Ecological Studies, Environmental Impact: Expert Reports
The division produces 60-70 reports per year. These reports are unique, authoritative expert evaluations. Each report is produced by a committee of experts selected by the Academy to address a particular statement of task and is subject to a rigorous, independent peer review. The experts who volunteer their time participating on study committees are vetted to make sure that the committee has the range of expertise needed to address the task, that they have a balance of perspectives, and to identify and eliminate members with conflicts of interest. All reports undergo a rigorous, independent peer review to assure that the statement of task has been addressed, that conclusions are adequately supported, and that all important issues raised by the reviewers are addressed. Thus, while the reports represent views of the committee, they also are endorsed by the Academy.
Assessing Risks to Endangered and Threatened Species from Pesticides (2013)
When determining the potential effects pesticides could pose to endangered or threatened species, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) should use a common scientific approach, this report finds. Specifically, the agencies should use a risk-assessment approach that contains problem formulation, exposure analysis, effects analysis, and ris... More >>
Progress Toward Restoring the Everglades: The Fourth Biennial Review, 2012 (2012)
Twelve years into the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Project, little progress has been made in restoring the core of the remaining Everglades ecosystem; instead, most project construction so far has occurred along its periphery. To reverse ongoing ecosystem declines, it will be necessary to expedite restoration projects that target the central Everglades, and to improve both the quality and quantity of the water in the ecosystem. The ne... More >>
Report in Brief
Review of the EPA's Economic Analysis of Final Water Quality Standards for Lakes and Flowing Waters in Florida (2012)
The Environmental Protection Agency's estimate of the costs associated with implementing numeric nutrient criteria in Florida's waterways was significantly lower than many stakeholders expected. This discrepancy was due, in part, to the fact that the Environmental Protection Agency's analysis considered only the incremental cost of reducing nutrients in waters it considered "newly impaired" as a result of the new criteria—not the total cos... More >>
Report in Brief
Uranium Mining in Virginia: Scientific, Technical, Environmental, Human Health and Safety, and Regulatory Aspects of Uranium Mining and Processing in Virginia (2011)
Report in Brief >> A range of health and environmental issues and related risks are important considerations as Virginia deliberates on whether to rescind its almost 30-year moratorium on mining uranium. Although there are internationally accepted best practices to mitigate most of these risks, there are still steep hurdles to be surmounted before mining and processing could take place within a regulatory setting that appropriately protect... More >>
Report in Brief
Feasibility of Using Mycoherbicides for Controlling Illicit Drug Crops (2011)
Mycoherbicides, which are developed from plant pathogenic fungi that infect specific host plants, have been proposed as a targeted means of preventing or reducing the cultivation of illicit drug crops. This study focused on mycoherbicides intended to target illicit plantings of cannabis, coca, and opium poppy. The committee was asked to examine questions about the efficacy of the mycoherbicides, their persistence in the environment, th... More >>