Environmental Decision Making

Scientific Advice and Political Decisions Role of scientific advice depends on openness of information to wide public access The broadening of memberships to advisory committees to include a wide array of interests with different views (energy committee) AND a science and technology review office

TO PROVIDE A SCIENTIFIC FOUNDATION FOR DECISION- MAKING WITH TOLERABLE RISKS AND WITHIN COST INCREASING SOCIETAL BENEFITS COSTS $$$$$ DIMINISHING RETURNS

Decision Making Urgency (Time) Novelty of Issue Politicians love to buy time, since it puts off discomfort of decision making Takes the heat out of controversial issue Allows for scientific review to legitimize any final decision

Science Subservient to Political action Science used As justification For delay Science Subservient to Int’l politics Science creates Realignment of interests Time required to act Urgent Not Urgent New (unexpected) Established (tolerated) Novelty of Issue

Urgent Action If needed scientific advice is often subservient to political expediency i.e. disputed carcinogenic(?) properties of dioxin, thus clean-up is of the highest standard Science is subservient to international treaties or commitments if a country has to treat a problem similarly to its neighbors i.e. US grudgingly removing sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from coal burning in order to save Canadian forests. UK dumping of sewage in the North Sea

Action NOT Urgent If the problem is not perceived as urgent, no scientific advice is welcomed as a justification for delay i.e. Climate change, since justification was needed to implement the function of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change since to implement reductions is both costly and potentially labor decreasing. Under right conditions of time and established public acceptance of the problem, scientific advice can be used to realign interests. This is the active role of interdisciplinary and science in the open Lead in gasoline

Responsibility of the Environmental Scientist It is likely that almost all environmental impact analysis will be conducted in situations which are influenced by external pressures…..although the involved scientist will be affected by these pressures, he will not be absolved of the responsibility of conducting rigorous scientific work.. (David Brew USGS geologist)

Scientific Information in the Service of Environmental Decision Making What decisions were made about the use of land and management of water resources in this region over s period of years? What environmental questions were raised about these decisions at the time they were being made but before they were implemented?

Scientific Information in the Service of Environmental Decision Making What environmental questions were raised after the decisions had been implemented? What laws governed the way in which these decisions were made?

Scientific Information in the Service of Environmental Decision Making What scientific information about land, water, animal and plant life was employed when the decisions were made? What efforts were made to judge the merits of conflicting points of view concerning these decisions?

The Case of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline In the 1960’s oil companies made the decision to develop the north slope of Alaska (Prudhoe Bay). This production necessitated the development of a route for the oil The course of action taken was going to be influenced by the newly created environmental laws of the late 60’s &70’s

NEPA: 1969 All agencies of the Federal Government shall…include in every recommendation or report on proposals for legislation and other major Federal actions significantly affecting the quality of the human environment, a detailed statement by the responsible official on The environmental impact of the proposed action Any adverse environmental effects which cannot be avoided should the proposal be implemented Alternatives to the proposed action The relationship between local short term uses of man’s environment and the maintenance and enhancement of long-term productivity

The Case of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline The environmental impact statement (EIS) approach was mandated by the newly created NEPA (national environmental policy act) The USGS played a key role in guiding the EIS USGS research contributed to many landmark environmental studies Constructing any route system was to play a key role in creating major environmental impacts The case is one of an interdisciplinary approach (biology/geology) The case illustrates problems that arise in the interplay of science and the law

The Case of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline Decision #1: Develop Prudhoe Bay oil field was based on the expectation that an economically and technological transport route would be found Decision #2: Select a Route Ocean transport (Bering Strait to US) Land route through Canada Land route through Alaska, then to port and to lower 48 states Decision #3: Select a Pipeline Design Underground Above ground Above and below in segments