This book investigates the communicative dynamics of human-induced disaster, exploring how communication affects people on an individual level in different ways, and the consequences in terms of response, recovery, and resiliency.

Focusing on the 2023 East Palestine train derailment and chemical spill as a central case study, while drawing connections to historical disasters including Love Canal, Three Mile Island, and the Flint water crisis, the author prioritizes the voices and experiences of local residents directly affected by these disasters. Through interviews, document analysis, and field research, the book explores how official communications often conflict with residents' lived experiences and how distrust can become a barrier to effective risk communication, and considers stigmatization and the emotional burden placed on affected communities.

Guiding best practices for risk communication with local populations, this book will be important reading for scholars and students of risk, emergency and crisis communication, public relations, and environmental communication, as well as industry professionals who work to communicate with the public about human-induced disaster.

Mary Le Rouge is Head of General Studies and Associate Professor or Writing at the Cleveland Institute of Music, USA.