Environmental Awareness and Attitudes of Ashtabula County Voters Concerning the Ashtabula River Area of Concern: 1996–1997

Two mail surveys were conducted among samples of Ashtabula County (Ohio) registered voters in 1996 and 1997. Respondents were asked to provide information revealing their levels of awareness of pollution in the Ashtabula River and Harbor, their perceived importance of water quality, levels of use of the Ashtabula River, Ashtabula Harbor, and Lake Erie, and their levels of enjoyment associated with these uses. A contingent valuation (CV) component was added to the 1997 survey in order to measure respondents’ willingness to pay for dredging the river and harbor to remove contaminated sediments. The results show that responses were stable over the 2-year period, with less than 10% showing statistical differences between years (p < .05). Respondents attach high levels of importance to improving water quality in the Ashtabula River, Harbor, and Lake Erie. They are moderately aware of current pollution problems, but indicate low levels of awareness of the efforts aimed at clean up. Contingent valuation results show that 61% of respondents would vote in favor of a referendum for an annual tax of $25 per household per year for 30 years to finance the dredging and disposal of contaminated sediments from the Ashtabula River with an estimated lower bound mean of $32.50. Willingness to pay was found to be statistically (p < 05) associated with income per capita, gender, and perceived importance of environmental improvement in the Ashtabula River Area of Concern. Others may look to this work as a model for gathering social and economic information useful in Great Lakes remedial cleanup efforts.