Sofia Hiltner

TL;DR: This paper summarizes three different home buying or renting scenario-based experimental studies used to evaluate disclosure styles, to assess if these influenced respondents’ perceived risk of the LSL in a home, and their willingness to act.

Abstract: An estimated 6.1 million lead service lines (LSLs) are in use across the United States, posing a significant threat to children's health. Some proactive water utilities provide online tools enabling users to learn what addresses have LSLs. This study examined tools from three Ohio utilities, surveying a sample of Ohio homebuyers and renters to assess the comprehensibility of each tool. Tools varied by whether they included (1) a visual (i.e., map as opposed to database), (2) information about individual properties, and (3) information about both the public and private sides of the service line. Survey respondents demonstrated the greatest understanding of the Greater Cincinnati Water Works map, which featured all three of these elements. When presented with scenarios about purchasing homes with LSLs or with unknown material, respondents overwhelmingly said they would pressure the seller to replace the LSL as a condition of purchase, regardless of the communication tool viewed.

TL;DR: The authors found that non-White and lower-SES respondents would rate a greater number of pressing societal issues as also "environmental" than white and higher SES respondents, across 18 issues, ranging from ecological issues more traditionally the focus of environmental advocacy and scholarship to issues that also constitute human social determinants and consequences of environmental risk.