Using stakeholder input to develop environmental regulatory approaches : a case study.
Many regulated entities today charge that environmental regulations have become inefficient and could be made more cost effective. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified several initiatives to help ''reinvent'' environmental regulations and address those charges. At the same time, the President and others are pursuing the development and use of new environmental technologies. Reflecting these trends, Argonne National Laboratory is helping develop a prototype multimedia environmental regulatory program for petroleum refineries operating in the Mure. The project differs from other regulatory reinvention efforts in that it is Mure-oriented and, as a result, may result in recommendations that depart significantly from those from existing regulatory systems. This paper notes the importance of communicating environmental information when developing and implementing regulatory approaches. Two approaches--one goal-based and the other risk-based--are being considered for the prototype regulatory program. Both are site-specific, and the implementation of both requires a significant amount of communication among refiners, regulators, and other stakeholders. Of even greater importance, however, is the communication involved in the development of these approaches. Because these new regulatory approaches could fundamentally change the way regulated entities operate, ideas and concerns of groups likely to be affected by the regulatory prototypes need to be considered. This case study focuses on the use of structured workshops involving representatives from three separate interest groups--refiners, regulators, and the environmental community--in developing regulatory approaches. At the time of this writing, workshops have been held with two groups, and a third is being scheduled. This paper describes the process for eliciting interaction, highlights the results of the workshops, and discusses ways to optimize approaches for obtaining and using environmental communications. Results and lessons learned may be applied to improve regulations in other sectors.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (US)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- US Department of Energy (US)
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31-109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 8898
- Report Number(s):
- ANL/EA/CP-95003; TRN: AH200117%%275
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Conference: Focus on Environmental Communication, X-Change '97, Miami, FL (US), 12/02/1997--12/03/1997; Other Information: PBD: 8 Dec 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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