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Our initial canvassing efforts have indicated significant support for the Alliance for Risk Assessment (ARA). We have discussed the goals and operations of the Alliance with over 150 individuals representing academic, environmental, industry, local, state, provincial, tribal, and national interests. Letters of support, project requests, and seed funding we have received clearly demonstrate an interested stakeholder population. Examples of feedback
The Alliance for Risk Assessment (ARA) is a collaboration of organizations that fosters the development of technical chemical risk assessment products and services, through a team effort of specialists and organizations dedicated to protecting public health by improving the process and efficiency of risk assessment, and to increasing the capacity for developing risk values to meet growing demand. The ARA will coordinate with Federal and State Agencies whenever possible, to ensure the best use of available resources, and to avoid duplication of effort.
To this end, the ARA provides a framework for the advancement of risk assessment by:
– implementing a multi-stakeholder decision-making process to deliver the best use of science with openness and transparency
– enabling groups with limited resources access to toxicological and risk assessment expertise
– facilitating the harmonization of risk assessment procedures across organizational lines
– increasing the capacity for developing risk information by pooling technical and financial resources to ensure their most effective applications, by minimizing duplication of effort
– promoting the use of risk assessment by fostering the exchange and dissemination of information.
The goal of ARA is to develop risk assessments where there is a need — for example where up-to-date assessments by major governmental agencies on the topic of interest do not exist or are not near finalization. This criterion is critical in selection of suitable projects.