THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE

1
THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE

• Prepared for the NGO Biotechnology Briefing for
  White House Officials
• Wednesday, June 30, 1999
• Carolyn Raffensperger
• Executive Director
• Science Environmental Health Network
• Rt. 1 Box 73, Windsor North Dakota 58424
• 701-763-6286

2
WHAT IS THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE?

• SCIENTIFIC UNCERTAINTY SUSPECTED HARM
  PRECAUTIONARY ACTION
• A. Uncertainty
• 1. Ignorance
• 2. Indeterminacy
  (unknowability of large systems.)
• 3. Statistical/model/paramete
  r uncertainties
• (uncertainty which can be reduced by more
  information.)
• B. Harm
• 1. Serious (covers large areas
  or extends over long time periods)
• 2. Irreversible
• 3. Cumulative
• C. Precautionary Action
• 1. Preventive
• 2. Anticipatory

3
HOW THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE HAS BEEN USED IN
THE U.S. AND BY THIS ADMINISTRATION

• A. Rio Declaration
• B. President's Council on Sustainable
  Development
• C. Gore letter on phthalate's and children's toys
• D. Los Angeles Unified School District
• E. International Joint Commission
• F. Endocrine Disruptor description
• G. Indiana GOP
• H. Wingspread Statement

4
COMPONENTS OF THE PRINCIPLE

• A. Taking precautionary action before scientific
  certainty of cause and effect.
• B. Setting goals. (E.g. establishing the kind of
  agriculture and seed breeding we want.)
• C. Seeking out and evaluating alternatives to
  harmful practices.
• D. Shifting burdens of proof.
• i. Financial responsibility.
• ii. The duty to monitor, understand,
  investigate, inform, and act.
• E. Developing more democratic and thorough
  decision making criteria and methods.

5
HOW TO EVALUATE THE TOOLS OF RISK ASSESSMENT AND
THE PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE

• A. Risk Assessment is useful for single
  carcinogens
• B. Risk Assessment is useful for prioritizing
  clean up
• C. The Precautionary Principle is useful for
  determining whether to proceed with novel
  technologies, chemicals or processes.
• D. The Precautionary Principle is useful for
  taking action when the consequences of a
  technology or chemical surprises us -- CFCs
  destroying the ozone layer, for example.

6
RESPONDING TO CRITICS' COMMENTS ON THE
PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE

• A. The precautionary principle is based on sound
  science
• B. This is not emotional and irrational
• C. We will not go bankrupt. This will not cost
  too much

7
CAN WE SAY "YES" TO NEW THINGS USING THE
PRECAUTIONARY PRINCIPLE

• A. Ongoing monitoring
• B. Performance Bonds
• C. Alternatives Assessment
• (Similar to an EIS under NEPA)