Public involvement in environmental assessment: the case of the nonparticipant

Public involvement is recognized by legislators, practitioners, academics, nongovernment organizations and, most importantly, affected communities, as a fundamental component of environmental assessment (EA) processes. Experience with public involvement in EA has proven, however, that despite good intentions, there are formidable barriers to participation. This paper examines this issue, largely through a case study of a new Can$120 million hog processing facility in Brandon, Canada. Primary data were collected in three phases, using multiple methodological techniques, including document review, qualitative interviews, and a mail questionnaire. Results included a diverse list of barriers to involvement, grouped into two primary categories: structural and individual. A significant structural barrier was a belief that becoming involved would not make a difference as the ultimate decision in the case was a foregone conclusion. An important individual barrier was that people did not know about the EA. Finally, the results indicated that lack of interest was not an important reason for nonparticipation.     

What Is a Good Public Participation Process? Five Perspectives from the Public

It is now widely accepted that members of the public should be involved in environmental decision-making. This has inspired many to search for principles that characterize good public participation processes. In this paper we report on a study that identifies discourses about what defines a good process. Our case study was a forest planning process in northern New England and New York. We employed Q methodology to learn how participants characterize a good process differently, by selecting, defining, and privileging different principles. Five discourses, or perspectives, about good process emerged from our study. One perspective emphasizes that a good process acquires and maintains popular legitimacy. A second sees a good process as one that facilitates an ideological discussion. A third focuses on the fairness of the process. A fourth perspective conceptualizes participatory processes as a power struggle—in this instance a power play between local landowning interests and outsiders. A fifth perspective highlights the need for leadership and compromise. Dramatic differences among these views suggest an important challenge for those responsible for designing and carrying out public participation processes. Conflicts may emerge about process designs because people disagree about what is good in specific contexts.     

Evaluation of a Collaborative Model: A Case Study Analysis of Watershed Planning in theIntermountain West

Collaborative planning processes have become increasingly popular for addressing environmental planning issues, resulting in a number of conceptual models for collaboration. A model proposed by Selin and Chavez suggests that collaboration emerges from a series of antecedents and then proceeds sequentially through problem-setting, direction-setting, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation phases. This paper summarizes an empirical study to evaluate if the Selin and Chavez model encompasses the range of factors important for the establishment and operation of collaboration in watershed planning from the perspective of the planning coordinator. Analysis of three case studies of watershed based planning efforts in the Intermountain West suggests the model realistically describes some of the fundamental collaborative elements in watershed planning. Particularly important factors include the involvement of stakeholders in data collection and analysis and the establishment of measurable objectives. Informal face-to-face dialog and watershed field tours were considered critical for identifying issues and establishing trust among stakeholders. Group organizational structure also seems to play a key role in facilitating collaboration. From this analysis, suggestions for refining the model are proposed.     

Public and occupational risks of the Nevada (USA) Test Site

The Nevada Test Site (NTS), north of Las Vegas, was the scene of hundreds of nuclear weapons tests over four decades, both above- and belowground. There is considerable interest, both in neighboring communities and elsewhere, in the risks it poses. Overall, the greatest risks are nonradioactive in origin, with occupational risks to employees and accident risks in transporting low-level nuclear wastes to the NTS from other Department of Energy (DOE) sites ranking highest. For radiation risks, that to workers handling radioactive materials is much higher than that to the surrounding population, either present or future. Overall, annual risks are small, with all fatalities approximately 0.008% of total Nevada deaths. At the NTS, the government spends about 5000 times more on radiation as opposed to nonradiation deaths. This suggests that at least some resources may be misallocated towards cleanup of public risks and that the occupational risk of cleanup may be much higher than the public risk. Thus risk may be multiplied by well-meaning programs.     

Motives as Predictors of the Public's Attitudes Toward Solid Waste Issues

/ Surveys focusing on solid-waste-related issues, conducted over a period of several years, provided data from independent samples of residents of a Midwestern, USA, community. The collection of these data yielded useful information about the relationship between residents' recycling motives and their attitudes toward solid waste management in light of several changes in the solid waste infrastructure of the community over that time. The initial survey assessed baseline beliefs and attitudes, while later surveys were conducted after the implementation of a community educational program and a curbside recycling program. The findings indicated that for recyclers and nonrecyclers, different motives predicted endorsement of solid waste programs and policies. Although a similar percentage of recyclers and nonrecyclers were in support of various proposed programs and policies, concern for the environment was found to be positively related to nonrecyclers' support of proposed programs, particularly before these programs were implemented. Prior to program implementation, motives other than environmental altruism were found to be related to recyclers' support of the programs. Additional findings support the idea that educational programs and increased accessibility to recycling opportunities affect the relationship between people's attitudes toward solid waste management and their recycling motives.     

苯法马来酸酐生产危险分析及安全控制技术

马来酸酐作为一种重要的有机化工原料和精细化工产品,其安全生产具有一定的典型性.对马来酸酐生产过程中的介质危险、过程危险及装置危险进行了分析,提出了马来酸酐装置安全控制技术措施.     

安全投入与事故直接经济损失的问题研究

通过对安全投入及事故直接经济损失的分析研究,利用最小二乘法对安全投入比例(安全投入占GDP的比例)与事故直接经济损失之间的关系进行了回归分析,确定了其对应的函数关系.结果表明,安全投入比例与事故直接经济损失之间呈较明显的负指数关系.探讨了安全投入存在的主要问题,提出了几点关于加强安全投入的建议及措施.     

提高企业信任度,改善安全生产人文环境

在安全规章制度中往往只规定下级的安全责任,并未对领导责任做出具体规定,缺乏权利义务的对等性,导致企业安全管理成一纸空文,落实不下去,存在着严重的形式主义.由于企业规章制度持续性和稳定性不足,存在朝令夕改的现象,导致企业在安全生产工作方面产生信任度危机,所以员工在安全生产过程中总是在揣测领导的真正意图以决定自己的行为.因此,提倡将企业内部纵向的信任研究引入到安全管理领域.     

影响安全生产状况的经济社会发展指标及灰色关联度分析

为研究我国经济社会发展指标与安全生产状况之间的关系,首先对新中国建立以来安全生产状况的规律性作了分析研究。然后选取了与安全生产密切相关的7个经济社会发展指标,应用灰色系统理论的关联度分析法计算分析了各指标对安全生产状况的影响程度,得出该时期农业产值占GDP的比重对安全生产状况的影响最大,第三产业的影响其次,科技和教育经费的投入指标对安全生产状况的影响度较小的结论,并深入分析探讨了其内在原因。提出了我国在工业化进程中如何解决安全生产问题的意见和建议。     

石化生产装置安全现状模糊综合评价方法研究

根据石油化工生产装置安全评价存在的模糊性和随机性的特点,在建立涵盖安全管理、工艺过程、作业环境、人员素质、生产设备和安全教育等一级指标的安全现状综合评价指标体系的基础上,运用模糊数学综合评判理论,采用基于信息论中熵概念计算指标权重的方法,提出了安全现状二级模糊综合评价方法。在组织专家对评价指标打分和确定模糊等级的基础上,应用该方法对某顺丁橡胶生产装置安全现状进行了综合评价,得出其安全状况为“较好”;并分析了指标体系中一级指标的状况,为制定安全对策措施提供了指导。该方法对于提高石油化工生产装置安全现状综合评价的客观性和准确性具有理论意义和实用价值。