Working Paper
A D E S C R I MODEL
~
OF CHOICE
FOR SITING FACILITIES:
THE CASE OF THE CALIFORNIA LNG TEXMINAL
Howard Kunreuther
John Lathrop
Joanne Linnerooth
J u l y 1981
WP-81-106
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
A-2361 Laxenburg, Austria
NOT FOR QUOTATION
WITHOUT PERMISSION
OF THE AUTHOR
A DESCRIPTIVE MODEL OF CHOICE
M)R SITING FACILITIES:
THE CASE OF THE CALIFORNIA LNG TERBdINAL
Howard Kunreuther
John Lathrop
Joanne Linnerooth
J u l y 1981
WP-81-106
Working Papers are interim reports on work of the International
Institute for Applied Systems Analysis and have received only
limited review. Views or opinions expressed herein do not
necessarily represent those of the Institute or of its National
Member Organizations.
INTERNATIONAL IYSTITUTE FOR APPLIED SYSTEMS ANALYSIS
2361 Laxenburg, Austria
ABSTRACT
T b s paper develops a descriptive framework to provide a basis for
prescriptive considerations for improving societal decision processes,
such as that concerned with the siting of energy facilities that offer longrun benefits but a t the risk of catastrophic consequences. The descriptive model incorporates multiple parties and multiple concerns in a
dynamic setting. It emphasizes the potential for conflict emerging among
t h e interested parties as a result of their differing objectives, mandates,
and information sources. Of particular importance is the decentralized
and sequential nature of the process. On the prescriptive side, the paper
explores the role that analysis, including risk analysis assumption
analysis, and multi-attribute utility analysis, can play in improving the
decision process. The descriptive model and prescriptive considerations
are d u s t r a t e d by a concrete example-the siting of a liquefied natural gas
terminal in California.
CONTENTS
I.
INTRODUCTION
11.
A D E S C R I P T I V E MODEL O F C H O I C E
A.
B.
Basic Concepts
1.
Many Interested P a r t i e s
2.
Sequential D e c i s i o n P r o c e s s
3.
Differences in Information Utilized
A Formal Structure
1.
Rounds
2.
Problem Bounds
3.
Initiating Events
4.
A l t e r n a t i v e s , A t t r i b u t e s and D e c i s i o n s
5.
Interaction P h a s e
6.
Concluding a Round
111. A P P L Y I N G FIAMP:
TERMINAL
A.
B.
C.
D.
IV.
N a t u r e of t h e P r o b l e m
I n t e r e s t e d P a r t i e s and R e l e v a n t A t t r i b u t e s
The Decision Process
R e s u l t s and I n t e r p r e t a t i o n of t h e MAMP D e c i s i o n
SUGGESTIONS FOR P R E S C R I P T I V E MEASURES
A.
B.
V.
THE S I T I N G O F THE C A L I F O R N I A LNG
A n a l y s i s t o Overcome Sequential D e c i s i o n
Shortcomings
A n a l y s i s t o C l a r i f y P r o b l e m B o u n d s and P a r t y
Positions
SUMMARY AND FUTURE RESEARCH
REFERENCES
A DESCRIPTIYE MODEL OF CHOICE
FOR SITING FACILITIES:
THE CASE OF THE CALIF'ORNLA LNG TERMINAL
Howard Kunreuther, John Lathrop and Joanne Linnerooth*
I. INTRODUCTION**
Large-scale, novel technologies such as nuclear power or liquefied
energy gas promise to yield benefits to society, but only at the cost of
potential catastrophic losses. Thus the siting of the facilities for these
technologies presents a formidable challenge to political risk management processes. There are two features of these problems which make
them particularly difficult to structure analytically. First, the decision on
whether to site a facility in a particular location affects many different
individuals and groups in society rather than being confined to the nor-
'Authors' names are in alphabetical order.
**The resevch reported in this paper is supported by the Bundesministerium fuer
Forschung and Technologic, F.R.G.,contract no. 321/75QI/RGB8001. While support for this
work is g r a t e m y acknowledged, the views expressed are the author's own and are not n e c e s
sary shared by the Tonsor. We greatly benefited from earlier discussions with Nino Majone
and wish t o thank Eric Ferguson, Paul Kleindorfer. Chris Mandl and Michael Stoto for their
helpful comments on a preliminary draft of this paper.
ma1 relationship of a private market transaction, when one purchases
items like food, appliances or a car. If a gas terminal is sited, there is a
class of firms and consumers who stand to gain from the new energy
source. Among other possible social costs, the individuals living near a
proposed site will be exposed to a new hazard. Their views as to whether
the benefits are worth the extra risks from the new technology a r e likely
to differ from each other. Those who a r e not directly affected by the proposed site will see the problem somewhat differently. Hence there is the
potential f o r conflict between interested parties.
A second feature of the siting problem is the absence of a data base
which provides conclusive statistical evidence on the likely performance
of the new technology and the probability distribution associated with
potential accidents. Each of t h e interested parties may thus provide different estimates of the chances and consequences of certain events.
There a r e n o objective measures to settle these differences.
This paper proposes a descriptive model of societal choice for
characterizing problems such as the siting of energy facilities where the
above two features are present. We illustrate the model in the context of
a particular case study-the
siting of liquefied natural gas terminals in
California. The final portion of the paper suggests how this framework for
descriptive analysis might provide insights to aid political decision
processes.
11. A DESCRIPTlTE MODEL OF CHOICE
A. BASIC CONCEPTS
1. Many Interested Parties
An important feature of the societal decision-making problem
represented by the siting of a facility is the presence of a number of different interested parties, each with its own objectives, data base and constraints (Keeney 1980). For instance, locating a n energy facility in a particular region will be perceived differently by each of the following
relevant parties:
G o v e r n m e n t Agencies
Government organizations a r e constrained in their actions by legislative mandates. For example, in the siting of LNG facilities, the Department of Energy must determine whether t h s new source of energy is in
t h e national interest. Regulatory agencies a r e an integral part of the political process. Their actions influence the nature and distribution of t h e
public's preferences and provide advantages to some interests relative to
others in their efforts to affect the outcome of the societal decision process (Jackson and Kunreuther 1981). These organizations a r e qualitatively different from those in the following three categories, in t h a t
government agencies, although they may in some cases have a n interest
in a particular outcome, are basically the rule makers and "referees" of
t h e process, while t h e other parties are the "players" with costs and
benefits directly linked to the outcome of the process.
