Challenges to environmental engineers
- Risk Reduction Engineering Lab., Cincinnati, OH (United States)
The Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency asked the EPA Science Advisory Board (SAB) to undertake a project on new directions for reduction of environmental risks. The SAB set up a special committee, the Relative Risk Reduction Strategies Committee, and three subcommittees to conduct the study. The Strategic Options Subcommittee identified and analyzed a range of the most promising types of risk reduction options that should be considered for specific environmental problems that pose the greatest environmental and health risks. Conclusions of the subcommittee were: (1) EPA should establish priorities based on the potential for risk reduction. EPA Region 5 managers recently completed a comparative ranking of the ecological and human health risks of major environmental issues. (2) Pollution prevention should be the most important approach for reducing environmental risks over the long term. Pollution prevention emphasizes the avoidance of risk by changing the raw materials, production processes, or products. It is a key to sustainable development and protection of natural resources. (3) Environmental protection must be integrated into other governmental policy areas, in as fundamental a manner as are economic concerns. These areas include: energy, agriculture, tax, transportation, housing, natural resources, and foreign policy. (4) The Agency should develop an enhanced environmental education and training program for both professionals and the general public. (5) Annual budgets should be more directly reflect risk-based priorities.
- OSTI ID:
- 31824
- Journal Information:
- Waste Management, Vol. 14, Issue 8; Other Information: PBD: 1994
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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