Environmental health perceptions in a superfund community
Raja M Nagisetty1, Daniel A Autenrieth2, Sarah R Storey2
1Department of Environmental Engineering, Montana Technological University, 1300 W. Park Street, Butte, MT, 59701, USA.
Journal of Environmental Management
|March 10, 2020
Summary
Community perceptions of environmental health at Superfund sites often differ from documented improvements. This disconnect, particularly regarding drinking water and health outcomes in Butte, Montana, highlights the need for enhanced community engagement strategies.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Public Health
- Risk Communication
Background:
- Superfund sites, like the one in Butte, Montana, face challenges in community engagement due to potential discrepancies between documented remediation efforts and community perceptions of environmental health.
- Historical mining in Butte has led to widespread contamination of soil, water, and sediment with heavy metals and arsenic, necessitating extensive, long-term remediation actions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the extent of a disconnect between community perceptions and documented Superfund remedial actions and health outcomes in Butte, Montana.
- To assess community perceptions regarding environmental health, mine-waste specific concerns, community engagement effectiveness, and knowledge of health outcomes.
Main Methods:
- A survey instrument was developed and administered to assess community perceptions across five key areas: general environmental health, mine-waste specific environmental health, community engagement, knowledge of health outcomes, and demographics.
- Survey data was analyzed to identify discrepancies between objective remedial improvements and subjective community perceptions of environmental health.
Main Results:
- A significant disconnect was observed, indicating that documented environmental improvements have not consistently translated into improved community perceptions of environmental health.
- The disconnect was most pronounced concerning the protection of drinking water from mine waste and community awareness of health outcomes, such as cancer incidence and children's blood lead levels.
Conclusions:
- Addressing the disconnect between objective Superfund site conditions and community perceptions is crucial for effective community engagement.
- Utilizing consistent environmental health perception measurements can help agencies monitor and mitigate these disconnects, ultimately benefiting impacted communities through improved communication and engagement.
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