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Science and engineering communities are worried over the budget proposal issued by President Clinton, fearing that it does not regard an increase in research and development funding. Despite Congress' efforts to elevate the allocation for scientific research studies, Pres Clinton insists on adopting a balanced federal budget for the 1999 fiscal year. Industry representatives believe that the president's proposed budget does not treat health and medical services as top priorities.

OSi Specialties, a subsidiary of Witco Corp, enrolled in Project XL of the Environmental Protection Agency to help in complying with several regulatory requirements. The XL program required the firm to establish a thermal oxidizing unit to help eliminate the excess methyl chloride. The firm would also retrieve by-product methanol from the unit. Project XL would help the company in meeting future policies under the Clean Air Act due to the methanol recovery.

The chemical industry strongly advocates fast-track negotiation legislation to enable the industry to have access to new trade markets. However, the bill has been delayed for months due to other priorities at Congress. The passage of the bill is also hampered by environmental and labor issues. Chemical exports reached over $61 billion in 1996 and the industry posted a $16 billion positive trade balance.

The EPA has released its 1996 Toxics Release Inventory that features 286 new compounds from 29,951 facilities around the country. The report highlights the need for further reducing the amount of toxic waste being generated and the need for people to be informed of the hazards that are present in the environment. The report features an increase in nitrate compounds being released and an increase in the amount of n-hexane from the 1995 figures.

President Bill Clinton's fast-track authority, which allows the Administration to make trade deals with other nations, has expired in December 1996. Several trade negotiations are being worked upon by the government, including the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Free Trade Area of the Americas and negotiations to include Chile in the North American Free Trade Agreement. Republicans in Congress oppose efforts for a new legislation claiming that the inclusion of labor and environmental issues on trade negotiations is unwarranted.

The Clinton Administration has proposed a research budget of over $1.6 billion for the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) for fiscal year 1998, down 4% compared to budget allocations in 1996. The USDA's Research, Education & Economics Administration handles research activities through the Agricultural Research Services (ARS) and the Cooperative State Research Education & Extension Service. By 2002, an additional $23 million will be shifted to fund important programs, particularly the ARS' six human nutrition research centers.

Project XL enables companies, with good environmental compliance records, to bargain for reductions in regulatory processes in exchange for promises to maintain their pollution levels below present regulatory limits. A company gives to EPA, a proposal on how it will reduce its pollution level while economically decreasing its regulatory load. However, companies have noted that the approval process takes a year or longer, which is contrary to the projected six months. EPA is studying how the process can be streamlined.

The eight annual Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) report prepared by the EPA revealed that the total emission volumes of toxic chemicals released into the atmosphere have been declining steadily since the TRI program was implemented. The report showed that the emission volumes for hydrochloric acid, methanol and freon 113 have dropped by 55%, 18% and 93% respectively, between 1988 and 1994. However, the EPA admits there is still a lack of risk analysis for these releases.

The Dept. of Commerce will most likely be abolished soon as Republican lawmakers in Congress continue their deliberations on House Resolution 1756 or the Dept. of Commerce Dismantling Act. Proponents of the bill claim that its passage will simplify the existing departmental structure and save the government as much as $7.7 billion over five years. They also contend that the bill will eliminate duplicative and unnecessary programs and streamline beneficial programs.

House Subcommittee on Workforce Protection Chmn. Cass Ballenger has introduced the Safety and Health Improvement and Regulatory Reform Act of 1995, H.R. 1834. The bill is aimed at updating the 25-year-old Occupational Safety and Health Act. Ballenger explains that the bill is intended to limit regulatory abuses by government, not to reduce worker protection. H.R 1834 is already being supported by several industrial sectors.

The American Assn. for the Advancement of Science held a meeting to evaluate the effects of budget cuts being proposed by the Republican-led Congress. Association members contended that an annual reduction of 20% until the year 2000 would severely hamper national research and development programs. They also defended the maintenance of programs such as those under the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Biological Service. Congressmen defended the proposal by saying that they are more willing to fund basic rather than applied research.

The new Congress proposed to improve the government and reduce federal spending by cutting down the budget for the Dept. of Energy (DOE). The government announced that it will reduce DOE's budget from $18 billion to $10 billion annually. The budget cuts will eliminate several federal research and development programs, particularly the national laboratories. Congressional subcommittees proposed moving basic research under smaller scientific agencies or private research laboratories. However, several scientists opposed breaking DOE laboratories because of their vital roles in safety, defense and cleanup programs.

Participants in a Chemical Manufacturers Assn. (CMA)-sponsored meeting agreed that excessive government regulation could adversely affect the industry. They comitted themselves to the principles embodied by the CMA's Responsible Care program, which encourages chemical companies to work closely with governments in the formulation of regulations. Such close working relations will help establish fair and effective environmental regulations.

The EPA has realized that its 1986 carcinogen risk assessment guidelines have become obsolete. The agency has developed a preliminary draft of the guideline which is currently being evaluated by a special workshop group composed of cancer research scientists. EPA officials noted that draft is a marked improvement of the 1986 guideline because it focuses on the structure-activity relationships, dose-response data, toxicity to genes and mode of action. The new guideline is expected to have significant influence on the chemical industry.

The EPA's Research and Development office will be reorganized and strengthened. This decision came in the wake of performance reviews which found the unit underutilized and overmanaged. Among the proposals in line with this reorganization are increased research on pesticide effects, health and ecological risk studies and a national human exposure assessment survey. EPA's researchers would be encourage to undertake outside research activities to supplement intramural studies.

Suggestions on the use of risk assessment in establishing regulatory priorities and regulations is gaining attention from US government agencies. As a result, risk assessment studies obtain formal and legal basis for regulatory measures. For example, measures of carcinogenicity will shift from tumor incidence to mechanisms of action and evidences for and against cancer production.

The Clinton administration is planning to formulate stricter legislation on exports of unregistered pesticides. Many reports have been received of pesticide misuse in countries that export pesticides from the US, especially in developing countries. Rampant misuse or mishandling eventually leads to health problems for workers. Furthermore, environmentalists fear that the contaminated products from other countries may return to the US, forming a vicious 'circle.' The EPA is already outlining several proposals to regulate pesticide trade, such as stricter contamination tests.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) idles while reform measures and confirmation of an administrator are stalled in Congress. There has been a delay in getting Joseph Dear confirmed as the new administrator. The confirmation and reform legislation are needed to move OSHA forward. Meanwhile, the chemical industry views that the legislation is flawed and cannot do much to improve workplace safety, and thus waiting for actions. In addition, there are other issues that OSHA has to act on.

The Federal Insecticide, Fungicide & Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) is to be reauthorized by Congress. The issue of minor-use pesticides and registration needs to be addressed, along with a changed interpretation of the Delaney amendment. Pesticide industry experts want an increase in research and development spending to find agricultural chemical alternatives.

Rep. George E. Brown Jr., a democrat from California and chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space & Technology, introduced in March 1992 a bill aimed at improving cooperative research between the Energy Dept and industry. The bill currently in the House specifically describes methods for measuring how much progress is being made on projects and provides incentives to labs for improving quality. Eight key points of Brown's bill are described. Senator J. Bennett Johnston, a democrat from Louisiana and chairman of Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee, introduced lab legislation that was less comprehensive than Brown's bill.

The U.S. Congress focused more on politics rather and passed almost nothing to move science forward. The failed reauthorization of the America Competes Act and other energy legislation highlights this gridlock in the Congress.