Risk Management

Position: NCCBI supports incorporating flexible and cost efficient risk evaluation practices in environmental decision-making to assist in defining environmental priorities and aid in the allocation of societal resources to manage these priorities. Specifically, NCCBI believes that risk management reform is needed in the guidance, policies, and rules governing site remediation decisions and in the overall environmental rule-making process in the State of North Carolina. Furthermore, we believe that existing environmental rules should undergo a cost-benefit analysis, of which risk evaluation is an essential component, by the North Carolina General Assembly over the next five years.

Explanation: NCCBI  believes prioritization of issues is essential to ensure that resources are properly applied to maximize environmental protection and the welfare of our state.  We also strongly support risk-based decision making for establishing appropriate remedial actions for environmental cleanups under all regulatory programs. In both cases, implementation of risk-based decision making and prioritization process will achieve better protection of human health, safety, and the environment at the lowest reasonable cost.

North Carolina has implemented an array of regulatory programs designed to reduce the risk to human health, safety and the environment. In many instances, these programs have been reasonably implemented and have been effective in achieving the goals of a cleaner environment and healthier standard of living.  Unfortunately modern risk assessment and risk management techniques have not yet been incorporated into most environmental programs. Thus, even with the best of intentions, North Carolina agencies in many instances are not allocating the limited resources of the state in the most cost-effective manner.

Today more than ever, businesses in North Carolina are facing an extremely competitive global economy. Competition with companies and sites in other states and countries has revealed that North Carolina’s current environmental regulatory programs can result in higher costs of doing business without delivering benefits commensurate with these costs. These cost differences may force North Carolina businesses to raise prices, reduce production, eliminate jobs, cut research and development, or even shift production out of the state. Therefore NCCBI believes that a process incorporating flexible and cost efficient risk evaluation practices for both rule-making and environmental cleanups should be established.

Administrative Procedures Act / Regulatory Reform
Air Quality

Brownfields Redevelopment

Communications

Endangered Species/Critical Habitats

Environmental Protection Policy

Environmental Justice
Executive Summary

Pollution Prevention, Waste Reduction, And Energy Management
Sustainable Development and Growth Planning

Science Education

Water Quality Protection

Wetlands Protection