Regulatory Decisions: New Guidance on Using Science and Risk Information

Transparent, accurate risk assessments are critical in helping federal agency decision makers make wise rules and policy decisions about environment, health, and safety matters. The policy context for this briefing concerned language proposed in a risk assessment bulletin by the OMB that would, if adopted, have become guidance for conducting the risk assessments that underpin regulatory decisions. The proposed language was built on recommendations from the National Academies (NA) and was an effort by the OMB to improve information disseminated by the government.

This panel engaged speakers who had developed or influenced the NA guidance and the OMB bulletin in a dialogue about the benefits and challenges associated with ensuring high-quality, transparent risk assessments and their impact on regulations.

The ACS Science & the Congress Project in conjunction with the Society for Risk Analysis

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Rayburn House Office Building

Curtis Copeland, Congressional Research Service, moderating

John Graham, The RAND Corporation and Past Administrator, OMB Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

Don Elliot, Wilkie Farr & Gallagher LLP and Past General Counsel, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Rena Steinzor, University of Maryland School of Law and Past Counsel, House Committee on Energy and Commerce