ABSTRACT
Communication is the process in which assessors exchange information and opinions with decision-makers, stakeholders, and the public. In environmental assessment, communication occurs primarily before the analysis and writing begin and after the documents are completed. For example, in site-specific assessments, pre-assessment discussions with stakeholders or the public may reveal important exposure pathways to include in the assessment such as subsistence or commercial fishing. After the draft assessment report is completed, it may become the object of public, stakeholder, and peer review which may result in extensive edits and revisions. These reviews may raise new issues that must be assessed, errors that must be corrected, and ambiguities that must be clarified. The final assessment report is communicated to the decision-maker and may be released to the public.
