In search of a super-scientist

If there's one thing that Republicans, Democrats, industry groups, and environmentalists agree on, it's the premise that environmental protection strategies and rules should be based on sound scientific research.

On this point, EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman sought to reassure members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee during her confirmation hearing on Jan. 17: "Without a level of confidence on the part of the Congress and the people of this country that the department makes decisions based on the very best science available, I don't believe we will have the moral authority, much less the legal authority, to really make a difference."

Behind those comforting words lurks an unsettling reality: The EPA does not have a distinguished scientist directing the research behind rules that protect public health and can cost industries billions of dollars. There is, as a result, strong bipartisan support for the creation of a powerful position at EPA that would take the lead on scientific matters in ways that could dramatically change how key environmental decisions are made in Washington.

Rep. Vernon J. Ehlers, R-Mich., the chairman of the House Science subcommittee overseeing the EPA, has introduced a bill setting up a super-scientist job to oversee the agency's research and to ensure a strong objective voice in policy debates. "I've been bothered for several years that EPA decisions were not always based on good science," said Ehlers, who is a research scientist with a Ph.D. "I think this bill will help remedy that." Ehlers' bill is based on recommendations from a National Academy of Sciences report that was heralded by environmentalists and by such business groups as the Business Roundtable. Sen. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, is working on a companion bill in the Senate. Whitman, however, has yet to weigh in on the idea.

The legislation, which sponsors hope to advance quickly, would create the position of deputy EPA administrator for science. The plan is to install a distinguished scientist to direct the work of the agency's 12 laboratories and some 2,000 scientists, ensuring that sound scientific research underpins all agency decisions.

The EPA's current top science job -- assistant administrator for the Office of Research and Development -- is one of the agency's weakest and most transient administrative positions, according to the June report by the National Academy of Sciences' National Research Council. The administrator has no authority over scientific work done by EPA program officials or by the agency's regional offices; to be heard, he often must joust with lawyers who run the agency, the report found.

The idea behind creating a deputy administrator slot is to attract someone with an unassailable reputation as a researcher. This person would not only lead science in the agency but would also be a strong, recognizable voice for EPA's science in the public eye. "The agency's senior administrators now are paid to manage, not to do good science," says Robert Huggett, a former EPA assistant administrator for research. "You need to have someone who puts science first." Return to main story