Exploring Coal Dust Pollution and Social Acceptance in Singleton, New South Wales: Implications for the Social License to Operate through Risk Society Theory

This chapter aims to draw insights from “risk society theory” and wield them to further the current understanding of social license to operate (SLO) outcomes. The theory argues that people live in an age of “new” environmental risks, which are more complex than ever to navigate due to the inherent tension between the risks and benefits of polluting industries. This tension is especially prevalent in Australian regional coal mining towns. Singleton, New South Wales, is spotlit owing to garnering attention from researchers and news media alike for community resistance against “coal dust,” an atmospheric pollutant known for severe long-term health impacts. Drawing upon 27 interviews with Singleton residents, this chapter provides a novel sociological perspective on the social acceptance, or lack thereof, of coal dust pollution.