ABSTRACT
Given the importance of socioeconomic considerations during the process of siting a nuclear waste repository, it is evident that citizen participation aimed at addressing major public concerns must form a central part of that process. Citizen participation has been viewed as a necessary component of federal decision making for several years. Citizen participation is more than a legal concern, however. Among the many social benefits that can result from this process, whether it is conducted by governmental agencies or private industry, the following are fundamental. The citizen participation programs illustrate the significance of key public involvement program actions. In 1975, the Environmental Protection Agency awarded a grant to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to develop a demonstration chemical waste landfill. The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) project was an example of an attempt by the US Department of Energy to implement the consultation and concurrence process in New Mexico at a site being investigated for WIPP.
