AbstractResults are presented which show that for environment-sensitive cracking the changes in environment composition or potential that may occur in pits, crevices, or cracks are probably as important as the stress concentration associated with such discontinuities. However, with some solutions, especially those in which the solvated metal is very slightly soluble and the pH is effectively buffered, the changes of composition and potential in discontinuities will probably be small and less important than the stress concentration. When the stress concentration is appreciable, it is the attendant plastic strain, and even more so the rate of its manifestation, that is important, because of the time dependence of the associated corrosion-related reactions in environment-assisted crack growth.MST/65