This government document presents a report of the Committee on Public Works, United States Senate, ninety-second Congress, regarding bill S. 1113, the National Environmental Center Act of 1971. The bill, originally introduced as the National Environmental Laboratory Act of 1971 provides for the establishment of a parent agency, the National Environmental Center (NEC), and regional national environmental laboratories (NEL). Committee amendments suggest the research program of NEC be directed toward a universal view of the environment, thus, any comprehensive research effort must match the scope of the problem. A specific mandate was made to carry on training and education jointly with and through other institutions, universities, and colleges. Also, an amendment provides that the Center be located and operated in a manner to avoid overlap and conflict with existing private and public research organizations activities. The report includes a summary of committee amendments, a statement of need (studies supporting the establishment of national environmental laboratories), estimated cost of the legislation, changes in existing law, roll call votes, departmental reports (from various departments and agencies during Committee hearings), section by section analysis of the bill, and appendix (summary of agency responses to letter of inquiry on federal research in environmental science and technology). (BL)