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Support for Waste Facility Siting: Differences between Community Leaders and Residents
Author(s) -
Spies Sherrill,
Murdock Steve H.,
White Steve,
Krannich Richard,
Wulfhorst J. D.,
Wrigley Krissa,
Leistritz F. Larry,
Sell Randy,
Thompson JoAnn
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
rural sociology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.083
H-Index - 65
eISSN - 1549-0831
pISSN - 0036-0112
DOI - 10.1111/j.1549-0831.1998.tb00665.x
Subject(s) - hazardous waste , nimby , business , equity (law) , perception , environmental planning , waste disposal , political science , waste management , engineering , geography , psychology , civil engineering , neuroscience , law
Decisions regarding hazardous waste facility siting are now open to extensive public debate. Efforts on the part of public officials and private companies to site waste management facilities have been thwarted by public opposition. Using survey data from leaders and residents in communities which are hosting or siting facilities, this study examines their sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, levels of trust, perceptions of risk, perceptions of economic impacts, perceptions of equity issues and the differential effects of these factors on acceptance of local waste facility siting. Leaders in these communities were more supportive of local waste facility siting than were other community residents. The major determinant of leaders' acceptance of waste siting was their perceptions of the economic benefits of a facility to the community. Although this was also important to residents, perceptions of health, safety, and environmental contamination risks had larger effects on their acceptance of such facilities.