Organizational Chart for the
Office of Science and Technology (PDF, 8KB)
4 page color brochure about the
Office of Science and Technology (OST) (PDF, 313KB)
The Office of Science and Technology (OST) is responsible
for developing sound, scientifically defensible standards, criteria,
advisories, guidelines, limitations and standards guidelines under
the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. OST is also
responsible for developing risk assessment methodologies and for
providing risk assessment support for the Office of Water in the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. These products articulate the
goals and provide the regulatory framework for restoring and maintaining
the biological, chemical, and physical integrity of the nation's
water resources, for protecting the nation's public water supplies,
and for achieving technology-based pollution control requirements
in support of:
- Point source (end of pipe) discharge programs
- Nonpoint source programs
- Wetlands programs
- Drinking water programs
- Dredge material management programs
- Geographic-specific programs (e.g., Great Lakes, coastal areas,
estuaries)
The Office of Science and Technology consists of three divisions:
- Engineering and Analysis Division
- Health and Ecological Criteria Division
- Standards and Health Protection Division
Developing the Scientific Basis for a Regulatory Framework
The Office of Science and Technology issues health advisories
for use by the States in protecting drinking water supplies under
the Safe Drinking Water Act and sponsors extensive research on
the effects of pollutants on aquatic organisms, fish, and wildlife.
This information is used by federal, State, and local governments
to set limits on the kinds of pollutants that may be discharged
by industries and that may be present in public drinking water
supplies. Working closely with our stakeholders, including industries,
trade associations, and environmental groups, we also help to
incorporate techniques into manufacturing processes to prevent
polluting chemicals from being created or used in many industries.
While OST provides the scientific basis for many programs that
protect human health and the environment, the information is communicated
to the state and local governments through EPA's ten regional
offices. The regional offices provide the tools and training needed
to incorporate the technical requirements into state programs.
Producing Diverse Programs
The three Divisions that make up OST are committed to protecting
human health and the environment by carrying out research on the
effects of pollutants that are discharged into our nation's surface
waters. They focus on such diverse programs as technology-based
controls and pollution prevention techniques for industrial dischargers,
human health and environmental risks, risk assessments, and State
water quality standards. The three Divisions and their contributions
are as follows:
Engineering and Analysis Division
The Engineering and Analysis Division (EAD) develops national
technology-based effluent limitations for industrial facilities
discharging directly into the nation's waters and pretreatment
standards for industries discharging into municipal treatment
facilities. Effluent guidelines are technology-based controls
that provide a means for regulating pollutants through discharge
permits. EAD also develops Analytical Methods for detecting
pollutants in wastewater, sludge sediment, and other media and
revises existing methods and developing wastewater treatment
regulations.
Health and Ecological Criteria Division
The Health and Ecological Criteria Division (HECD) conducts
extensive investigations on chemicals that may pose health risks
to humans and aquatic ecosystems. HECD also develops
risk assessment methodologies and provides risk assessment support
for the Clean Water Act (CWA) and the Safe Drinking Water Act
(SDWA), including setting maximum contaminant level goals (MCLGs)
and issuing health advisories. Specific criteria developed
by HECD include:
- Health goals for drinking water
- Municipal sludge regulations
- Criteria for human health surface water
- Human health risk assessment for water
- Criteria for aquatic life surface water
- Ecological risk assessment for water
- Sediment criteria
- Health advisories for drinking water
- Biological criteria
- Unreasonable Risk to Health Guidance
- Ecological criteria/habitat
Standards and Health Protection Division
The Standards and Health Protection Division's (SHPD)
implements the national program for adopting water quality standards
and develops and manages cross-media and multi-Agency policies
to ensure exposure goals are attained. This Division works
closely with the EPA regional offices to help State governments
incorporate water quality criteria into their water quality
standards. SHPD also assesses potential risks to human health
resulting from fish and sediment that have been contaminated
by toxic pollutants.
Providing Risk Assessment Support
In carrying out these important functions, OST develops methods
for predicting the effects of specific environmental pollutants
on human health and the environment. Using information from risk
analyses, OST provides support to EPA and State water pollution
control programs that address:
- Point source discharges
- Non-point source discharges
- Wetlands protection
- Drinking water protection, and
- National resource protection
The office also sponsors seminars for scientists in both the
public and private sectors to help them understand the technical
aspects of risk assessments and methodologies.
Providing National Scientific Support
The diversified staff includes scientists, biologists, chemists,
engineers, environmental specialists, economists, statisticians,
and other skilled professionals. OST relies on research conducted
either independently by other offices in EPA or jointly with other
federal agencies, research and academic institutions, and environmental
groups. This consortium has a common focus: to acquire information
that will help us better understands the effect of pollutants on
the aquatic environment and to develop ways to reduce the risk from
harmful pollutants.
Document Distribution
The Office of Science and Technology produces many different types
of publications. While much effort is devoted to the development
of regulations and related technical guidance for implementing the
regulations, OST also produces an extensive series of analytical
laboratory methods documents, conference proceedings, water quality
models (with supporting documentation), environmental databases,
fact sheets, videotapes, and environmental education products such
as pamphlets and posters. All OST publications are listed on the
Publications
page that is updated yearly.
4 page color brochure about the Office of
Science and Technology (OST) (PDF, 313KB)
Organizational Chart for the Office of Science
and Technology (PDF, 8KB)
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