Public Involvement in the Permit Process

摘要

Many governments require their industries to operate with permits or licenses that define the required controls and pollution levels. The approaches used in developing these instruments vary from one country to another: they differ in content and in the level at which different countries enforce these permits or licences and involve the public with a stake in the issues (stakeholders). This paper will provide a general overview of the policies promoted by a number of countries in the process of permit (or license) development from public meetings to negotiation of the levels of pollution permitted. It will also compare how the permits are enforced, the incentives for self-policing, and what the importance of making pollution information public.