Chemical Industry's Plans to Influence Public Perceptions of Hazardous Waste Disposal Through Front Groups and Politicians 

From CMA Minutes 5sep91

Public Perception- According to numerous polls, the public continues to believe that hazardous waste disposal constitutes one of the most serious environmental issues. In addition, the public still holds the chemical industry largely responsible. Therefore, the public would not be likely to support an industry-sponsored attempt to either eliminate joint and several liability or turn Superfund into a public works program. 

However, if such efforts were initiated and advocated by third parties (credible, influential members of Congress from both parties, for example) and backed up by credible evidence that either change would solve Superfund's nagging problems, public sentiment could be, at worst, neutral. 

In the case of municipal liability, the public is likely to support a selective exemption or creation of a municipal fund on the basis of both self-interest end perceived fairness, reflecting a feeling that industrial waste, not municipal waste, is the main problem at Superfund sites.

CMA 077113
source: http://www.chemicalindustryarchives.org/search/pdfs/cma/19910905_00000591.pdf 21jul01 downloaded from http://www.chemicalindustryarchives.org