Citizen participation in environmental policy : a study of landfill siting in two Appalachian communities

This study explores the linkages among democratic participation, political and economic power, and social movements to gain a better understanding of the nature and quality of citizen participation in environmental policy. It compares and contrasts case studies of solid waste landfill controversy in two Appalachian communities - Oliver Springs, Tennessee and McDowell County, West Virginia. It addresses the following questions: What factors or conditions influence citizen participation, including citizens' access to the decision-making arena itself? What difference does participation make and in what ways? Most importantly, how can the quality of citizen participation be improved? The author compares and contrasts the case studies in terms of the context, conditions, and outcomes of participation, and operationalizes the meaning of "quality" of participation in terms of six democratic objectives. She uses an example of landfill siting in a rural south Georgia community as an alternative model of a participatory policy process. The study concludes that an understanding of the linkages among participation, power, and social movements is important for understanding citizen participation. The mobilization of bias in the formal decision-making process may favor commercial landfill developers, even in the face of both widespread opposition and extensive technical data corroborating citizens' concerns, and restrict citizens' access to the agenda. In spite of obstacles, citizens in the two cases had a significant impact on the policy process. Effective participation may not equate with a successful outcome, as participation strengthens individual development and civic life. However, developmental impacts may be manifested differently among individuals depending on achievement of instrumental goals. Participation in local controversies may be linked to a broader support network of social movement organizations beyond the local area. Participation also may have linkages over time, as previous democratizing experiences can serve as a resource for further participation, or "social capital." The findings support the idea that democratic skills may be developed more readily outside of institutional structures, or free social spaces, than inside them. The study suggests that policy alternatives may transform confrontational forms of participation into new structures that promote sustainable community development.