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Steven M. Swanson, Ph.D. - Environmental Economist
Dr. Swanson is an environmental specialist with over 25 years of international and domestic experience in environmental economics. He earned his BS and PhD in Economics from the University of Utah in 1972, and began teaching graduate level courses in microeconomics, labor and environmental economics at Northeastern University. Doctor Swanson then spent 11 years at the American Petroleum Institute (API) in various positions (including Director of Health and Environmental Affairs) dealing with the trade-offs between environmental protection and increased petroleum production. He addressed varied health and environmental regulations including: the impacts of offshore drilling, air and water regulations, and the impact of the EPA regulation of fuels and fuel additives. Dr. Swanson and API played an important role in the development and institutionalization of risk assessment in the regulatory and public health arena.
As a founder of Sanders International and a Senior Associate with the Urban institute, Dr. Swanson specializied in environmental business development and public policy issues related to environmental regulation and compliance in Central Europe and Asia. He worked with the U.S. Agency for International Development assisting emerging democracies in Central and Eastern Europe to develop their environmental technology and service infrastructures.
Dr. Swanson is an expert on technical, economic and regulatory issues concerning the environment and the related fields of health, safety, energy, and infrastructure investment. He has directed major studies on economic and health risk analysis for the EPA, has served as an expert witness for the OSHA, and has been a guest lecturer on environmental health regulation and risk assessment at Yale University, Boston University, Wesleyan College, and the American Chemical Society.