The siting dilemma : low-level radioactive waste disposal in the United States

Author

Mary R. English

Date of Award

12-1991

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Sociology

Major Professor

Thomas C. Hood

Committee Members

John Gaventa, Donald Clelland, William Colglazier, Milton Russell

Abstract

The 1980 Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act ushered in a new era in low-level waste disposal; one with vastly increased state responsibilities. By a 1985 amendment, states were given until January 1993 to fulfill their mandate. In this dissertation, their progress is reviewed. The focus then turns to one particularly intractable problem: that of finding technically and socially acceptable sites for new disposal facilities. Many lament the difficulty of siting facilities that are intended to benefit the public at large but are often locally unwanted. Many label local opposition as purely self-interested; as simply a function of the NIMBY (Not In My Backyard) syndrome. Here, it is argued that epithets such as NIMBY are unhelpful. Instead, to comprehend the siting dilemma, differing values on issues concerning authority, trust, risk, and justice must be understood. Only then can the ground be laid for widely acceptable solutions to siting conflicts.

Recommended Citation

English, Mary R., "The siting dilemma : low-level radioactive waste disposal in the United States. " PhD diss., University of Tennessee, 1991.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/11101