EPA Risk Assessment
Question 1. Contrast sustainability in the United States vs. sustainability in third world countries. What aspects of successful "sustainable developments" that have been accomplished in the U.S. can be transferred or implemented in a third world country? Be specific and provide some examples in your response.
Question 2. What are the four main steps of risk assessment? Describe each, and give an example of the type of data you would need to collect for each step.
Question 3. Describe the elements of effective risk communication. Discuss one example of a risk that the general public tends to over- or underestimate. How might the elements of risk communication be used to give a clearer picture of the true risk in your example?
Question 4. What is the hazard quotient, and at what stage of the risk assessment process is it used? Discuss the three possible levels of the hazard quotient and how the hazard is evaluated if a mixture of chemical exposures is being assessed.
Question 5. Discuss your thoughts on the concept of corporate environmental responsibility. What should businesses be expected to do to minimize damage to public health and the environment? Do you think businesses can be trusted to be good public citizens, or is a command and control based regulatory approach necessary?
Question 6. Discuss the role of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) in ensuring the protection of human and animal test subjects. What are the main criteria the IRB and IACUC use to evaluate the ethics of a research protocol? Do you feel that these criteria are sufficient?
Question 7. Describe three models of public participation in decision making. What are the pros and cons of each model? Which model do you think is the most effective, and why?