-t

,1'1/

Standard Oil Company
INconPoRATED
IN New Jersey

NEERING COMPANY
P. 0. BOX 215, LINDEN, N.

JO ROCKEFELLER

PLAZA,

NEW YORK

J. 07036

20, NEW YORK

Public Re luti ons Department

l/6 715-224

April

FORAIR/WATER
CONSERVATION
FILE

26, 1967

API Public Opinion
on Pollution
and
Pollution
Control

nd

Survey

as

HENRYB. WILSON

,n

Pollution.

sults

r:rease-n~=

of this

use within

- -

- "•'"" ..·e-

N, J.,
recently
?rinceton,
Lr and water) and pollution
nary objectives:

survey are for internal

the petroleum

industry.

of and concern
tffected
be.

HENRYB. WILSON

LOUS

by pollution

industries

vehicle

about

comcontrol

the
and what

as a source

exhaust

of

as a source

~ried out the survey in the fall of
adult residents
of the continental
U,S, T~re spondents were selected
to represent
a nationwide
probability
sample.
They were interviewed
in their homes and at no time were they told who was sponsoring the study.
The sample used is felt to be adequate for reli ab ly projecting
the survey findings
to the entire
adult population
within a tolerance
range of
+ 3%. Several of the questions used in the 1966 survey were the same as those
survey of public attitudes
about pollution
which they
used by ORCin a nationwide
conducted
in July 1965.
To some extent
it was possible,
therefore,
to compare
the results
of the two surveys.
~

The highlights

of the survey

are

,Jvv

presented

in the attachment

letter.

FORUSE ONLYWITHINTHEPETROLEUM
INDUSTRY

to this

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#6715-224

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April

26, 1967

API Public Opinion Survey
on Pollution
and
Pollution
Control

? . f·.:. -- ·-

I
Mr. B. L. Br agg~/
Standard Oil Co. (N.J.)
Pub lie Relations
30 Rockefeller
Plaza
New York, New York
Dear Ben:

The Opinion Research Corp . (ORC) of Princeton,
N. J., recently
pleted a public opinion survey on pollution
(air and water) and pollution
on behalf of the API. The survey had four primary objectives:
1.

To obtain a measure of public awareness
problems of air and water pollution.

2.

To ascertain
they believe

3.

To obtain
pollution.

4.

To examine people's
of pollution.

how people
the causes

people's

of and concern

think they are affected
of pollution
to be.

attitudes
thinking

toward various

about

by pollution

industries

about motor vehicle

exhaust

comcontrol

the
and what

as a source

of

as a source

ORC's national
interviewing
staff carried out the survey in the fall of
1966 by personally
interviewing
just over 2300 adult residents
of the continental
U.S. The respondents
were selected
to represent
a nationwide probability
sample.
They were interviewed
in their homes and at no time were they told who was sponsoring the study.
The sample used is felt to be adequate for reliably
projecting
the survey findings
to the entire adult population
within a tolerance
range of
+ 3%. Several of the questions used in the 1966 survey were the same as those
used by ORC in a nationwide survey of public attitudes
about pollution
which they
conducted in July 1965. To some extent it was possible,
therefore,
to compare
the results
of the two surveys.
The highlights

of the survey

are presented

in the attachment

letter.

FOilUSEONLY
WITHIN
THEPETROLEUM
INDUSTRY

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 Page 1 of 2
Highlights

of Survey,

PUBLICVIEWSON POLLUTION
ANDPOLLUTION
CONTROL

by Opinion

0

Research

Corp. for API _ 1966

When peo~le are shown a list of community problems and asked to identify
the
most serious ' . air pollution·
th
f'f
.
is
e i th most frequently
mentioned.
This
from July of 1965 when it ranked
level of mention has risen significantly
tenth.
'

o Public awareness of air and water pollution
of the public have heard or read about air
year.

problems is high;
or water pollution

three-fourths
within the past

o With respect
to pollution
in their own area, over half the people do not
single out either
air or water pollution
as a serious problem.
How~ver, the
number of people who do regard one or the other or both of these problems as
serious
represents
a sharp increase
from July of last year.
o Two-thirds
of the public say they are not personally
affected
by air pollution.
Those who believe
they are affected
mention some kind of health problem most
often.
o Industrial
wastes are the most frequently
mentioned
Sewage is the next most frequently
mentioned.

cause of water

o Industry
and motor vehicle
exhausts
are the most frequently
of air pollution,
especially
by residents
of large cities.

pollution.

mentioned

causes

o When asked to select
from a list of thirteen
industries
the ones most responsible for local air pollution,
respondents
name the chemical industry
most often.
The oil industry
and railroads
share second place.

o In regard to industries
responsible
for air pollution
in other parts of the
country,
steel
is mentioned most often, with oil refineries
and chemical plants
next.
0

Motor vehicle
exhaust is believed
to be a significant
contributor
to air pollution by over half the general public and over three-fourths
of large city
residents.

0

very few people
vehicle
exhaust

0

When asked who is more responsible
for air
exhaust,
32% name automobile manufacturers,
both are equally responsible.

0

mention lead
that pollutes

Asked directly
about
mately six people out
Most of those persons
mention odors, fumes

specifically
the air.

when asked what there

is about motor

pollution
from motor vehicle
16% name oil companies and 27% say

oil companies'
responsibility
for air pollution,
approxiof ten either
say it's
not a problem or have no opinion.
who do think the industry
contributes
to air pollution
and gases -- mainly from refineries.

FORUSEONLY
WITHINTHEPETROLEUM
INDUSTRY
(Continued)