Environmental decisions in the face of uncertainty / Committee on Decision Making Under Uncertainty, Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice, Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Institute of Medicine (U.S.). Committee on Decision Making Under Uncertainty, issuing body.

Institute of Medicine (U.S.). Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice, issuing body.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Environmental policy--United States--Decision making.

Environmental policy.

Public health--Risk assessment--United States.

Public health.

Public health--Environmental aspects--United States.

United States. Environmental Protection Agency--Decision making.

United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (281 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, District of Columbia : National Academies Press, [2013]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

"The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is one of several federal agencies responsible for protecting Americans against significant risks to human health and the environment. As part of that mission, EPA estimates the nature, magnitude, and likelihood of risks to human health and the environment; identifies the potential regulatory actions that will mitigate those risks and protect public health1 and the environment; and uses that information to decide on appropriate regulatory action. Uncertainties, both qualitative and quantitative, in the data and analyses on which these decisions are based enter into the process at each step. As a result, the informed identification and use of the uncertainties inherent in the process is an essential feature of environmental decision making. EPA requested that the Institute of Medicine (IOM) convene a committee to provide guidance to its decision makers and their partners in states and localities on approaches to managing risk in different contexts when uncertainty is present. It also sought guidance on how information on uncertainty should be presented to help risk managers make sound decisions and to increase transparency in its communications with the public about those decisions. Given that its charge is not limited to human health risk assessment and includes broad questions about managing risks and decision making, in this report the committee examines the analysis of uncertainty in those other areas in addition to human health risks. Environmental Decisions in the Face of Uncertainty explains the statement of task and summarizes the findings of the committee."--Publisher's description.

Contents:

Introduction

Risk Assessment and Uncertainty

Uncertainty in Technological and Economic Factors in EPA's Decision Making

Uncertainty and Decision Making: Lessons from Other Public Health Contexts

Incorporating Uncertainty into Decision Making

Communication of Uncertainty

Synthesis and Recommendations

Appendix A: Approaches to Accounting for Uncertainty

Appendix B: Committee Member Biographical Sketches

Appendix C: Meeting Agendas.

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780309290234

0309290236

9780309130356

0309130352

OCLC:

923288794