meet generally accepted standards appropriate for conducting re- 

 search. 



The bill establishes an experimental program to stimulate com- 

 petitive research to enhance competitive peer review. It directs 

 EPA to direct and implement the national human exposure and as- 

 sessment survey to study human exposure and the environmental 

 monitoring and assessment program to study ecological systems. 



The bill authorizes a number of other research programs, includ- 

 ing research on international development programs, international 

 environmental problems, and lead exposure in drinking water dis- 

 infection. And to enable EPA to develop clear research goals, the 

 bill requires EPA to develop a list of at least 10 environmental haz- 

 ards that present the greatest degree of risk and the greatest de- 

 gree of scientific uncertainty. 



The bill establishes a program to monitor and evaluate the po- 

 tential for human exposure to pesticides in food, water, soil, and 

 air. The public health and environmental implications of pesticide 

 use are still poorly understood and this research will provide much 

 needed information. 



I wish to offer my sincere thanks and appreciation to the Senator 

 from Connecticut, Senator Lieberman, for his contribution to this 

 section of the bill. 



This bill includes provisions which create the National Arid Cli- 

 mate Ground Water Research Center to promote and coordinate 

 ground water management research in arid regions. Groundwater 

 is a natural resource of immense importance, providing drinking 

 water for half of the United States population and supplying much 

 of the water needs of livestock and irrigation. Yet in many parts 

 of this country, groundwater supplies are threatened or contami- 

 nated by environmental pollutants. The research conducted by the 

 center will contribute not only to the arid western States, like Ne- 

 vada, but to all States who wish to assure the quality of their 

 groundwater. 



At this point, I would like to mention two changes that I con- 

 template in S. 1545. The first involves language in section 9 estab- 

 lishing the National Arid Climate Groundwater Research Center. I 

 will propose language be added to this section which will more ac- 

 curately reflect the research center's true regional purpose. As I 

 stated, research conducted at this center will not only benefit Ne- 

 vada, but the entire western part of the United States, which is al- 

 most all arid. 



The second change I will propose involves section 21 of S. 1545, 

 which provides financial assistance for research on drinking water 

 disinfection. Currently, the bill directs the Administrator to enter 

 into an agreement with the American Water Works Association to 

 conduct disinfection and disinfection byproducts research. So that 

 this research will be conducted with an appropriate level of peer 

 review, I will propose that this bill adopt House language in H.R. 

 1994. In so doing, EPA will be able to conduct this research on a 

 more competitive basis. 



In sum, this bill, with these changes, goes a long way toward re- 

 sponding to many of the issues raised in debate. 



I look forward to hearing from our witnesses today and learning 

 more about how we can achieve balance within ORD's dual re- 



