BOYD COUNTY SOCIOCULTURAL ASSESSMENT

Impacts to Date

As evidenced by the findings outlined in the preceding sections of this report, the proposal to construct and operate a low-level nuclear waste disposal facility in Boyd County has already had substantial impacts. Local social structures have been altered and the personal well-being of many county residents has deteriorated. Study results indicate that issues related to the LLNW facility have attracted the attention and interest of nearly all area residents. A sizeable number of individuals are actively involved in organizations and activities which provide access to information about the facility as well as channels for expressing support or opposition, e.g., People for Progress and Save Boyd County.

Thus, the LLNW proposal has contributed to an emergence of new social structures and, for many area residents, resulted in heightened local participation and involvement. Although in many other contexts such increased social interaction would be viewed as a positive sign of an active and dynamic local community (see Wilkinson, 1979), the mobilization of local response has been accompanied by numerous social costs for the residents of Boyd County.

Many area residents have experienced a variety of personal costs as a result of their involvement in the LLNW issue. These include financial burdens associated with efforts to support grass-

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roots organizations, as well as business and income losses resulting from economic boycotts which were stimulated by LLNW-related activities. There have also been important non-economic costs, including reduced recreation participation, altered family activities, and other lifestyle changes associated with the commitment of time and energy to activities surrounding the LLNW issue.

Among the most serious impacts are local social conflicts and interpersonal animosities which have become far more widespread and rancorous than was ever the case prior to the emergence of the LLNW controversy. Residents on both sides of the issue express considerable hostility and anger towards other locals who actively support or oppose siting the proposed facility in Boyd County. Disagreements over the LLNW issue have strained and, in some instances, severed social relations between family members, friends, and neighbors.

A majority of residents report lost or strained friendships, and nearly a third report strained relations with family members. A surprisingly large number of residents report that they have experienced verbal harassment. Some individuals who have been highly active in supporting or opposing the LLNW facility have also reported physical harassment as well as vandalism and property damage. They attribute the motives for these acts to the tensions created by the attempt to site the proposed waste facility in Boyd County.

Such interpersonal tensions have negatively impacted a variety

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of local social structures. For example, long-established patterns of informal interaction among patrons of local cafes, taverns and other area establishments have changed. Some individuals no longer spend time in long-used local business establishments, while others feel compelled to limit the topics of their discussions while in such places in order to avoid conflict and controversy. Some businesses have been identified as hangouts for supporters or opponents of the waste site. Conflicts have even emerged within church congregations over issues directly and indirectly associated with the LLNW proposal, and relations between church congregations have also been stained.

Additionally, formal organizations such as the county fair board, local school boards, village councils, and other similar structures have been negatively affected by controversy and debates about such things as the acceptance of donated funds that are felt, one way or another, to be linked to the LLNW project. Indeed, it appears that there is no level of community social structure that has not been modified by the tensions and contentiousness that have resulted from the proposal to site the LLNW facility in Boyd County. As has been observed in other areas of the country affected by projects involving hazardous and toxic materials, participation in activities associated with the LLNW issue has increased, while participation in more traditional community events and activities has decreased (see Kroll-Smith and Couch, 1992).

These changes have been accompanied by a significant deterioration of the quality of life and social well-being

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experienced by many area residents. There is widespread agreement that the area has become a less desirable place to live, due both to the levels of tension and controversy that have resulted as well as uncertainty about future conditions which may or may not emerge. Heightened stress levels are among the more important impacts to individual well-being. Increased stress is due in part to strained social relations. It is also attributable to concerns and fears associated with potential environmental contamination, unknown health and safety risks possible economic stigma effects, perceived powerlessness to affect decisions, and the loss of trust in individuals and organizations (see Kroll-Smith and Couch, 1992).

Many locals indicated that their levels of anger and frustration have become nearly intolerable. Several area residents have allegedly moved out of the county to escape the stress and tension resulting from the LLNW project, and others indicated that they have considered doing so. Whether or not these individuals will overcome social and economic pressures which make it difficult for them to leave Boyd County is uncertain at this time.

