The Long-Term Effects of a Coal Waste Disaster on Social Trust in Appalachian Kentucky

Abstract

In October 2000, a coal impoundment structure emptied more than 300 million gallons of toxic coal waste into the streams of Martin County, Kentucky. This study compares surveys conducted in the months following the disaster with surveys administered 10 years later to determine the long-term impacts of the disaster on trust in government, corporations, and experts. We find that the social trust levels in Martin County partially recovered in the 10 years since the impoundment rupture. This suggests that technological disasters, including those that result in toxic contamination, do not always permanently damage the social fabric of the communities that experience them. However, some factors suggest that Martin County’s recovery in trust may be unwarranted, which, in turn, raises concerns about this community’s susceptibility to environmental hazards and possible future disasters.