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New York State Comparative Risk Project Ground Rules For Steering Committee

Purpose and scope of Project
1. The purpose of this Project is to evaluate, characterize, and compare the risks associated with releases to the environment of substances that have the potential to harm human health or the environment in New York State, taking into account both scientific data and public values; and to recommend a strategy for reducing those risks through the multimedia pollution prevention (M2P2) program of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). This strategy will be based on the priorities identified by a characterization and comparison of risks and will consider public values and, for each risk reduction method identified, its expected cost-effectiveness, practicality, and equity. The Project will be evaluated as a potential model for other priority setting and strategic planning efforts carried out by the NYSDEC.

2. The scope of this Project will be limited to risks caused by releases to the environment of substances that have the potential to harm human health or the environment, and will focus on pollution prevention as the primary method of reducing the risks caused by these releases.

3. The Project will only evaluate residual risks as they exist at this time. Residual risk is the risk that remains given current levels of environmental regulation and control. Past practices or projections of future conditions will not be considered.

4. The Project will be entitled Comparative Risk: Multimedia Pollution Prevention Strategic Planning.

Function and membership of Steering Committee
1. The Steering Committee will be the primary decision-making body for this Project. It will have the responsibility to make final decisions regarding the selection, characterization, and comparison of issues, the identification of priorities, the selection of risk reduction strategies, and any other issues that come before it. The Steering Committee will report to the Commissioner of the NYSDEC.

2. The final composition of the Steering Committee will be determined upon consensus of those potential members that have attended the planning sessions prior to the first meeting of the Steering Committee. A balanced representation will be reached among the various interest groups that are willing to participate.

3. Steering Committee members are expected to remain on the Steering Committee for the duration of the Project. If a member leaves the Steering Committee for any reason, he/she will be replaced with another member from the same organization, if possible, or with another person that represents similar interests.

4. The Steering Committee will be chaired by the NYSDEC member on the Steering Committee. If the chair must miss a meeting, his/her substitute will lead that meeting.

Process
1. When making decisions, Steering Committee members will strive for the most broad, inclusive, and informed consensus possible. When consensus is not reached, decisions will be based on majority vote. A vote will be taken only when a majority of the Steering Committee members in attendance agree that active, open, and constructive participation by all Steering Committee members has occurred and that consensus is not possible.

2. At least two-thirds of the members of the Steering Committee must be present for a vote to take place. Voting will be completed by a show of hands, or, in the case of a very close vote, a roll call. Members are encouraged to carefully consider all viewpoints before deciding how they will vote.

3. All written reports concerning this Project will include a discussion that expresses both the majority and minority viewpoints, whenever disagreement still exists.

4. A facilitator that is not a member of the Steering Committee will be present at each meeting to enforce the ground rules, ensure that the agenda is followed, and make certain that work is accomplished in the most efficient and effective manner possible. When requested by the Steering Committee, the facilitator will be a paid professional with no connection to the Project.

5. Steering Committee members will strive to keep all discussions on track, and will come to each meeting prepared to participate in the discussions that have been planned for the day. Only one person will speak at a time, and all participants will have an opportunity to speak. The facilitator will recognize participants in order.

6. The Steering Committee may form subcommittees as needed to accomplish business in the most effective manner. All subcommittees will report back to the Steering Committee.

7. The Steering Committee will receive copies of the Quarterly Reports prepared by the NYSDEC to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) for its Comparative Risk Grant, and will advise on the expenditures of funds.

Attendance at Steering Committee meetings
1. Steering Committee members must make a good faith effort to attend all Steering Committee meetings. If a member must miss a meeting, he/she may designate a substitute to represent his/her position. This substitute must be well informed on the status of the project, and may vote on issues on the member's behalf. Members that must miss a meeting may submit written comments on the topic that will be discussed at that meeting for consideration by the Steering Committee. However, these written comments will not be used as a vote on any issue.

2. Members that miss three consecutive meetings will be asked to resign from the Steering Committee.

3. All meetings of the Steering Committee will be open to observers. However, only Steering Committee members or their substitutes may participate at meetings or vote on issues. Observers must identify themselves to the Steering Committee and may be invited to speak from time to time upon approval of the Steering Committee. Written comments from observers may be submitted at any time.

4. Representatives from the USEPA, the Green Mountain Institute for Environmental Democracy (GMIED), and staff from the NYSDEC will be considered advisors and are invited to participate in all meetings. The chairs of the work groups will also be invited to participate in Steering Committee meetings. However, advisors and work group chairs will not be allocated a vote on any decision.

5. The Steering Committee will normally meet the last Friday of every month from 12-3 p.m. Additional meeting times may be requested by the Steering Committee whenever needed to accomplish the Committee's objectives.

Work groups
1. There will be five work groups convened for this Project: Human Health, Ecosystems, Quality of Life, Public Participation, and Risk Reduction Strategies. The Steering Committee is responsible for selecting the work group participants and establishing the methodologies and ground rules under which the work groups will operate.

2. The work groups will be established for the purpose of completing background research and data evaluation for use by the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee may make specific requests for information from the work groups. All work groups report to the Steering Committee. Work group chairs will be selected by the Steering Committee, and will be invited to participate in Steering Committee meetings.

3. The Human Health, Ecosystems, and Quality of Life Work Groups will each evaluate, characterize, and compare risks to their respective areas and will issue a report to the Steering Committee that includes their findings and supporting documentation. The public participation work group will issue a report to the Steering Committee that includes the results of their investigation into public values and public comment regarding this Project. The Steering Committee will use the four reports noted above to produce an integrated risk characterization and comparison.

4. The risk reduction strategies work group will issue a report to the Steering Committee that details all risk reduction methods considered and includes the results of research and supporting documentation for each.

5. All work group meetings will be open to observers. However, only work group members may participate in the meetings or vote on issues. Observers must identify themselves and may be invited to speak upon approval of the work group. Written comments from observers may be submitted at any time. Representatives of the USEPA, GMIED, the NYSDEC, and Steering Committee members may participate in work group meetings, but may not vote unless they are a member of that work group.

6. The Steering Committee may form additional work groups as needed to complete the tasks required for this Project.

Public statements and documents
1. The public will be given opportunity to comment on both the work group reports and the draft risk reduction strategy plan before they become final. Public comment will be both solicited and welcome throughout the duration of the Project.

2. The Steering Committee will issue the following documents: a report which includes both the final integrated risk characterization and comparison, a final report which includes a recommended strategy that is based on the priorities identified by a characterization and comparison of risks for the NYSDEC's M2P2 program, and additional documents as needed to describe the Project to the public.

3. All final meeting minutes, work group reports, and other documentation prepared in conjunction with this Project will be made available to the public upon request.

4. Steering Committee members may speak to the public or the press regarding this Project, however, it must be clear that they are stating only their own views and not those of any other Steering Committee member or the NYSDEC or Steering Committee as a whole. Steering Committee members may discuss the outcome of decisions that have been made, however, they will not speculate publicly about decisions that the Steering Committee has yet to make.


Adopted by the Steering Committee on August 30, 1996
Revised by the Steering Committee on February 27, 1998

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