The relationship of values, trust, and knowledge to perception of risk and behavior at the low-level radioactive waste public hearings in Ohio

Citizen participation in hazardous facility siting creates challenges for environmental planners. The behavior of individuals who participate may be related to a variety of factors including risk perception, knowledge, values, and trust. Using a survey, this research explores the relationships among these factors in the case of the low-level radioactive waste (LLRW) public hearings in Ohio. The survey measures: (1) perception of risk from many environmental issues including LLRW, (2) knowledge of the LLRW issue in Ohio, (3) values, and (4) trust in various groups for providing information about LLRW. The sample is drawn from the population of individuals who testified at the public hearings and the behavior of interest is how the individual testified. Analysis of variance and chi-square analysis suggest that there may be differences between individuals who testified favorably and those who testified unfavorably. Specifically, the relationship between trust and perception and trust and behavior is underscored in the analysis. The results suggest that government planners involved in these types of situations must focus on building trust rather than knowledge in order to manage conflicts in the process.