Does Proximity Matter? A quantitative study of residential return after a hypothetical nuclear accident in Sweden

Abstract: After observing an unwillingness to return among the residents in Fukushima following the nuclear accident in 2011, the question has been raised whether a similar response to a nuclear fallout should be expected among Swedish residents. One determinant of this response is the geographical proximity of the resident to the nearest nuclear plant. This could be due to differences in risk perception and preferences between residents living close, and farther away from the plant. This study aims to answer if geographical proximity matters for the response among residents in a hypothetical situation of a nuclear fallout, by investigating whether residents living close to a nuclear plant are 1) more likely to return after a fallout, and 2) less likely to express high level of concern for exposure to radioactive substances. To answer these questions, a citizen-panel data has been analyzed by means of an ordered logistic regression model. The findings reveal that residents in close proximity are not more likely to return, yet they are less likely to express high levels of concern which in turn could affect the likeliness to return.