The following information appears in a box on page 4 of the printed report.

Principles for Risk Management Decision-Making

A good risk management decision . . .

• Addresses a clearly articulated problem in its public health and ecological context.

• Emerges from a decision-making process that elicits the views of those affected by the decision, so that differing technical assessments, public values, knowledge, and perceptions are considered.

• Is based on a careful analysis of the weight of scientific evidence that supports conclusions about a problem’s potential risks to human health and the environment.

• Is made after examining a range of regulatory and nonregulatory risk management options.

• Reduces or eliminates risks in ways that:

– Are based on the best available scientific, economic, and other technical information.

– Account for their multisource, multimedia, multichemical, and multirisk contexts.

– Are feasible, with benefits reasonably related to their costs.

– Give priority to preventing risks, not just controlling them.

– Use alternatives to command-and-control regulation, where applicable.

– Are sensitive to political, social, legal, and cultural considerations.

– Include incentives for innovation, evaluation, and research.

• Can be implemented effectively, expeditiously, flexibly, and with stakeholder support.

• Can be shown to have a significant impact on the risks of concern.

• Can be revised and changed when significant new information becomes available, while avoiding "paralysis by analysis."

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