National Research Council's Risk Research Articles

Essays in Commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of the National Research Council's Risk Assessment in the Federal Government: Managing the Process

The publication in 1983 of the National Research Council's report Risk Assessment in the Federal Government: Managing the Process was a milestone in the development of risk assessment and risk management practices and policies. The report quickly became known as the “Red Book” because of its vivid red cover. The Red Book's recommendations on how to improve institutional practice of risk assessment and management helped shape risk policy and practices at regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In commemoration of the Red Book's 20th anniversary, essays were solicited from members of the original Red Book Committee and other experts in risk assessment. The essays comprising this special issue of the Journal of Human and Ecological Risk Assessment provide a valuable historical record of the Red Book's development, import, and subsequent impact on the continuing evolution of risk assessment. The set of essays in this issue describe the Red Book's past and current impact on the evolution of cancer risk assessment, non-cancer risk assessment, ecological risk assessment, and risk assessment for occupational safety and health. In the aggregate, the essays express strong support for the positive impact of the Red Book, but also express concern about current risk assessment and risk management policies and practices. Perhaps the time has arrived for Red Book II.

Problems facing the decision-maker in the risk assessment process.

This paper presents an overview of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's risk assessment process, describes problems that the Agency faces in conducting risk assessment, in general, and identifies some specific problems that the Agency confronts when conducting risk assessments on suspected developmental toxicants. As noted by the NAS (National Research Council: "Risk Assessment in the Federal Government: Managing the Process." Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1983, pp 17-83), improving the quality and comprehensiveness of knowledge is the most effective way to improve risk assessment, but some limitations are inherent and may remain unresolvable. Therefore, inferences will always be required. The Agency's challenge is to ensure that these inferences are as soundly based as possible.