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lOl ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 



Most of the new technology required for new, low-waste/no-wastc technol- 

 ogies can be developed by industry without government suppon. However, 

 some government assistance b needed to encourage exploratory or general 

 technology development. 



Different Cultures, Different Incentives 



Government and industry laboratories operate in very different cultures and 

 are driven by diflferent incentives. This is especially true of environmental 

 abatement and remediation activities. Industry has many incentives to ex- 

 pedite such work, including community relations, financial expediency, and 

 internal corporate goals. Government, on the other hand, acts in resp>onse 

 to mandates from policymakers in the executive and legislative branches. 



Each federal laboratory aspires to have, and many claim to have, 

 expertise in several areas of environmental research. However, these research 

 programs are often not well focused, and coordination of laboratory pro- 

 grams is weak. In addition, some government researchers and laboratories 

 are more interested in working on "new technology" and "process develop- 

 ment," rather than abatement. Yet, abatement- related R&D is a high-priority 

 need. Government and industry researchers must identify high-prionty abate- 

 ment problems and opportunities to work cooperatively and share information. 



Ta date, too few comprehensive technology assessments have been 

 conducted to support efforts to define goals and establish budget priorities. 

 In addiuon, even when excellent technology assessments have been under- 

 taken by objective professionals, a consensus on the conclusions and rec- 

 ommendauons is hard to forge because the afifeaed parries have different 

 economic, social, and philosophical interests. 



Industry and government laboratories alike are heavily focused on 

 the "easy" soluuons to environmental R&D eflForts, and there is little in- 

 cenrive to expand R&D efforts to tackle more difiBcult challenges. A plethora 

 of problems b facing the narion, some of which are naturally easier to solve 

 than othen. Moreover, researchers typically are working on such a small pan 

 of the huge environmental puzzle that they frequently do not recognize 

 findings of significance to other scientific disciplines. They find it difficult 

 to pursue tangential findings or address needs that may become evident 

 during the research and development process. 



Merits and Mechanisms of Cooperation 



A more cooperarivc spirit appears to be emerging within federal agencies 

 and indusuies, a spirit that could be translated into joint or cooperative 



