39 



EPA's Laboratory Study: Reengineering Research 



To be effective, environmental research must continually evolve in response to 

 changes in scientific understanding of the nature and complexity of environmental 

 problems. In recent years, EPA has been reexamining the structure and focus of its 

 research as part of an ongoing effort to improve the quality of its science and to 

 expand the range, efficiency, and effectiveness of the approaches and tools available 

 to mitigate and solve our nation's environmental problems. 



As part of this effort, in early Spring ORD developed a Streamlining Report as 

 a follow-up to Vice-President Gore's National Performance Review. This report con- 

 tained numerous ideas that would result in a radical alteration of how EPA orga- 

 nizes and conducts research. In this plan, we evaluated streamlining options, but 

 we also reexamined fundamental principles related to mission and organization. For 

 example, the report recommended that we clearly identify separate program plans 

 for: (1) research to directly support EPA's program offices; and (2) strategic research 

 to advance environmental science and engineering — critical to support future Agen- 

 cy decisions. Other ideas focused on blending a multi-disciplinary research team ap- 

 proach with the current management system; aggressive action to recruit and retain 

 women and minorities; and the targeting of new areas for EPA scientific expertise, 

 such as regional and watershed-scale ecosystem management. These and other pro- 

 posals were developed through a participatory process involving all parts and layers 

 of ORD. 



In parallel to this, the EPA Laboratory Study was initiated to examine the con- 

 figuration, staffing, facilities, emerging roles and other management aspects of all 

 of EPA's research and technical support laboratories. This study and its rec- 

 ommendations have been completed, and provided to Congress on July 20, 1994. It 

 represents a key step in EPA's continuing process to reinvigorate its science pro- 

 grams. In conjunction with past studies of the science and laboratories at EPA, the 

 National Performance Review, and ORD's streamlining findings, the EPA Labora- 

 tory Study points out the need to better define EPA's role in environmental re- 

 search, and to change the way in which EPA carries out its research, science, and 

 technology functions. 



Specifically, the Laboratory Study proposes major new directions for EPA's science 

 and research programs, including: 



Research Focus and Leadership: EPA's research, development, and technical serv- 

 ices should continue to promote risk assessment/risk management as the principle 

 that drives priority setting. Consistent with the S. 1545 provisions on the use of risk 

 to guide research priorities, EPA should give priority to research that will have the 

 greatest impact on reducing the uncertainty in risk assessment, and that facilitates 

 risk management. 



EPA should change its research program so that 50 percent of EPA's research dol- 

 lars go to support long-term research — so that we can better identify environmental 

 problems, and get early warning of tomorrow's problems. The remaining 50 percent 

 of the Agency's research dollars should be used to vigorously support the more ap- 

 plied research and implementation requirements of the regulatory programs and re- 

 gions. EPA should establish a research, development, and technical services strate- 

 gic plan that integrates the needs and capabilities of the program offices, regions, 

 and ORD. 



Organizational Structure: In 1993, the Carnegie Commission on Science, Tech- 

 nology, and Government published a report entitled "Environmental Research and 

 Development — Strengthening the Federal Infrastructure" that included rec- 

 ommendations for restructuring the ORD field units into four national laboratories. 

 EPA has bused these recommendations as a starting place in its reorganization pro- 

 posals, but has refined this structure to better address the risk assessment/risk 

 management paradigm that is fundamental to the Agency's mission. ORD should re- 

 align its national research laboratories into four laboratories. 



These laboratories centralize and strengthen the Agency's ability to respond to the 

 greatest threats to environmental quality and human health. The four laboratories 

 are: 



1. National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory; 



