Understanding Risk -- Copyright -- Acknowledgments -- Contents -- Preface -- Summary -- 1 The Idea of Risk Characterization -- BEYOND TRANSLATION -- A Decision-Driven Activity -- Recognizing All Significant Concerns -- An Analytic-Deliberative Process -- Matching the Process to the Decision -- PARTICIPATION AND KNOWLEDGE IN RISK DECISIONS -- Rationales for Participation -- Role of Science -- AN EXPANDED FRAMEWORK -- A New Definition and Its Implications -- The Risk Assessment-Risk Management Distinction -- Structure of the Book -- 2 Judgment in the Risk Decision Process -- PROBLEM FORMULATION -- The Concept of Risk -- Missing Considerations -- Fairness -- Prevention -- Rights -- SELECTION OF OPTIONS AND OUTCOMES -- Ecological Effects -- Economic and Social Effects -- Effects on Future Generations -- Ripple Effects -- Effects on Democracy, Governance, and Ethical Beliefs -- Conclusion -- INFORMATION GATHERING AND INTERPRETATION -- Choosing a Risk Measure -- Making Simplifying Assumptions -- SYNTHESIS -- Summarization -- The Multidimensional Nature of Risk -- The Meaning of Risk Estimates -- Uncertainty -- Specific Populations -- Multiple Exposures -- Communication -- CONCLUSION: THE IMPORTANCE OF PROCESS DESIGN -- 3 Deliberation -- ROLE OF DELIBERATION -- PURPOSES OF BROADLY BASED DELIBERATION -- LIMITATIONS AND CHALLENGES -- Limitations -- Challenges -- STANDARDS AND GOALS FOR DELIBERATION -- Involve the Interested and Affected Parties -- Who Are the Interested and Affected Parties? -- Is Direct Participation Needed? -- Selecting Participants -- Timing Participation -- Listening to the Participants -- Explicitly Address External Constraints -- Strive for Fairness in the Process -- Plan for Flexibility and Iteration -- Recognize the Roles of the Responsible Organization -- Use Appropriate Methods -- 4 Analysis.

PURPOSES AND CHALLENGES OF ANALYSIS -- STANDARDS FOR GOOD ANALYSIS -- ANALYSIS TO REDUCE THE COMPLEXITY OF RISK -- THE ANALYSIS OF UNCERTAINTY -- Uncertainties that Matter -- Purposes -- Limits -- Social Context -- Summary and Implications -- CONCLUSIONS -- 5 Integrating Analysis and Deliberation -- PROBLEM FORMULATION -- PROCESS DESIGN -- SELECTION OF OPTIONS AND OUTCOMES -- INFORMATION GATHERING AND INTERPETATION -- SYNTHESIS OF INFORMATION -- ACHIEVING CLOSURE -- CONCLUSION -- 6 Implementing the New Approach -- PRACTICALITY -- DIAGNOSIS: MATCHING THE PROCESS TO THE DECISION -- The Risk Decision Landscape -- Unique and Wide-Impact Decisions -- Routine and Narrow-Impact Decisions -- Repeated, Wide-Impact Decisions -- Generic Hazard and Dose-Response Characterizations -- Decisions about Policies for Risk Analysis -- Diagnostic Steps and Questions -- 1. Diagnose the Kind of Risk and the State of Knowledge -- 2. Describe the Legal Mandate -- 3. Describe the Purpose of the Risk Decision -- 4. Describe the Affected Parties and Likely Public Reactions -- 5. Estimate Resource Needs and Timetable -- 6. Plan for Organizational Needs -- 7. Develop a Preliminary Process Design -- 8. Summarize and Discuss Diagnosis within the Organization -- Conclusion -- BUILDING ORGANIZATIONAL CAPABILITY -- Organizational Issues -- Improving the Knowledge Base -- CONCLUSION -- 7 Principles for Risk Characterization -- Appendix A Six Cases in Risk Analysis and Characterization -- APPLICATION OF ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES FOR THE SUSTAINABILITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA -- APPLICATION TO SOUTH FLORIDA -- Implications of the Case Study -- APPROVAL OF THE WASTE TECHNOLOGIES, INC. INCINERATOR AT EAST LIVERPOOL, OHIO -- REGULATORY NEGOTIATION FOR A DISINFECTANT BY-PRODUCTS RULE -- Forming the Negotiating Committee and Technical Support -- Defining the Problem and Informational Needs.

Integrating Deliberation and Analysis -- A Creative Solution to Handling Uncertainty -- Conclusions -- SITING A POWER PLANT WITH THE AID OF DECISION ANALYSIS TOOLS -- Multiattribute Utility Analysis -- The Decision Process -- Additional Features of the Case -- THE CALIFORNIA COMPARATIVE RISK PROJECT -- PLANNING FUTURE LAND USES AT HANFORD, WASHINGTON -- Appendix B Common Approaches to Deliberation and Public Participation -- PUBLIC HEARINGS -- CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEES AND TASK FORCES -- ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION -- CITIZENS' JURIES AND CITIZENS' PANELS -- SURVEYS -- FOCUS GROUPS -- INTERACTIVE TECHNOLOGY-BASED APPROACHES -- COMBINATIONS OF DELIBERATIVE METHODS -- Appendix C Biographical Sketches -- Glossary -- References -- Index.