CEM 403 Environmental Risk Assessment

COURSE SYLLABUS
Instructor: Sharonna Greenberg

COURSE DESCRIPTION Risk assessment is a critical element of environmental management. However, the term risk
does not have a single unambiguous definition. In this course we begin by examining the definition of risk in the context
of environmental management, and compare experts and laymens approaches to risk assessment. We look at exposure
measurement, toxicology, and epidemiology as ways to assess environmental risk in terms of effects on human health and
safety; difficulties inherent to such analyses (e.g., cumulative and synergistic effects, uncertainty) are addressed. We
also cover tools used to analyze technology and process-related risks, such as failure mode analysis and fault trees.
In addition to direct human impacts, environmental risk also implies threats to non-human species and entire ecosystems
(the effects of which may in turn indirectly threaten humans). Assessing risk in non-human terms further complicates the
necessary analysis because of the need to decide on additional metrics, and because of the scale and complexity of the
affected natural systems. We will begin to explore some of these challenges in the course.
Risk assessment is just the beginning of the story when it comes to the role of risk in environmental management. We will
consider different approaches to risk management (prevention, mitigation, compensation) as well as the regulatory and
legislative context to risk assessment and management. Finally, we will take a look at risk communication, referring back
to the issues raised in the rest of the course.
Risk assessment is a very broad and deep subject; each topic covered in this course could easily be the subject of a full
course of its own. As such, this should be considered a survey course introducing students to the major elements of risk
assessment. Note also that we will not be going very deep into the technical aspects of risk assessment. Students with
professional experience in this area are encouraged to share their experience with the class when it is relevant to the
topics being covered.

Required Textbook
All required readings will be available as journal articles through the University of Toronto libraries or will be provided
in PDF format throughout the course.

Reading List
Burger, J. (2000). Consumption advisories and compliance: The fishing public and the deamplification of risk. Journal of
Environmental Planning and Management 43(4): 471-488.
CEAA (1999). Cumulative Affects Assessment Practitioners Guide. Available online at
Corburn, J. (2002). Environmental justice, local knowledge, and risk: The discourse of a community-based cumulative
exposure assessment. Environmental Management 29(4): 451-466.
Finucane, M.L., Slovic, P., Mertz, C.K., Flynn, J. & Satterfield, T.A. (2000). Gender, race, and perceived risk: the white
male effect. Health, Risk & Society 2(2): 159-172.
Fiorino, D.J. (1989). Environmental risk and democratic process: A critical review. Columbia Journal of Environmental
Law 14(2): 501-547.
Fumento, M. (1993, June). How to understand scientific studies and epidemiology. Consumers Research Magazine.
Available online at http://www.fumento.com/tenet.html
Fumento, M. (1996). Delaney clause is nostalgia we cant afford. Available online at
http://www.fumento.com/delaney.html
Fumento, M. (2004). Overspending on AIDS killing us. Available online at

http://www.fumento.com/disease/aidsenough2004.html
Mitchell, B. (2004). Introduction: Policy context, issues, and challenges. In Mitchell, B. (ed.), Resource and
environmental management in Canada: Addressing conflict and uncertainty (3rd ed.). Don Mills, ON: Oxford University
Press. (pp. 1-18).
Rowe, W.D. (1977). An anatomy of risk. New York: John Wiley & Sons. (selected pages)
Segal, M, (1990, June). Is it worth the worry? Determining risk. FDA Consumer. Available online at
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/CONSUMER/CON00054.html
Slovic, P. (1987). Perception of risk. Science 236(17 April): 280-285.
Whyte, Anne V. & Burton, I. (eds.) (1980). Environmental risk assessment. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons. (selected
pages)

Overall assessment
This course requires that you maintain 70% or greater in the course work for continuation in the
course. There is an expectation for a high level of quality in the work produced by the student.
Distance Education Certificate Program Grade Scale
Letter Grade Scale
Numerical Scale of
Marks
A+
90-100%
A
85-89%
A80-84%
B+
77-79%
B
73-76%
B70-72%
FZ
0-69%
STUDENT OBLIGATIONS
a)

Students are expected to participate "in class" every week. Participation is 30% of your overall mark and will be

based on regular contributions to all discussions, so do participate. Rubrics on the measure of quantity and quality of
your participation in the discussion forum will be used for evaluation.

Does not
respond to
Promptness
most postings;
and
rarely
Initiative
participates
freely
Utilizes poor
spelling and
Delivery of grammar in
Post
most posts;
posts appear
"hasty"
Relevance Posts topics
of
which do not

Responds to most
postings several
days after initial
discussion; limited
initiative

Responds to most
postings within a
24 hour period;
requires
occasional
prompting to post

Errors in spelling
Few grammatical
and grammar
or spelling errors
evidenced in several
are noted in posts
posts

Consistently responds
to postings in less than
24 hours; demonstrates
good self-initiative
Consistently uses
grammatically correct
posts with rare
misspellings

Occasionally posts Frequently posts Consistently posts

off topic; most posts topics that are
topics related to

relate to the
discussion
content; makes
Post
short or
irrelevant
remarks
Does not
express
Expression
opinions or
Within the
ideas clearly;
Post
no connection
to topic

related to
are short in length discussion
discussion topic; cites
and offer no further content; prompts additional references
insight into the topic further discussion related to topic
of topic

