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  Research Highlights

National Water Security Risk Communication Symposium

Homeland Security Research News
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) hosted a 2-day symposium about communicating risks to drinking and waste water systems on May 20-21, 2004, in San Francisco, California. The symposium provided an opportunity to inform key water security stakeholder groups about the state-of-the-art in crisis risk communication; a forum to share effective risk communication strategies, best practices, tools, and existing projects; and an opportunity to gather information and advice to support activities in developing and implementing successful risk communication strategies, tools, and plans.

More than 100 participants attended the symposium, from drinking water and wastewater utilities, public health agencies, state and local drinking water and wastewater agencies, local emergency response organizations, elected officials, and the media.

The symposium began with opening remarks by Scott Minamyer, Symposium Chair, EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD); Wayne Nastri, Administrator for EPA Region 9; Jonathan Herrmann, National Homeland Security Research Center (NHSRC); Steve Dennis, Alameda County Water District, California; and Susan Dolgin-Ruggles, EPA Office of Water, Water Security Division.

Session 1, “Risk Communication During and Following A Crisis,” began with an informative keynote presentation by Peter Sandman of key elements in crisis and risk communication, 25 fundamental steps in message planning and delivery, how the construction and delivery of a message influences public reaction, and strategies for effective communication and media interaction that build public reassurance, confidence, cooperation, and trust. (See www.psandman.com Exit EPA Disclaimer.)

Session 2, “Risk Communication in Preparation for a Potential Crisis Event,” began with opening remarks from Scott Minamyer, EPA ORD, and a presentation by Marsha Vanderford, Acting Director, Office of Communication, at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), on her experiences with and lessons learned from CDC risk communication activities during the anthrax contamination events in October 2001. Vincent Covello, Director of the Center for Risk Communication in New York, provided an informative keynote presentation of key risk communication and message techniques, skills to consider using during a potential crisis, and how the message impacts human behavior (See www.centerforriskcommunication.org Exit EPA Disclaimer).

The symposium ended with a request for post-meeting feedback on risk communication needs that EPA should be addressing.

See Also
National Water Security Risk Communication Symposium (PDF) (109 pp, 5.5 MB) (EPA 600/C-05/006) November 2005

Contact: Scott Minamyer

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