TERA Public Outreach

As a non-profit organization, Toxicology Excellence for Risk Assessment (TERA) is committed to working with the public to improve knowledge and understanding of risk assessment issues. We have a particular interest in working with environmental or citizen action organizations, through lectures or interactive discussions, to increase their understanding of risk assessment issues so that they can have a more active role in environmental decision making. TERA provides risk assessment support to State agencies through the State Hazard Evaluation Lending Program (State HELP). We also provide litigation support as a means of helping courts and the legal system better understand and interpret science and risk assessment in the legal arena.  

 

TERA Public Outreach

 

StateHELP

 

The StateHELP (Hazard Evaluation Lending Program) allows states to receive up to 10 hours annually of technical support from TERA scientists free of charge. States can take advantage of this project by requesting either technical support for risk assessment problems over the telephone, or requesting a written review of one of the state's risk assessments. For further information, please contact Dr. Michael Dourson.

 

Litigation Support

 

The courts and the supporting legal system have a major impact on the development of environmental policy. Thus, a part of TERA's mission is to provide education to the legal system through litigation support to ensure that toxicity data and risk assessment methods are being used and interpreted correctly in the courts. Some of our recent litigation support includes:

 

bullet Review of toxicity data on pesticides as to whether exposure to pesticides was the proximate cause of health effects for Plaintiff in a personal injury case;

bullet Testimony as expert witness on U.S. EPA's chromium risk assessment for Defendant in groundwater contamination case;

bullet Preparation of written opinion on the quality of multiple risk assessment documents and explanation of EPA risk assessment methods development for Plaintiff in environmental insurance case;

bullet Review environmental monitoring data and toxicity data for multiple chemicals; preparation of risk assessment to support Citizens' Suit under RCRA.

 

TERA can provide a variety of litigation support services from review and analysis of data, to written opinions, to expert witness testimony. For more information on litigation support, complete our feedback form or send an email message to Dr. Michael Dourson.