Improving Citizen Participation in Environmental Decisionmaking: The Use of Transformative Mediator Techniques

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Abstract
Recent experiences in the United States suggest that mediators employ a number of techniques designed to resolve disputes over critical technical components of decisions. Some of these techniques, called ‘transformative mediator techniques’, both increase the knowledge base for decisions and enhance the abilities of resource-poor groups to protect and promote their interests. In this paper, elements of transformative and nontransformative mediator techniques are identified and discussed. Examples of mediator techniques are drawn from three cases: A regulatory negotiation to develop emission standards for wood stoves, a policy dialogue concerning a proposal to construct a solid-waste incinerator in New York City, and settlement negotiations in a fishery dispute involving three Native American tribes, the State of Michigan, and two federal agencies.

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