SCIENTISTS, PUBLIC POLICY, AND ERIONITE IN NORTH DAKOTA

The identification of erionite in rocks used to make gravel roads in North Dakota sparked a cascade of scientific and public policy responses to the threat it can pose to public health. It also provides us with an excellent case study in the interplay of science and society, and the role of scientists in public policy making.

The techniques of the policy sciences can be used to analyze the situation. The policy sciences focus attention on the participants in an issue and on their efforts to solve problems and make decisions in ways that accommodate a range of perspectives and values, often while working with incomplete data. The major participants involved in erionite in North Dakota include university, state, and federal scientists; residents in the area; interest groups associated with specific health issues; the popular and scientific media; local representatives; state legislators and regulators; and federal policy makers. Understanding the roles and perspectives of the participants can help in clarifying the common interest and in developing feasible policy solutions.

In his book The Honest Broker (2007), Pielke outlined four idealized roles for scientists in decision making: Pure Scientist, Issue Advocate, Science Arbiter, and Honest Broker. In various circumstances, scientists fulfilled all four roles when addressing the erionite issue in North Dakota and some scientists also acted as citizen scientists, as described by Frodeman in Geo-Logic (2003).