On the significance of "The Red Book" in the evolution of risk assessment and risk management

The 1983 National Research Council's report Risk Assessment in the Federal Government: Managing the Process, popularly known as "The Red Book," synthesized emerging concepts of the time, addressed politically salient policy questions, and was published at a time when its recommendations were needed and were utilized in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and other regulatory agencies. The Red Book has become synonymous with science-based risk assessment and the effective, respectful, and explicit inter-connection of science and policy, of science and values. It set the stage for the later emphasis on engagement of a wide range of stakeholders in the characterization and control of risks from chemicals in our environment.