Corporate Environmental Risk Communication: Cases and Practices Along the Texas Gulf Coast

Abstract

Industries that manufacture and discharge toxic and hazardous materials into the environment, especially chemical companies, are increasingly seeing it in their interest to improve communication with community members. Framed by what has been termed a risk democracy perspective, this chapter examines risk communication cases and practices of the Texas coast chemical industry. These cases demonstrate the value of communication outreach efforts that accommodate key publics’ cognitive involvement, desire for control, uncertainty, efforts to balance harms and benefits, knowledge of risks and their solutions, trust, and problem definition. By contrasting five cases featuring successful and unsuccessful communication efforts, the author attempts to create greater awareness of risk communication processes and strategies and seeks to enhance understanding and agreement between those entities that create risk and persons who are risk intolerant.