1 We can't resolve all of the issues, but we're certainly interested 



2 in doing it, and one of the purposes of this is to separate out value 



3 judgments from the Environmental Studies Program. 



4 We can analyze the elements of the risk which are involved here, 



5 but we cannot decide if this risk is acceptable to you, nor do we wish 



6 to do so. All we wish to do is to provide the forum for the discussion. 



7 Studies is not involved in making value judgments. However, all 



8 of us individually and all of us as managers do do that; that's a 



9 separate issue. 



10 So, what we hope to see, if the conclusion is that there are areas 



11 which truly can be scientifically examined and which need to be examined 



12 and a recommendation of a study were to be forthcoming, we would hope to 



13 see the following. 



14 First of all, when should it be done? For those of you who have 



15 followed the Studies Program, you know we don't have as much money as we 



16 used to, so that's important. Secondly, is the study focused on an 



17 issue which can be resolved or narrowed? 



18 I'll tell you right up front, I've been here for four years and 



19 the Studies Program has been, often, in a trap of studying something 



20 where we couldn't resolve it no matter what we found out. 



21 Now, sometimes that's appropriate, if you don't have enough 



22 background information. At this stage of the studies program, we really 



23 need to focus on things where collecting additional information will do 



24 something. 



25 Are there criteria for evaluating the results? We would like to 



26 think that we would have a testable hypothesis that everyone agreed to 



27 up front, sort of like if you find the following, then ... and there's 



28 some conclusion about what everyone will agree can happen if you find 



29 the information. 



30 Are the users of the results clearly identified? What is the 



31 relative significance of the study in relation to other efforts? Is the 



32 need for the study clearly explained and documented? 



33 Now, as I guess the overall program manager here, I would like to 



34 make it clear that I don't necessarily hope that one of the major 



