauon with 

 the Environmental Protecuon Agency, the SERDP has taken a step toward 

 achieving this more eficctivc collaborauon. Both the Office of Science and 

 Technology Policy and the Office of Environmental Quality can contribute 

 to the coordination process by analyzing DoD capabiliues and looking for 

 areas of potential interaction with the R&D programs of civilian agencies. 

 It would be useful to examine whether some DoD programs might operate 

 more cfiecuvely under other departments and agencies. 



HAZARDOUS WASTE R&D 



■ A /arger proportion of the funds devoted to the cleanup of hazardous 



waste at federal facilities should he directed to research and development. 



In fiscal year 1991 alone, $4.3 billion was directed to ettviroiunental 



restorauon and waste management at atomic weapons produaion £aciliuc$. 