Industry
Firms whlch a r e involved in the construction and operation of a n LNG
plant will focus on the potential economic benefits to them in relation to
t h e cost. In addition to the cost of building and operating t h e facility,
safety features of the plant are also a concern since t h e firm may be partially or fully responsible for the consequences of any accidents to the
public.
Local Community
Residents in the community where the plant is to be sited may have
different views of the situation. Some might see the economic benefits,
e.g., reduced property taxes or employment, as justifying the increased
risk associated with t h e plant. Others may feel differently. For instance,
they may view the additional risk as unacceptable a n d / o r they are
opposed to new technologies on ideological grounds (Otway and von Winterfeldt).
P u b l i c Interest Ciroups
Recently we have seen t h e rise of very intense public interest groups.
These organizations generally represent the interests and preferences of
one component of the public. For example, the membership of the Sierra
Club is concerned with the effects that the siting of any new facility will
have on the environment. Wilson (i975) and Mitchell (1979) have pointed
out t h a t those a t t r a c t e d to such organizations have strong, particular
interests w h c h dictate t h e agenda of the organization and influence the
type of information t h a t is collected and processed.
2. Sequential Decision Process
A second feature of the siting problem is t h a t the process is characterized by sequential decisions. March (1969) notes that individuals and
groups simplify a large problem into smaller subproblems because of the
difficulty they have in assimilating all alternatives and information. Often
constraints due to legislation and legal considerations dictate the order
in w h c h certain actions must be taken. In the case of siting LPJG terminals in California, for example, the California Coastal Commission was
mandated to rank a s e t of alternative sites before t h e California Public
Utilities Commission could select a site for approval. This type of quasiresolution of conflict through formal decentralized procedures is very
common in organizations where departments with different goals and
constraints attend to different decisions a t di'yerent times. Cyert and
March (1963) provide empirical evidence suggesting t h a t the organization
factors its decision problems into subproblems e a c h of w h c h a r e
assigned to different units.
If t h e process is sequential in nature then the setting of a n agenda is
likely to play a role in determining the final outcome a s well as the length
of time i t takes to reach it. By agenda setting we a r e referring t o the
order in w b c h different subproblems a r e considered. There is strong
empirical evidence from t h e field as well as from laboratory experiments
(see Downs i973; Cobb and Elder i975; and Levine and Plott 1977) t h a t
different agendas for the s a m e problem frequently lead t o different outcomes. There a r e two principle reasons for t h s . Once a particular decision has been made on a subproblem this serves as a constraint for the
next subproblem. If the order of the subproblems is reversed then there
would likely be a different s e t of choices to consider. Secondly, each subproblem involves a different s e t of interested parties who bring with them
their own s e t of data to bolster their cause. The timing of the release of
this information may have a n effect on later actions. For example,
citizens groups normally e n t e r the scene with respect to siting problems
only when their own community is being considered as a possible candid a t e . The d a t a on t h e risks associated with siting would be released a t a
slower r a t e (but perhaps with g r e a t e r emphasis and more political
impact) if only one site was considerd a t a time t h a n if all potential sites
were evaluated simultaneously.
3. Differences in Information Utilized
Finally, t h e r e is considerable evidence from field and laboratory
experiments suggesting t h a t the small data base for judging outcomes
and performance will cause systematic differences in the way information
is utilized a t different stages of the decision process. Tversky and Kahneman (1974) describe one of these phenomenon under t h e heading of availability whereby one judges the frequency of a n event by the ease with
which one can retrieve it from memory. Special reports on a recent
disaster call attention to the dangers associated with a particular technology. These events may drastically change the estimates of specific
outcomes and are also likely to stimulate efforts to induce new legislation
to "prevent" the event from reoccurring (Walker 1977). Fischhoff,
Lichtenstein and Slovic (1979) summarize their recent experimental studies by cataloguing the perceptions of individuals on the perceived probability of occurrence and consequences of different types of hazards. One
of their principal conclusions is that these estimates tend to be labile and
hence a r e likely to change over time because of events w h c h a r e
highlighted by mass media coverage. T h s finding reinforces the importance of focusing on changing perceptions of interested parties over time
and t h e need to study the dynamics of societal decision-making.
B. A FORMAL STRUCTURE
The above concepts are now incorporated into a model of a sequential decision process w h c h involves different interested parties a t each
stage. The approach focuses on more than one attribute and many
interested parties. Hence we have labeled it the Multi-Attribute, MultiParty (M.4VP) approach.
In developing this structure we have been
greatly influenced by the concepts discussed by Braybrooke (1974) where
he looks upon t h e political s y s t e m "as a machine o r collection of
machines for processing issues." (p.1). Since we view the siting problem
a s a decision with multiple objectives, the notation we utilize below builds
on t h a t of Keeney a n d Raiffa (1976) who a r e primarily concerned with a
single decision-maker. Our i n t e r e s t h e r e is in extending t h e s e concepts
t o t h e case where t h e r e a r e many interested parties who i n t e r a c t over a
finite horizon.
1. Rounds
The decision process c a n be s e p a r a t e d into different rounds w h c h we
label by capital l e t t e r s , A,B,... A round is simply a convenient device t o
illustrate a change i n t h e focus of discussions. This new focus o r direction
c a n be triggered by ( i ) a k e y decision t a k e n ( o r a s t a l e m a t e reached d u e
t o conflicts among p a r t i e s ) , o r (2) a change in t h e context of t h e discussions due to a n unanticipated event, t h e e n t r a n c e of a new p a r t y o r new
evidence t o t h e debate. Rounds a r e simply a convenient way of segmenting t h e decision process; t h e r e is no assumption, however, t h a t they cannot be simultaneous o r overlapping.
2. Problem Bounds
The decision process in e a c h round is bounded by a s e t of issues,
decision constraints and procedures. Braybrooke (1974) refers t o a n
"issue-circumscribing phase where t h e alternatives for discussion a r e
bounded by generally a c c e p t e d though not necessarily irrefutabble, f a c t s
and values, e.g., "it is technically feasible to i m p o r t LNG t o California" o r
"California needs LNG". Other bounding constraints include legislative
and legal mandates requiring specific parties to be p a r t of the debate;
resource constraints whch have the effect of limiting certain parties
from exerting an influence because they do not have adequate funds and
means; and prespecified voting procedures indicating what parties have
the power to influence the outcome of specific decisions and in what
ways. As we have already noted the problem is also bounded by the decisions from earlier rounds. Clearly the agenda setting process will have an
impact on final outcomes through t h s latter type of bounding constraints.
