National and Kapodistrian National and Technical University of Athens University of Athens MA ESST http://www.esst.eu Public Participation in Environmental Decision-Making Processes. The Asopos case. Maria Kontou
[email protected] Thesis Supervisors: Aristotle Tympas
[email protected] (
[email protected]) - Greece Faidra Papanelopoulou (
[email protected]) – Greece First University/Second University Graduate Program in the History and Philosophy of Science and Technology, NKUA/NTUA, Athens, Greece Specialization Philosophy and History of Science and Technology Year: 2011 1 Contents Acknowledgements Preface 1. Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………………………....7 1.1. Aim and research questions of the study…………………………………………………….7 1.2. Public participation in decision-making processes……………………………………..10 1.3. Previous researches on environmental pollution, public health, and public participation……………………………………………………………………………………………..17 1.4. The big decision: Neutral or not?...................................................................19 1.5. Methodology……………………………………………………………………………………………..20 1.6. Summary……………………………………………………………………………………………………23 2. The Asopos tragedy begins. (1969-2004)………………………………………………………….24 2.1. Asopos river vs. industrial development (1969-1998)………………………………..24 2.2. The first suspicions of Boetians about the Asopos pollution. The mobilization of Oropos residents (1998-2000)……………………………………………………………….29 2.3. An expert-activist and a lay-expert working together (2000-2004)……………30 2.4. The absence of the Greek scientific community………………………………………..34 2.5. Summary…………………………………………………………………………………………………..36 3. Hexavalent Chromium: from suspicions to certainty (2004-2007)……………………38 3.1. Environmental protection or economical growth? That is the question!......38 3.2. Community-based environmental movements. The ITAP example…………….43 3.3. Cancer in Oinofyta: The Asopos research in the wild………………………………….46 3.4. Non–participation. Another way to react (?)………………………………………………50 3.5. Experts express their concerns…………………………………………………………………….53 2 3.6.