Environmental assessment and the concept for the disposal of high-level nuclear waste: Technology, the environment and the political contestation of culture

The conflict over the proposal to dispose of high-level nuclear waste, examined through an analysis of submissions to Environmental Assessment and Review Process hearings, is an instance of the political contestation of culture. The two opposing positions are based in socially constructed realities in which a social construction of the environment and the inherently political nature of technology are central. The present policy-making process perpetuates cultural misunderstandings and privileges the dominant position: a more equitable process that accommodates the values of both sides is proposed. It is concluded that in a democracy, environmental assessment should reflect the cultural and political meanings of the environment that are of concern to participants in environmental disputes.