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'What you don't know can't hurt you': the right to know and the Shetland Island oil spill
- Source :
- Human Ecology: An Interdisciplinary Journal. June, 1995, Vol. v23 Issue n2, p241, 17 p.
- Publication Year :
- 1995
-
Abstract
- This paper, an account of the Shetland Islands oil spill (1993), examines the public health controversies surrounding the spill and the clean-up response. It critically examines the risk management policies of both the United Kingdom and the Shetland Islands Public Health Office, and suggests that the withholding of critical information contributed to increased anxiety and suspicion among the disaster victims. In an attempt to reassure the victims, the policies contributed to an increased air of uncertainty. It is further argued that the withholding of information prevents those who are at greatest risk from participating in critical decisions that may affect their health and livelihoods and asserts that a right-to-know policy is a critical first step in risk management practices. KEY WORDS: Shetland Islands; oil spill; risk management; right-to-know; technological disasters.
Details
- ISSN :
- 03007839
- Volume :
- v23
- Issue :
- n2
- Database :
- Gale General OneFile
- Journal :
- Human Ecology: An Interdisciplinary Journal
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- edsgcl.17474382