Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
Appendix A
Statement of Task of the Committee
on Science for EPA's Future
A committee of the National Research Council will assess the overall ca-
pabilities of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to develop, obtain,
and use the best available new scientific and technological information and tools
that will be needed to meet persistent, emerging, and future mission challenges
and opportunities across the agency's research and regulatory programs. These
challenges and opportunities will include those posed or provided by new scien-
tific knowledge and techniques, new and persistent environmental problems,
changes in human activities and interactions, changes in public expectations,
new risk-assessment and risk-management paradigms, new models for decision
making, and new agency mission requirements. Special consideration will be
given to potentially increasing emphasis on trans-disciplinary approaches, sys-
tems-based problem solving, scientific and technological innovation, and greater
involvement of communities and other stakeholders. The committee will iden-
tify and assess transitional options to strengthen the agency's capability to pur-
sue the scientific information and tools that will be needed to meet these chal-
lenges and opportunities.
In performing its task, the committee may consider topics such as the fol-
lowing:
Key factors expected to stimulate major changes in the biophysical and
societal environments, research, risk assessment, risk management, and regula-
tory decision-making.
Computational, analytic, and anticipatory strategies for strengthening
the agency's capabilities to obtain and interpret scientific information to address
such changes.
New methods and bioinformatics tools to support private-sector efforts
to create new chemicals and engineering approaches to developing materials,
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