ABSTRACT
The image portrayed in much media coverage had been one of local unrest towards British Nuclear Fuels Ltd (BNFL) and a great deal of local anxiety about health risks. The Sellafield case provides both a context for adding to existing empirical knowledge about the perception of risk, and for addressing its relevance in an important policy setting. Sellafield has a unique position in the nuclear fuel cycle and has a vital importance to the local social, economic and political fabric. The state of public opinion on nuclear power has been increasingly researched in recent years. This research has been partly general – ‘nationwide’ counts of broad ‘pro’ and ‘anti’ views about the development of nuclear energy – and partly more specific – on views of local people about existing or proposed nuclear facilities. Local opinion is both complex and diverse on the subject of concern for possible radiation risks.
