Are liberal arts colleges a good idea for science?

Generalizations about “science” do not necessarily apply to all schools (small LAC or huge university or something in between). A school may be strong in biology and chemistry, but weak in physics, math, and computer science, or vice-versa. Each school must be evaluated on its own.

Since the OP is specifically most interested in biochemistry and environmental science, evaluation of each school should consider its strength or weakness in this specific subjects.