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GUEST EDITORIAL
A farewell-not a goodbye Gordon Robeck, who is nationally presented him with 10 awards and and internationally known for his an honorary membership. He work in public water supply and reearned the U.S.Public Health Servlated public health research, has reice Meritorious Service Medal, the tired from the Environmental hoU.S. Environmental Protection tection Agency. He retired once Agency Gold Medal for Excep before, as a commissioned officer tional Service, and in 1980 was in the U.S. Public Health Service, elected to the National Academy of where the roots of his professional Engineering-an honor no other reputation became firmly estabEPA employee enjoys. lished. At a time when successive adminRobeck has distinguished himself istrations question the worth of fedamong his peers as a research engieral employees and managers, and neer and scientist. An effective rethe Heritage Foundation urges fedsearch manager, he provided an imeral political appointees to keep caportant link in the chain that relates reer managers in the dark about public policy, Robeck‘s example engineering, science, and public Gordon Robeck health to regulatory drinking water serves to contradict the negative atdecisions. He also keenly appreciates the importance of titudes that these actions imply. He epitomizLs the career federal manager who understands the prerogatives practical politics in achieving regulatory goals. He is a first-class communicator between the regulator and the of the political process and the necessity for career regulated, a student of the methods of bringing the managers to offer counsel on new policy directions and h i t s of research to practical application, a sought-after to pursue established goals responsibly. participant in international conferences, and an ardent It is quite clear that Robeck‘s professional career is supporter of the principles fostered by the American not concluding with this, his second retirement. His Water Works Association. availability is attractive to many organizations who will Although regulatory proposals and decisions under appreciate his talents. There will be no end of opportuthe Safe Drinking Water Act at times put him at odds nity for him to contribute to the recognition and pursuit of research, the sensible realization of regulatory goals, with some components of the water supply industry, the professional integrity he showed in support of his posiand the improved integrity of the water supply industry. tions was never questioned. Nor has there been question of the intensity of his determination to serve the public health needs of the nation. In large measure because of Robeck’s personal contributions, the national drinking water research program, conducted in Cincinnati, Ohio, enjoys a Meccalike status that was established worldwide among researchers during the days of the Public Health Service, which preceded the creation of EPA. Robeck has bezn recognized by the American SociFrancis L Mayo is director of EPA’s ety of Civil Engineers as the winner of its Huber ReWater Engineering Research Loboratory search h i e and has been nominated as an honorary in Cincinnati. Ohio, and former regional member. The American Water Works Association has administrator of EPA’s Region 5. This ankle not subjeclto US. Copyright. Published 1985 American Chemical Saciely
Environ. Sci. Technol.. Voi. 19. NO.3. 1985 203