Opinions and
Expresses opinions and
Unclear connection ideas are stated
ideas in a clear and
to topic evidenced in clearly with
concise manner with
minimal expression occasional lack of
obvious connection to
of opinions or ideas connection to
topic
topic
Frequently
Does not make
attempts to direct
effort to
Occasionally makes
Aware of needs of
the discussion and
Contribution participate in meaningful
community; frequently
to present
to the
learning
reflection on groups
attempts to motivate
relevant
Learning
community as efforts; marginal
the group discussion;
viewpoints for
Community it develops;
effort to become
presents creative
consideration by
seems
involved with group
approaches to topic
group; interacts
indifferent
freely
b) Students are also expected to meet deadlines for written assignments. The assignments will have specific due dates. If
you are unable to meet one of the deadlines (for a legitimate reason such as illness), please email the instructor before
the deadline.
Forum Etiquette
In discussion forums, remember to think, discuss, and debate from a multitude of perspectives. Both the instructor and
the student will use language that is scholarly and professional. Express yourself clearly, accurately, and in an
intellectual rather than in a personal fashion. Discussion forums are designed for you to ask questions and gain further
knowledge. Remember to reason intelligently with the instructor and other students. Given the novelty and evolving
nature of environmental finance, please feel free to give your view or interpretation based on your own experiences.
Develop awareness of your own ethnocentrism and make conscious efforts to ameliorate it. Keep in mind that the course
materials will come from a wide cross-section of fields of study and may use jargon that is not familiar to you. Seek to
understand the subtleties of these new terms to gain a deeper understanding of the material being presented. Please ask
about concepts or terms that you do not understand.
Remember, if you have a question, it is likely someone else has the same question. Also, be conscious of the language you
use when you speak about race, ethnicity, and gender. And be careful to avoid any bigoted or exclusive language.
Students who express themselves inappropriately or attack others personally in the discussion forums will lose their
points for participation, and possibly their privilege to continue. Most students are considerate and respectful of others,
but every now and then, someone is abusive and it ruins the experience for everyone.
SYNCHRONOUS DISCUSSIONS (Chats)
The synchronous live chats will involve scheduled times for the class to meet on-line together to review questions related
to the readings, and to provide a more informal basis to discuss concerns and questions over material as it relates to

current world situations. You may also find the live chat area useful when working with other students on assignments please feel free to do so.

Module Breakdown
Week 1: What is risk? Definitions and the Experts View
We start off the course by establishing a definition of the term risk as used in the rest of the course, and looking at
how experts look at risk. The strengths and limitations of this typically quantitative, one-dimensional approach will be
addressed.

Week 2: What is risk? The Laypersons View

The experts approach to risk will be contrasted with a more qualitative and nuanced (though some might say irrational)
view of risk typically taken by laypeople. Psychometric analysis of the factors considered by laypeople when assessing risk
will be covered, along with differences in risk perception among different lay populations.

Week 3: Risk-Benefit, Tradeoffs and Cost-Benefit Analysis

While risk assessment typically focuses on the downside potential of a situation or course of action, risk management
must also take into account the benefits of the situation or action, and weigh tradeoffs between risks and benefits
appropriately. Furthermore, decision-making (e.g., between different risk abatement measures) requires consideration of
the relative costs of the various options. These concepts are introduced this week and revisited in week 9.

Week 4: Risk Assessment: Introduction, Human Health and Safety Impacts, and Release Assessment
In this and the next three weeks, the focus is on assessment of risks to human health and safety, with an introduction of
the formal tools used to perform such an assessment. This week, the notion of risk agents hazardous materials or
energies that are deliberately or accidentally released into the environment by human activity is introduced, and the
means by which the release of risk agents is assessed are described.

Week 5: Risk Assessment: Exposure Assessment

Once a risk agent has been released into the environment, the next step in risk assessment is to determine the extent to
which people are exposed to the agent. This week we look at exposure assessment, which includes a determination of the
pathways by which the risk agent is transported through the environment, and the modes (e.g., inhalation, ingestion,
dermal contact) by which the agent may be taken up by human beings.

Week 6: Risk Assessment: Consequence Assessment Toxicology and Epidemiology

Once the release of a risk agent into the environment, and the exposure of a target to that risk agent, have been
assessed, the final stage of risk assessment is consequence assessment: the determination of the effect of that risk agent
on the target. The fundamentals of two major consequence assessment techniques, toxicology and epidemiology, are
covered this week.

Week 7: Risk Assessment: Complications (Cumulative/Synergistic Effects, Uncertainty)

Risk assessment, like much of environmental management, is fraught with complications arising from the complexity of
the natural world. This week we consider the complications arising from cumulative exposure, synergistic effects of
multiple risk agents, and various sources of uncertainty inherent to the analysis techniques discussed in the previous
three weeks.

Week 8: Risk Assessment: Environmental and Ecological Impacts

While the focus of the course to date has been on risk in terms of human health and safety, environmental risk
assessment must also consider threats to the environment and ecosystems more broadly. This week we look at how to
monitor and measure the impacts of risk agents on ecosystems, which in turn may have indirect effects on people, e.g.,
through the disruption of ecosystem services.

Week 9: Dealing With Risk: Regulation, Management, and Mitigation

This week we look at how risk assessment is mandated and regulated by various levels of government, and what is done
with the results of risk assessments. We revisit some of the concepts introduced in week 3 when considering the various
options of risk prevention, mitigation, and/or compensation.

Week 10: Risk Communication and Course Wrap-Up

Risk assessment and management, ideally, includes communication with stakeholders at every stage of the process, from
initial risk identification through the final risk management decisions. In this final week we wrap up the course by looking
at different approaches to ensuring stakeholder participation in the risk assessment process.