Risk perception, future land use and stewardship: Comparison of attitudes about Hanford Site and Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory

Citation
J. Burger et al., Risk perception, future land use and stewardship: Comparison of attitudes about Hanford Site and Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory, J ENVIR MGM, 61(4), 2001, pp. 265-280
Citations number
61
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Environment/Ecology
Journal title
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
ISSN journal
0301-4797 → ACNP
Volume
61
Issue
4
Year of publication
2001
Pages
265 - 280
Database
ISI
SICI code
0301-4797(200104)61:4<265:RPFLUA>2.0.ZU;2-S
Abstract
With the ending of the Cold War, the Department of Energy (DOE) is evaluati ng mission, future land use and stewardship of departmental facilities. Thi s paper compares the environmental concerns and future use preferences of 3 51 people interviewed at Lewiston, Idaho, about the Hanford Site and Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL), two of DOE's lar gest sites. Although most subjects lived closer to Hanford than INEEL, most resided in the same state as INEEL. Therefore their economic interests mig ht be more closely allied with INEEL, while their health concerns might be more related to Hanford. Few lived close enough to either site to be direct ly affected economically. We test the null hypotheses that there are no dif ferences in environmental concerns and future land-use preferences as a fun ction of DOE site, sex, age and education. When asked to list their major c oncerns about the sites, more people listed human health and safety, and en vironmental concerns about Hanford compared to INEEL. When asked to list th eir preferred future land uses, 49% of subjects did not have any for INEEL, whereas only 35% did not know for Hanford. The highest preferred land uses for both sites were as a National Environmental Research Park (NERP), and for camping, hunting, hiking, and fishing. Except for returning the land to the tribes and increased nuclear storage, subjects rated all future uses a s more preferred at INEEL than Hanford. Taken together, these data suggest that the people interviewed know more about Hanford, are more concerned abo ut Hanford, rate recreational uses and NERP as their highest preferred land use, and feel that INEEL is more suited for most land uses than Hanford. O verall rankings for future land uses were remarkably similar between the si tes, indicating that for these stakeholders, DOE lands should be preserved for research and recreation. These preferences should be taken into account when planning for long-term stewardship at these two DOE sites. (C) 2001 A cademic Press.