Environmental Letters
ISSN: 0013-9300 (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/lesa17
Whither Air Pollution Research? Morton Corn Ph.D. To cite this article: Morton Corn Ph.D. (1975) Whither Air Pollution Research?, Environmental Letters, 8:2, iii-iv, DOI: 10.1080/00139307509437421 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00139307509437421
Published online: 02 Sep 2009.
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Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=2esa20 Download by: [University of Cambridge]
Date: 06 November 2015, At: 00:57
ENYIRONMENTAG LETTERS, 8(2), iii-iv (1975)
GUEST EDITORIAL
Downloaded by [University of Cambridge] at 00:57 06 November 2015
WHITHER A I R POLLUTION RESEARCH? The Clean A i r Act a u t h o r i z e d r e s e a r c h i n s e v e r a l c r i t i c a l subj e c t areas; i t a l s o p r o v i d e d a b r o a d d i r e c t i v e f o r r e s e a r c h i n a l l a s p e c t s o f a i r r e s o u r c e s management. The Environmental P r o t e c t i o n Agency, a r e g u l a t o r y b r a n c h o f government, is c h a r g e d w i t h e s t a b l i s h i n g p o l i c y t o implement t h e r e s e a r c h p r o v i s i o n s o f t h e A c t . A strong case can b e made t h a t a i r p o l l u t i o n r e s e a r c h is i n t h e doldrums, t h a t t h e b u l k o f f u n d s s p e n t f o r " r e s e a r c h and development" by EPA ( $ 1 8 1 ~ 106 i n f i s c a l y e a r 1973) is development and n o t r e s e a r c h , and t h a t t h e r e s e a r c h p o l i c i e s o f t h e Agency w i l l l e a d t o an i n a d e q u a t e f u t u r e p o o l of knowledge t o implement t h e Act, a p o o l r e l a t i v e l y s h a l l o w e r t h a n t h a t a v a i l a b l e t o support current p o l i c i e s . I t is n o t my p u r p o s e t o make t h i s case h e r e , b u t r a t h e r t o trace t h e e v o l u t i o n o f c u r r e n t p o l i c i e s f o r f u n d i n g o f a i r p o l l u t i o n r e s e a r c h by EPA and t h e r e s u l t s of t h e s e p o l i c i e s . I n 1972 t h e Agency disbanded i t s Research G r a n t s Advisory Committee, a group o f 15 non-Agency s c i e n t i s t s a p p o i n t e d f o r t h r e e y e a r terms t o r e v i e w u n s o l i c i t e d r e s e a r c h a p p l i c a t i o n s . The Committee o p e r a t e d u n d e r t h e " p e e r review" s y s t e m and h a n d l e d s e v e r a l hundred ap l i c a t i o n s p e r y e a r , w i t h d i s b u r s a l i n 1972 o f a p p r o x i m a t e l y $ 7 . 5 ~ 10 / y e a r t o s u c c e s s f u l a p p l i c a n t s . S c i e n t i f i c soundness o f t h e prop o s a l , coupled w i t h a competent i n v e s t i g a t o r , were t h e k e y s t o sue' c e s s . Under p r e s s u r e s of t h e A c t , which e s t a b l i s h e d s t r i c t t i m e t a b l e s f o r a i r q u a l i t y c r i t e r i a documents, s t a n d a r d s , and implementat i o n o f s t a n d a r d s , EPA s c i e n t i s t s and a d m i n i s t r a t o r s soon began t o p r e s s f o r more r e l e v a n t , l e s s "eclectic" r e s e a r c h t h a n t h e Advisory Committee e n d o r s e d . I t was argued t h a t t h e Agency had s p e c i f i c t a s k s t o perform and t h a t Agency s t a f f c o u l d u t i l i z e f u n d s b e t t e r t h a n a committee of o u t s i d e r s o p e r a t i n g as p e e r r e v i e w e r s . The argument carried.
