Participation and Power
Description
Participation and Power examines the ways in which citizens are allowed to participate in environmental policy decision making. Despite requirements that mandate public participation, institutional practices and current models of public participation often exclude citizens from anything other than a superficial role. W. Michele Simmons offers a firsthand look at risk communication and public participation practices through a case study involving the disposal of VX nerve agent. Arguing that a rhetoric for civic discourse in policy debates is needed, she constructs a theory of democratic and ethical public involvement that grants citizens more power in the decision-making process.
W. Michele Simmons is Assistant Professor of English at Miami University in Ohio.
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W. Michele Simmons is Assistant Professor of English at Miami University in Ohio.
Content
Figures and Tables
Acknowledgments
1. Citizens, Institutions, and the Construction of Environmental Policy
2. Citizens Involved: Mapping Public Participation and Power in Risk Communication Practices
3. A Case of Institutional Power: Public Participation Decisions about VX Nerve Agent Disposal at the Newport Chemical Depot
4. Toward a Participatory Approach to Decision Making: Creating a Space for Public Discourse in Technical Issues
5. Participation and Power: Transforming the Possibilities of Public Participation in Environmental Policy Decisions
6. Toward a Just and Participatory Environment: Civic Research in/from the Academy
Epilogue: Heightened National Security and Public Participation
Appendix A: Public Notice Sample
Appendix B: Sample of Comments Section from Draft Environmental Impact Statement
Appendix C: Sample of Comments Section from Final Environmental Impact Statement
Appendix D: Sample of Comments Section from IDEM Notice of Decision
Appendix E: House Enrolled Act No. 1143
Appendix F: Questions and Answers about the Newport Chemical Depot
Notes
Bibliography
Index
