ACS Position Statement: FY 2010

Statement on Environmental Protection Agency Science & Technology: FY 2010

ACS Statement on Environmental Protection Agency Science & Technology

ACS Position

The American Chemical Society (ACS) encourages Congress to make science The American Chemical Society (ACS) encourages Congress to make science and technology (S&T) a higher priority within the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) budget and return the Office of Research and Development (ORD) to a funding level of $646 million. We also encourage Congress to fund EPA’s Science to Achieve Results (STAR) extramural research and fellowship programs at its fully authorized level of $110 million.

In a modern technological society, fair, rational laws and regulations must be based on science that is presented in a clear, transparent, and open manner. A sense of certainty about national expectations should be firmly ingrained in the regulatory process through the objective application of peer-reviewed scientific inquiry. To make effective regulatory decisions and to increase our understanding of environmental, health, and safety issues, EPA must make substantial investments in R&D and must work to attract well-trained scientists and engineers throughout the agency.

ACS is concerned about the EPA Science and Technology (S&T) account, which is critical to advancing scientific knowledge and discoveries in areas fundamental to environmental progress and sound regulatory decisions. The FY 2010 S&T account is $842 million, a 5.6% increase from FY 2009. However, after years of chronic underfunding, this increase is insufficient to provide EPA the science necessary to effectively meet its goals.

Within the S&T account, the budget of ORD increased by 3.3% to $587 million, but this figure remains 9% lower than the FY 2004 peak of $646 million. This undermines EPA’s ability to perform world-class environmental research in order to effectively regulate health and the environment and decreases the Agency’s ability to pursue non-regulatory programs that depend on new science and technology development.

Increased investment in EPA’s S&T account would support research, environmental monitoring, and laboratories that are essential to achieving multiple goals across the Agency. ACS encourages Congress to make S&T a higher priority within EPA’s budget and return the ORD to its FY 2004 level of $646 million. If America is to guarantee access to the best available environmental science, returning the S&T account and ORD to a robust growth pattern is essential. Specifically, the Agency would be able to

• Strengthen extramural research funded through EPA’s STAR programs, which support high-quality, peer-reviewed research grants and the related fellowships. STAR plays a key role in supporting the Agency mission through advancing environmental research and training scientific talent.
• Fully support the Science and Technology for Sustainability program, which includes the STAR Technology for Sustainable Environment program, the P3 program, and other extramural funding programs that support the governmental interest to work closely with industry and others to maintain the long-term health of our planet.
• Restore internal and extramural programs for research in environmental sustainability, including green chemistry and engineering as well as global climate change.
• Invest in EPA’s ability to recruit, develop, and retain an effective scientific workforce. Frequent changes in priorities, practices, structure, or funding can disrupt any organization. They are especially damaging to a research organization that has special requirements for continuity in the development and maintenance of scientific and engineering talent, experience, and infrastructure to be productive. For example, cuts made to EPA research libraries that support the Agency’s staff have been disruptive to ongoing work. EPA’s scientific workforce also should be supported to stay active in the broader scientific community and to better serve the public in protecting public health and the environment.