ASTM E2348-24

This document is not an ASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of an ASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to the previous version. Because
it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation: E2348 − 17 E2348 − 24
Standard Guide for
Framework for a Consensus-based Environmental Decision-
making Process
This standard is issued under the fixed designation E2348; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
1.1 This guide presents a framework for a stakeholder-focused Consensus-based Environmental Decision-making (CBED)
process, which is a stakeholder-empowered, process to prioritize and select actions to be initiated with the goal of optimizing many
types of environmental decisions that may affect a community or communities.
1.2 This guide is intended to describe a highly flexible CBED process, and therefore does not recommend a specific course of
action for this activity.
1.3 This guide is intended to assist in implementing a CBED process, which allows assessing the full impact of any project- or
issue-related decisions related to human health, ecological, socio-cultural or economic impacts.
1.3.1 States and Tribes applying for CERCLA §128(a) Brownfields grants may find this guide useful when developing and
implementing their meaningful public participation and community engagement programs.
1.4 This guide is not intended to replace existing environmental decision-making or public participation processes. It may be used
with other processes or standards that address stakeholder involvement in environmental decision-making.
1.5 Limitations—This standard does not address the specific methods for generating or evaluating technical data related to
assessing a particular environmental issues. The user should seek other sources on methods to gather information for completion
of models or other analyses that may be used during a CBED process. This standard may not fully address the rights of owners
of real property or the potential impact (positive or negative) on the value of real property of a decision made using this process.
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization
established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued
by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee E50 on Environmental Assessment, Risk Management and Corrective Action and is the direct responsibility
of Subcommittee E50.05 on Environmental Risk Management.
Current edition approved Jan. 1, 2017Feb. 1, 2024. Published January 2017March 2024. Originally approved in 2006. Last previous edition approved in 20102017 as
E2348–06(2010).E2348–17. DOI: 10.1520/E2348-17.10.1520/E2348-24.
The CBED process is not meant to replace other processes, such as the U.S. National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process. The strength of the CBED process is
to empower the stakeholders in an organized fashion to focus on specific issues that tend to result in litigation and long delays and can be readily used in conjunction with
NEPA and/or other public participation processes.
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2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
E1739 Guide for Risk-Based Corrective Action Applied at Petroleum Release Sites (Withdrawn 2024)
E1984 Guide for Brownfields Redevelopment (Withdrawn 2012)
E2205 Guide for Risk-Based Corrective Action for Protection of Ecological Resources
E2876 Guide for Integrating Sustainable Objectives into Cleanup
E3356 Guide for Stakeholder Engagement on Environmental Risk Management and Climate
2.2 Other Documents:
P/CCRARM (The Presidential/Congressional Commission on Risk Assessment and Risk Management), 1997a, Framework for
Environmental Health Risk Management. Final Report. Volume I.
P/CCRARM (The Presidential/Congressional Commission on Risk Assessment and Risk Management), 1997b, Risk Assess-
ment and Risk Management in Regulatory Decision-Making. Volume II.
Quality of Stakeholder-Based Decisions and Understanding Risk
40CFR, Part 1501-1506, The Quality of Stakeholder-Based Decisions: Lessons from the Case Study Record, Resources for the
Future
10CFR Part 20, NEPA and Agency Planning; "Standards for Protection Against Radiation," Subpart E, "Radiological Criteria for
License Termination.
Section 117(d) of the Marine Mammals Protection Act of 1972 16 U.S.C. 1386, Section 117
U.S. Department of Interior. BLM Collaborative Stakeholder Engagement and Appropriate Dispute Resolution, 2009 (BLM
2009)
US EPA. Better Decisions Through Consultation and Collaboration, September 2015 (EPA 2015)
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions:
3.1.1 affected stakeholder—stakeholder, n—any individual, group, company, organization, government, tribe or other entity which
may be directly affected by or has a stake in the outcome of the specific CBED process.
3.1.2 community—a group or groups of individuals who live or work in specific neighborhoods or regions.
3.1.3 consensus—a generally accepted agreement among a group of stakeholders.
3.1.4 consensus-based environmental decision-making (CBED) framework—a process structure that will facilitate empowering
affected stakeholders in developing a CBED process.
3.1.5 consensus-based environmental decision-making (CBED) process—a stakeholder-empowered process to assess, prioritize
and select actions to initiate with the goal of optimizing environmental decisions with respect to human health, and ecological,
socio-cultural, and economic impacts.
3.1.6 informed consent—agreement reached by affected stakeholders, which is obtained by a process by which affected
stakeholders (1) are involved in a participative process that creates common understanding of the issues, concerns and priorities
held by all affected stakeholders; (2) assess, prioritize and select actions to improve the problem situation; and (3) agree to
trade-offs to achieve consensus on specific initiatives related to the CBED process.
