Science, science policy, and risk-based management

摘要

Recent national awareness of the economic infeasibility of remediating hazardous waste sites to background levels has sparked increased interest in the role of science policy in the environmental risk assessment and risk management process. As individual states develop guidelines for addressing environmental risks at hazardous waste sites, the role of science policy decisions and uncertainty must be carefully evaluated to achieve long-term environmental goals and solutions that are economically feasible and optimally beneficial to all stakeholders. Amendment to Oregon Revised Statute 465.315 (1995; Oregon House Bill 3352) establishes policy and Utah Cleanup Action and Risk-Based Closure Standards (R315-101) sets requiements for risk-based cleanup and closure at sites where remediation or removal of hazardous constituents to background leels will not be achieved. This paper discusses the difficulties in effectively integrating potential current and future impacts on human health and the environment, technical feasibility, economic considerations, and political realities into environmental policy and standards, using these references as models.