EPA's R&D budget slated to rise 10%
datory review of the national ambient air quality standards. "This budget brings the Office of Re Requested research funding for this pro Controversy over proposed standards search & Development back up to where ject is $15 million. for particulate matter has centered around it was in 1995," says Robert J. Huggett, The Advanced Measurement Initiative insuflficient data on the health effects of the Environmental Protection Agency's is also new for 1998; funding of $4 mil fine particles and the lack of scientific evi assistant administrator for research and lion is requested. Huggett says this pro dence explaining the mechanism by development. "We are very hopeful that gram will coordinate with other federal which particles may cause health prob Congress won't consider this request out agencies and the private sector to find lems in vulnerable populations. of line." new uses for instrumentation that has So, nearly $8 million has been request The president proposes a $7.6 billion been developed for other applications. ed to fund research on particulates. The budget for EPA, an increase of $846 mil For example, he explains, "NASA has agency expects to gain knowledge about lion, or 12%, over the agency's fiscal miniaturized analytical devices for the the biological mechanisms of their toxici 1997 budget. Of this, $554 million, or space shuttle. They have come up with a ty, to reduce the uncertainties regarding about 7%, is slated for R&D activities. If mass spectrometer the size of a paper exposure assessment, and to improve data Congress approves the president's re back book." on the sources of fine particles. quest—which is unlikely—EPA's 1998 Within the water quality area, the Huggett continues: "The Department R&D budget would be up 10% from of Defense has developed sensors to de president's proposed budget requests $504 million this year. tect chemical warfare agents on the bat- nearly $1 million for a research program Frank Cushing, clerk of the to study health effects of mi House Appropriations Subcom crobes and of disinfection by mittee on VA, HUD & Indepen products in drinking water. Funding request for EPA R&D dent Agencies, believes the These funds would support hits $554 million president's proposal is unrealis more research to better under tic. He says his subcommittee stand emerging pathogens and % change 1997-98 $ Millions 1996 1998 1997 "won't have an allocation that to identify mechanisms for the even comes close to what the fate and transport of viruses in 14% Multimedia $140 $185 $211 4 84 Lab operation expenses 47 president wants. We want to 81 subsurface water. Air quality • 1 57 70 71 level-fund EPA: Expect nothing The fiscal 1998 budget also 14 40 Hazardous substances 35 18 dramatic, nothing draconian." includes increases to support Drinking water -10 36 20 40 investigations of some of the Many Republicans believe 32 68 Pesticides 11 19 more intractable problems as that the president's request for 17 Water quality 24 28 19 sociated with endocrine dis EPA is politically motivated and 50 14 21 Global change 19 rupters. EPA has requested a directed toward getting Republi 12 13 8 12 Toxic substances hike of $4 million, or 33%, to cans to do the dirty work of cut ! -40 Hazardous waste 15 9 19 $16 million for this research. ting environmental programs. 7 0 7 Program management 6 According to EPA, the in Nevertheless, the request 1 0 Oil spills 1 1 crease would support a matu reflects the commitments Pres 1 0 Leaking underground 1 1 ration of the program from one ident Clinton made last August storage tanks of primarily hazard character in Kalamazoo, Mich., where he TOTAL 10% $370 $504 $554 ization to one that explores po called for the cleanup of the tential synergistic action of en worst toxic waste dumps by ι a Actual, b Estimated, c Proposed Source: Environmental Protection Agency docrine disrupters in biological 2000, expansion of community systems, the shape of the doseright-to-know initiatives, and revitalization of urban economies through tlefield. If you had to respond to a spill, response curves in the low-dose region, redevelopment of contaminated and aban it would be great to have instrumenta and the definition of biologically signifi doned urban properties—also called tion in your backpack to analyze the gas cant exposure pathways. brownfields. es. This is what the Advanced Measure The Global Change Research Pro gram, with requested funding up 50% to To that end, the bulk of the agency's ment Initiative will do." requested increase—$694 million—goes The president also wants $4 million $21 million, aims to focus on integrated to the Superfund program, bringing that for EPA to significantly increase research assessments of the risks of climate account to just over $2 billion. Of the on the health effects of toxic pollution change on coastal, freshwater, and ter $694 million, Superfund R&D receives on sensitive populations in urban areas. restrial ecosystems on a regional level just under $40 million, up from $35 mil Funds are requested to support the de within the U.S., and it would extend the lion last year, and expansion of brown- velopment of health assessments from analysis to consider human health. The president's request also provides field cleanup gets more than $50 million. chronic and acute exposures to indoor The Kalamazoo Right-to-Know Initia and urban air, and to determine cancer $115 million for continued support for the Science To Achieve Results (STAR) tive, new to the EPA budget, has the goal risk from such exposure. If the president's budget is approved, program. This includes $15 million for of providing the 75 most populous met ropolitan areas in the U.S. with access to the criteria air pollution research pro academic fellowships. House appropriations hearings are local environmental quality information gram within EPA would receive a 19% and relevant scientific and technical tools increase to $50 million from fiscal 1997. scheduled for April 15 and 16. Linda Raber to interpret and evaluate potential risks. This program supports the agency's man a
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FEBRUARY 24, 1997 C&EN 2 9
