Managing environmental problems during transitions: The department of energy as a case study

Autor: Joanna Burger, David S. Kosson, Michael Greenberg, Michael Gochfeld, Charles W. Powers, Barbara Ley Toffler
Rok vydání: 2009
Předmět:
Zdroj: Remediation Journal. 19:99-122
ISSN: 1520-6831
1051-5658
DOI: 10.1002/rem.20206
Popis: Many federal, state, and private agencies deal with long-term environmental problems within a transition framework where political administrations, funds, regulators, regulatory requirements, environmental conditions, and tribal and stakeholder concerns change. In this article, we examine the types of transitions, as well as important stabilities, that agencies face, the interactions with stakeholders that are vulnerable to disruption or failure, and some of the problems that develop as a result of these conditions, using the U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE's) Office of Environmental Management (EM) as a case study. Transitions, or instabilities, include changes in administrations at the federal, state, and local level; public perceptions and concerns; political climate; available funds; environmental conditions (e.g., global climate change, global contaminant transport, local and regional contamination); international and national business conditions; and site conditions (physical, chemical, biological). Governmental agencies operate under several different kinds of uncertainties, including scientific, fiscal-year economic, technological, and societal. Not all information can be known, and the outcomes from scientific issues or technologies cannot always be predicted. The authors believe that transitions from one set of conditions to another can be more effectively integrated with the long-term stability of environmental laws and regulations, and with the stability of the treaty rights and concerns of tribal nations, as well as the shorter-term stability of career personnel and established programs. A sense of stability for government agencies allowing maintenance of ongoing environmental management programs can also be achieved through processes and programs, such as establishing long-term contracts (for remediation or restoration work), schedule and scope documents, future land-use documents, National Environmental Research Parks (which obligate lands to study and conservation), and other programs that set the direction of work and activities for many years. Further, two other factors are essential for success within any agency facing transitions: (1) expectations should be both forward-looking and realistic, and (2) there must be flexibility in both programs and processes. The authors conclude that several features are essential to addressing some of the problems created by transitions, including information, integration, iteration, interaction, and inclusion. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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