Perception of Risk At Toxic Sites (Hazardous Substances).

The dissertation compares the perceptions of risk of agency planners and residents at toxic sites to better underst and the reasons for prevalent conflicts which frustrate the objectives of both groups. Recent studies of how people use information to make decisions involving risk indicate that what information means to people at stages of specific political conflicts and the level of trust in the information are critical to risk perception. Personnel at the four agencies which conduct toxic site planning in Michigan, the residents near two sites, and the members of a statewide resident coalition comprised the sample. They were asked to rate the risk and qualitative characteristics of different hazards and to indicate their reactions to information about a hypothetical site. Both groups viewed the risk of a toxic site as relatively unfamiliar. Residents rated toxic sites as much higher in risk than any of ten other hazards. Agency personnel rated the risk much lower than residents. Residents viewed mishaps from a toxic site as more likely and more damaging than agency personnel. Residents rated the off site risk of a hypothetical site as very high as soon as contamination on site is verified by testing. Both groups felt action should be taken at the hypothetical site, but doubted the adequacy and timeliness of potential Superfund response. Residents differed most from agency planners in their very low level of trust in agency studies and in their strong desire for independent investigation. Neither group felt provision of information itself would decrease resident concerns. The present planning process would be likely to achieve local acceptance if site study were done independently of site planning and if the different interests of agency planners and residents were recognized. Conflict management through negotiation is more likely to lead to local acceptance than provisions for public comments to completed agency work. The underfunding of the Superfund program undercuts trust and local acceptance. Provisions for victim's compensation, higher funding levels, and citizen suits may also be critical to resolving present conflicts.Ph.D.Urban planningUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/161138/1/8621341.pd