Public Participation in Environmental Policy Implementation: Case of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act

Abstract

Environmental legislation enacted in the last two decades contains many provisions and mechanisms for public participation. However, little systematic information is available on actual use of different mechanisms of participation in different stages of policy implementation. This study describes the use of various mechanisms by participants in one major environmental policy, the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA). Our data indicate that the enforcement stage of policy implementation generates most individual citizen involvement, and citizen complaints are the most widely used mechanism for citizen participation. However, our aggregate data indicate that overall citizen participation in the implementation of SMCRA has been modest. The paper concludes with thoughts on why extensive legislative provisions for citizen participation are nevertheless justified.