3. Initiating Events
Generally, a round of more-or-less official discussions is initiated by
a formal or informal request. Informal discussions may be initiated simply by such actions as a request for information on the part of one of the
parties or a request for preliminary discussions. Because the particular
form of these initiating requests may further define or limit the bounds of
the discussion, the careful scrutiny of their wording is important. For
example, it may make a difference in the decision process if the question
is framed as "Is there a site w h c h is appropriate?", or "wbch of the sites
x, y, and z is the appropriate site?" Braybrooke (1974)refers to the first
question as a "whether question" and the second as a "which question.
Whether questions demand more complicated considerations and detailed
thinking whle whch-questions can be approached with simpler rules of
thumb and heuristics.
4. Alternatives, Attributes, and Decisions
No m a t t e r how a round is initiated i t is characterized by a unique
problem formulation w h c h is presented in the form of a set of alternatives. We define the alternatives for Round A to be A 1 , A 2 , A 3 ,. . ; Round
,
B has alternatives B ' , B ~ , B
. . ~, . There can be several decisions made in
any round but by definition they a r e based on the same set of alternatives. Each alternative is characterized by a s e t of attributes X 1 . . . . . X n .
The value of any attribute c a n change from round t o round on the basis of
new information or perceptial changes. For certain attributes any party
involved may have target or aspiration levels which determine whether he
considers a particular alternative in Round A to be acceptable with
respect t o attribute Xi.An aspiration level frequently used in siting decisions is whether the probability of a catastrophic accident a t a particular
site is below a present acceptable level (1980).
5. Interaction Phase
To understand a particular p a t t e r n of institutional choice it is necessary to analyze a s e t of policy actors !PI their interactions with one other
a t different stages of the process, and the information available to them.
We define Pk to be the kth interested party in t h e debate. His evaluation
of alternative A' is given by
and is based on his estimation of the levels
of each attribute resulting from that option, the value to h m of each of
those levels, and the relative importance he gives to each attribute.
Another party might have different estimates of the effects of a n option,
different costs and benefits resulting from those effects, or, assign
different relative importance to e a c h of the attributes. Because of any of
these dGferences one party may rank alternatives differently than
another. As we shall see in our analysis of the California case t h s happened frequently. Thus in the case of two interested parties and two
alternatives it is possible t h a t party 1 prefers A ] to A~ (i.e., A! > A ; ) ,
while party 2 has the reverse reaction (i.e.,A: > A ; ) . Conflict frequently
emerges for this reason.
Another important feature of the decision process is that t h e value of
a n attribute to the same interested party can change over time because
of new information. For example, if a report provides new insight into the
seismic risk associated with a particular site this may cause a change in
t h e perception of t b s attribute by one or more of the parties involved.
That change may take the form of a different estimate of t h e level of the
attribute for that site, or even a different relative importance for the
attribute.
The interaction among t h e parties is represented by the m a i n arguments each brings to the debate in support of or in rejection of each of
t h e alternatives a t hand. Those arguments may relate to only one or two
attributes. It is not suggested here that the arguments presented for or
against a particular proposal necessarily reflect a concern of the party
making the argument. For example, a party opposed to a site because of
its concern for environmental quality may present a n argument using
seismic risk as the main reason to reject the site. The argument attribute may be selected to maximize the effectiveness of the argument, not
to reflect the actual concern of t h e party. The argument reflects a s t r a tegy on the p a r t of the actor in support of or opposition to the proposal.
Arguments or positions are generally well thought out since it is import a n t that a policy maker take a position that cannot be shown to be
inconsistent with past and ongoing policies o r decisions. The strategy of
the actors can reveal a number of underlying motives and desires of
those concerned and may be essential in understanding t h e interpretation and use of scientific evidence, including risk analyses.
Observing the interaction phase over the various rounds c a n provide
useful insights into the process. The stability of the system can, a t least
partially, be judged by the degree to which the actors--people holding
certain recognized positions (i.e., officials experts, group leaders) or collections of these people, whether formally organized institutions or
loosely working alliances-remain the same over each successive round.
The interaction phase c a n also demonstrate the extent to which t h e political debate approximates an ideal or logically full debate, where each
argument is confronted--heeded or rebuffed--by e a c h a c t o r , , followed by
counter arguments, and so on. A social debate on a n issue is merely symbolic if the actors respond to the arguments presented only as signals for
asserting or reasserting their own unmodified views. In thls connection,
the MAMP model can indicate to what extent the debate falls short of
being a full debate, and for what reasons.
6. Concluding a Round
The round is concluded by a decision, a stalemate, a char ge in information (changing the focus of the debate and hence initiating a new
round), or an unanticipated event aborting the discussions and requiring
a new round of inquiry. Each decision can, in turn, be described by t h e
tradeoffs implicit in t h e choice made. These tradeoffs may not be explicitly recognized by the decision maker, or not explicitly analyzed in t h e
process making the decision. The distinction between a "decision-maker"
and a decision resulting from a process is an important one since t h e person responsible for the decision often cannot be identified (see Allison
1 9 7 1 and Majone 1979).
Figure 1 provides a schematic diagram of the MAMP model. Each
round is s e t in the context of certain constraints that circumscribe t h e
issues and bound the problem. An initiating event determines a n initial
s e t of alternatives
l ~ ~ ~ ~w ~h c' h. , 'in]
turn, induce a s e t of interested par-
ties i P k j to e n t e r the scene. Each of these parties has its own preferences over the above alternatives (and perhaps some new ones); these
preferences are defended by reference to the attributes.
Conflict
between parties is likely to emerge.The interaction process results either
in a clear decision or a n outcome t h a t does not have t h e appearance of a
decision but t h a t does conclude t h e round. The conclusion of round J can
take one of two forms. If there is a feasible and agreed-upon solution or if
no solution is possible, the process ends. However, if one or more parties
is unsatisfied with the situation a t t h e end of the round, and has recourse
to other channels, or if the round ends in a request for further action,
problem bounds are created for Round J + 1 and t h e above sequence is
repeated for another set of alternatives, interested parties (some or all
may be the same as in J), etc.
Standard
Procedures
Problem
Bounds
1
1
Initiating
Event
Identification
of A l t e r n a t i v e s
- - --
-
I
Impacts on
1-
+
I
I n p a c t s on
I
Preferences
Preferences
I
tsrriatives
Defe?.l
?reference
I
w
+
t
Decisicn Taken c r "Non-Decision" Outcome
I
I
1
no
Is Process Closed?