Future Impacts

Without the LLNW project. Future social conditions in Boyd County are certain to reflect the impacts of the proposed LLNW project even if the facility is not licensed or constructed. Just as the proposal for a waste site has caused dramatic social impacts, a decision not to build the facility will alleviate many of the sources of tension, stress and frustration that currently affect area residents and organizations. The distrust and

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interpersonal hostilities that were born and have festered during the past three or four years will also eventually dissipate. It is likely, however, that a reduction in the magnitude of these problems will be a slow evolutionary process, not an immediated elimination.

Efforts to site the facility have resulted in extremely high levels of distrust of numerous formal organizations. These organizations include not just the central Interstate compact Commission and US Ecology, but a variety of government agencies and other types of authorities. Many locals have become extremely disillusioned about the integrity and responsiveness of both the government and private-sector organizations involved in waste management activities. Such perceptions are likely to persist for a considerable time. Not only will they strongly influence local reactions to future proposals to locate noxious or hazardous facilities in the area (see Stoffle et al., 1989), but they will extend to more mundane and everyday decisions by these organizations.

The LLNW controversy has caused a significant escalation of long-standing tensions between some of the local communities in Boyd County. It is highly unlikely that those tensions could be resolved quickly if a decision is made not to site the facility in Boyd County. Opportunities for inter-community cooperation will likely remain restricted, except in those instances where certain communities experience strengthened relations as a result of the LLNW issue, e.g., Spencer/Naper and Butte/Lynch. Otherwise,

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possible future issues such as further consolidation of school systems or other actions that would involve shifts in community resources, facilities, and opportunities are likely to remain more devisive than would have been the case if the LLNW issue had never arisen.

similarly, strained and broken social ties among individuals will likely not mend quickly. Some locals indicated that they could never forgive or forget the actions of some others who actively disagreed with and opposed them over the LLNW proposal. Some vowed that they definitely would not reestablish either friendships or business ties with those from whom they were alienated as a result of the LLNW issue. If the facility is not built, those who actively supported the project are likely to experience considerable social, economic and political isolation. Some may find it difficult to continue living in Boyd County or doing business in the area.

Clearly, the social fabric of Boyd County has been seriously disrupted, and it will take many years for the wounds to heal even in the absence of the proposed LLNW facility. Indeed, the observations of many locals that it will take at least 40-50 years to recover from the tensions and conflicts of the past three years are probably quite accurate. In many cases the interpersonal hostilities caused by the LLNW issue will not be resolved during the lifetimes of those who have been actively engaged in the controversy. Some of the interpersonal hostilities and conflicts may not be eliminated for generations.

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With the LLNW project. If a license is granted for the proposed LLNW facility, a number of potentially significant socioeconomic impacts are likely to emerge. Some of these would involve "standard" socioeconomic effects associated with temporary population growth and associated demands for housing and services during the construction phase of the project. In addition, there would be a variety of social consequences that are uniquely linked to the real and perceived risks associated with hazardous and toxic facilities and events.

Although the primary focus of the research presented in this report is on social and cultural consequences of the proposed LLNW facility, it is important to at least acknowledge the potential for the project to generate significant socioeconomic effects, particularly during the construction phase. A previous analysis of potential socioeconomic impacts (Environmental Science Associates, 1991) suggests that direct and indirect employment associated with the project would generate a total of 360 jobs at the peak of construction activities. However, experiences at numerous other large-scale construction projects indicate that such pre-project estimates are often substantially lower than the actual level of employment experienced during facility development (see Freudenburg, 1986). Consequently, it is quite possible that construction-phase employment would substantially exceed the projected level., increasing the demand for temporary housing and services.

In addition, data from the current study regarding Boyd County

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residents' employment interests, willingness to participate in training programs, and reluctance to accept work associated with the LLNW project suggest that the proportion of local labor hired for the project would be substantially below the 60 percent that was assumed in the earlier socioeconomic assessment (Environmental Science Associates, 1991). Consequently, the total number of temporary in-migrants associated with the construction phase of the project is likely to be considerably greater than was previously projected.