B
Today i n v e s t i g a t o r s must r e s p o n d t o c o n t r a c t p r o p o s a l s w r i t t e n by EPA s t a f f and d e s i g n e d , i n v i r t u a l l y a l l cases, t o meet s h o r t t e r m needs o f an Agency i n p u r s u i t of i t s r e g u l a t o r y f u n c t i o n s . F u r t h e r more, c o n t r a c t s are l e t by i n d i v i d u a l a d m i n i s t r a t i v e u n i t s of t h e Agency. e a c h a g g r e s s i v e l y a t t e m p t i n g t o meet i t s own,. o f t e n p a r o c h i a l needs. The l a r g e r r e s e a r c h q u e s t i o n s which embrace a r e a s of r e s p o n s i b i l i t y of s e v e r a l o r g a n i z a t i o n a l arms o f t h e Agency, simply do n o t g e t answered. U n s o l i c i t e d p r o p o s a l s a r e n o t , i n g e n e r a l , encouraged. I f s u b m i t t e d , t h e y are s c r e e n e d by s t a f f members f o r r e l e v a n c e t o
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p r o g r a m n e e d s ; t h e l a t t e r p r i o r i t i e s are set by Agency p e r s o n n e l . If a p r o p o s a l p a s s e s t h i s first r e v i e w , i t may--or may n o t b e - - e x t e r n a l l y r e v i e w e d by a s c i e n t i f i c p e e r . " R e l e v a n t " weak p r o p o s a l s w i l l , w i t h t h i s s y s t e m , r e c e i v e s u p p o r t b e f o r e s t r o n g p r o p o s a l s which d o n o t a d h e r e t o t h e Agency p r i o r i t y list. Can r e s e a r c h b e programmed i n t h i s manner? C e r t a i n l y development p r o j e c t s c a n , b u t r e s e a r c h i s , a f t e r a l l , i n v e s t i g a t i o n o f t h e unknown. Research g r a n t s p e r m i t t e d t h e i n v e s t i g a t o r t o f o l l o w i d e a s wherever t h e y might lead. I f Agency s t a f f c a n w r i t e s p e c i f i c a t i o n s f o r t h e , k i n d s of d a t a which must b e g e n e r a t e d t o f u l f i l l a c o n t r a c t , is t h i s r e s e a r c h ? I n most cases, i t i s n o t . Few g r a n t s are now s u p p o r t e d by EPA; c o n t r a c t s a r e f a v o r e d . The r i g i d t i m e c o n s t r a i n t s a s s o c i a t e d with c o n t r a c t s , t h e bidding procedures, t h e s p e c i f i c i t y of t a s k - - a l l h a v e c o n s p i r e d t o l o s e many o f t h e most h i g h l y q u a l i f i e d i n v e s t i g a t o r s t o t h i s f i e l d . The Agency p e r f o r m s more a n d more " r e s e a r c h " i n t e r n a l l y , w i t h l i t t l e r e v i e w by p e e r s . Development c o n t r a c t s abound. F o r t u n a t e l y , r e s e a r c h i n a i r p o l l u t i o n is a l s o w i t h i n t h e i n t e r e s t o f o t h e r agencies--NSF, AEC, a n d t h e N a t i o n a l I n s t i t u t e s o f H e a l t h , a g e n c i e s more s u p p o r t i v e o f r e s e a r c h . However, i t s h o u l d b e recognized t h a t funds s p e c i f i c a l l y a l l o c a t e d f o r research i n t h e A c t are b e i n g u s e d t o s u p p o r t s h o r t - t e r m r e g u l a t o r y g o a l s . R e s e a r c h q u e s t i o n s n e c e s s a r y f o r a c h i e v e m e n t o f l o n g term g o a l s i n t h i s f i e l d are n o t b e i n g a g g r e s s i v e l y i n v e s t i g a t e d . I t may n o t b e p o s s i b l e f o r a r e g u l a t o r y a g e n c y t o f u l f i l l t h e research charges of t h e A c t . Possibly, research responsibility i n a i r p o l l u t i o n s h o u l d b e t r a n s f e r r e d t o a n o t h e r governmental agency. T h e r e is p r e c e d e n t i n o t h e r f i e l d s , i . e . , t h e N a t i o n a l I n s t i t u t e o f O c c u p a t i o n a l S a f e t y a n d H e a l t h is t h e r e s e a r c h arm of t h e O c c u p a t i o n a l S a f e t y and H e a l t h A d m i n i s t r a t i o n , a r e g u l a t o r y agency i n t h e Department o f L a b o r . P e r h a p s t h e N a t i o n a l I n s t i t u t e of E n v i r o n m e n t a l H e a l t h S c i e n c e s c o u l d b e s t implement r e s e a r c h u n d e r t h e C l e a n A i r A c t , l e a v i n g t h e r e g u l a t o r y f u n c t i o n t o EPA. A r e v i e w o f t h e p r e s e n t s i t u a t i o n is i n o r d e r .
Morton C o r n , Ph.D.
EDITOR'S NOTE D r . Mort Corn is a Professor i n the School of Public Health, University of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He served f o r several years as Chairman of the Review Committee f o r the EPA Grants Administration.