Fiquze 1:
H u l t i a t t r i S u t e , Dynamic, M u l t i p a r t y
(
b4x4P
,
)
I
!?ode1 of Choice
A. NATURE OF THE PROBLEM
hquefied natural gas (LNG) is a potential source of energy w h c h
requires a fairly complicated technological process t h a t has the potential,
albeit with very low probability, of creating severe losses. For purposes of
transporting, natural gas c a n be converted to liquid form a t about 1/600
its gaseous volume. It is s h p p e d in specially constructed tankers and
received a t a terminal where it undergoes regasification and is then distributed. The entire system (i.e., the liquefaction facility, t h e LNG tanke r s , t h e receiving terminal and regasification facility) can cost more than
31 billion to construct (Office of Technology Assessment 1977). In 1974,
three LNG terminals were proposed for California. After seven years of
negotiations, hearings and studies, on three levels of government, t h e r e is
still no approved site for any of the proposed terminals in California. In
this paper, we cannot begin to cover, much less assess, the many and
varied aspects of this procedure, (for a review, see Linnerooth 1980 and
Lathrop 1981). Our purpose here is to give a "bare bones" account, to
illustrate how the MAMP model can be used to structure and understand
the decision process.
B. INTERESTED PARTIES AND RELEVANT ATTRIBUTES
To structure the siting process we need to have a good understanding of the different concerns of the interested parties. For the LNG problem there were three categories of concern which are relevant: risk
aspects, economic aspects, and environmental aspects. Each of these
concerns can be described by a s e t of attributes. Table 1 depicts an
interested party/attribute matrix showing the main concerns of each of
the relevant groups over this seven year period.
The attributes listed have been selected to reflect the nature of
debates in the process, that is, to reflect the attributes as perceived by
the parties in the debate, rather than to characterize in some logical
analytical manner the alternatives. For example, population risk (Xz)
involves the risk to life and limb to neighbors of the LNG terminal due to
accidents including earthquake-induced accidents. Earthquake risk (X3),
which involves both population risk and su?ply interruption risk due to
earthquakes, is included as a separate attribute since it was handled as
such in the process.
The filled cells in Table 1 indicate which parties pay particular attention to whlch attributes. Naturally, many of the parties care about all the
attributes listed. However, either because of the incentives directly felt
by the party or because of the role the party plays in society, each party
makes its decisions as a function primarily of a particular subset of the
X
x
X
n
X
i
X
-
X
3
X
attributes. For example, w h l e the applicant is certainly concerned with
environmental quality and risks to the population, its primary responsibilities and concerns a r e earning profits for shareholders and delivering
gas reliably to consumers. Its actions a r e apt to be motivated by concerns for profits and gas supplies, and constrained by political and legal
limits s e t by other parties' concerns for safety and the environment.
Likewise, the Sierra Club cares about reliable gas supplies, but receives
membership dues for being primarily concerned with environmental qual-
ity. Consequently, in a situation where a proposed action increases the
reliability of gas supply a t the expense of environmental quality it is reasonable for the applicant to favor the proposal and the Sierra Club to
oppose it. These differences in primary concerns may determine a great
deal of t h e behavior of t h e political decision process, and explain how that
process is apt to differ from the single decision maker postulated by normative evaluation approaches. The important message of Table 1 does
not lie i n the details of exactly which cells a r e filled, but lies in the generally great differences between columns of the table. That is, the different parties in the process c a r e about very different subsets of the
attributes.
The applicant, Western LNG Terminal Associates, was a special company s e t up to represent t h e LNG siting interests of three gas distribution
utilities: Southern California Gas Company, Pacific Gas and Electric, and
El Paso Natural Gas Company. As domestic gas supplies seemed to be
diminishing in the late 19608s,the gas utilities perceived a n increased
risk of supply interruption, which could be mitigated by additional supplies such as LNG. Quite naturally, the applicant was primarily concerned
with profitability (xs)
and secure supplies of gas (XI).
A t the various government levels there are five principal parties. The
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) is the principal body in
the Department of Energy w h c h determines whether a proposed LNG project is in the public interest and should be allowed. In making its judgment
it
considers primarily
the following attributes:
risk factors
environmental guidelines as reflected in air quality (X4)
(XI ,Xz , and X3),
and use of land (X5), and the expected LNG price (X7).
A t the s t a t e level, t h e California Coastal Commission (CCC) was
created in 1976, and has the responsibility for the protection of the California Coastline. Its primary concerns with respect to LNG siting a r e with
the use of land (X5) and the associated risks (X2 and X3)from building a
terminal a t a specific site. The California Public utilities Commission
(CPUC) is the principal s t a t e body involved in power plant issues and is
primarily concerned with t h e rate-setting process. Hence it focused on
t h e provision of energy to California residents and need for gas ( x ~ )and
t h e proposed price of t h e product (X7). In addition, it has responsibility
for evaluating the impact that a proposed facility would have on t h e
environment and safety. The California s t a t e legislature is ultimately
responsible for the outcome of any siting process. It determines w h c h
s t a t e and local agencies have final authority to rule on t h e feasibility of a
proposed site. In addition, it c a n s e t standards to constrain any siting
process.
Hence the concerns of t h e legislators range over economic,
environmental and safety attributes as shown in Table 1.
A t the local level, the city councils evaluate the benefits of a proposed terminal in their jurisdiction in t e r m s of the tax, business revenues, and jobs (Xs)it promises to provide. I t has to balance this positive
feature with the impact t h a t the facility would have on land use (X5)and
risk
to t h e population
(X2). Finally, t h e public interest groups,
represented by t h e Sierra Club and local citizens groups, are primarily
concerned with environmental and safety i,.sues.
C . THE DECISION PROCESS
The sitirg process in California ( w h c h is not yet terminated) can be
characterized up to now by four rounds of discussions as shown in Table
2, w h c h provides a summary of the entire process. Each round, in t u r n ,
containa a summary of how t h e problem was defined, the initiating event,
and how the discussions were concluded. The remainder of t h s subsection discusses in more detail t h e decision process w i t h n each of t h e
rounds. The main elements of rounds A, B, C, and D are described in
Tables 3, 4, 5 and 6, respectively.
Round A began in September 1974, when the applicant filed for
approval of three sites on the California Coast--Point Conception, Oxnard,
and Los h g e l e s - - t o receive gas from Indonesia. The application raised
two central questions w h c h defined the problem addressed in Round A:
Does California need LNG, and if so, which, if any, of the proposed sites is
appropriate?
-21 -
TaSle 2 :
Summary o f Rounds i n C a l i f o r n i a LNG S i t i n g Case
Date
-
RCUND A
Problem D e f i n i t i o n :
I n i t i a t i n g Event:
Conclusion:
Problem D e f i n i t i o n :
I n i t i a t i n g Event:
Conclusion:
Should t h e proposed s i t e s b e approved?
