Abstract
ABSTRACT
Many state hazardous waste treatment facility siting statutes currently incorporate aspects of what is often called the theory of compensation as an implicit means for allaying public opposition. The theory of compensation, simply stated, argues that if citizens are properly compensated for the low benefits they receive relative to costs they bear, they will become indifferent to the siting of an otherwise noxious facility in their communities. Using public opinion survey data from five Massachusetts communities, this paper elaborates on the theory of compensation. It suggests that people are much more concerned about personal safety issues than about possible financial or property losses. Thus, they require assurance of safety more than compensation as a precondition of dropping their opposition. The implication of this is that public policy must explicitly address ways of making hazardous waste treatment facilities safer, and of convincing the public that such facilities are in fact of little danger.
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