- Develop a methodology for comparative risk evaluation to assist EPA and state managers in effectively integrating information about health and environmental risk into the Region 1 priority-setting process. This methodology should be usable in an ongoing way and will build on previous planning work.
- Use this methodology to rank a series of environmental problems to provide regional managers with an evaluation of the health and environmental problems posing the highest residual risks in New England. These results are to be used to help determine FY89 program grant, resource, and accountability system commitments.

We identified two other important goals of the Risk Reduction Project as the process evolved:

- Identify significant data gaps. Many data gaps remained even when doing this analysis at the regional level. These gaps made it difficult or impossible to rank certain problem areas.
- Educate EPA, state staff, and the public about the RRP and its results. The National Comparative Risk Project found the EPA's current priorities match fairly closely with public perception of health and environmental risks. In order for EPA to shift priorities in coming years, it will be crucial to educate both environmental decision makers and the public about the significance of existing and newly recognized environmental problems.

Phase 1 - Comparative risk assessment
Phase 2 - Possibly including a more detailed evaluation within problem areas, addressing data gaps identified in Phase 1, or other types of initiatives.

The ranking took place in Phase 1. In this phase, three Work Groups (Public Health Risk, Ecological Risk, and Risk Management) constructed the rankings, under the guidance of the Steering Committee.

Various U.S. EPA staff, predominantly from Region 1, comprised the Steering Committee and Work Groups. The Risk Management Work Group surveyed environmental Public Interest/Nonprofit Organizations as part of its ranking process.

Regional and State Planning Division
U.S. EPA
401 M Street, S.W. (2165)
Washington, DC 20460
http://www.epa.gov/opperspd/welcome.htm