Order Code 97-97 ENR
Updated February 26, 2002
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
National Environmental Education Act of 1990:
Overview, Implementation, and
Reauthorization Issues
David M. Bearden
Environmental Information Analyst
Resources, Science, and Industry Division
Summary
The National Environmental Education Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-619) established a
program within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to increase public
understanding of the environment. The program awards grants for developing
environmental curricula and training teachers, supports fellowships to encourage the
pursuit of environmental professions, selects individuals for environmental awards, and
sponsors workshops and conferences. While funding authorization expired in FY1996,
Congress has continued to appropriate funding so far without enacting reauthorizing
legislation. However, the Administration is proposing a major shift in policy for FY2003,
which would transfer the functions of EPA’s Environmental Education Program to the
National Science Foundation (NSF). The President’s budget would provide $9 million
to the NSF to carry out this transfer. Thus far, legislation has not been introduced to
transfer the program, and the Administration’s proposal may be a contentious issue in the
appropriations process. During the first session of the 107th Congress, two bills were
offered which would reauthorize the National Environmental Education Act and retain
administration of the program at EPA: S. 876 as introduced, and H.R. 1 as passed by the
Senate. The Senate incorporated S. 876 into its version of H.R. 1 as part of
comprehensive legislation to reauthorize elementary and secondary education programs.
However, the Senate provisions were not adopted in the final bill (P.L. 107-110).
Debate over reauthorization may continue in the second session, and may be broader in
scope due to the Administration’s proposal to transfer the program from EPA to the
NSF. This report will be updated as relevant developments occur.
Introduction
The Environmental Education Act of 1970 (P.L. 91-516) established an Office of
Environmental Education in the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare to award
grants for developing environmental curricula and training teachers. Congress moved the
office to the newly formed Department of Education in 1979. However, in response to
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

---

CRS-2
the Reagan Administration’s efforts to transfer the federal role in many programs to the
states, Congress eliminated the Office of Environmental Education in 1981. Several years
later, the 101st Congress enacted the National Environmental Education Act of 1990 (P.L.
101-619) to renew the federal role in environmental education and reestablish an office of
environmental education within EPA. In the law’s findings, the 101st Congress stated that
existing federal programs to educate the public about environmental problems and train
environmental professionals were inadequate and that increasing the federal role in this
area was therefore necessary.
EPA is authorized to work with educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, the
private sector, tribal governments, and state and local environmental agencies to educate
the public about environmental problems and encourage students to pursue environmental
careers. Environmental education involves learning ecological concepts to understand the
relation between human behavior and environmental quality and developing the knowledge
and skills to analyze environmental problems and create solutions. The goal of EPA’s
Environmental Education Program is to increase public knowledge about environmental
issues and provide the public with the skills necessary to make informed decisions and take
responsible actions to protect the environment.
This report presents an overview of the National Environmental Education Act of
1990, provides a history of appropriations, summarizes EPA’s implementation of the law,
and examines reauthorizing issues and legislation in the 107th Congress.
Appropriations
As indicated in the chart on page 3, Congress has appropriated a total of $77.9
million for EPA’s Environmental Education Program since its beginning in FY1992, and
annual appropriations have ranged from $5.6 million to $7.8 million. While the funding
authorization for the program expired at the end of FY1996, Congress has continued to
fund it since then without enacting reauthorizing legislation. However, the Administration
is proposing a major shift in policy for FY2003, which would terminate the program at
EPA and transfer its grant-making functions to the National Science Foundation (NSF).
The President’s budget would provide $9 million for the NSF to carry out the transfer,
which is $1.7 million more than the funding level of $7.3 million that the program received
under EPA in FY2002. The President’s budget request does not provide any information
on how the program would be structured under the NSF, and the extent to which it would
differ from EPA’s current program is uncertain at this time. According to the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB), EPA’s outstanding grant commitments would still be
fulfilled. OMB argues that the transfer would not require separate authorizing legislation
since the NSF has general authorities to award competitive grants for science-related
education.
As outlined in the President’s budget proposal for EPA, the Administration has
requested this transfer because it believes that the program is “ineffective” and that is “has
supported environmental advocacy rather than environmental education.” The budget
proposal also indicates that the program’s funding would be transferred to the NSF’s math
and science programs “so that a consolidated program can better serve educators and
students.” While no information is provided in the budget proposal to explain how this
assessment was made by the Administration, CRS communications with officials at OMB
indicated concerns that there were no “performance metrics” for grant awards to

