Order Code 97-97 ENR
Updated June 2, 2005
CRS Report for Congress
Received through the CRS Web
National Environmental Education Act of 1990:
Overview, Implementation, and
Reauthorization Issues
David M. Bearden
Analyst in Environmental Policy
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 educating elementary
and secondary school students and training teachers, supports fellowships to encourage
the pursuit of environmental professions, selects individuals for environmental awards,
and sponsors workshops and conferences. The Bush Administration has proposed to
eliminate funding for this program each year since FY2003, and again in FY2006,
asserting that it is uncertain whether the program has demonstrated results in improving
the quality of environmental education. Advocates of the program have countered that
it has had a national impact, providing financial assistance to schools in all 50 states to
train teachers, develop curricula, purchase textbooks, and conduct other educational
activities. In response to widespread state and local support, Congress has appropriated
funding to continue the program each year, providing $9 million for FY2005. As
passed, H.R. 2361 (H.Rept. 109-80) would provide $9 million again for FY2006.
Although Congress has continued the program, reauthorization legislation has not been
enacted. The program’s original funding authorization expired in FY1996. Among the
issues for reauthorization in past Congresses have been whether specific statutory
requirements are needed to ensure that environmental education activities supported by
EPA are based on “sound science.” This report will be updated as developments
warrant.
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
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.
Congressional Research Service ˜ The Library of Congress

CRS-2
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 at that
time 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. The program
supports activities to achieve these goals primarily through the awarding of grants. Since
the beginning of the program in FY1992, EPA has awarded grants for environmental
education projects in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S. territories
for educating elementary and secondary school students, training teachers, purchasing
textbooks, developing curricula, and other educational activities.
This report presents an overview of the National Environmental Education Act of
1990, discusses appropriations, examines EPA’s implementation of the act, and analyzes
potential issues for reauthorization that may be considered in the 109th Congress.
Appropriations
Although the funding authorization for EPA’s environmental education program
expired at the end of FY1996, Congress has continued to fund it since then without
enacting reauthorizing legislation. However, the Bush Administration has proposed to
eliminate funding for the program each year since FY2003, and did not include any
funding for the program in its FY2006 request. The Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) gave the program a “Results Not Demonstrated” rating as part of its government-
wide assessment of federal programs. OMB indicated that the absence of performance
metrics for activities supported by grant awards made it difficult to determine whether the
program was achieving its goal of improving the quality of environmental education. In
recent years, the Administration has used OMB’s rating as the primary justification for
its recurring proposal to eliminate funding for the program.
Advocates of the program have pointed out that there have been long-standing
disagreements among educators about how to evaluate the quality of education in general,
and that the lack of performance metrics for educational activities is not unique to EPA’s
grant program. Such critics countered OMB’s characterization of the program’s
effectiveness by arguing that grant awards have had a positive impact on a national level
with a small amount of funding relative to EPA’s total budget, and that the program
therefore should be continued. The activities supported by these grants have generated
significant state and local support.

CRS-3
In response to state and local concern about the proposed elimination of EPA’s
environmental education program, Congress appropriated funding to continue it in
FY2003, FY2004, and FY2005 with broad bipartisan support. As passed by the House,
the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act for FY2006 (H.R.
2361, H.Rept. 109-80) would provide $9 million to continue the environmental education
program. The table below indicates appropriations since FY2003 to reinstate the
program.
Environmental Education Program Appropriations: FY2003-FY2005
Enacted, FY2006 Request, and Congressional Action
(millions of dollars)
FY2003
FY2004
FY2005
FY2006
H.R. 2361,
Enacted*
Enacted
Enacted
Request
as passed
$9.1
$9.1
$8.9
$0.0
$9.0
Source: Prepared by the Congressional Research Service based on conference reports on final
appropriations bills for FY2003 (H.J.Res. 2, H.Rept. 108-10), FY2004 (H.R. 2673, H.Rept. 108-401), and
FY2005 (H.R. 4818, H.Rept. 108-792), and EPA’s FY2006 budget justification. The above amounts reflect
across-the-board rescissions of 0.65% in FY2003, 0.59% in FY2004, and 0.80% in FY2005.
* Although the conference report on the Consolidated Appropriations Resolution for FY2003 (H.J.Res. 2,
H.Rept. 108-10) specified a funding level of $9.2 million for the environmental education program ($9.1
million after the 0.65% across-the-board rescission), it directed EPA to allocate this amount “from within
available funds.” EPA’s FY2005 budget justification indicates that the agency allocated $5.3 million in
actual funding from available appropriations for FY2003.
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 act established a nonprofit foundation to encourage cooperation between
the public and private sectors to support environmental education. Each of these activities
is discussed below.
Office of Environmental Education. Section 4 of the act directed EPA to
establish an office of environmental education to implement programs authorized under
the act and coordinate its activities with related federal programs. EPA established the
Office of Environmental Education within the Office of 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 act directs EPA to award an
1 For additional information, refer to EPA’s website at [http://www.epa.gov/enviroed].

