Stewardship and future land use at a Department of Energy site: does self-interest determine ratings?

Abstract

Based on studies at several Department of Energy sites and Superfund sites, as well as elsewhere, it is clear that people prefer that contaminated lands be restored to usable land. Knowing the future uses for such land can inform environmental cleanup and restoration decision making, often determining the level of cleanup, costs, future management, and stewardship. This article examines the relationship between general environmental attitudes, future land use preferences, and recreational activities for people living around the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site in South Carolina. There were few differences in the rating for general environmental problems as a function of recreational activities. Although future land use ratings were generally correlated with the number of days people engaged in particular activities (hunting, fishing, hiking, camping), people who hunted and fished rated nearly every recreational activity higher than did people who only camped or hiked, or than those who engaged in no outdoor activities. Thus, campers and hikers did not rate camping and hiking higher as future land uses than did other groups. These data suggest that there is widespread support for recreational activities as future uses for the Savannah River Site, regardless of whether people participate in them or not, and that current cleanup and stewardship decisions should consider these views.