EPA Administrator Christie Whitman has announced plans to establish a Homeland Security Research Center in EPA's Office of Research and Development (ORD), to manage and coordinate EPA's homeland security research and technical assistance efforts.
The goal of the new center is to assure effective design and oversight of research, provide clear lines of communication, and facilitate interaction with EPA program offices and regions, other Federal Agencies, the private sector and research partners. Whitman made the announcement during testimony before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee.
"This center, along with other efforts EPA is and will be taking, charts a course that will ensure that EPA is fully able to discharge the homeland security mission it has been assigned," said Whitman.
The new center will be located in Cincinnati and will be the central focus to manage and better coordinate all the technical assistance for building decontamination, drinking water protection, and rapid risk assessment.
The new center will assist in rapid, improved production, review, clearance and distribution of ORD homeland security research products.
Source: EPA