T h a t is: Does C a l i f o r n i a need LNG, and
i f s o , which, i f any, c f tlle proposed
s i t e s is appropriate?
Applicant f i l e s f o r approval o f t h r e e s i t e s .
A p p l i c a n t p e r c e i v e s t h a t no s i t e i s
approvable without long delay
S e p t e n b e r 1974
( 3 4 months)
Jluly 1977
How s h o u l d need f o r LNG be determined?
I f need i s e s t a b l i s h e d , how s h o u l d an
LVG f a c i l i t y be s i t e d ?
A p p l i c a n t and o t h e r s p u t p r e s s u r e on s t a t e
l e q i s l a t u r e t o f a c i l i t a t e LNG s i t i n g .
J u l y 1977
Mew s i t i n g p r o c e s s s e t up t h a t e s s e n t i a l l y
S e p t e s b e r 1977
(2 mnths)
assumes a need f o r L V G , and is d e s i g n e d
t o a c c e l e r a t e LNG t e r m i n a l s i t i n g .
lrcblem Definition:
I n i t i a t i n g Eve3t:
Conclusion:
Which s i t e s h o u l d b e approvee?
Asplicant f i l e s for approval c f Point
Conception s i t e .
October 1977
S i t e approved c o n d i t i o n a l on c o n s i d e r a t i o n
of additional seismic r i s k data.
J u l y 1978
ROUND D
Problem D e f i n i t i o n :
I n i t i a t i n g Event:
Conclusion:
Is P o i n t Conception s e i s m i c a l l y s a f e ?
Regulatory a g e n c i e s s e t up p r o c e d u r e s t o
consider additional seismic r i s k data.
(Xound s t i l l i n p r o g r e s s )
(10 sonths
Zlements o f Round A
Table 3 :
Problem D e f i n i t i o n :
I n i t i a t i n g Event:
Alternatives:
Should t h e proposed s i t e s b e approved?
T h a t i s : i h e s C a l i f o r n i a need LNG, and i f s o ,
which, i f any, o f t h e proposed s i t e s is a p g r o p r i a t e ?
Applicant f i l e s f o r approval o f t h r e e s i t e s .
Site
Site
Site
Site
at
at
at
at
P o i n t Conception:
Oxnard:
Los Angeles:
any combination o f :
A;
A1
A
,
A
2
,
A
3
Interaction :
Involved P a r t i e s
Applicant
A t t r i b u t e s Used a s Arqcments
1
X1
FERC
CCC
C i t y Councils
S i e r r a CluS
Local C i t i z e n s
P6
X2
X5
P7
8
Key Decisions:
1
.
2.
2
3 based on t k e fact that the
could be preferrsd to %,
and A3,
d e c m s e in population r i s ~
outreighs t
k increzse in ewirammtal
degradation.
would be qpruved &athe seismic risk is q=t b n an
accatable t h r e ~ ~ b l d .
1
4
Conclusion:
Applicant perceives a stalemate, i . e . ,
without long delay.
t h a t no s i t e i s a p p r o v a l e
Problem D e f i n i t i o n :
I n i t i a t i n g Event:
Alternatives:
How s h o u l d need f o r LUG be determined?
I f need i s e s t a b l i s h e d , now s h c u l d an
LNG f a c i l i t y be s i t e d ?
A p p l i c a n t and o t h e r s p u t p r e s s u r e on s t a t e
l e g i s l a t u r e t o f a c i l i t a t e LNG s i t i n g .
1
Consider o f f s h o r e s i t e s :
2
C o n s i d e r remote o n s h o r e s i t e s :
3
Consider non-remote o n s h o r e s i t e s :
4
One-stop l i c e n s i n g :
5
6
L i c e n s i n g Agency: CPUC = B , CFC = B , CEE = a'*
Any c o n s i s t e n t combination o f B through a ' .
Interaction:
A t t r i S u c e s Used f o r Arguments
Invoived P a r t i e s
Applicant
CCC
State Legislature
X2
3
P
5
1
2
Key D e c i s i o n s :
3.
I n i t F 4 1 l e q i s l a t i o n i n t r ~ d u c e dv h i c h Lnciu5ed a
4.
F i n a l l e g i s l a t i c n p a s s e d which i n c c r p o r a t e d
1
,
a 2 , a4
7
3- and B
and B
5
5
.
.
Csnclus i o n :
Passage cf LNG S i t i n g Act o f 1977 (S.a.1081) which d e f i n e s a
c u s c o ~ t- a i l o r e d s i t i n g p r o c e d u r e f o r LNG.
Some f e a t u r e s :
CCC nominates and r a n k s s i t e s i n a d d i t i o n t o t h e one a p c l i e d f o r .
CPUC s e l e c t s a s i t e from the CCC-ranked s e t , n o t n e c e s s a r i l y
t h e top-ranked s i t e .
---
Table 5 :
E l e ~ e n t so f Round C
Prcblem Definition:
I n i t i a t i n g Event:
dternatives:
Which s i t e s h o u l d b e approved?
A p p l i c a n t f i l e s f o r a p p r o v a l o f P o i n t Conception s i t e .
(The o n l y s i t e o f i t s o r i g i n a l t..ree meeting t h e
remote s i t i n g c o n s t r a i n t o f S.B.1081.)
( S i t e s nominated by CCC p l u s a p p l i e d - f o r s i t e .
S i t e a t Camp P e n d l e t o n :
S i t e a t R a t t l e s n a k e Canyon:
3
S i t e a t P o i n t Conception:
S i t e a t Deer Canyon:
C
)
Interacticn:
A t t r i b u t e s Used f o r Armments
Involved P a r t i e s
Applicant
ERC
CCC
CP UC
S i e r r a Club
Local C i t i z e n s
7
'a
Ksy D e c i s i o n s :
6.
<
approved conditional on further determination whether or not
seismic risk a t Point CoM=eption is acceptable.
2
7.
C3 considered acceptable.
8.
Court requires F E Z to ansirier additicnal da'd t o Z e t m n b e whether
o r not seismic risk a t Point Conception is acceptable.
Conclusion :
Fnc and BUC t o ccnsin'Py additional seismic data.
Table 6 :
Elements o f Round D
Problem D e f i n i t i o n :
I n i t i a t i n g Event:
Ute-natives :
Is P o i n t Concegtion s e i s m i c a l l y s a f e ?
F'ERC and CTUC s e t up p r o c e d u r e s t o c o n s i d e r
additional seismic r i s k data.
