The risk society at work in the Sydney ‘Tar Ponds’

This paper explores the implications of environmental contamination on the perceived health impacts, effects on daily life and coping mechanisms of residents living near the Tar Ponds in Sydney, Nova Scotia. The site contains over 700,000 tonnes of contaminated sediments and is considered one of the most contaminated commercial–industrial sites in Canada [Canadian British Consultants Limited (CBCL) and Conestoga Rovers and Associates (CRA) 1999 Phase 1 Site Assessment: Muggah Creek Watershed, Sydney, Nova Scotia]. Resident fears regarding perceived health risks, as well as other concerns related to property values and the viability of the local economy have been reinforced by distrust of government and of science. These concerns have been sustained by clean‐up delays. In response, many residents have engaged in forms of activism as a prominent form of coping, while several residents have kept well‐informed and sought social support. These findings indicate that the process of remediation and site clean‐up must be sensitive to local context.

The risk society at work in the Sydney ‘Tar Ponds’ Journal Articles