RE: Needed Technical Assistance
- Archived: Fri, 13 Jul 2001 17:47:00 -0400 (EDT)
- Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2001 16:58:44 -0400 (EDT)
- From: Paul Orum <paul_orum@yahoo.com>
- Subject: RE: Needed Technical Assistance
- X-topic: Assistance
Alma Lowry writes: "As a society or as a community...we need to decide how much risk is okay...The question for discussion today is what kinds of information, technical assistance and financial assistance is needed to reach that goal?"
I'll propose a different goal. We need to move from RISK assessment to ALTERNATIVES assessment, as the option of first resort. Instead of deciding how much risk is OK based on a given technology, we should first ask what cleaner and safer technolgies are available, and whether these can eliminate a particular hazard. Risk assessment and alternatives assessment require different skills, processes, and resources. Assistance to communities will be different as well.
To truly assist communities we need leadership from EPA on pollution prevention, industrial efficiency, and technological literacy (none of which grow from risk assessment).
Paul Orum
Working Group on Community Right-to-Know
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