42 U.S.C. § 4372 : US Code - Section 4372: Office of Environmental Quality

Search 42 U.S.C. § 4372 : US Code - Section 4372: Office of Environmental Quality

(a) Establishment; Director; Deputy Director
There is established in the Executive Office of the President an
office to be known as the Office of Environmental Quality
(hereafter in this chapter referred to as the "Office"). The
Chairman of the Council on Environmental Quality established by
Public Law 91-190 shall be the Director of the Office. There shall
be in the Office a Deputy Director who shall be appointed by the
President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
(b) Compensation of Deputy Director
The compensation of the Deputy Director shall be fixed by the
President at a rate not in excess of the annual rate of
compensation payable to the Deputy Director of the Office of
Management and Budget.
(c) Employment of personnel, experts, and consultants; compensation
The Director is authorized to employ such officers and employees
(including experts and consultants) as may be necessary to enable
the Office to carry out its functions under this chapter and Public
Law 91-190, except that he may employ no more than ten specialists
and other experts without regard to the provisions of title 5,
governing appointments in the competitive service, and pay such
specialists and experts without regard to the provisions of chapter
51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to
classification and General Schedule pay rates, but no such
specialist or expert shall be paid at a rate in excess of the
maximum rate for GS-18 of the General Schedule under section 5332
of title 5.
(d) Duties and functions of Director
In carrying out his functions the Director shall assist and
advise the President on policies and programs of the Federal
Government affecting environmental quality by -
(1) providing the professional and administrative staff and
support for the Council on Environmental Quality established by
Public Law 91-190;
(2) assisting the Federal agencies and departments in
appraising the effectiveness of existing and proposed facilities,
programs, policies, and activities of the Federal Government, and
those specific major projects designated by the President which
do not require individual project authorization by Congress,
which affect environmental quality;
(3) reviewing the adequacy of existing systems for monitoring
and predicting environmental changes in order to achieve
effective coverage and efficient use of research facilities and
other resources;
(4) promoting the advancement of scientific knowledge of the
effects of actions and technology on the environment and
encourage (!1) the development of the means to prevent or reduce
adverse effects that endanger the health and well-being of man;
(5) assisting in coordinating among the Federal departments and
agencies those programs and activities which affect, protect, and
improve environmental quality;
(6) assisting the Federal departments and agencies in the
development and interrelationship of environmental quality
criteria and standards established through the Federal
Government;
(7) collecting, collating, analyzing, and interpreting data and
information on environmental quality, ecological research, and
evaluation.
(e) Authority of Director to contract
The Director is authorized to contract with public or private
agencies, institutions, and organizations and with individuals
without regard to section 3324(a) and (b) of title 31 and section 5
of title 41 in carrying out his functions.