Abstract
Addressing the risks from various chemicals requires a policy-mix perspective-a perspective in which traditional regulatory methods are combined with voluntary methods and economic measures. In choosing a method or a combination of methods, it is necessary not only to take into consideration the characteristics of each risk, but also to pay appropriate attention to various criteria to be used in applying these methods as well as ways to facilitate risk communication among stakeholders. From this viewpoint, taking up the development of TRI policies in the United States and reviewing U.S. chemical management measures are useful for studying new chemical management measures in Japan. In the U.S. too, the chemical management measures have started to take a broader approach including voluntary efforts based on the disclosure of information about chemical substances rather than simply the traditional approach focused on regulatory measures. It should be noted, however, that, behind this trend, the public participation systems have been making a great contribution to the environmental policy-making and various NGOs have been making efforts to facilitate risk communication.
