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Significant Risk Is Not the Antonym of De Minimis Risk

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Book cover De Minimis Risk

Part of the book series: Contemporary Issues in Risk Analysis ((CIRA,volume 2))

Abstract

Recent events have led to an increased interest in a “significant risk” policy for the regulation of exposures to toxic chemicals. In 1980 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) promulgated a rule in which the standard for any carcinogen was to be lowered to the extent technologically and economically feasible.1 In a 1980 decision, the Supreme Court vacated a rule that established a standard for exposure to benzene, based on a statutory interpretation, although the Court did not overturn OSHA’s entire cancer policy.2 An agency had to make a finding that a risk was significant before it could consider regulating it, and the finding had to be part of the record.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Halogenated Solvents Industry Alliance, Washington, D.C., 20036, USA

    Daniel Byrd III

  2. Graduate School of Industrial Administration, Carnegie-Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 15213, USA

    Lester Lave

Authors
  1. Daniel Byrd III
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  2. Lester Lave
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Energy Study Center, Electric Power Research Institute, 94303, Palo Alto, California, USA

    Chris Whipple

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© 1987 Plenum Press, New York

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Byrd, D., Lave, L. (1987). Significant Risk Is Not the Antonym of De Minimis Risk. In: Whipple, C. (eds) De Minimis Risk. Contemporary Issues in Risk Analysis, vol 2. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5293-8_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-5293-8_5

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-5295-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-5293-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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