Risk governance of hazardous industrial ports and areas: a case study of industrial areas and harbors in Norway

Composite industrial areas created to store, process, and transport energy pose risks to the health, safety, property, and environment of their host communities. Whether these risks are seen as acceptable may, however, depend on frameworks applied in risk governance processes and may also be subject to controversy between stakeholders and roles. Individual companies and actors may follow safety standards and regulations within their domain, but the accumulated risks may not be properly evaluated. Furthermore, attitudes and perceptions about risk in host communities may trigger conflicts regarding the siting or continuance of activities or plans for new activities. The paper addresses these issues from a risk governance perspective, focusing on conflicting goals, roles, and knowledge base among decision-makers and on regulatory complexity. The empirical basis is comprised of two case studies of industrial areas including storage and transport of energy and dangerous goods in major harbors close to urban and populated areas. The first case is an LNG storage and distribution facility located in a harbor and industrial area in the Sola municipality near the city of Stavanger. Disputes about safety issues have arisen during the planning, construction, and current operation of this facility. The second case is a multiple-facility industrial area in Oslo Harbor that has been undergoing a major expansion combined with parallel expansions in public environments (e.g. housing, transport, institutions, etc.).