This dissertation is a case study which describes and explores the procedures for preparation of a large-scaled project Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The U.S. Steel Corporation, in conjunction with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Arthur D. Little, Inc., initiated a series of Technical Team meetings to afford Federal, state, and local public agency officials the means to exchange information and to resolve conflicts on a proposed integrated steel plant. The highly acclaimed overlapping group cooperative approach resulted in a DEIS document prepared in an expeditious 16 months.
The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which cooperative group processes were in existence during the preparation of the U.S. Steel DEIS, and the social psychological dimensions of such processes. The primary instrument was a questionnaire using a set of behavioral variables adapted from Rensis Likert's Profile of Organizational Characteristics. In addition, a newly designed organizational involvement scale offered respondents the opportunity to evaluate the participation of selected organizations. Finally, a cost accounting model designed to estimate the savings to the applicant organization of a cooperative approach was formulated and explored.
Data were gathered by means of questionnaire response and by interviews. Results indicate that participants viewed the DEIS effort as a mildly democratic and cooperative undertaking on the Likert derived scales. However, participants also expressed a preference for even greater cooperation to facilitate the DEIS process. Further, participant organizations received variable scores on actual involvement, thereby indicating the differential importance placed upon the project by agency administrators. The cost-savings model was generally recognized as being an important device to encourage cooperative efforts, but surprisingly, no applicant cost data on previous DEIS efforts were found to be available.
In summary, this dissertation provides the basis for improving the interaction of Technical Team members in the future. To facilitate greater cooperation, group discussion leaders and members could benefit from programs designed to educate participants on the group decision-making process. From an administrative view, top level support and adequate funding are vital to ensure the full involvement of participants. Additionally, the study enumerates several specific topics on environmental assessment procedures which require future research.