Public Involvement Case Study - The Public, the Media, and Chemical Weapons in the Front Yard: Spring Valley, Washington, D.C. (1993)

摘要

On January 5, 1993, a worker digging a utility trench in an upscale Washington neighborhood uncovered some World War I chemical munitions. Once emergency officials heard the words 'poison gas' and 'munitions,' District of Columbia emergency equipment and workers streamed into the neighborhood. Reporters descended on the site. Soldiers in chemical suits arrived. Residents were evacuated. With the onslaught of flashing police lights, uniformed soldiers, and omnipresent news cameras, local homeowners began to panic. This one site had all the attributes of a great news story: disaster, panic, conflict, danger, and big government. But you didn't see this story played out nightly on CNN. In fact, it wasn't picked up as a major, controversial story. That's because of the excellent work by those removing the munitions and a strong public involvement program. These turned a potential public relations disaster and media nightmare into a success story. Public involvement changed angry, frightened citizens into firm believers in the project. It turned cynical media into informed news outlets. And it made the munitions removal effort easier. Spring Valley is a beautiful Northwest Washington neighborhood of million-dollar homes. During World War I, it was part of Camp American University, the birthplace of chemical weapons development in the United States. When the Army vacated the land in the 1920s, some of those chemical munitions were left buried. Decades later, the Army's month-long emergency response action uncovered 141 pieces of ordnance. Of those, 97 were high- explosive artillery rounds, with 44 believed to contain chemical agent. Phase I of Operation Safe Removal was a success. Much of the praise for the success belongs to the soldiers and civilians from the Technical Escort Unit, who daily put themselves in harm's way to remove these dangerous munitions. Many other organizations also were involved. The focus of this paper, however, is on the public relations battle.