D e c l a r e P o i n t Conception s a f e :
Declare P o i n t Conception n o t s a f e :
D
Interaction:
No i r i t e r a c t i o n y e t , a s s t u d y grocps f o r FERC and QUC
seismic data i n preparation f o r hearings.
C u r r e n t l y Accive P a r t i e s
examine
Attribute Considered
Key D e c i s i o n s :
None y e t . F u t u r e n e a r i n g s a r e t o d e t e r m i n e whether o r n o t
s2ismic r i s k . i s a c ~ g - l e
for Point Conception.
Although the issue was a t t h s stage broadly circumscribed, the
agenda f o r discussion was s e t more narrowly. The wheels of the process
were set into motion, not by a broadbased energy-policy question initiated in Washngton, but by a proposal from industry for three preselected sites. The importance of t h s process--where the initiative is
taken first by industry--in preselecting the agenda for debate cannot be
overemphasized. The initiating proposal framed the problem as "Should
the proposed LNG sites be approved?", and not "Should California have a n
LNG terminal in view of the alternatives, costs, risks, etc.?" Setting the
agenda in this manner did not preclude the "need" question from entermg the debate, but it did ensure t h a t the question was only considered in
the contentious context of a siting application.
Table 3 also specifies the relevant interested parties who were
involved in the interaction phase of Round A.
There wore four primary
attributes which were utilized in the ensuing debate among the parties.
The need for LNG or the risk of a n interruption in the supply of natural
gas (XI) supported the locating of a terminal in a t least one of the three
proposed sites. While environmental, land-use considerations (X3) suggested a non-remote site (Los Angeles and Oxnard), the risks to the population (Xz) argued for siting the terminal in a remote a r e a (Point Conception). Finally, concerns about earthquake risk brought about opposition
to the Los h g e l e s site, which was found to be crossed by a significant
fault.
The interaction phase of round A (see Table 3) indicates the attributes used as arguments by e a c h of the major involved parties. It is
important to distinguish t h s listing of attributes from the listing in Table
1. Whle Table 1 specifies w h c h attributes are of p r i m a r y concern to each
party, Table 3 specifies which attributes were used as a r g u m e n t s by each
party. Thus while the applicant is concerned with both profit considerations and supply interruption risk, naturally enough its arguments in support of each site stressed supply interruption risk.
Two key decisions were made during Round A. First, the CCC, concerned about the catastrophic potential of LNG, indicated t h a t it might
favor Point
Conception over t h e non-remote
sites.
T h s decision
represents a trading off of population risk against land-use environmental
quality; in the words of the CCC, this was a "people over birds" decision.
( T h s decision did not, however, tie t h e CCC to approval of Point Conception. In fact such an approval could be difficult to obtain.) Second, the
FERC indicated disapproval of the Port of Los Angeles as an acceptable
site because a recently discovered earthquake fault increased the
seismic risk above a n acceptable threshold. The round was concluded
with a possible stalemate, a t least as perceived by industry (Ahern 1980).
Los Angeles would not receive federal (FERC) approval, Oxnard was not
likely to receive state (CCC) approval, and Point Conception would face
very difficult approval challenges a t the county and s t a t e (CCC) levels
because of its adverse land-use impacts.
The stalemate of Round A bounded the problem for Round B. I t was
clear to all t h e parties involved t h a t it was difficult, if not impossible, for
t h e applicant to gain approval for a site under the existing siting procedure in California. In particular, t h e r e were possibilities of vetoing proposals a t either the federal, s t a t e , or local levels as evidenced by the
respective reactions to the t h r e e proposed sites. Rather than trying to
operate withn the existing constraints of the process, t h e interested parties in the process frequently try to change the rules of the game (Majone
1979). T h s is precisely what triggered Round B, where the problem was
redefined into two new questions: How should need for LNG be determined? If need is established, how should an LNG facility be sited? Round
B was thus initiated when pressure to change the siting procedure was
brought to the s t a t e legislature by the utility companies, t h e business
community and the labor unions in California. Table 4 depicts t h e
relevant alternatives which formed the basis for the debate on the elements of proposed legislation.
The industry and business interests, saw the nearly inevitable problem of obtaining local approval for a project in the national interest, but
with costs to t h e local community. So the utility companies went to battle
for a bill (S.iO81)which would vest the CPUC with one-stop licensing
authority, precluding any real interference from local communities. The
environmental and local interests, on the other hand, objected to a onestop l i c e n s i q process and favored a bill which required remote-siting.
The resulting legislation was a compromise between t h e environmentalists, who supported consideration of off-shore sites, and those who saw
a n urgent need for an LNG facility t o assure energy and jobs. The CPUC
was chosen over the more conservation-minded CCC or the California
Energy Commission as the agency with s t a t e permit authority, preempting local governments. As a bow t o the conservationists, t h e CCC was
given t h e mandate t o choose and to rank possible sites, and t o pass these
rankings on to the CPUC. I t was agreed t h a t t h e site would not be offshore, as some environmentalists wished, nor could it be in a populated
a r e a , as the gas utilities wished. Indeed, a nonpopulated area was strictly
defined. There could be no more than an average of 10 people per square
mile w i t h n one mile of t h e terminal, and no more than 60 people per
square mile within four miles of the terminal.
The passage of the Siting Act of 1977 (s.1081) opened up a new procedure for finding a n acceptable site and led to Round C with the following problem definition: Which site should be approved? The round was
initiated by the CCC w h c h , after c o n s i d e r i q 82 sites meeting the
remote-siting constraint, ranked the top four sites, Camp Pendleton,
Rattlesnake Canyon, Point Conception, and Deer Canyon, in t h a t o r d e r , on
the basis of seismic, soil, wind and wave conditions, rough cost, and coastal resource considerations. (Point Conception was included in the candidate set because S. ;OBI required that the applied-for site be included).
These four alternatives form the background for the interaction amGng
t h e interested parties in Round C as shown in Table 5. The CCC pased
these rankings on to the CPUC which chose, by process of elimination,
Point Conception, on the grounds t h a t the two higher-ranked sites would
involve unacceptable delay and would cause unacceptable risk to transients (i.e., campers, swimmers, e t c . ) a t the nearby beaches and public
parks. The CPIJC, however, could only conditionally approve Point Conception subject to the utility company's ability to show that earthquake
faults discovered in the a r e a presented an acceptable risk to the terminal.
