Open systems of environmental decision making: the MRS nuclear-waste siting case in Tennessee

Thesis/Dissertation · Thu Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1987

OSTI ID:6172143

McCabe, A S

This study is concerned with, within the context of the emerging open system of administrative decision making, how America's public sector is handling the challenge of implementing an environmental policy that commands technical expertise - managing the nation's highly-radioactive nuclear waste. How can a modern democratic system adapt to greater participation in a complex policy area once monopolized by a small cadre of technical specialists, and what are the implications for public managers of a more open system. These questions lead to the application of a model of science and technology policy to a case study tracing the attempted siting by the US Department of Energy in 1985 of a monitored retrievable storage facility in Tennessee. Extensive personal interviews with key actors at the local, state, and national levels, as well as a review of agency files and relevant documents comprise the data base. A systematic examination of the Tennessee case finds that a more-open system of decision making does not alone guarantee successful implementation of science and technology policy, but can be useful provided that the process is truly open.

• Research Organization: Tennessee Univ., Knoxville (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6172143
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

052002* -- Nuclear Fuels-- Waste Disposal & Storage
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290600 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Nuclear Energy
DECISION MAKING
FEDERAL REGION IV
HIGH-LEVEL RADIOACTIVE WASTES
LOCAL GOVERNMENT
MANAGEMENT
MATERIALS
MONITORED RETRIEVABLE STORAGE
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
NORTH AMERICA
RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS
RADIOACTIVE WASTE STORAGE
RADIOACTIVE WASTES
SPENT FUEL STORAGE
STATE GOVERNMENT
STORAGE
TENNESSEE
USA
WASTE MANAGEMENT
WASTE STORAGE
WASTES