Determinants of Trust Perceptions among Residents Surrounding the Savannah River Nuclear Weapons Site

Abstract

The public is becoming increasingly distrustful of hazardous waste management activities. However, public trust is a requisite condition for effective environmental management of hazardous waste sites. Without trust, it is unlikely that such institutions can effectively convince the public that a site is safe and can be reused. The authors of this article conducted a study of the social, economic, psychological, demographic, and political factors that may affect environmental risk assessment and communication at the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Nuclear Weapons Site (SRS). Public trust was a central focus of this study. A population survey was conducted to evaluate the level of public mistrust and correlates of public mistrust among residents living near the SRS. In this sample, several groups of respondents demonstrated high levels of trust. Respondents living upriver from SRS and respondents whose county was economically dependent on SRS voiced high levels of trust. Respondents who were predisposed toward accepting additional hazardous waste or accepting public health risks for economic gain also showed high levels of trust. Findings suggest that public trust is influenced by a variety of factors including personal traits, experiences, and economic needs.

Distal factors in risk perception

“…An accepting attitude is often found in populations close to a nuclear facility, see e.g. Williams et al (WILLIAMS, BROWN & GREENBERG, 1999). …”

Do Mexican Americans perceive environmental issues differently than Caucasians: a study of cross-ethnic variation in perceptions related to water in Tucson.

“…Additionally, those living in poor, underserved, and environmentally stigmatized communities frequently possess an inherent distrust of the institutions seemingly responsible for the environmental condition of such communities (3). Distrust is commonly associated with a number of these factors including but not limited to low socioeconomic status, living in close proximity to environmental stressors, having an extrinsic locus of control, and a willingness to accept risks for economic gain (50,51). Despite the wealth of literature in this area, we know very little about the views of Mexican Americans.…”

Trust in Banks: Evidence from the Spanish Financial Crisis

“…Newton (1999) Schweer (1997) focuses on the determinants of young adults' experienced trust towards the central institutions of society and concludes that the perceived attributes of an institution are relevant for the degree of experienced trust. Williams et al (1999) analyse trust amongst residents close to a nuclear weapons site in the USA and conclude it is influenced by a variety of factors including personal traits, experiences and economic needs.…”