At the federal level, the FERC staff determined t h a t the risks of both
Oxnard and Point Conception were acceptably low, so that Oxnard should
be p r e f e r r e d on land-use grounds; however, the FERC, choosing to avoid a
federal-state confrontation ruled in favor of Point Conception. It would
appear that with both the CPUC and the FERC in favor of Point Conception
as a compromise site, the issue would be decided. But the checks-andbalances of t h e U.S. system assures that not total authority is vested in
t h e legislative branches. After an appeal by t h e environmental and local
interests, the Washington, D.C. Court of Appeals remanded the case back
to the FERC on t h e grounds that not all available seismic risk data were
considered by the FERC in its ruling. T h s decision concluded Round C.
Round D is still in progress a t this time. As shown in Table 6 the initiating proposal is bounded by t h e activities in Round C which frame t h e
alternatives as simply whether or not to declare the Point Conception site
seismically safe. Only two parties, the FERC and the CPUC are currently
active in the process, and they are considering only one attribute, --the
seismic risk a t Point Conception. A final decision will depend upon
whether the new studies show t h s risk to be above or below some acceptable level.
D. RESULTS AND INTERPRETATION OF THE MAMP DESCRIPTlON
The purpose of the MAMP representation is not simply to describe a
political decision process, but to bring a structure to t h a t description
t h a t might suggest institutional reforms. The California decision process
illustrated in t h s paper can be interpreted from many varied perspectives. It is a good example of conflicting national and local interests; it is
a study of the workings of the adversial nature of U.S. regulatory
proceedings; it is a precedent-setting report of procedural practice for
setting energy policy; as well as a n account of introducing a controversial
large- scale technology with a small probability of a catastrophic
accident. Clearly, a full exposition of these interpretations would go
beyond the more narrow scope of this paper, i.e., to illustrate a framework of descriptive analysis. In this spirit we will briefly present two
insights from this approach which a r e of particular concern to the IIASA
Risk Group: the role t h a t risk and risk analysis have played in t h s process and the limitations that sequential decision-making places on t h e
role of analysis in general.
In t h e siting of large-scale, hazardous technologies, a great deal of
attention has been paid recently to the topic of risk assessment, a s evidenced in a large and growing Literature (see Conrad 1980 and Schwing
and Albers 1980). It is of interest, to examine the role risk assessments,
which have been concerned primarily with risk to life and limb, have
played in the California LNG case.
D u r q the course of the LNG debate in California, six studies assessing t h e safety risks of the proposed terminals were conducted by t h e utility and local, s t a t e and federal government agencies (for a critical review
of these studies, see Mandl and Lathrop 1981). The assessments of risk
commissioned by the applicant and the FERC showed very low numbers
on various probabilistic measures of risk (expected fatalities per year and
individual probability of fatality per year), these numbers were interpreted to mean t h a t the risk was acceptable. ,Alternatively, a risk assessment commissioned by t h e Oxnard municipal government produced similarly low probabilistic measures of risk (though expected fatalities were
380 times higher than the applicant's assessment), but interpreted as
unacceptably high! The explanation lies in t h e format for presenting t h e
results. The Oxnard study described maximum credible accidents (MCAs)
without accompanying probabilities. Opposition groups interpreted these
results as evidence t h a t the terminal was not acceptably safe. The municipal government, itself, originally in favor of the site, began t o waver in
its support, probably influenced by the apparent uncertainty of the risk
and the strength of t h e opposition groups (Ahern 1980). In sum, risk
assessments did not provide a single, coherent assessment of acceptability of the risk of a n LNG terminal; their results were subject to interpretation depending on party positions (Lathrop 1980). In fact, risk assessments were used both t o promote and to oppose terminal applications.
Turning to the importance of sequential decision-making, the most
fundamental message of the MAKP approach is t h a t political decision
processes such as t h e one studied here tend to be disaggregated over
agencies and over time. In t h e California case t h e disaggregation over
agencies does not seem to have had a significant effect on the outcome.
As indicated in t h e preceding tables, power was in t h e hands of the California Legislature, the CPUC, and FERC, each of w h c h considered most of
t h e relevant concerns (see Table 1) and each of which was able to apply
its own subjective weights. The important decision affecting the disaggregation over agencies in the process by the diminishment of local
sovereignty (and applicant control) was embodied in the California LNG
Siting Act (S. 1081).
In contrast to t h e disaggregation over parties in the process, the
sequential aspect of t h e decision process seems to have been crucial. In
t h e seven year course of the process, the need for imported natural gas
in California diminished greatly. Instead of examining t h s need, the process, "locked in" by previous decisions, is presently dictating a slowlypaced examination of seismic data.
A second example of sequential constraints is the remote onshore
condition of S. i 0 8 i , which represented a balancing of costs and benefits
t h a t have probably changed over time. A final example of undesirable
effects from sequential constraints concerns t h e risk of a n interruption in
t h e supply of natural gas. Initially, the applicant stressed supply interruption risk due to shortage of natural gas as a major reason for importing
LNG to three separate sites. During the course of the decision process,
for reasons beyond the control of the applicant, t h e three sites were
reduced to one site, and t h e number of storage tanks a t that site were
reduced from four to two. The planned Point Conception throughput of
58,000 m 3 LNGIday, equivalent in energy flow to roughly 15 modern
nuclear reactor units (Mandl and Lathrop 198i), is large for one geog r a p h c a l location. Because of t h s concentration in one small area, and
the possibility of routine closures or nondelivery resulting from bad
weather e t c . , the net result of the sequential decision process is t h a t a
project originally meant to d e c r e a s e supply interruption risk has been
shaped over time into a project t h a t may i n c r e a s e supply interruption
risk.
TY. SUGGESTIONS FOR PRESCRIPTIVE MEASURES
The use of the MAMP model for structuring the decision process concerning LNG siting in California makes clear how t h e roles, agendas,
values and power of the different parties, and the dynamics of their
interaction, determine the way in w h c h the process steers its path
through a complex multiattribute choice problem. Since a motivation of
this descriptive analysis is to provide insights for proposing changes in
institutional procedures, and especially for suggesting constructive uses
of analyses to aid those procedures, i t is appropriate to suggest prescriptive measures. Of course,institutional change encompasses a range of
possible measures from radical reforms in t h e power structures of
society to more modest proposals for aiding existing decision structures
through analysis in order to facilitate solutions. As we have shown in this
paper, the model brings to light problems arismg from the sequential
nature of a multi-party decision process that might be remedied by a
m o r e imaginative use of analyses. In this spirit we select two problem
areas to illustrate directions that analyses could take.