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ISSN: 0013-9300 (Print) (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/lesa17
Whither Air Pollution Research? Morton Corn Ph.D. To cite this article: Morton Corn Ph.D. (1975) Whither Air Pollution Research?, Environmental Letters, 8:2, iii-iv, DOI: 10.1080/00139307509437421 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00139307509437421
Published online: 02 Sep 2009.
Submit your article to this journal
Article views: 1
View related articles
Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=2esa20 Download by: [University of Cambridge]
Date: 06 November 2015, At: 00:57
ENYIRONMENTAG LETTERS, 8(2), iii-iv (1975)
GUEST EDITORIAL
Downloaded by [University of Cambridge] at 00:57 06 November 2015
WHITHER A I R POLLUTION RESEARCH? The Clean A i r Act a u t h o r i z e d r e s e a r c h i n s e v e r a l c r i t i c a l subj e c t areas; i t a l s o p r o v i d e d a b r o a d d i r e c t i v e f o r r e s e a r c h i n a l l a s p e c t s o f a i r r e s o u r c e s management. The Environmental P r o t e c t i o n Agency, a r e g u l a t o r y b r a n c h o f government, is c h a r g e d w i t h e s t a b l i s h i n g p o l i c y t o implement t h e r e s e a r c h p r o v i s i o n s o f t h e A c t . A strong case can b e made t h a t a i r p o l l u t i o n r e s e a r c h is i n t h e doldrums, t h a t t h e b u l k o f f u n d s s p e n t f o r " r e s e a r c h and development" by EPA ( $ 1 8 1 ~ 106 i n f i s c a l y e a r 1973) is development and n o t r e s e a r c h , and t h a t t h e r e s e a r c h p o l i c i e s o f t h e Agency w i l l l e a d t o an i n a d e q u a t e f u t u r e p o o l of knowledge t o implement t h e Act, a p o o l r e l a t i v e l y s h a l l o w e r t h a n t h a t a v a i l a b l e t o support current p o l i c i e s . I t is n o t my p u r p o s e t o make t h i s case h e r e , b u t r a t h e r t o trace t h e e v o l u t i o n o f c u r r e n t p o l i c i e s f o r f u n d i n g o f a i r p o l l u t i o n r e s e a r c h by EPA and t h e r e s u l t s of t h e s e p o l i c i e s . I n 1972 t h e Agency disbanded i t s Research G r a n t s Advisory Committee, a group o f 15 non-Agency s c i e n t i s t s a p p o i n t e d f o r t h r e e y e a r terms t o r e v i e w u n s o l i c i t e d r e s e a r c h a p p l i c a t i o n s . The Committee o p e r a t e d u n d e r t h e " p e e r review" s y s t e m and h a n d l e d s e v e r a l hundred ap l i c a t i o n s p e r y e a r , w i t h d i s b u r s a l i n 1972 o f a p p r o x i m a t e l y $ 7 . 5 ~ 10 / y e a r t o s u c c e s s f u l a p p l i c a n t s . S c i e n t i f i c soundness o f t h e prop o s a l , coupled w i t h a competent i n v e s t i g a t o r , were t h e k e y s t o sue' c e s s . Under p r e s s u r e s of t h e A c t , which e s t a b l i s h e d s t r i c t t i m e t a b l e s f o r a i r q u a l i t y c r i t e r i a documents, s t a n d a r d s , and implementat i o n o f s t a n d a r d s , EPA s c i e n t i s t s and a d m i n i s t r a t o r s soon began t o p r e s s f o r more r e l e v a n t , l e s s "eclectic" r e s e a r c h t h a n t h e Advisory Committee e n d o r s e d . I t was argued t h a t t h e Agency had s p e c i f i c t a s k s t o perform and t h a t Agency s t a f f c o u l d u t i l i z e f u n d s b e t t e r t h a n a committee of o u t s i d e r s o p e r a t i n g as p e e r r e v i e w e r s . The argument carried.