---

CRS-3
determine whether the program was effective in achieving its goal of enhancing the quality
of environmental education. However, OMB acknowledged that an audit of grant awards
was not conducted upon which to base this conclusion, and that instead, this assessment
was made based on longstanding criticisms by certain interest groups that the program has
supported activities that are not objective, or are not based on sound science. While the
issue of scientific soundness has been part of the reauthorizing debate in Congress in the
past, no legislation has been introduced to eliminate the program at EPA or transfer its
functions to another agency. (Refer to page 5 of this report for a discussion of
reauthorizing issues and legislation.) The transfer proposal may face opposition during the
appropriations process, as criticisms may arise over OMB’s assessment of the program as
being “ineffective”, since an audit of grant awards was not performed to support this
conclusion.
Appropriations for EPA’s Environmental Education Program
$ Millions
Total Enacted Appropriations:
10.0
FY1992 to FY2002 = $77.9 million
7.8
7.8
7.8
7.8
7.2
7.3
7.3
8.0
6.5
6.5
6.3
5.6
6.0
4.0
2.0
0.0
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
Prepared by the Congressional Research Service using data from annual enacted
appropriations legislation and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Overview and Implementation
The National Environmental Education Act authorizes EPA to award grants for
developing environmental curricula and training teachers, support fellowships to encourage
the pursuit of environmental professions, and select individuals for environmental awards.1
EPA also consults with the Environmental Education Advisory Council and the Federal
Task Force on Environmental Education in conducting the above activities and
coordinating its efforts with related federal programs. In addition to these activities, the
law established a nonprofit foundation to encourage cooperation between the public and
private sectors to support environmental education. Each of these activities is discussed
below.
1 For additional information, refer to EPA’s web site at [http://www.epa.gov/enviroed].

---

CRS-4
Office of Environmental Education. Section 4 of the law directed EPA to
establish an office of environmental education to implement programs authorized under
the law and coordinate its activities with related federal programs. EPA established the
Environmental Education Division within the Office of Communications, Education, and
Public Affairs to perform these functions.
Environmental Education and Training Program. EPA developed the
Environmental Education and Training Program to train education professionals to
develop and teach environmental curricula. Section 5 of the law directs EPA to award an
annual grant to a higher educational institution or nonprofit organization to operate the
program under a multiple-year agreement. The law requires EPA to reserve 25% of the
annual funding for its Environmental Education Program to support the Environmental
Education and Training Program. Teachers, administrators, and related staff of
educational institutions as well as staff of state and local environmental agencies, tribal
governments, and nonprofit organizations are eligible to participate. In 1992, EPA
awarded a total of $5.4 million to the University of Michigan for a three-year agreement.
The program developed resource materials, established a database of educational
materials, and conducted workshops to train K-12 teachers. In 1995, EPA awarded a total
of $9 million to the North American Association for Environmental Education for a five-
year agreement, which expanded on the University of Michigan’s accomplishments. In
October 2000, EPA signed a new agreement with the University of Wisconsin and
awarded $1.9 million to support the program’s activities in FY2001. Approximately the
same amount is available to continue the program’s support in FY2002.
Environmental Education Grants. The Environmental Education Grant
Program supports activities that develop environmental curricula, study environmental
problems, train teachers, and foster environmental cooperation between the United States,
Canada, and Mexico. Educational institutions, state and local environmental agencies,
tribal governments, and nonprofit organizations are eligible for these grants. Section 6
requires EPA to reserve at least 38% of the total funding for environmental education to
support the grant program. The law limits a single grant to $250,000 and reserves 25%
of the grants for smaller amounts of $5,000 or less. A grant cannot exceed 75% of the
cost to implement a proposed project, and the recipient must match the remaining 25%
with other funding. However, EPA can grant full federal funding for certain priority
projects that cannot be undertaken without full federal support. Since the beginning of the
program in FY1992, EPA has awarded $27.7 million in funding for environmental
education projects to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, the
Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Of this amount, EPA
awarded 228 grants in FY2001 for a total of $2.8 million. Approximately the same
amount will be available again in FY2002 for awarding such grants. The deadline for
submitting proposals for grants to be awarded in FY2002 was November 15, 2001, and
EPA expects to select the grant recipients sometime this summer.2
Environmental Fellowships. With authority provided under Section 7 of the
law, EPA administers the National Network for Environmental Management Studies to
encourage post-secondary students to pursue environmental careers. Students work with
an environmental professional at EPA on a specific project or conduct university research
2 EPA. Federal Register. August 28, 2001. p. 45540-45550.

