Dl. Feldman et Ra. Hanahan, PUBLIC PERCEPTIONS OF A RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED SITE - CONCERNS, REMEDIATION PREFERENCES, AND DESIRED INVOLVEMENT, Environmental health perspectives, 104(12), 1996, pp. 1344-1352
A public attitudes survey was conducted in neighborhoods adjacent to a
radioactively contaminated site whose remediation is now under the au
spices of the U.S. Department of Energy's Formerly Utilized Sites Reme
dial Action Program (FUSRAP). The survey's purpose was to ascertain le
vels of actual and desired public involvement in the remediation proce
ss; to identify health, environmental, economic, and future land-use c
oncerns associated with the site; and to solicit remediation strategy
preferences. Surface water and groundwater contamination, desire for p
ublic involvement, and potential health risks were found to be the mos
t highly ranked site concerns. Preferred remediation strategies includ
ed treatment of contaminated soil and excavation with off-site disposa
l. Among on-site remediation strategies, only institutional controls t
hat leave the site undisturbed and do not require additional excavatio
n of materials were viewed favorably Cost of remediation appeared to i
nfluence remediation strategy preference; however, no strategy was vie
wed as a panacea. Respondents were also concerned with protecting futu
re generations, better assessment of risks to health and the environme
nt, and avoiding generation of additional contaminated materials.