The issue of standard-setting by consent is an important one. In this talk, I would like to describe a case in which I served as a facilitator or mediator in such a consensus building effort. The case involved the siting of a resource recovery—or trash-to-energy—plant in New York City. The issue of standards arose, because a number of people, especially those in Brooklyn who lived next to the proposed site, decided that this kind of facility was not safe. Barry Commoner, a respected scientist and environmental advocate, supported their view. Every time you say "resource recovery," he thinks "dioxin." For some, the first term cannot be used without mentioning the second.

In the last few years, Commoner has been effective in convincing people who already oppose the siting of such facilities that resource recovery facilities pose a dioxin threat. He took advantage of New York's effort to solve its trash problem (by building a resource recovery plant, or a series of them) to bring his dioxin concerns to the public. He did so very effectively.