Managing environmental problems during transitions: The department of energy as a case study

Abstract

Many federal, state, and private agencies deal with long-term environmental problems within a transition framework where political administrations, funds, regulators, regulatory requirements, environmental conditions, and tribal and stakeholder concerns change. In this article, we examine the types of transitions, as well as important stabilities, that agencies face, the interactions with stakeholders that are vulnerable to disruption or failure, and some of the problems that develop as a result of these conditions, using the U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE's) Office of Environmental Management (EM) as a case study. Transitions, or instabilities, include changes in administrations at the federal, state, and local level; public perceptions and concerns; political climate; available funds; environmental conditions (e.g., global climate change, global contaminant transport, local and regional contamination); international and national business conditions; and site conditions (physical, chemical, biological 99Managing Environmental Problems During Transitions contamination and restoring degraded ecosystems, and in the wise stewardship of these systems. Stewardship typically refers to the long-term protection and wise use of natural resources, although it can also include preservation of wilderness (Burger, 2000(Burger, , 2001Burger et al., 2003). Cleaning up or restoring damaged ecosystems includes understanding the various ways that ecosystems have been degraded, identifying the aspects of those ecosystems that have been injured and can be made whole or replaced, and implementing management decisions (Cairns, 1994(Cairns, , 1995 US DOE, 1991a). Many managers, scientists, conservationists, and others have devoted time, energy, and money to restoring ecosystems within a framework that includes both stable conditions and transitions. Cleaning up or restoring damaged ecosystems includes understanding the various ways that ecosystems have been degraded, identifying the aspects of those ecosystems that have been injured and can be made whole or replaced, and implementing management decisions.Federal and state agencies dealing with environmental problems function under conditions of predictable, and sometimes unpredictable, transitions in administrations (e.g., the U.S. president, Congress, state governors and their legislatures, heads of agencies), available funding, environmental conditions, and stakeholder perceptions and concerns. These changes can alter visions, priorities, and goals, sometimes delaying, halting, or even reversing long-range programs. Methods and approaches must be identified to assist agencies and stakeholders move forward under changing conditions, while recognizing regulatory agency mandates and the stability of the treaty rights of tribal nations. Moving forward involves recognizing and managing the factors that lead to less effective management and the regulation of environmental resources, particularly within and among governmental agencies, tribal nations, and other stakeholders. A first step...