EMEP's primary mission is to support research that addresses environmental issues related to electricity generation. Since its inception in 1998, the EMEP program has provided objective and policy-relevant research to
- Improve the scientific understanding of electricity-related pollutants in the environment;
- Assess the environmental impact of electricity generation relative to other sources of pollution;
- Help develop approaches to mitigate impacts of electricity generation and improve environmental quality.
EMEP also works to increase the understanding of the role of local versus regional sources of air pollution in New York State in order for more equitable control strategies to be developed.
Research funded by EMEP includes projects (pdf 33kb) in the following three areas:
- Ecosystem response to deposition of sulfur, nitrogen, and mercury;
- Air quality and related health research associated with particulate matter, ozone, and copollutants; and
- Issues crosscutting environmental science, technology, and policy.
A Program Advisory Group comprised of representatives from New York State and federal agencies, utility organizations, and other public interest organizations guides the EMEP program.
A Science Advisory Committee, composed of university-based, federal, and non-profit researchers, assists EMEP in the development of its multi-year research plan and provides periodic review of critically important research.
While EMEP-funded research will serve as the scientific basis for future EMEP initiatives, and possibly other initiatives in New York, EMEP is also developing an aggressive communication and outreach policy to further support the goal of science-policy integration and to ensure that findings of the research program are adequately disseminated among interested parties.
For further information, see EMEP Overview (240kb .pdf)
Photo Credit: Carl Heilman II/Wild Visions, Inc. www.carlheilman.com
