Science and Judgment in Risk Assessment


Book Description

The public depends on competent risk assessment from the federal government and the scientific community to grapple with the threat of pollution. When risk reports turn out to be overblownâ€"or when risks are overlookedâ€"public skepticism abounds. This comprehensive and readable book explores how the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can improve its risk assessment practices, with a focus on implementation of the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments. With a wealth of detailed information, pertinent examples, and revealing analysis, the volume explores the "default option" and other basic concepts. It offers two views of EPA operations: The first examines how EPA currently assesses exposure to hazardous air pollutants, evaluates the toxicity of a substance, and characterizes the risk to the public. The second, more holistic, view explores how EPA can improve in several critical areas of risk assessment by focusing on cross-cutting themes and incorporating more scientific judgment. This comprehensive volume will be important to the EPA and other agencies, risk managers, environmental advocates, scientists, faculty, students, and concerned individuals.




Science and Decisions


Book Description

Risk assessment has become a dominant public policy tool for making choices, based on limited resources, to protect public health and the environment. It has been instrumental to the mission of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well as other federal agencies in evaluating public health concerns, informing regulatory and technological decisions, prioritizing research needs and funding, and in developing approaches for cost-benefit analysis. However, risk assessment is at a crossroads. Despite advances in the field, risk assessment faces a number of significant challenges including lengthy delays in making complex decisions; lack of data leading to significant uncertainty in risk assessments; and many chemicals in the marketplace that have not been evaluated and emerging agents requiring assessment. Science and Decisions makes practical scientific and technical recommendations to address these challenges. This book is a complement to the widely used 1983 National Academies book, Risk Assessment in the Federal Government (also known as the Red Book). The earlier book established a framework for the concepts and conduct of risk assessment that has been adopted by numerous expert committees, regulatory agencies, and public health institutions. The new book embeds these concepts within a broader framework for risk-based decision-making. Together, these are essential references for those working in the regulatory and public health fields.










National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants - Miscellaneous Organic Chemical Manufacturing, Us Environmental Protection Agency Regulation, 2018


Book Description

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants - Miscellaneous Organic Chemical Manufacturing (US Environmental Protection Agency Regulation) (EPA) (2018 Edition) The Law Library presents the complete text of the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants - Miscellaneous Organic Chemical Manufacturing (US Environmental Protection Agency Regulation) (EPA) (2018 Edition). Updated as of May 29, 2018 On November 10, 2003, EPA promulgated national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants for miscellaneous organic chemical manufacturing. Several petitions for judicial review of the final rule were filed in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Petitioners expressed concern with various requirements in the final rule, including applicability of specific operations and processes, the leak detection and repair requirements for connectors, criteria to define affected wastewater streams requiring control, control requirements for wastewater streams that contain only soluble hazardous air pollutants, the definition of "process condensers," and recordkeeping requirements for Group 2 batch process vents. In this action, EPA amends the final rule to address these issues and to correct inconsistencies that have been discovered during the review process. This book contains: - The complete text of the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants - Miscellaneous Organic Chemical Manufacturing (US Environmental Protection Agency Regulation) (EPA) (2018 Edition) - A table of contents with the page number of each section