Copyright PMunday 20081 Cleaning it Up: The Role of Culture, Community & Values Pat Munday, PhD Professor of Science & Technology Studies [email protected]

copyright PMunday 2008 1

Cleaning it Up:The Role of Culture, Community & Values

Pat Munday, PhDProfessor of Science & Technology Studies

[email protected]

http://ecorover.blogspot.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://ecorover.blogspot.com/


America’s Largest Superfund Site


Montana NRDP

Silver Bow Creek (before)


NRDP Photo

Toxic Wasteland


NRDP Photo

Tailings Removal

copyright PMunday 2008 6NRDP Photo

Stream Reconstruction

copyright PMunday 2008 7M Vincent photo

Authentic Restoration


Timeline of Superfund Process

• 1980: Superfund (CERCLA, NPL)

• 1982: Silver Bow Creek studied; NPL

• 1983-93: in-depth studies; alternatives developed (state as lead agency)

• 1994: Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (up to $87 mill for remedy)

• 1995: Record of Decision

• 1999: NRD settlement


Public Participation: Overview

• Phase I: “The Fourth Branch” (1982-88)– The Montana Standard (Foote and O’Brien)– U.S. Representative Pat Williams– Inception of “the restoration economy”

• Phase II: “Thick Democracy,” 1989-2000– EPA realizes obligation for public participation– Rise & fall of CTEC (“Citizens Technical

Environmental Committee”) TAG– Competition with B-SB


1 2 43 65 7

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

Estimated Cost (1995 dollars) for Alternative Remedies

Proposed Remedy

Mil

lio

ns

of

Do

llar

s


Key Issues

• STARS– “Streambank Tailings and Revegetation

Studies:” in situ treatment– Reclamation Research Unit, MSU + Schafer &

Associates

• Waste repository– Many small vs. one large regional

(Opportunity or Browns Gulch)– Initial ROD: many small repositories…


Alternatives “Remedies”

• The Greenway– MERDI (ARCO-funded)– Suspicion of co-option

• Supported by BLDC, ALDC, BSB Chamber of Commerce, B-SB & A-DL government

– Little explicit public support (18/321)

• ARCO Alternative – Little public support (18/321)


Support re: “Greenway”

Don Peoples, MERDI

• “…[the proposed alternative] seems unreasonable and dangerous… [It] eliminates the likelihood that ARCO will participate in the building of a greenway.”


Public Suspicion re: “Greenway”

George Waring, CTEC• “…the MERDI “Greenway” proposal has

introduced an element of major confusion”• “…local governments appeared to be

basing their non-acceptance of the State’s proposed cleanup mainly on the political activity and all-out public relations campaign undertaken by MERDI and ARCO.”


Public Participation in ROD

• CTEC’s public meetings, newsletters

• 321 total comments

• STARS: 36 for; 144 against

• Waste repository: Public comment favored Berkeley Pit/Yankee Doodle Tailings Pond; opposed Brown’s Gulch

• Majority (174/321) for Alt. 6 or 7

• Organizations commenting: 31


Record of Decision

• State preferred Alternative 6

• Alt. 6 chosen (with initial changes + more w/ NRDP)


Actor Network Theory
















Grassroots Alliances

CTEC (Butte)

CLEJ (Butte) MEIC (Helena)

CF-POC (Missoula)

MTAC (Missoula)

MT-TU (Missoula)

TU-WC (Missoula)

MTWF (Helena)

NWF

SSAI (Butte)


Participation: Culture & Values

• Usual Frame– Utilitarianism vs. Environmentalism– Utilitarianism as economic, corporate model: “nature” is

just another resource to be used as we see fit– Environmentalism: ecocentric, or nature-for-nature’s sake

• Another Frame: Cultural History & Politics– Butte’s “above/below ground” perspective– Grassroots similar to union solidarity

• Butte vs. other Superfund sites, e.g. Silver Valley


The author thanks the National Science Foundation for supporting this work (Award ID 0646731).

Questions?America’s largest Superfund site

Silver Bow Creek

Superfund timeline

Public participation—overview

Key issues

Alternative “remedies”

Public participation in ROD


Participation—culture & values

Documents

Copyright PMunday 20081 Cleaning it Up: The Role of Culture, Community & Values Pat Munday, PhD Professor of Science & Technology Studies [email protected]