7. Perceived risk and attitudes toward nuclear wastes: national and Nevada perspectives

Introduction Fundamental to a sound understanding of people's viewpoints toward a high-level nuclear waste repository (HLNWR) is an understanding of their perceptions of the risks associated with such a facility. Perceptions, repre­ senting sensory experiences that have become recognized or that have gained meaning, stand between simple, reflexive responses and complex behavior. As such, they are at the foundation of, if not themselves the foun­ dation of, beliefs, values, opinions, attitudes, and behaviors-all the human responses relevant to the siting of a repository. The principal focus of this chapter is on risk perceptions associated with a HLNWR: their seriousness, their most important characteristics, how they are conditioned by institu­ tional factors and personal characteristics, and their acceptability. The goal of the research presented here is not only to deepen our under­ standing of perceptions associated with complex, risky technologies such as waste repositories but also to provide useful input for public policy de­ cisions. Research such as this, representing a conjuncture between basic and applied goals, presents unusual challenges in research design. On the one hand is the need to address fundamental processes so that findings are robust and generalizable to a wide variety of settings. On the other is the need to take into account the unique history and other special features of the repository setting because these factors, doubtless, influence perceptions of repository risks, too.