"Indirect Regulation" of Environmental Hazards Through the Provision of Information to The Public: The Case of SARA, Title III

Title IIIofthe SuperfundAmendments andReauthorizationActof1986seeks to reduce the risks of chemical accidents through a strategy of indirect regulation that relies onproviding the public with information about chemi­ cal1uJzards. For thisstrategy to be effective, citizensmustaggressively utilize the information provided to monitor industrial practices and press for risk reduction. Since prior research suggests it is very difficult to evoke the degree of citizen action thai would be required to make a strategy of indirect regulation successful, and since thefederal legislation provided nofunds for implementation, there is a question o/whether the structures set up by Title III are sufficient to achieve its objectives. This article reports the results of a national study thatexamined selectedaspects ofthe implementation ofTitle II! in an effort to assess the likely outcome o/its attempt at indirect regulation. Ourfocus is on the degree to which the Title Ill-mandatedLocal Emergency PlanningCommittees arepursuingpolicies that are likely to get the necessary information to citizens aOOfosler community debate on hazardous materials issues.