THE SITING OF RADIOACTIVE-WASTE FACILITIES - WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS ON COMMUNITIES

Despite literally dozens of attempts, and the expenditure of billions of dollars, efforts to site radioactive waste disposal facilities in t his country have been uniformly unsuccessful. While both researchers a nd policymakers continue to address reasons for these failures, little attention is being given to the consequences for the communities them selves of these intensive siting battles. Using a research framework t hat addresses both the sources and consequences of community conflict, we examine what is happening in four different areas currently being considered as potential hosts for either a high- or a low-level radioa ctive waste facility. Some degree of conflict is observed in each comm unity, although it varies from one area to another based on such diffe rences as potential to experience economic benefits, perceptions of cl ass and ethnic equity, and the role of extra-local players in the cont roversy. We conclude that current policies lead to inequitable distrib utions of risk that, in turn, create ''fairness'' questions that are i mportant both in explaining current patterns of conflict and in antici pating long-term consequences for the affected communities.