In November 2005, the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) jointly signed a memorandum directing Federal agencies to seek to increase the effective use of environmental conflict resolution (ECR) and collaborative problem solving (see http://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/joint-statement.html).  The Department of Energy defines ECR as an ADR process which may include the use of a neutral third party, such as a mediator or facilitator to assist in the prevention or resolution of environmental disputes.  ECR may also include the use of other collaborative processes (that may not necessarily use a neutral third party) to prevent or resolve environmental disputes.  The memorandum also directs Federal agencies to report annually on their progress in implementing the memorandum.   DOE submitted its first annual ECR report to CEQ/OMB in December 2006. DOE ECR Report 2006 (PDF)   The Office of Conflict Prevention and Resolution is available to assist DOE Programs in determining the appropriate ECR process to use in resolving or preventing an environmental dispute.