Communicating Worst-Case Scenarios: Challenges and Research-Supported Options. K. E. Rowan, Dept. of Communication, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1366
In 1999, chemical manufacturing facilities will be required to file "off-site consequence" reports with the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency. These reports will depict the areas surrounding manufacturing facilities that would be affected if they suffered an accident. The law requiring these reports, section 112(r) of the 1990 Clean Air Act, is hailed by some as a way of preventing chemical accidents. Others view it as a recipe for disaster. Governmental and environmental groups praise the law. They say that alerting communities to the existence and potential harm of chemical accidents is a prudent course. In contrast, chemical manufacturing facilities are concerned that compliance with this law will unduly alarm the public and even cause disasters, by giving terrorists information. This paper identifies communication challenges compliance with CAA (r) will create and describes research-informed approaches for addressing those challenges as breakdowns in trust, comprehension, or agreement. Research on ways to address these challenges will be reviewed to describe options available to citizens and companies for managing their concerns about one another and these physical hazards.
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