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MONITORING, ASSESSMENT, AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Citation:
Messer, J J. MONITORING, ASSESSMENT, AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY. Chapter 22, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. CRC Press LLC, Boca Raton, FL, , 499-515, (2003).
Impact/Purpose:
This task has the following objectives:
Improve modelers' ability to focus on scientific and policy issues in modeling studies by providing software that supports composing, applying, and evaluating complex systems of models.
Improve the understanding of the interaction of the atmosphere and the underlying surface, especially the flux of mass in both directions, and EPA's ability to simulate that interaction.
Contribute to multimedia studies and assessments by applying state-of-the-art atmospheric models, estimating atmospheric contributions to multimedia issues and the sources of those contributions, and evaluating the models' strengths and weaknesses.
Description:
This overview chapter examines the roles that environmental monitoring and assessment can play in the development of environmental policy. It takes a case study approach, focusing on the key roles played by monitoring data in policy formulation in acid deposition, stratospheric ozone depletion, global climate change, criteria air pollutants, water quality management under the CWA, and the growing interest in environmental "report cards." Specifically excluding emissions monitoring, the most important role played by monitoring in the examples has been problem identification and analysis. Its role in program evaluation is increasing, but is limited by a lack of relevant, high quality data. Monitoring less frequently plays a key role in setting targets and establishing priorities, and in program management and execution.
This chapter has been approved for publication by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, but the opinions are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the official views or policies of the Agency.