A Citizen's Right to Know: Risk Communication and Public Policy

256 Pages·45.388 MB·English

by  Susan G. Hadden

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Risk Communication and
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Susan G.
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ISBN 978-0-367-15341-0
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A CITIZEN’S
RIGHT
TO KNOW
Risk Communication
and Public Policy

A CITIZEN'S
RIGHT
TO KNOW
Risk Communication
and Public Policy
Susan G. Hadden
First published 1989 by Westview Press, Inc.
Published 2021 by Routledge
605 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
Copyright © 1989 by Taylor & Francis
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by
any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
Notice:
Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for
identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Hadden, Susan G.
A citizen's right to know.
Includes index.
1. Freedom of information-United States.
2. Hazardous substances--Government policy--United
States. 3. Hazardous substances-Law and legislation-
United States. I. Title.
JC599.U5H23 1989 323.44'5 89-5801
ISBN13: 978-0-3670-0354-8 (hbk)
ISBN13: 978-0-3671-5341-0 (pbk)
DOI: 10.4324/9780429033407
Contents
List of Tables and Figures ix
Prefacexi
Acknowledgments xv
Part 1
What Is Right to Know?
1 / The Need for Right to Know 3
Chemicals in the Environment 5
,
Information, Regulation, and
Individual Choice 11
,
What Is the Right to Know? 15
Notes 17
,
2 / Gaining the Right to Know 19
Information for Workers 20
,
Winning the Right to Know 24
,
What Do We Have a Right to Know? 28
A Preliminary Assessment of Title III 37
,
Notes 41
,
3 / Implementing Right to Know: New Jersey
and Texas 45
Right to Know in New Jersey 45
,
Right to Know in Texas 60
,
Notes 68
,
Part 2
Aspects of Right to Know
4 / Institutional Factors 73
Federalism 73
,
Bureaucratic and Procedural Impediments 79
,
V
vi j Contents
Trade Secrets 83
,
Liability 85
,
Enforcement 87
,
Conclusion 89
,
Notes 90
,
5 / Managing All the Data 93
Computerization of Section 313 94
,
Computerization at the State and Local
Levels 102
,
Benefits of Computers for RTK 106
,
Conclusion 109
,
Notes 109
,
6 / Imperfect Information 113
Information Not Available 114
,
Assessing and Understanding Health Risks 117
,
Understanding Scientific Communications 122
,
Conclusion 131
,
Notes 133
,
7 / Risk Perception and Risk Communication 137
Risk Perception 138
,
Risk Communication 144
,
Risk and RTK 148
,
Notes 150
,
8 / The Political Economy of RTK 155
Government and Information 156
,
Government Responsibility for
Information Content 160
,
Conclusion 165
,
Notes 167
,
Part 3
Remedies: Making RTK Work
9 / Improving Right to Know 173
A Better Statute Better Implemented 173
,
Better Information Formats 186
,
Conclusion 200
,
Notes 201
,
Contents / vii
10 / Empowering Citizens 203
Participating in the Policy Process 205
,
Another Right to Know 209
,
Government, Citizens, and Information 213
,
Notes 217
,
Appendix: The Surveys 221
The New Tersev/Massachusetts Survey 221
,
The Texas Voter Survey 227
,
The Field Survey 229
,
Telephone Surveys of LEPC Chairpeople 231
,
Conclusion 233
,
Notes 233
,
List of Acronyms 235
Index 237

Tables and Figures
TTaabblleess
11--11 CCoonncceennttrraattiioonnss ooff sseelleecctteedd ssyynntthheettiicc oorrggaanniicc
ccoommppoouunnddss iinn rraaww aanndd ffiinniisshheedd ggrroouunnddwwaatteerr 88
11--22 SSuummmmaarryy ooff aannnnuuaall lleevveellss ooff sseevveenn aaiirr
ccoonnttaammiinnaannttss aatt ssiixx ssiitteess 88
11--33 RReessiidduueess ooff ttooxxiicc mmaatteerriiaallss iinn hhuummaann ffaatt,, 11997700--119988339 9
11--44 DDeeaatthh rraatteess iinn tthhee UUnniitteedd SSttaatteess,, 11995500--11998800 99
1-5 EE1-5ss ttiimmaatteedd nneeww ccaanncceerr ccaasseess aanndd ddeeaatthhss,, 11998811 aanndd 11998888 1100
11--6 6 TTeennttaattiivvee ttyyppoollooggyy ooff rriigghhttss ttoo kknnooww 1177
22--1 1 TTiittllee IIIIII rreeppoorrttiinngg rreeqquuiirreemmeennttss 3300
22--2 2 SSttaattuuttoorryy ddeeaaddlliinneess iinn TTiittllee IIIIII32 32
33-- 11 SSeelleecctteedd rreessuullttss ooff NNeeww JJeerrsseeyy iinndduussttrriiaall ssuurrvveeyy 4477
33--22 RReessuullttss ooff iinnffoorrmmaall ssuurrvveeyy ooff ffaacctt sshheeeett uusseerrss 5566
33--33 CChhaarraacctteerriissttiiccss ooff iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn rreecceeiivveedd bbyy cciittiizzeennss 5577
99--11 RReeccoommmmeennddaattiioonnss aanndd TTiittllee IIIIII ggooaallss 117755
AA--1l EEvveennttss pprroommppttiinngg rreeqquueessttss ffoorr iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn 222244
AA--22 KKiinnddss ooff iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn rreeqquueesstteedd 222244
AA--33 AAccttiioonnss ttaakkeenn aanndd pprrooppoosseedd aass aa rreessuulltt ooff RRTTKK
iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn 222255
FFiigguurreess
22--1 1 OOnnee ppaaggee ooff tthhee sseeccttiioonn 331133 rreeppoorrttiinngg ffoorrmm 3366
33--1 1 FFoouurr ppaaggeess ooff aa NNeeww JJeerrsseeyy ffaacctt sshheeeett 5522
66--11 DDDDTT ddaattaa eexxttrraappoollaattiioonn 111199
66--22 PPaarrtt ooff aa MMaatteerriiaall SSaaffeettyy DDaattaa SShheeeett 112277
99--11 SSaammppllee iinndduussttrryy cchheemmiiccaall ffaacctt sshheeeett 118899
99--22 BBrraanncchhiinngg aanndd llaayyeerriinngg ooff iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn 119911
IX