Risk perception in context: The Savannah River site stakeholder study

Bryan L. Williams, Sylvia Brown, Michael Greenberg, Mokbul A. Kahn

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

56 Scopus citations

Abstract

Environmental managers are increasingly charged with involving the public in the development and modification of policies regarding risks to human health and the environment. Involving the public in environmental decision making first requires a broad understanding of how and why the public perceives various risks. The Savannah River Stakeholder Study was conducted with the purpose of investigating individual, economic, and social characteristics of risk perceptions among those living near the Savannah River Nuclear Weapons Site. A number of factors were found to impact risk perceptions among those living near the site. One's estimated proximity to the site and relative river location surfaced as strong determinants of risk perceptions among SRS residents. Additionally, living in a quality neighborhood and demonstrating a willingness to accept health risks for economic gain strongly abated heightened risk perceptions.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1019-1035
Number of pages17
JournalRisk Analysis
Volume19
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 1999
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • CRESP
  • DOE Savannah River Site
  • Economic Dependence
  • Risk Assessment
  • Risk perception
  • Stakeholder
  • Trust

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Safety, Risk, Reliability and Quality
  • Physiology (medical)

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