When No One Else Listens: A Community Response to an Environmental Crisis

• In Event: Stakeholder Response to Crisis

Abstract

Crises can limit the ability to spread essential information to those directly affected. This contention is especially true in crises that include physical harm. As specific guidelines must be met for governmental agencies to respond to a disaster area, there are times when the best communicators are those already a part of the community. Thus, this there is a need to examine communication messages from community groups to the public during times of crisis. This case study examines one community organization’s response, the LEAD Agency, on the Tar Creek Superfund site that emerged when other responding agencies were unable to assist. Specifically, it helps to explain how one community organization aided in the sensemaking process during clean-up process. Further, this study outlines the application of sensemaking in a slow-developing and toxic disaster environment. As this study is on-going, expected implications are presented in this extended abstract.

Author

• Laura E Young, Butler University