A Pilot Socioeconomic Survey of the Impact Area of Energy-Related Industries Proposed for Monongalia County, West Virginia. Circular 118.

The major objective of this pilot survey was to pretest questions for use in the development and design of a larger, more definitive survey of residents of rural communities in Appalachia, planned for the spring of 1981, and to obtain preliminary descriptive data about the area's residents. Telephone interviews covered respondents' family characteristics and attitudes toward their communities and potential new energy developments. Complete, usable interviews were obtained from 129 of the 151 residents contacted (87%). Limitations included the small sample size and the fact that respondents were exposed to much publicity and controversy after interviewing was concluded. Those favoring the energy industries comprised 72%, while 13% opposed and 14% "didn't know." When characteristics of those favoring the industries were compared with those opposing such industries, it was found that older respondents, those with less education, larger families, and lower incomes tended to favor the industries, while respondents who were younger, had more education, smaller families, and higher incomes tended to oppose the establishment of the industries. A larger survey has been planned to determine more definitive relationships relative to these preliminary findings and furnish data useful to others in the field of social impact assessment of energy developments. (AN)