The sedimented social histories of environmental cleanups: An ethnography of social and institutional dynamics

The scrutiny of environmental cleanups within the United States has been a growing area of interest for social scientists. Scholars have used case studies and modeling to analyze struggles for environmental justice and the economics of stigma associated with Superfund sites. This research has primarily analyzed community perspectives on remediation and removal, such as local strategies for participating in cleanup decisions. There has been less work on analyzing organizational perspectives on the social and institutional dynamics at play during cleanups. Our study addresses this gap by analyzing insights gained through interviewing U.S. Environmental Protection Agency staff who do cleanup work in brownfields, Superfund, and emergency response. This ethnographic research excavates the sedimented layers of social histories of contaminated sites: local and regional contexts, institutional power and authority, and stakeholder relationships and networks. It interrogates how these sedimented social histories affect cleanup decisions, including the temporal and spatial boundaries of sites themselves. We find that the making of relationships is as important to cleanup strategies and outcomes as the scientific and technical aspects of cleanup are. This finding highlights the importance of tools and resources to excavate these social histories during environmental remediation, removal, and decontamination work. •The research reveals institutional perspectives on the social dynamics at cleanups.•Regional contexts, institutional authority, and stakeholder networks shape cleanups.•Building stakeholder relationships and trust is essential for cleanup success.