PERCEIVED RISK AND THE SITING OF A CONTROVERSIAL ...

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4. VARIABLES <strong>AND</strong> FRAMEWORK In this case study, a framework based on the Social Amplification of Risk Framework incorporating three variables associated with risk perception was used to study a policy decision to build a wastewater treatment plant. The event triggering the perceived risk was considered to be the independent variable (the factor believed to influence the dependent variable). This was the filing of the application by WMARSS (Waco Metropolitan Area Regional Sewerage System) with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to construct a wastewater treatment plant on Bull Hide Creek and discharge effluent. The dependent variable (the factor the case study sought to understand) was the issuance of the permit to operate the Bull Hide Creek wastewater treatment plant. The intervening variables (the factors believed to influence the dependent variable) used in this case were resources (power, money, political influence and social capital), risk communication, and trust. The objective of this case study was to examine a singular event in detail in an attempt to understand the interactions of the variables and their relationship with the stakeholders. Stakeholders were defined as those who were involved in the policy making process for they would be impacted by the outcome. Although this policy decision would affect numerous citizens in the area, only those actively involved in the conflict were included in the research as stakeholders. This analysis has produced a level of understanding that the author feels can be applied to future water policy issues using the comparative method. As Hague, Martin and Breslin (1998, p. 276) point out, “In consequence, much comparative political 24
analysis takes the form not of relating cases to abstract political theory but simply of drawing analogies between the cases themselves.” 4.1. Resources In any policy decision process, effective utilization of resources has a significant influence on risk perception. Managing resources, however, is a complex, difficult, time consuming, competitive endeavor. The party, or parties, that are most able to accomplish the task with strategic tactics will most likely achieve their desired outcome. There are four significant resources that contributed to the amplification and attenuation of perceived risk in this case study: power, money, political influence, and social capital. Stakeholders competed for control of, and use of, these resources to influence both the process and outcome of the conflict. Of these four resources, power was perhaps the most important as it had the potential to acquire, control or mitigate others (money, political influence, and social influence). It should be noted that if there is a strong element of trust between the parties, competition for resources may be reduced due to increased efficiency of risk communication and productive negotiation. 4.1.1. Power Power can be simply defined as the ability, or potential, to effect change. It is a recognized, complex, ubiquitous, relational force that is at times dynamic, or stable, equitable, or unequal, benign or destructive, collaborative or unilateral, coercive or persuasive, and overt or covert. For centuries, philosophers, psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, and political observers from Plato to Flyvbjerg have studied and analyzed its characteristics and applications (Flyvbjerg, 1998; Plato, 380 BCE). For the 25
Page 1 and 2: PERCEIVED RISK AND THE SITING OF A
Page 3 and 4: DEDICATION I dedicate this thesis t
Page 5 and 6: NOMENCLATURE BHCCWA CAFO EPA ETJ LU
Page 7 and 8: 5.2 Role of the Researcher ........
Page 9 and 10: 1. INTRODUCTION: THE ROLE OF PERCEI
Page 11 and 12: 2. BACKGROUND: GENERAL ISSUES ASSOC
Page 13 and 14: wastewater treatment plant in their
Page 15 and 16: 3. LITERATURE REVIEW 3.1. Uncertain
Page 17 and 18: economic organization, are categori
Page 19 and 20: 3.2. The Psychological Model of Ris
Page 21 and 22: “Just get it over with because it
Page 23 and 24: culture, those judged to be “norm
Page 25 and 26: Dake also explored the role of soci
Page 27 and 28: will be conducted out again in 2013
Page 29 and 30: The research showed that people, wh
Page 31: attenuation of risk signals and per
Page 35 and 36: need and the object, between his li
Page 37 and 38: influence is derived from meeting v
Page 39 and 40: communication produces honesty, tra
Page 41 and 42: 5. METHODS 5.1. Research Techniques
Page 43 and 44: for Proposal) through open records
Page 45 and 46: Smith, 2009b). This included a laws
Page 47 and 48: the risks this plant would present
Page 49 and 50: and Lorena were considering wastewa
Page 51 and 52: Hewitt joined the Waco Metropolitan
Page 53 and 54: would result from regional wastewat
Page 55 and 56: available (Statement of larry todd,
Page 57 and 58: community and among the other stake
Page 59 and 60: The creek, according to an environm
Page 61 and 62: families on the traditional, Sunday
Page 63 and 64: Table 1, continued Date June 10, 20
Page 65 and 66: plant online as soon as possible. S
Page 67 and 68: Individuals, government agencies, a
Page 69 and 70: of Waco to determine who had notifi
Page 71 and 72: manager was directly threatened by
Page 73 and 74: treatment on behalf of the combined
Page 75 and 76: of other council members, his compl
Page 77 and 78: conflict. However, this may be attr
Page 79 and 80: which improved morale and decreased
Page 81 and 82: emphasizing that not only did their
Page 83 and 84:
Bull Hide residents was high. Had t
Page 85 and 86:
7. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS This
Page 87 and 88:
ecognize, comprehend and successful
Page 89 and 90:
Caplin, A., & Leahy, J. (2001). Psy
Page 91 and 92:
Gonzalez, B. (2009). County commiss
Page 93 and 94:
Lyon, S. (2010). Affidavit of steve
Page 95 and 96:
Smith, J. B. (2009c, February 22).
Page 97 and 98:
The World Values Survey. (2012). Re
Page 99 and 100:
APPENDIX B LOCATION OF BULL HIDE CR
Page 101 and 102:
APPENDIX D BULL HIDE CREEK WASTEWAT
Page 103 and 104:
APPENDIX F PROJECTED GROWTH OF HEWI
Page 108 and 109:
100
Page 110 and 111:
The copy of the settlement agreemen
Page 112 and 113:
Several challenges were encountered
Page 114 and 115:
equirement with only the initial fl
Page 116 and 117:
Table 1 - Bull Hide Creek WWTP Infl
Page 118 and 119:
With this in mind, an excerpt of th
Page 120 and 121:
Table 2 Legend: • BH = Bull Hide
Page 122:
It is widely acknowledged that ther
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