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The Rise and Fall of a Risk‐Based Priority System: Lessons from DOE's Environmental Restoration Priority System
Author(s) -
Jenni Karen E.,
Merkhofer Miley W.,
Williams Carol
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
risk analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.972
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1539-6924
pISSN - 0272-4332
DOI - 10.1111/j.1539-6924.1995.tb00332.x
Subject(s) - hazardous waste , environmental restoration , engineering , risk analysis (engineering) , business , operations management , operations research , environmental planning , waste management , environmental science
This paper presents the history of the Environmental Restoration Priority System (ERPS), a decision aid developed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to help determine how to allocate funds for cleaning up hazardous waste sites. Although praised in technical peer review, the system was strongly criticized by stakeholders external to the DOE. Ultimately, and in the midst of a National Academy of Sciences review, DOE shelved the system. The rise and fall of ERPS provides useful lessons for analysts hoping to improve risk management in the public sector.