Attitudes toward Managing Hazardous Waste: What Should be Cleaned Up and Who Should Pay for it?
Baron, J., Gowda, R. & Kunreuther, H. (1993). Attitudes toward managing hazardous waste: What should be cleaned up and who should pay for it?. Risk Analysis, 13, 2, 183-192.
Assessed attitudes toward the hazardous waste policy in the US of 60 chief executive officers of oil and chemical companies, 57 economists, 94 environmentalists, 29 experts on hazardous waste policy, 89 judges, and 104 legislators. In general, Ss did not support the principles underlying current law (strict, retroactive, and joint and several liability). Ss were asked how they would allocate clean-up costs between companies and the government as a function of such factors as adherence to standards, adoption of best available technology (BAT), and influence of penalties on future behavior. Most Ss felt that, if the company followed government standards or used the BAT, it should pay for only a portion of the clean-up cost, with the government paying the rest. Most Ss were more interested in polluters paying for damages than in deterrence or future benefit.