A. ANALYSIS TO OVERCOME SEQUENTIALDECISION SHORTCOMINGS
A general conclusion to be drawn from the MAMP description is t h a t
t h e political decision process examined here solved a complex question
one piece a t a time, m u c h as described in the work of Cyert and K .rch
(1963) mentioned in Section 11. This disaggregation of problem solution
by sequential constraints could be explained in t e r m s of information pro-
cessing limitations of the process, t e r m s that correspond to some concepts of bounded rationality (Simon 1957). The examples presented a t
t h e end of the previous section illustrate a fundamental problem with this
disaggregation: The fact t h a t the political decision process is sequential,
with each decision constraining t h e ones that follow, means that the outcome of t h a t process is apt to be inappropriate if important variables
change over time.
Whle the complexity of siting decisions may make problem disaggregation necessary, analyses can be designed to alleviate the undesirable
effects of that disaggregation in a t least two ways. First, techmcal and
economic analyses can make clear the implications for the overall process of the particular alternative and constraints being considered a t any
one time. For example, the California process might have been helped
considerably had the decisions to reduce the number of storage tanks a t
Point Conception been accompanied by analyses making clear to all parties the resulting risk of a n interruption in supply.
A second way in w h c h analyses might help alleviate disaggregation
problems is to demonstrate the point a t which previously-set constraints
may no longer be appropriate, and so help identify when previous parts of
the process should be re-opened for consideration in the light of new
data. While such a role for analyses could be seen as contributing to
delays in the siting process, t h a t tendency could be corrected by incorporating delay and cost of deiay explicitly in the analyses.
B. ILVALYSIS TO CLARIFY PROBLEM BOUNDS AND P M T I POSITIONS
Before one begins t h e process t h e r e m u s t be a clear understanding
of t h e problem bounds whlch a r e likely to emerge a t different stages of
t h e process. To the extent possible t h e interested parties should b e made
aware of t h e different decisions w h c h have to be m a d e , how long these
decisions a r e likely t o t a k e a n d the mechanisms utilized to determine t h e
final outcome. In other words, some type of normal process should b e
established.. In the same spirit it appears appropriate for e a c h of t h e
i n t e r e s t e d parties t o specify t h e constraints which guide its decisions and
t h e assumptions upon which they are based.
Each p a r t y might defend its position by stating the basis for its conclusion regarding site preference. Mitroff, Emshoff and Kilmann (1979)
have proposed a technique called assumptional analysis whereby t h e parties undertake a dialectical approach t o t h e problem by being forced to
defend t h e assumptions on which t h e y base their position with the opportunity to challenge t h e assumptions of others. Majone (1979) has suggested t h a t t h e knowledge base on w h c h to m a k e decisions for these type
of problems is currently so inadequate t h a t s u c h a process would enable
one to explore avenues of disagreement and improve his understanding of
t h e problem.
It is likely, however, t h a t conflicts will continue t o exist between t h e
parties because they have different assumptions on which t h e y base their
actions. As we have s e e n from the MAMP model, public i n t e r e s t groups
like the Sierra Club focused entirely on environmental a n d safety considerations because t h a t is the basis for their existence; public utilities
were primarily concerned with economic factors while government agencies were forced by legislative mandate to focus on specific attributes.
There a r e two analytic approaches which may be helpful in structuring the multi-party problem so that policy alternatives can be evaluated
before attempting to introduce them into the political process. Both
approaches incorporate the differing values held and concerns felt by the
different parties, and use those to represent and predict e a c h party's
ranking of alternatives. The first is multiattribute utility (MAU)analysis,
developed by Keeney and Raiffa (1976). In t h a t approach a utility function is developed for e a c h party w h c h is fitted to measures of the relative
weights over attributes t h a t party seems to employ in making its choices.
These measures can be developed in the course of direct value elicitations of members of e a c h group, or in some cases can be estimated from
past decisions or policy stands.
A second analytic approach, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP),
has been recently developed by Saaty (1980). This approach is conceptually similar to the MAU approach, except t h a t it uses ratios of reIative
importance over attributes, and ratios of relative impacts of each of the
alternatives, as opposed to the more complete utility functions of the
MAU approach.
Both approaches r u n into difficulty in trying to represent equity considerations. In any problem of social conflict, such as the siting problem
described here, the alternative selected depends crucially on the relative
weights given to each party in the process. If full weight would be given to
t h e applicant, i t would be free to select a denesly populated site; if full
weight were given to neighbors of t h e proposed plant, no siting
application
would
be
successful
without
attractive
compensation
schemes. Neither analytic approach offers a convenient means to assign
weights over parties. In both cases, some individual must assign t h e
weights, which begs t h e question of who that individual should be. Keeney
(1976) has suggested that there is some referee agency which implicitly
assigns these weights, so the MAU (or AHP) process could simply elicit t h e
weights from representatives of t h a t agency. In the California case, however, it is not clear whether that agency should be the FERC, t h e CPUC, or
another agency. Perhaps t h e best way around t h e equity problem is to
use t h e MAU. or AHP approaches with each of several plausible sets of
weights over parties. A sensitivity analysis would then shed light on what
conclusions could be drawn from a range of weights.
Either t h e MAU or the AHP approaches can be combined with instruments of policy analysis, helping the analyst to determine t h e effects of,
for instance, incentive schemes and regulations on t h e performance of
alternative scenarios. For example, the relevant state o r federal agencies
might consider the possibility of compensating those who a r e exposed to
t h e risks of a terminal, similarly, additional safeguards might be considered. The MAU or AHP approaches would suggest how changes in t h e
values of particular attributes might effect the relative desirability of different scenarios. Of course, other social and political considerations
might enter these types of decisions.
V. SUMMARY AND FUTURE RESEARCH
In t h s paper we have developed a descriptive model of choice, t h e
MAMP model, and drawn some presecriptive recommendations where analyses might improve societal decision making with respect to siting problems. The seven year experience in California in trying to site LNG terminals points out the need for a well-articulated set of procedures for dealing with energy problems in the United States. It also suggests t h e need
for examining how other countries undertake their siting decisions.
A t IIASA we are now completing a cross-cultural, comparative study
of siting decisions in four countries: the Federal Republic of Germany
(ATZ 1981), the United Kingdom (Macgill !981), the Netherlands (Schwarz
1981), and t h e United States (Lathrop 1981). We will apply t h e MAMP
model to each of these cases in the hopes of learning about the similarities and differences among countries and developing a broader s e t of
guidelines for improving the siting process based on these descriptive
analyses. Problems of siting new technologies will become more import a n t as our energy resources become more scarce. We are hopeful t h a t
through international comparative studies we will gain a b e t t e r appreciation as to what can be done in the future.
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