At this time, federal research on the environment is spread across more than 20 agencies, each with its own mission and priorities. According to many scientists, there is no coherent system for assessing and communicating knowledge about the environment. Scientists have proposed the creation of a National Institute for the Environment, whose mission would be to improve the scientific basis for making decisions on environmental issues by coordinating environmental information to bridge the gaps that currently exist in the area.
Supporters of the NIE say that it could bridge, strengthen, and expand existing agency efforts in environmental research. The agency would work to complement current efforts rather than replace them. "The NIE isn't going to dictate the research of any other agency, nor duplicate, nor take the place of them," said Tania Kandra, communications director for the Committee for the National Institute for the Environment.
The proposal for the NIE was developed by the CNIE, a national, nonprofit organization of over 8,000 scientists, educators, and other citizens, as well as organizations and professional societies representing academia, government, business, environmentalists, and the general public. According to the CNIE's proposal, the NIE would work toward its mission by carrying out four key functions: research, assessment, dissemination of information, and education and training.
Concept
The CNIE first met in 1989 to expound upon the idea for the creation of a new agency. With the population growing so rapidly and environmental problems becoming more critical every year, policymakers have placed more emphasis on environmental issues. According to David E. Blockstein, executive director and senior scientist at the CNIE, the environment is an extremely important issue, and yet there is not even a federal budget category for environmental research and development. "There is no lead agency in environmental R&D," Blockstein said. "Nobody is in charge of finding out answers." Supporters of the NIE propose that the agency would coordinate existing research, thus giving the United States a more complete scientific foundation on which to base decisions about environmental policy.
Modeled after the National Institutes of Health, the NIE would focus on long-term, peer-reviewed extramural research relevant to policy issues. To avoid excessive costs and bureaucracy, the NIE would not have its own laboratories, but would award grants for research by universities, nongovernmental organizations, private companies, and federal laboratories.
Research priorities and goals would be set by a governing board, composed of leaders from science, business, environmental communities, and state and local governments. "We are stressing that the board needs to be very inclusive," Kandra said. Diversity on the board is important to keep the goals of the NIE intact. "The board will ensure that the agenda of the NIE doesn't sway with political changes," she said. In order to include agencies that already deal with environmental issues, the board would work closely with an interagency advisory panel. This panel, made up of representatives from various agencies, would ensure that existing research is expanded rather than duplicated. "We believe very much in a partnership approach," Blockstein said.
Structure
According to the CNIE, the simplest, most effective way to structure the NIE is as a single agency. Dividing up the functions of the NIE would not provide the integrated approach to environmental research that scientists are seeking.
The NIE would be divided into four divisions, each focusing on one of the major functions of the agency. The first division would carry out the research function, generating information on important issues, including topics that cut across the missions of existing agencies, such as risk assessment, social and economic sciences, and technology and engineering. The research would be organized into three research directorates: environmental resources, environmental systems, and environmental sustainability, coordinated by a Board of Environmental Research. The research division would be the centerpiece of the NIE, thus receiving the most funding.
The second division would pursue the assessment function, through a proposed Center for Environmental Assessment, which would evaluate environmental issues. Assessments of information would examine scientific credibility, evaluate policy implications, and identify the need for additional information.
The third division, housing the information function, would make environmental information more accessible to researchers, decision makers, educators, and the public. Information would be disseminated through the National Library for the Environment, an electronic system that could be accessed by any computer connected to a modem.
The fourth division would carry out the education and training function of the NIE by developing resources for enhancing the skills of personnel in environmental areas. The Directorate of Education and Training would pursue new initiatives in higher education through training grants, fellowships, and program development funds for colleges and universities. This division would help make the public and the media more aware of environmental issues.
The CNIE foresees that these functions will interact and support one another within the agency. The assessment activities would provide assistance in setting research goals and priorities. The research programs would support graduate training and provide information to assist the assessment division in meeting the needs of decisionmakers. The National Library for the Environment would provide information and data services for researchers and others, as well as disseminating information generated by the Center for Environmental Assessment and the Research Directorates of the NIE. The Directorate of Education and Training would support the development of human resources needed to fulfill the environmental research needs of the nation, including the implementation of NIE programs.
Legislation and Support
Bills to develop the NIE have been introduced in both the House and the Senate, and support has gradually grown. HR 2918, a bill "to establish a National Institute for the Environment, to improve the scientific basis for decision-making on environmental issues, and for other purposes," was introduced by George Brown (D-California) in August 1993, and now has 78 co-sponsors. A similar bill, S 2242, was introduced by Tom Daschle (D-South Dakota) in the Senate in June of this year and is currently being reviewed by the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
The NIE has been endorsed by groups such as the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the National Council of Negro Women, the Environmental Defense Fund, and more than 150 universities, scientific societies, professional organizations, and environmental groups. Three former EPA administrators, William K. Reilly, William D. Ruckelhaus, and Russell E. Train, have also endorsed the NIE and have appealed to the administration, strongly urging officials to support the NIE. Legislation for the NIE is still in Congress, and the CNIE now faces another year of lobbying. If the bills are passed in the next session, startup of the NIE could begin next year.