---

CRS-5
under EPA’s direction. Since 1992, EPA has awarded approximately 100 fellowships
annually to students at more than 400 participating universities.
Environmental Education Awards. Section 8 of the law created four national
awards to recognize outstanding contributions to environmental education and training.
EPA announced the first recipients in 1993. The awards commemorate Theodore
Roosevelt for teaching, Henry David Thoreau for literature, Rachael Carson for
communications media, and Gifford Pinchot for natural resources management. EPA also
administers the Presidential Environmental Youth Awards Program to recognize
outstanding projects that promote local environmental awareness. Elementary and high
school students are eligible to compete annually. EPA selects a winner in each of its 10
regions. The recipients receive national recognition from the President and Vice President
of the United States and the EPA Administrator.
Environmental Education Advisory Council and Federal Task Force on
Environmental Education. EPA established an Environmental Education Advisory
Council and a Federal Task Force on Environmental Education under Section 9 of the law.
The council consists of 11 members representing a diverse range of public and private
expertise in environmental education and training. The council consults with EPA and
reports to Congress every 2 years on the quality of environmental education, the
implementation of the Act, and its recommendations to improve environmental education
and training. The council has met at least once annually since 1992. The task force
coordinates EPA’s environmental education and training activities with related federal
programs. EPA chairs the task force, and its members have included representatives from
the Departments of Agriculture, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, and
Interior, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, and the National Science Foundation. The task force has
met at least once annually since 1991.
National Environmental Education and Training Foundation. The
National Environmental Education and Training Foundation encourages cooperation
between the public and private sectors to support environmental education and training.
Section 10 of the law established the foundation as a private, nonprofit organization with
a board of 13 directors who are responsible for insuring that its activities adhere to EPA’s
policies. The foundation operates several priority programs that focus on public health,
safe drinking water, business and the environment, communications, conservation, and
educational excellence in environmental fields of study. The foundation also awards
competitive challenge grants to encourage innovative non-federal activities in
environmental education and presents National Environmental Education Achievement
Awards to honor outstanding and scientifically accurate environmental education
programs. Additionally, the foundation supports annual research projects which examine
the public’s perception, awareness, and action regarding the environment, pollution control
regulations, and personal responsibility.
Reauthorizing Issues and Legislation in the 107th Congress
While Members of Congress have broadly supported environmental education on a
bipartisan basis, there has been a continuing controversy at the local level over its role in
the classroom. There appears to be general consensus that educating students in the

---

CRS-6
ecological sciences and examining the potential impacts of human behavior on the
environment is appropriate for instruction. However, some critics argue that certain
textbooks and curricula misinform students by advocating specific measures to address
environmental problems or by presenting unbalanced or scientifically inaccurate data on
particular topics. EPA reports that the funding guidelines which it has developed for
environmental education activities do not recommend a specific course of action or
advocate a particular viewpoint. However, the National Environmental Education Act
does not include specific criteria to insure that activities funded by EPA adhere to these
guidelines, nor does it include requirements for supported activities to be based on
objective and scientifically accurate information. The development of such criteria and
requirements has become a prominent consideration in the reauthorization of the law.
In the first session of the 107th Congress, two bills were offered which proposed to
reauthorize the National Environmental Education Act: S. 876 as introduced, and H.R.
1 as passed by the Senate. As introduced, S. 876 would authorize $13 million annually
from FY2002 to FY2007 for EPA’s Environmental Education Program. The bill would
require EPA to submit an annual report to Congress identifying the activities for which the
agency has expended appropriated funds. It also would address the issue of whether the
activities supported by the program are balanced and accurate by allowing authorized
funding to be used only for activities that are “objective and scientifically sound”. New
guidance for grant applicants would also be subject to review and approval by EPA’s
Scientific Advisory Board prior to issuance.
S. 876 would also amend various aspects of EPA’s Environmental Education
Program and introduce new elements as well. First, the bill would increase the percentage
of funding set-aside for environmental education grants from 38% to 40%, and it also
would reduce the minimum portion of funds reserved for smaller grants of $5,000 or less
from 25% to 15%. This latter requirement would not prevent EPA from reserving funding
for a higher percentage of smaller grants, but would simply reduce the minimum
percentage to allow the agency greater flexibility in awarding a greater number of larger
grants if needs warranted it. Second, the bill would streamline the environmental awards
program. Third, the bill would replace the current internships and fellowships program
with the “John H. Chafee Memorial Fellowship Program”, which would support
independent graduate level study and the development of expertise in environmental issues.
Fourth, it would create the “Theodore Roosevelt Environmental Stewardship Grant
Program” to provide federal assistance to consortia of higher educational institutions that
are carrying out environmental stewardship activities. Other provisions would amend
various administrative requirements under the law.

As passed by the Senate, H.R. 1 proposed to reauthorize the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act of 1965, and included the provisions of S. 876 as an amendment
under Title XVII. This amendment is almost identical to S. 876 except that it would
authorize cash awards of up to $2,500 each for teachers and keep the percentage of
funding set-aside for environmental education grants at its current level of 38%, rather
than increase it to 40%. The House did not include a separate title or other provisions to
reauthorize the National Environmental Education Act in passing its version of H.R. 1, and
the Senate provisions were not adopted in the final bill (P.L. 107-110). Debate over
reauthorization may continue in the second session, and may be broader in scope due to
the Administration’s proposal to transfer the program from EPA to the NSF.

---