A proposed concentration in environmental studies moved one step closer to reality Tuesday when a faculty committee discussed it and forwarded it to the Faculty Council.

"We've passed the first hurdle," said Michael B. McElroy, chair of the University-wide committee on the environment and Rotch professor of atmospheric science.

McElroy said yesterday that he thought Tuesday's meeting of the educational policy committee went "very well." He said committee members had questions about the breadth of the concentration, the high number of required courses and the availability of faculty in the field.

McElroy, in cooperation with other faculty members and potential concentrators, has shaped the concentrationinto a broadly interdisciplinary major with courserequirements in government, economics, physics,biology, chemistry and math, among others.

The proposed concentration will require 17 halfcourses, but concentrators would be exempted fromfour core requirements.

The concentration will likely be called"Environmental Science and Public Policy," saidDean of the Faculty Jeremy R. Knowles, an exofficio member of the committee.

Dean of Undergraduate Education Lawrence Buell,who chairs the educational policy committee, didnot return telephone messages left yesterday andTuesday.

Professor of History Steven Ozment, a member ofthe educational policy committee, said, "Peoplethink it's going to be a very popularconcentration."

Joanna M. Weiss '94 contributed to thereporting of this article.