Risk Perceptions and Amplification Effects over Time: Evaluating Fukushima Longitudinal Surveys

Despite the vast body of literature addressing public risk perceptions of technological disasters such as nuclear accidents, longitudinal studies comparing pre- and post-disaster attitudes are scarce. This study examines (a) how perception factors such as concern, risk, political saliency, trust, and attitudes toward energy policies related to nuclear power changed over time and among different populations, and (b) if social amplification and ripple effects were present after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Disaster in Japan. The article compares 2010 survey data collected before the nuclear accident with data collected in 2013 and 2016. The analysis shows a clear trend regarding concern over nuclear power. Levels of concern and political saliency increased in the aftermath of the nuclear disaster but declined in 2016. These findings indicate amplification effects between the pre-disaster survey in 2010 and the first follow-up survey in 2013. However, the 2016 data indicate the Fukushima accident only had a significant short-term impact on public risk perceptions. The data also indicate high levels of uncertainty regarding trust and future energy policies. The high levels of uncertainty present an opportunity for nuclear power supporters and opponents alike to shape Japan’s future energy policy through well-crafted communication and outreach programs

AGENDA SETTING AND "NONDECISIONMAKING": DECOMMISSIONING NUCLEAR GENERATING STATIONS

The final point in the nuclear fuel cycle has always been the eventual retirement, decommissioning, of the 81 commercial nuclear power reactors presently in existence. This eventual retirement has been thought to be an issue of the future, because the large plants, built in the 1960s and 1970s. were assumed to have an expected operating life of 30 to 40 years. However, the reality is that several commercial reactors already have been decommissioned, and numerous others will soon reach maturity. This article examines decommissioning of nuclear power plants from a public policy-rather than a technical-perspective. A number of questions are addressed concerning the policy implications associated with decommissioning. The findings of the study are based on survey data from the utilities, an examination of NRC documents, interviews with NRC staff scientists, and site visits to several decommissioned plants. Copyright 1986 by The Policy Studies Organization.

Public Opposition To The Siting Of The High-Level Nuclear Waste Repository: The Importance Of Trust

This paper examines several dimensions of public opposition to the proposed siting of the high-level nuclear waste repository at Yucca Mountain. In order to provide a context for the public's views of the repository in metropolitan Clark County, both governmental studies of the repository siting process are analyzed, as well as elements of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act. This analysis suggests that one potentially key component of the public's opposition to the siting, as well as their perceptions of risk of the facility, may be the result of a lack of trust in the Department of Energy. Empirical analysis of survey data collected in Nevada in 1988 confirms the strong relationship between political trust and repository risk perceptions. Copyright 1991 by The Policy Studies Organization.