Table Of ContentSustainability and the U.S. EPA
Committee on Incorporating Sustainability in the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Science and Technology for Sustainability Program
Policy and Global Affairs Division
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Sustainability and the U.S. EPA
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Sustainability and the U.S. EPA
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Sustainability and the U.S. EPA
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Sustainability and the U.S. EPA
COMMITTEE ON INCORPORATING SUSTAINABILITY IN
THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Bernard D. Goldstein, M.D., (Chair), University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Leslie Carothers, L.L.B., L.L.M., Environmental Law Institute,
Washington, D.C.
J. Clarence Davies, Ph.D., Resources for the Future, Washington, D.C.
John Dernbach, J.D., Widener University School of Law, Harrisburg,
Pennsylvania
Paul Gilman, Ph.D., Covanta Energy Corporation, Fairfeld, New Jersey
Neil Hawkins, Sc.D., The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, Michigan
Michael Kavanaugh, Ph.D., P.E., Geosyntec Consultants, Oakland, California
Stephen Polasky, Ph.D., University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota
Kenneth G. Ruffng, Ph.D., Independent Consultant, Paris, France
Armistead G. Russell, Ph.D., Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia
Susanna H. Sutherland, M.S., City of Knoxville, Tennessee
Lauren Zeise, Ph.D., California Environmental Protection Agency, Oakland,
California
Science and Technology for Sustainability Program Staff
Marina Moses, DrPH, Director
Dominic Brose, Associate Program Offcer
Jennifer Saunders, Program Offcer
Dylan Richmond, Research Assistant
Patricia Koshel, Senior Program Offcer
Emi Kameyama, Program Associate
Ruth Crossgrove, Senior Editor
Mirsada Karalic-Loncarevic, Manager, Technical Information Center
v
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Sustainability and the U.S. EPA
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Sustainability and the U.S. EPA
Preface
Recognizing the importance of sustainability to its work, the U.S. Environmen-
tal Protection Agency (EPA) has been examining applications in a variety of areas
in order to better incorporate sustainability into decision making at the agency. The
agency has also undertaken several sustainability initiatives, and can claim success
in developing processes leading to sustainability. However, to further strengthen
the analytic and scientifc basis for sustainability as it applies to human health and
environmental protection, EPA asked the National Research Council (NRC) to
convene a committee under the Science and Technology for Sustainability Program
(STS) to provide an operational framework for integrating sustainability as one of
the key drivers within the regulatory responsibilities of EPA. Specifcally, in addi-
tion to being tasked with developing an operational framework for sustainability
for EPA, the committee was asked to address how the existing framework rooted in
the risk assessment/risk management paradigm can be integrated under the sustain-
ability framework; identify the scientifc and analytical tools needed to support the
framework; and identify the expertise needed to support the framework.
In this report, Chapter 2 frst provides a brief history of sustainability, Chapter 3
presents the proposed sustainability framework for EPA, and Chapter 4 discusses
the processes and tools to support the proposed framework. In Chapters 5 and 6,
the committee provides guidance about how the EPA decision-making process
rooted in the risk assessment/risk management paradigm can be integrated into
this new sustainability framework and includes a discussion of cultural “change
management” at the agency. Finally, Chapter 7 closes by examining the relevance
and utility of sustainability considerations in EPA’s accomplishment of its mission.
This report has been reviewed in draft form by individuals chosen for their
diverse perspectives and technical expertise, in accordance with procedures ap-
vii
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Sustainability and the U.S. EPA
viii PREFACE
proved by the National Academies’ Report Review Committee. The purpose
of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will
assist the institution in making its published report as sound as possible and to
ensure that the report meets institutional standards for objectivity, evidence, and
responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript
remain confdential to protect the integrity of the process.
We wish to thank the following individuals for their review of this report:
Michael Callahan, MDB, Inc.; Linda Fisher, E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Com-
pany; H. Christopher Frey, North Carolina State University; Howard Frumkin,
University of Washington; Gerald Galloway, University of Maryland; F. Henry
Habicht, SAIL Capital Partners; Ciannat Howett, Emory University; Pamela
Matson, Stanford University; Kathleen McGinty, Weston Solutions Inc.; Hendrik
Wolff, University of Washington; Terry Yosie, World Environment Center; and
Rae Zimmerman, New York University.
Although the reviewers listed above have provided many constructive com-
ments and suggestions, they were not asked to endorse the conclusions or rec-
ommendations, nor did they see the fnal draft of the report before its release.
The review of this report was overseen by Robert Frosch, Harvard University.
Appointed by the National Academies, he was responsible for making certain
that an independent examination of this report was carried out in accordance with
institutional procedures and that all review comments were carefully considered.
Responsibility for the fnal content of this report rests entirely with the authoring
committee and the institution.
The committee gratefully acknowledges Paul Anastas, Alan Hecht, Jim Jones,
John Frece, Ira Leighton, Mathy Stanislaus, Randy Hill, and Jared Blumenfeld, of
the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; Charles Powers, Vanderbilt University;
Ellen Gilinsky, Virginia Department of Environmental Quality; Justin Johnson,
Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation; Ann Klee, General Electric
Company; Linda Fisher, DuPont; Deborah Swackhamer, University of Minnesota;
and E. Donald Elliott, Yale Law School for making presentations to the committee.
The committee is also grateful for the assistance of NRC staff in preparing
this report. Staff members who contributed to this effort are Marina Moses, direc-
tor of the Science and Technology for Sustainability Program; Dominic Brose,
associate program offcer; Jennifer Saunders; program offcer; Dylan Richmond,
research assistant; Patricia Koshel, senior program offcer; Emi Kameyama, pro-
gram associate; Ruth Crossgrove, senior editor; and Mirsada Karalic-Loncarevic,
manager of the Technical Information Center.
We thank especially the members of the committee for their tireless efforts
throughout the development of this report.
Bernard D. Goldstein, Chair
Committee on Incorporating Sustainability
in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
Sustainability and the U.S. EPA
Contents
SUMARY 1
1 INTRODUCTION 7
EPA’s Mission and Role, 8
Committee’s Task, 11
Committee’s Approach to the Task, 11
Structure of the Report, 13
References, 14
2 HISTORY OF SUSTAINABILITY 15
Conservation in the United States, 16
Environmental Protection in the United States, 17
Sustainable Development, 19
Findings and Recommendations, 29
References, 29
3 A SUSTAINABILITY FRAMEWORK FOR EPA 35
Introduction, 35
The Sustainability Framework, 36
The Sustainability Framework: Level 1 Components, 40
Findings and Recommendations, 49
References, 50
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