A Narrative Analysis of Success and Failure in Environmental Remediation

Abstract

In this article, the author constructs a sociological narrative as a means of describing and analyzing a project to incinerate an estimated 700,000 tonnes of toxic sludge created as a byproduct of a century of steel making in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada. On one level, the author’s objective here is to document some of the events that have taken place at what is considered one of the worst toxic sites in Canada. On another level, though, the author attempts to outline a method through which we maybetter understand the dynamics of environmental movements. Specifically, in this case, the author uses a multidimensional conceptualization of success and failure that includes scientific, technological, economic, political, social, and cultural components.