| In 2000, a fire near Los Alamos, New Mexico consumed nearly 48,000 acres of forested land, including property of the Los Alamos Laboratory. Some of the areas involved were known or suspected to be contaminated with radionuclides and chemicals and it was believed that the fire released these materials into the environment. In response to public concerns, the New Mexico Environmental Health Department hired Risk Assessment Corporation (RAC) to evaluate health risks to associated community populations. The Department and RAC held several meetings to inform the public of the findings, but anecdotal evidence suggests that public mistrust of the government handling of the fire is still high. This study will examine community attitudes (including risk perceptions) of the effects of the fire and relationships between attitudes and other variables. |
