ABSTRACT
The Atlin Community Association refused to cooperate, insisting that the government provide an impartial, public environmental impact assessment hearing. In April 1980, Placer Development Ltd. retained our company to contribute to the Stage II study of the proposed mine required by the provincial government. A draft report on the social impact assessment (S.I.A.) program was prepared in December for distribution to the community in February, following which a final report will be presented to the provincial government, together with reports on other aspects of the project. When S.I.A. began less than a decade ago in the US, the focus was on social scientists evaluating and predicting the social effects of proposed policies, programs, and/or projects. Community organizations were invited to assist in projecting the future of the community with and without the mine. Potential benefits in economic opportunities, better shopping, and improved social, educational, and health services received a lower rating and displayed a bimodal distribution, reflecting some polarization in the community.
