Project Timeline

April, 2002: Students in Professor Christina Zarcadoolas' Brown University class Environmental Studies 126: Public Perceptions of the Environment begin recruiting Pascoag residents as study participants. The interview protocol is designed through a collaborative process.

April 12 - May 1, 2002: A total of 100 interviews with Pascoag residents are conducted at residential homes, the Pascoag firehouse, George's Pizza and Pub in downtown Pascoag, and over the telephone.

May 1 - May 13, 2002: Students conduct preliminary analysis of data, identifying five main topic areas. Small groups of students work together to interpret and compile data within these topic areas.

May 14, 2002: The 26 members of ES 126 discuss their findings at a presentation held at Brown University. In attendance are community representatives; Dr. Robert Vanderslice of the Department of Health; Nancy Langrall, Senior Policy Advisor to Sen. Jack Reed; and Peter Lord, environmental reporter for the Providence Journal.

June - August, 2002: Undergraduate researchers Jessica Galante and Jessica Spiegel conduct in-depth interviews with local, state and federal officials involved in the response to the Pascoag contamination.

August 8, 2002: Executive Summary of Pascoag, Lessons Learned, Part One: Interviews With Residents is released.

September, 2002: The website "Pascoag: Lessons Learned," containing results and conclusions from Part One: Interviews With Residents and Part Two: Interviews With Officials goes online. The website can be viewed at www..edu

ongoing-May 2003: Jessica Galante complete a senior thesis in Environmental Studies on water contamination with the Pascoag water contamination event as a case study.