Managing Risk Starts and Ends with Knowing Your Client

The shift from investigation to risk management commonly occurs towards the end of a site investigation; however, this can add unnecessary time and expense, can expose involved parties to additional risk, and may not meet your client’s goals.  Risk management should start at the very beginning of any environmental investigation project, and should continue throughout the life of the project.  Risk management starts and ends by learning your client’s goals and limitations.  These include your client’s financial resources for the project and their short-and long-term plans for the impacted property.  Once the client’s goals and limitations are understood, an investigation strategy can be developed that meets the requirements for site characterization, while simultaneously developing information useful for managing risk (e.g., assessment of risks to human health and the environment, identification of contributing sources, and for supporting selection of a remedy that is consistent with the client’s goals and limitations).  Knowing your client’s goals and limitations also sets the parameters for considering and choosing the best remedial approach from the ever-increasing number of alternatives available.  Details that should be considered when implementing a risk management strategy include: financial resources, regulatory requirements, litigation risks and availability of “OPM” (“other people’s money” such as other PRPs, insurance and government grants).  Case studies focusing on real-life analysis of these factors and the resulting remedial actions will be presented.