Public perception of low-level radioactive waste disposal issues

The objectives of the study were to: (1) gather information on how people perceive low-level radioactive-waste-disposal issues; (2) compare the perceptions between organized citizen interest group members and non-group members within the same community; (3) compare the perceptions between interest group members living near open sites, closed sites and proposed sites; (4) compare the perceptions between non-group members living near open sites, closed sites and proposed sites; and (5) identify aspects of crucial low-level radioactive-waste policy questions that should be considered in policy decision making. Findings indicate that significant results between interest-group member respondents (IGMRs) and nongroup member respondents (NGMRs) were rarely the result of interest-group members being on one side and nongroup member respondents being on the other side of an issue. Rather, significance usually occurred when there were varying degrees of agreement of disagreement between the two types of respondents on a particular question, with the IGMRs typically registering stronger levels of agreement of disagreement. Priority issues identified by both IGMRs and NGMRs included public health and safety; risk perception; economic concerns; and environmental factors