CRS-4
annual grant to a higher educational institution or nonprofit organization to operate the
program under a multiple-year agreement. The act 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. The University of
Wisconsin at Stevens Point has been implementing this training program, under
agreement with EPA, since October 2000.2
Environmental Education Grants. The Environmental Education Grant
Program supports activities that educate elementary and secondary school students, study
environmental issues, 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 of the act requires EPA to reserve at least 38% of total annual
funding for the environmental education program to support these grants. The act 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 provide the remaining 25% in matching funds.
Since FY1992, EPA has awarded approximately $35 million in grants for over 2,500
environmental education projects in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and U.S.
territories. Grant recipients have provided more than $10 million in matching funds, and
in some cases, have reported matching funds that exceeded individual grant awards. The
competition for grant awards has historically been stiff due to limited appropriations. In
recent years, EPA has had the resources to award grants to about 20% of those who
applied. EPA issued a solicitation notice for FY2005 grant awards on September 15,
2004, and accepted grant proposals through November 15, 2004.3 EPA expects to
announce the grant awards for FY2005 this summer.
Environmental Fellowships. With authority provided in Section 7 of the act,
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
under EPA’s direction. Since 1992, EPA has awarded approximately 60 fellowships
annually to students at more than 400 participating universities.
Environmental Education Awards. EPA 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 to receive awards from the EPA regional offices. EPA selects a winner
in each of its 10 regions, and invites the winners to attend a ceremony in Washington,
D.C. The award recipients receive national recognition from the President or Vice
President of the United States and the EPA Administrator. Section 8 of the act also
created four national awards to recognize outstanding contributions to environmental
2 For additional information, see the Environmental Education and Training Partnership’s website
at [http://www.eetap.org].
3 68 Federal Register 55610.

CRS-5
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.
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 act.
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 periodically 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.4
Section 10 of the act 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
and the environment, “green” business, environmental education at the K-12 level, and
adult education.
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. The act requires
EPA to reserve 10% of the environmental education program’s annual funding to award
a non-competitive grant to help support the foundation’s activities.
Potential Issues for Reauthorization
Although 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 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
4 For additional information, see the National Environmental Education Training Foundation’s
website at [http://www.neetf.org].

CRS-6
environmental problems, or by presenting unbalanced or scientifically inaccurate data on
particular topics.
In response to the above concerns, EPA has developed guidelines for funding
environmental education activities which specify that the grants awarded by EPA cannot
be used for projects that would recommend a specific course of action or advocate a
particular viewpoint. Further, lobbying or political activities are specifically designated
as activities that are ineligible for funding. These guidelines also indicate that
environmental education activities must be based on “objective and scientifically sound
information” to be eligible for funding. However, the National Environmental Education
Act itself does not include specific requirements to insure that activities funded by EPA
adhere to these guidelines. Whether to include such requirements in federal statute has
been a prominent consideration in past debate over the reauthorization of the act.
To date, legislation to reauthorize funding for EPA’s environmental education
program has not been introduced in the 109th Congress. Reauthorizaton legislation was
considered, but not enacted, in each Congress from the 104th to the 107th. Most recently,
two reauthorization bills were considered during the 107th Congress (H.R. 1 as passed by
the Senate, and S. 876 as introduced). Both bills would have authorized funding through
FY2007 and amended various aspects of the program. Both bills also would have
included statutory language limiting funding eligibility to activities that are “objective and
scientifically sound.” However, neither bill specified criteria to determine how an
activity would have met this requirement.