The Role of Historian in Community Discourse

Dr. Sarah Robey, a professor of history at Idaho State University is part of the Common Ground team, playing an important role as historian.

Working with universities across the West, a panel of experts from various fields including nuclear engineering, radiological science, sociology, public administration and policy, political science, and nuclear history are working together on an initiative to improve mutual understanding of better practices in consent-based siting processes for spent nuclear fuel. 

Boise State University's Energy Policy Institute’s Common Ground project has taken on a pivotal role in investigating consent-based strategies for interim spent nuclear fuel storage. The BSU team's grant is $2 million of an overall $26 from the U.S. Department of Energy. This initiative aims to prioritize the needs and concerns of people and communities. 

The goal of the Common Ground group, according to the Energy Policy Institute website, is “to engage in discussions about consent-based siting for spent nuclear fuel with those who have historical experience in nuclear technology/fuel cycle and/or are practitioners in nuclear waste and related policy. The consortium focuses on improving the processes of consent-based siting by engaging with communities, Tribes, industry, policymakers, and technical experts, as well as other groups to co-produce input and guidance. Insights may be used more broadly for energy facilities as well as critical infrastructure/process, including nuclear waste, the electric grid and power plants, hydrogen, etc.”

Dr. Sarah Robey, a professor of history at Idaho State University is part of the Common Ground team, playing an important role as historian. Her central tasks involve analyzing past successes and failures in engaging communities regarding nuclear waste storage since the 1960s. Collaborating with experts from the team, Robey plans to contribute historical context to the sociological insights, scientific expertise, and policy considerations the group will examine, to pave the way for consent-driven solutions, striving for more inclusive approaches to address the complexities of nuclear waste storage.

“Our team is tasked with developing better practice for assessing community interest,” Dr. Robey says. “We are not working to designate locations for storing spent nuclear fuel. We’re developing better processes for engaging with communities about the issue of nuclear waste storage in the future.”

Robey’s broad knowledge of America’s nuclear history and how communities have reacted will provide a valuable perspective. Dr. Robey says she will be applying her training as a cultural historian who studies everyday human experience to the project. 

Dr. Robey, a prominent historian in the area of nuclear history, has made substantial contributions to public discourse through various media platforms. She's been a notable guest on NPR Throughline podcast, and the Wild Thing podcast's third season as well as presenting public talks in the area. She says that the region has been very influential in nuclear history. 

The first light bulbs to be lit by nuclear power (at the National Reactor Testing Station, 1951)

“There’s a lot of expertise around energy and nuclear science in Idaho,” Dr. Robey says. “There are scholars involved in the [Common Ground] project from across Idaho and the West who are experts in nuclear science and related policies. This says something about our region and what kind of knowledge we can bring into an area like this.”

In addition to the Common Ground project, Dr. Robey’s current research focuses more specifically on the history of the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). She aims to highlight not just technological achievements of the laboratory but also the profound influence the site has had on the region’s communities. 

“There are a lot of folks in eastern Idaho who want to know more about this history,” Dr. Robey says. “There’s a built-in public curiosity about this topic.”

Robey says that her work can help those in the community learn more about the community they live in. 

“I love that my research allows me to be a scholar who lives in this community and writes about this community,” Robey says. “It’s something that I find very motivating.”

Robey will also teach an interdisciplinary course at ISU this spring, History of Energy, that examines the history of energy and energy technologies since the 1700s. The course will look at various energy sources and technologies through history to examine how life adapted to or changed as a result. The course is especially relevant for history and political science students, engineering, physics, chemistry, and College of Technology students. She explains that the course helps students learn the history of some of today’s issues, including hot topic issues such as whether or not to invest in nuclear energy to address climate change.

A class field trip to INL

“When students come into my classroom, this sort of class has the potential to bridge understandings between STEM and the humanities,” Robey says. “Folks who are going into nuclear engineering and science have the opportunity to learn the history of their field in a rich and nuanced way.”

“Having interdisciplinary conversations that are relevant to many people,” she says, “that's something I love about teaching in this field.”

Community Event

ISU is hosting a free public screening of Oppenheimer at the Bengal Theatre on December 5th, 5 PM. Following the film will be an audience-led Q&A session with panelists Sarah Robey (History), Colin Johnson (Political Science), and Chad Pope (Nuclear Engineering). Enjoy free pizza while delving into this unique learning opportunity.