Even though the peak level of employment is projected to last for only six months, the temporary population influx would seriously strain the adaptive capabilities of Boyd County and local communities, particularly given the lack of available housing and the very limited public and private-sector infrastructure that currently exists in the area. Some workers would likely locate temporarily in larger communities outside of the county, such as O'Neil, and commute. Nevertheless, the driving distance to the LLNW site would limit the potential for growth impacts to be absorbed outside of the local area. As a result, there would be a substantial short-term demand for additional housing, water and sanitation systems, medical services, police and public safety personnel, and various other public services. Data discussed in earlier sections of this report indicate that Boyd County residents already perceive problems with the adequacy of some public services. In the absence of substantial service upgrades prior to the construction period, area residents would likely experience

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increased dissatisfaction with service availability and quality as a result of the added demands associated with project-related population growth. Because most community development funding allocated to local governments and service providers would not become available until the facility became operational, efforts to upgrade services in advance of the increased demand could be limited by fiscal shortfalls.

In addition to relatively short-term socioeconomic impacts associated with temporary population increases, there would be a number of more difficult and enduring social consequences associated with efforts to construct and operate the LLNW facility. As has been discussed previously, the proposal to build the facility has generated considerable opposition in Boyd county. Although some opponents may resign themselves to the eventual construction and operation of the facility if and when licensing approval occurs, available evidence suggests that many others will continue to actively oppose the project. Opposition responses would undoubtedly include efforts to halt the project through legal challenges or legislative actions. However, pursuit of on-site construction activities would make it increasingly likely that some opponents would engage in more direct actions designed to interrupt or disrupt the project, such as site picketing or attempts to prevent construction access through vehicle blockades and the use of human barriers to stop construction equipment and worker access.

In addition, evidence obtained through ethnographic observations and key informant interviews suggests a very high

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likelihood of violent confrontations at the time construction efforts are initiated. Local opponents of the LLNW facility have commented that the facility will be built "over my dead body." such sentiments appear to extend beyond more than just the few individuals who have publicly proclaimed such intentions. A large number of informants indicated that they anticipate bloodshed if construction efforts are initiated. Some who suggested they might otherwise not adopt such a stance indicated that they would nevertheless feel bound to "back up" their friends and neighbors if armed or violent confrontations were to occur.

Several informants commented that there are a number of Vietnam-era veterans in the area who are hostile toward the government, will "not get screwed twice," and are capable of and willing to mount armed resistance to the project. A number of individuals indicated a belief that some local opponents have acquired firearms and explosives, secreting them away in preparation for anticipated efforts to block construction activities. Many of those interviewed believed that it was almost certain that some lives would be lost as a result of violence which they expect to accompany site development efforts.

On the basis of these comments, it is also likely that facility opponents would engage in less violent acts of resisting construction, e.g., "monkeywrenching." Construction equipment would be an obvious focus of monkeywrenching. Minor instances of damaging site equipment has already occurred. It would not be unrealistic to expect that such acts of sabotage would be extended

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to include the homes, automobiles or farm equipment of waste site proponents and workers.

If the LLNW facility is built and operated, long-term antagonisms and hostilities between facility proponents and opponents and between local communities which have become identified with the opposing sides of the LLNW issue would persist for some period of time. These tensions would be similar to those anticipated in the absence of the project, but they would likely endure for a longer period of time. In addition, those who have opposed the facility would experience heightened levels of dissatisfaction with local conditions, disillusionment with government authorities, and alienation from the political process.

Although such sentiments are already widely evident in Boyd county as a result of the LLNW controversy, many area residents remain hopeful that the project will eventually be canceled or sited elsewhere. Facility construction would shatter any remaining optimism among local opponents that their efforts might eventually prevail. If the hope for a no-facility future were eliminated, their dissatisfaction, frustration and hostility would be compounded.

Under such circumstances, it is likely that some residents who are opposed to or fearful about the LLNW facility would move away from Boyd County. As noted previously, a substantial minority of survey respondents expressed uncertainty about their long-term residential plans, due to the potential siting of the LLNW facility. If the facility is built, a number of those individuals