The CNIE has come up with a first year budget of $130 million. This amount would allow the NIE to initiate programs including 15 environmental issue assessments; approximately 700 individual and team research projects; support for advanced training of approximately 1,700 individuals and approximately 200 public education initiatives; and the initiation of programs to provide access to environmental information, most likely through two regional electronic libraries connected to a national network.
After the first year, the proposed five-year budget would increase annually, with most of the funds designated for research. The projected budget for the second year is $250 million; the third year is $370 million; the fourth year is $495 million; and the fifth year is $605 million. The CNIE says that other funding options are being explored, such as a first year budget of $50 million that could be viable.
Reaction by Other Agencies
There has been public and congressional support, but the agencies that would be directly affected by the NIE have not taken formal stands on whether or not they support the creation of a new agency. In general, there has been little organized opposition to the NIE, but the agencies have not participated in public endorsement either.
Many agency directors and administration officials have expressed support for the idea of coordinating environmental research, if not for the NIE directly. Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt publicly stated in October of last year that he supports the concept of the NIE, but was vague about whether or not he was endorsing the creation of a new agency. "I can support the concept," he said. "It's much needed. We've evolved over the last 25 years an extraordinary set of environmental laws, but our attention to underlying science and technology has not kept pace." With better scientific facts underlying environmental policies, "everyone would have more confidence in the regulatory process," he said. Babbitt also approved of the plans for the NIE. "The NIH approach I think is correct. You use an institute to coordinate and formulate research plans."
There has been speculation that members of agencies such as the EPA and the National Science Foundation would rather incorporate the mission of the NIE into their own agencies than see the creation of a new agency. Or perhaps agencies would rather see more funding for their own programs than for a new agency.
Kandra says that agencies would only stand to benefit from the NIE because it would complement agency efforts. The NIE would provide them with environmental information and fill gaps that now exist within the system, she said.
Yet there continues to be little public reaction to the NIE from agency leaders. A recent memo from the White House may also be the cause of agencies' reticence on the issue. In late August, a memo from John H. Gibbons, assistant to the President for Science and Technology, was circulated among the heads of departments and agencies, declaring that the White House does not support the NIE. "The administration does not think creating and funding such a new entity is desirable at this time," the memo said.
Yet the administration has been supportive of the ideas underlying the NIE. "The Administration acknowledges the need for a more effective and coordinated federally funded research and development program to address the critical environmental science and policy needs of the nation," Gibbons said in the memo.
The administration feels that the best way to pursue such goals is through the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, under the National Science and Technology Council created by executive order on 23 November 1993. Much like the proposed NIE, the CENR aims to set research priorities and coordinate the programs of federal agencies engaged in environmental research. The CENR involves agency leaders in the science and policy areas. Three cross-cutting subcommittees have also been created on environmental technology, risk assessment, and socioeconomic research.
After a little more than a year of work, the CENR has developed a draft strategy for environment and natural resources R&D across all of these areas, and will develop a plan for implementation in the next few months. The Clinton administration feels that the CENR has already made much progress, and should be given time to make the changes it has initiated. The administration also points out in the memo that the EPA is currently engaged in a fundamental restructuring of the agency's R&D program. Translating these steps as early progress, administrative officials are confident that the CENR can accomplish the goals of the NIE without requiring the funding and organization that a new agency would need.
President Clinton was quoted in the memo as saying, "At this time, I do not believe there is a compelling reason to fundamentally restructure the research agencies or to create any new entities given the changes that have already been initiated."
The formation of the CENR has been hailed as a step in the right direction, but supporters of the NIE are still adamant that the creation of an agency would be much more effective in bridging existing research. They also point out that the CENR may not last beyond the Clinton administration and that the NIE would provide more stability in this area, withstanding changes of administrations. Also, the CENR includes only federal representatives; nonfederal representatives are asked to advise the committee, but have no definite role in developing environmental priorities. The NIE would contain a more diverse board, thus establishing its independence from the political leadership.
Whether or not the NIE is actually created will depend on Congress. The major problem the proposal faces is funding. Blockstein points out that there is no federal government budget category for environmental R&D. And only 2% of the fiscal year 1992 budget was designated for nondefense R&D, 33% of which was spent on health. But with the other budget problems the federal government currently faces, officials may not see the issue as a necessity. The CNIE will have to persuade officials to view the NIE as important in order to see passage of the bills next year. "We're trying to put ourselves in a strong position for next year," Blockstein said.
Brandy Fisher
Brandy Fisher is an intern in the Environmental Toxicology Program at NIEHS.
Last Update: June 24, 1998