SETTING PRIORITIES|Comparative Risk Report

Project Name: Washington Environment 2010


    Ranking Results:


    Project Description:


    More:


 
  Ranking Results
 

 
Public Advisory Committee Ranking of Environmental Threats
Priority Level 1 Online Information About This Issue
  Ambient air pollution general   area specific  
  Nonpoint source discharges to water general   area specific  
  Point source discharges to water general   area specific  
Priority Level 2
  Drinking water contamination general    
  Nonchemical impacts on agricultural lands general    
  Nonchemical impacts on forest lands general    
  Uncontrolled hazardous waste sites general   area specific  
  Wetlands loss/degradation general   area specific  
Priority Level 3
  Global warming and ozone depletion general   area specific  
  Hydrologic disruptions general   area specific  
  Indoor air pollution general    
  Nonchemical impacts on recreational lands    
  Nonhazardous waste sites general   area specific  
  Pesticides (i.e. not covered elsewhere)    
  Regulated hazardous waste sites general   area specific  
Priority Level 4
  Acid deposition general   area specific  
  Indoor radon general   area specific  
  Nonchemical impacts on range lands general    
  Radioactive releases general    
  Sudden and accidental releases general   area specific  
Priority Level 5
  Litter    
  Materials storage   area specific  
  Nonionizing radiation general    

[ top ]
 

 
Human Health Risk Rankings
High Online Information About This Issue
1.   Ambient air pollution general   area specific  
2.   Indoor air pollution general    
Medium High
3.   Inactive hazardous waste sites general   area specific  
4.   Point-source water pollution general   area specific  
5.   Drinking water contamination general    
6.   Nonpoint-source water pollution general   area specific  
Medium
7.   Pesticides    
8.   Indoor radon general   area specific  
9.   Nonhazardous waste sites general   area specific  
10.   Active hazardous waste sites general   area specific  
11.   Accidental releases general   area specific  
12.   Materials storage   area specific  
Lower
13.   Global warming/ozone depletion general   area specific  
14.   Radioactive releases general    
15.   Nonionizing radiation general    
16.   Litter    

[ top ]
 

 
Ecological Risk Rankings
High Online Information About This Issue
1.   Point-source water pollution general   area specific  
2.   Nonpoint-source water pollution general   area specific  
3.   Hydrologic disruptions general   area specific  
4.   Wetlands loss/degradation general   area specific  
5.   Impacts on forest lands general    
Medium
6.   Impacts on recreation lands    
7.   Accidental releases general   area specific  
8.   Inactive hazardous waste sites general   area specific  
9.   Ambient air pollution general   area specific  
10.   Impacts on agricultural lands general    
11.   Global warming/ozone depletion general   area specific  
12.   Impacts on range lands general    
13.   Pesticides    
14.   Acid deposition general   area specific  
15.   Active hazardous waste sites general   area specific  
16.   Nonhazardous waste sites general   area specific  
Lower
17.   Radioactive releases general    
18.   Materials storage   area specific  
19.   Litter    
20.   Nonionizing radiation general    

[ top ]
 
  Project Description
 

  Geographical Coverage:
State of Washington

[ top ]
 

  Project Purpose:
Washington Environment 2010 is an effort to build a broad-based vision for the future of the state's resources and to formulate an action plan to build that future. The State of the Environment Report provides the foundation for such planning by presenting a picture of the current status of environmental resources, significant continuing or emerging threats or risks to continues enjoyment of those resources, and future projections given some of the current identifiable trends. Presentation of this picture is intended to inform the ensuing public discussions of the desired future for Washington's environment, the actions necessary to ensure the desired future is created, and the priority of those actions.

[ top ]
 

  Ranking Process:
In addition to compiling six resource characterization reports, the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) constructed two consensus rankings: Human Health Risk and Ecological Risk. Concurrent with the TAC research, an outside consultant completed an economic damages report and a committee of state agency staff completed a risk "controllability" report for risk management purposes. The Public Advisory Committee produced the final comparative ranking of risk management priorities, taking into consideration the Technical Advisory Committee reports and rankings, the economic damage estimates, the risk "controllability" reports, and individual member's judgment and expertise.

[ top ]
 

  Participants in the Ranking Process:
General Public
Governmental Agencies
Private Sector/Industry
Public Interest/Nonprofit Organizations
Scientific/Academic Community

All of the above stakeholder groups, with the exception of the General Public, had at least one representative on the Steering Committee, Pubic Advisory Committee, or Technical Advisory Committee. The General Public were involved through a series of 12 public meetings.


[ top ]
 

  Reference:
Washington Environment 2010. The State of the Environment Report: Volume 1 Introduction and Overview. Washington Department of Ecology. October 1989.

Washington Environment 2010. Toward 2010: An Environmental Action Agenda. Washington Department of Ecology. July 1990.

Washington Environment 2010 Technical Advisory Committee. Transmittal of Technical Advisory Human Health and Ecological Risk Rankings to the Washington Environment 2010 Steering Committee and Public Advisory Committee (PAC) Washington Department of Ecology. August 1989.
Note: This memo, while part of the public record, was never published so as to not diminish the relevance and importance of the final comparative ranking of risk management priorities by the PAC.


[ top ]
 

  Contact Information:
Dee Ragsdale
Washington Department of Ecology
PO Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504
phone: (360) 407-6986
fax: (360) 407-6989
http://www.wa.gov/ecology/

[ top ]