Standard Guide for Framework for a Consensus-based Environmental Decision-making Process

Abstract

5.1 This standard guide is designed to help the owners and regulators of a specific environmental problem to identify and integrate affected stakeholders and establish a process to identify and work through all the key questions and answers essential to a mutually acceptable decision. This standard guide presents a “framework” that is intended to help ensure that all the CBED process components (that is, human health, ecological condition, socio-cultural values and economic well-being) are considered, but is designed to allow the user to interpret which components of the process are applicable and how these components are defined for the specific environmental problem being addressed. It also provides general guidance to help with selecting approaches and methods for specific analyses of each of the major CBED components (that is, human health, ecological condition, socio-cultural values, and economic well-being). The CBED process can be easily coupled with other relevant standards (for example Guides E1739, E1984, E2205, and E2876) and environmental compliance guidance and requirements, for example, Quality of Stakeholder-Based Decisions and Understanding Risk, 40 CRF 1501, 10 CFR 20, and Marine Mammals Protection Act of 1972. 5.2 The CBED process is appropriate in two contexts: (1) when a specific project is proposed; and (2) when there are or may be public concerns about specific health, environmental, cultural, social or economic issues. CERCLA § 128(a) grantees will find the CBED process useful for community engagement activities such as the analysis of brownfields cleanup alternatives. 5.3 Involving affected stakeholders actively in the decision-making process reorients that process from one dominated by regulators and owners to one that includes those who live with the consequences of the decision. This not only increases the successful implementation of decisions, but also can promote greater trust in government, industry and other institutions (See Section 6.9 of Guide E3356, BLM 2009, EPA 2015 and (P/CCRARM, 1997a)).