3.1.7 interested party—any individual, group, company, organization or other entity which is not an “affected stakeholder” but
which is interested in the outcome of the particular CBED process. Interested parties are not empowered with a decision-making
role, and may participate on the Stakeholder Committee only as an observer or to provide information at the discretion of the
Stakeholder Committee.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
The last approved version of this historical standard is referenced on www.astm.org.
Available at http://www.riskworld.com/Nreports/nr7me001.htm.
Available at http://www.riskworld.com/Nreports/nr7me001.htm
Available at: http://www.rff.org/Documents/RFF-DP-00-56.pdf
Available from DLA Document Services, Building 4/D, 700 Robbins Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19111-5094, http://quicksearch.dla.mil.
Available from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 1401 Constitution Ave., NW, Room 5128, Washington, DC 20230, http://www.noaa.gov.
E2348 − 24
3.1.8 regulator—a local, regional, state/provincial state/provincial, Tribal or federal government agency or person employed to
administrator and enforce compliance with laws and regulations, which may be either a stakeholder, a decision-maker, or an
advisor to the Stakeholder Committee.
3.1.9 stakeholder committee—the entity empowered to make decisions within the CBED process which is composed of
representative(s) selected from each group of affected stakeholders. Members of the Stakeholder Committee are responsible to act
as liaisons with their respective stakeholder groups.
3.1.9.1 Discussion—
Members of the Stakeholder Committee are responsible to act as liaisons with their respective stakeholder groups.
4. Summary of Guide
4.1 The Consensus-Based Environmental Decision-making Process is a stakeholder-empowered, community-specific process
established to assess, prioritize and select actions to initiate with the goal of optimizing environmental decision-making with
respect to human health, ecological, socio-cultural, and economic impacts. The Stakeholder Committee may consider issues related
to environmental justice, which relates to the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, regardless of race, ethnicity,
income, national origin or education level. The CBED process is an iterative process comprised of five main steps: (1) affected
stakeholder identification and formation of the Stakeholder Committee; (see BLM 2009, EPA 2015, and Section 6.2 of Guide
E3356) (2) information gathering; (3) forecasting; (4) establishment of informed consent; and (5) implementation and evaluation
of initiatives.
4.2 The CBED process facilitates decision-making through negotiations among affected stakeholders with fairly consensual
decision rules. An important part of the process is to determine and clearly communicate to all participants the rules to be followed
about transparency, the procedures that will be used to reach consensus, and the delineation of the ultimate decision-making
authority.authority (see EPA 2015 and Section 6.4 of Guide E3356).
4.3 The CBED process allows the impact of any project-related or issue-related decision to be assessed. The process provides all
affected stakeholders with scientific and legal analyses and decision criteria that are prepared and interpreted by scientific,
technical, and legal experts, as well as relevant qualitative experiential knowledge and values-based decision criteria. The
Stakeholder Committee decides the relevance and importance of the criteria to the decision under consideration.
4.4 There is no specific path that has to be followed when initiating and participating in this CBED process. Depending on the
needs and priorities of the affected stakeholders and the legal constraints governing specific environmental decisions, different
entities may initiate the process, different procedural rules may be adopted, and different analysis tools may be used to address each
issue or concern.concern (see BLM 2009).
5. Significance and Use
5.1 This standard guide is designed to help the owners and regulators of a specific environmental problem to identify and integrate
affected stakeholders and establish a process to identify and work through all the key questions and answers essential to a mutually
acceptable decision. This standard guide presents a “framework” that is intended to help ensure that all the CBED process
components (that is, human health, ecological condition, socio-cultural values and economic well-being) are considered, but is
designed to allow the user to interpret which components of the process are applicable and how these components are defined for
the specific environmental problem being addressed. It also provides general guidance to help with selecting approaches and
methods for specific analyses of each of the major CBED components (that is, human health, ecological condition, socio-cultural
values, and economic well-being). The CBED process can be easily coupled with other relevant standards (for example Guides
E1739, E1984, E2205, and E2876) and environmental compliance guidance and requirements, for example, Quality of
Stakeholder-Based Decisions and Understanding Risk, 40 CRF 1501, 10 CFR 20, and Marine Mammals Protection Act of 1972.
5.2 The CBED process is appropriate in two contexts: (1) when a specific project is proposed; and (2) when there are or may be
public concerns about specific health, environmental, cultural, social or economic issues. CERCLA § 128(a) grantees will find the
CBED process useful for community engagement activities such as the analysis of brownfields cleanup alternatives.
5.3 Involving affected stakeholders actively in the decision-making process reorients that process from one dominated by
regulators and owners to one that includes those who live with the consequences of the decision. This not only increases the
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successful implementation of decisions, but also can promote greater trust in government, industry and other institutions (See
Section 6.9 of Guide E3356(P/CCRARM, 1997a)., BLM 2009, EPA 2015 and (P/CCRARM, 1997a)).
6. Consensus-based Environmental Decision-making Framework
6.1 Identification of Affected Stakeholders and Formation of the Stakeholder Committee:
6.1.1 Stakeholders are at the center of the CBED process, and are involved from the earliest issue identification through the
decision-making and de
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