B
Today i n v e s t i g a t o r s must r e s p o n d t o c o n t r a c t p r o p o s a l s w r i t t e n by EPA s t a f f and d e s i g n e d , i n v i r t u a l l y a l l cases, t o meet s h o r t t e r m needs o f an Agency i n p u r s u i t of i t s r e g u l a t o r y f u n c t i o n s . F u r t h e r more, c o n t r a c t s are l e t by i n d i v i d u a l a d m i n i s t r a t i v e u n i t s of t h e Agency. e a c h a g g r e s s i v e l y a t t e m p t i n g t o meet i t s own,. o f t e n p a r o c h i a l needs. The l a r g e r r e s e a r c h q u e s t i o n s which embrace a r e a s of r e s p o n s i b i l i t y of s e v e r a l o r g a n i z a t i o n a l arms o f t h e Agency, simply do n o t g e t answered. U n s o l i c i t e d p r o p o s a l s a r e n o t , i n g e n e r a l , encouraged. I f s u b m i t t e d , t h e y are s c r e e n e d by s t a f f members f o r r e l e v a n c e t o
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p r o g r a m n e e d s ; t h e l a t t e r p r i o r i t i e s are set by Agency p e r s o n n e l . If a p r o p o s a l p a s s e s t h i s first r e v i e w , i t may--or may n o t b e - - e x t e r n a l l y r e v i e w e d by a s c i e n t i f i c p e e r . " R e l e v a n t " weak p r o p o s a l s w i l l , w i t h t h i s s y s t e m , r e c e i v e s u p p o r t b e f o r e s t r o n g p r o p o s a l s which d o n o t a d h e r e t o t h e Agency p r i o r i t y list. Can r e s e a r c h b e programmed i n t h i s manner? C e r t a i n l y development p r o j e c t s c a n , b u t r e s e a r c h i s , a f t e r a l l , i n v e s t i g a t i o n o f t h e unknown. Research g r a n t s p e r m i t t e d t h e i n v e s t i g a t o r t o f o l l o w i d e a s wherever t h e y might lead. I f Agency s t a f f c a n w r i t e s p e c i f i c a t i o n s f o r t h e , k i n d s of d a t a which must b e g e n e r a t e d t o f u l f i l l a c o n t r a c t , is t h i s r e s e a r c h ? I n most cases, i t i s n o t . Few g r a n t s are now s u p p o r t e d by EPA; c o n t r a c t s a r e f a v o r e d . The r i g i d t i m e c o n s t r a i n t s a s s o c i a t e d with c o n t r a c t s , t h e bidding procedures, t h e s p e c i f i c i t y of t a s k - - a l l h a v e c o n s p i r e d t o l o s e many o f t h e most h i g h l y q u a l i f i e d i n v e s t i g a t o r s t o t h i s f i e l d . The Agency p e r f o r m s more a n d more " r e s e a r c h " i n t e r n a l l y , w i t h l i t t l e r e v i e w by p e e r s . Development c o n t r a c t s abound. F o r t u n a t e l y , r e s e a r c h i n a i r p o l l u t i o n is a l s o w i t h i n t h e i n t e r e s t o f o t h e r agencies--NSF, AEC, a n d t h e N a t i o n a l I n s t i t u t e s o f H e a l t h , a g e n c i e s more s u p p o r t i v e o f r e s e a r c h . However, i t s h o u l d b e recognized t h a t funds s p e c i f i c a l l y a l l o c a t e d f o r research i n t h e A c t are b e i n g u s e d t o s u p p o r t s h o r t - t e r m r e g u l a t o r y g o a l s . R e s e a r c h q u e s t i o n s n e c e s s a r y f o r a c h i e v e m e n t o f l o n g term g o a l s i n t h i s f i e l d are n o t b e i n g a g g r e s s i v e l y i n v e s t i g a t e d . I t may n o t b e p o s s i b l e f o r a r e g u l a t o r y a g e n c y t o f u l f i l l t h e research charges of t h e A c t . Possibly, research responsibility i n a i r p o l l u t i o n s h o u l d b e t r a n s f e r r e d t o a n o t h e r governmental agency. T h e r e is p r e c e d e n t i n o t h e r f i e l d s , i . e . , t h e N a t i o n a l I n s t i t u t e o f O c c u p a t i o n a l S a f e t y a n d H e a l t h is t h e r e s e a r c h arm of t h e O c c u p a t i o n a l S a f e t y and H e a l t h A d m i n i s t r a t i o n , a r e g u l a t o r y agency i n t h e Department o f L a b o r . P e r h a p s t h e N a t i o n a l I n s t i t u t e of E n v i r o n m e n t a l H e a l t h S c i e n c e s c o u l d b e s t implement r e s e a r c h u n d e r t h e C l e a n A i r A c t , l e a v i n g t h e r e g u l a t o r y f u n c t i o n t o EPA. A r e v i e w o f t h e p r e s e n t s i t u a t i o n is i n o r d e r .
Morton C o r n , Ph.D.
EDITOR'S NOTE D r . Mort Corn is a Professor i n the School of Public Health, University of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He served f o r several years as Chairman of the Review Committee f o r the EPA Grants Administration.
iv
