CREATING A LINK BETWEEN REGULATORY DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNOLOGYDEVELOPMENT

摘要

As agencies of the United States Government, both the Department of Energy and the EnvironmentalrnProtection Agency share common responsibilities for protecting human health and the environment. ThernDOE must generate, store, treat, and dispose of regulated wastes in a manner compliant with establishedrnregulations. The EPA develops and enforces these regulations to the extent authorized by the U.S.rnCongress. It is important to realize that existing regulations and statutes do not create a risk freernenvironment. While the goal is to ensure protection of human health and the environment, there are limitsrnto this protection based upon economics, existing technical capabilities, as well as our ability to measurernand predict risk.rnIt is these limits that the DOE and the EPA have agreed to attack. Through the development of newrntechnologies in conjunction with modifications to the existing regulatory structure, the DOE and the EPArnhave agreed to share the knowledge gained through collaborative efforts to improve the current system.rnThe Memorandum of Understanding signed by the DOE and EPA in February of 2000 is expected improvernboth the process of developing new technologies as well as allowing for development of better regulations.