Disposition of High-Level Radioactive Waste Through Geological Isolation Development, Current Status, and Technical and Policy Challenges (1999) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
An Overview of the Workshop Agenda
An Overview of the Workshop Agenda
Pages 15-32
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From page 15... ...
Paul SIovic, President, Decision Research, and Professor of Psychology at the University of Oregon, will speak on public perceptions, trust, stigma, and the problems of achieving public acceptance of geological disposition. These plenary talks will be followed by invited comments from leaders and former leaders of national programs in the United States, France, and Sweden, and a distinguished sociologist from the United Kingdom.
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From page 16... ...
KEY ISSUES FOR THE WORKSHOP In initiating the workshop, the National Academies' Board on Radioactive Waste Management suggested that three broad topical areas be examined: technical development of the geological disposition option, its scientific and policy challenges, and strategies for implementation. Key issues associated with each area, and to be included in the workshop discussions, were later identified by the workshop steering committee.
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From page 17... ...
Strategies for Implementing the Geological Disposition Option-Separating the technical and policy bases for licensing decisions; phased disposition options; long-term monitoring and surveillance; addressing public concerns about fairness in the decision process and long-term safety; other strategies to inform and involve publics; alternative disposition approaches. · Should we store wastes rather than dispose of them "rapidly" (ethical, economic, public acceptance arguments)
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From page 18... ...
The seven discussion sessions that form the core of the workshop are listed as follows: setback; · Role of total system performance assessment in establishing the acceptability of geologic repositories: An interface between technology and policy; · Timing and staging repository development: Maintaining technical and social balance in stepwise development from concept through implementation; · The regulator's dilemma: Decision making in the presence of uncertainty; · Public acceptance in the context of social distrust; · Lessons learned from national programs: Tracing routes to success or · Is geological disposal required?
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From page 19... ...
Taking into account human intrusion is fundamental, but represents a special category of events, since the intrusion scenarios must be specified, and cannot be predicted based on scientific arguments. Very long-term repository barrier behavior can never be predicted with certainty.
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From page 20... ...
Will the discussion, on the contrary, be forced into assessing the role of individual barriers, and will the technical community be asked to "guarantee" the integrity of each individual barrier over a given lifetime? What is the importance given by publics to the human intrusion scenarios?
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From page 21... ...
Compared to most inclustrial projects this development period is extremely long. During this long process, the project implementers (the responsible waste management organization)
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From page 22... ...
Session Structure The session will be organized around presentations and discussion of the experiences of selected countries in seeking to combine technical development and social concerns into a stepwise strategy for implementing geological disposal. The following issues will be addressed in the context of timing and staging events that will best lead to establishment of a geological repository: · What are the key decision points in repository development and what must be known at each, Eking into account both the knowledge that wait be available and the consequences of decisions at each stage of development?
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From page 23... ...
The national regulatory agency will play a very important role in confronting and resolving the difficulties involved in making national decisions about repositories. But the main intrinsic positive resource that such an agency needs-the general trust of the public that it will "do the right thing" may be lacking or lost unless the regulatory body can exercise all of its roles well These roles include at least the following, all of which must be successfully: juggled 23
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From page 24... ...
· What measures should a regulator take to ensure fairness to stakeholders of all persuasions? Session 4: Public Acceptance in the Context of Social Distrust Most interested or concerned persons would probably agree that the public acceptance or rejection of the geological option is a central issue for radioactive waste management today.
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From page 25... ...
Experiences in the different countries suggests that some prior institutional conceptions and processes of decision making may need to change in order to move toward a situation deemed "acceptable" by major interests. At this time, it is useful to step back and consider why radioactive waste management programs seem to encounter such a high level of societal conflict, controversy, and opposition, and why efforts to move ahead with even redesigned programs may fail.
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From page 26... ...
Session 5: Lessons Learned from National Programs: Tracing Routes to Success or Setback Countries seeking to implement the geological disposal option have gained much experience during the past decade. While the overall picture appears to be one of little progress and many setbacks, there have been notable successes.
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From page 27... ...
; barriers) ; · degree of public acceptance of geologic disposal (current status and · alternative site selection strategies (technical, volunteering, etch; · reference disposal concept (e.g., weight of engineered vs.
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From page 28... ...
Wl~a4: As been He role and response: of the scientific community and how has this he:lpe~urt? :: :: ~ : · Have other national programs or parUcipat~on in international projects helped, or have may had negligible real impacts it: ~ : ~ : i: ~: :: : :: : : ~ : 3.
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From page 29... ...
The default option has been to leave the spent fuel in place at a reactor site or the waste at a reprocessing plant. This is an unintended for of monitored surface storage; surface storage is an alternative long advocated by some analysts.
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From page 30... ...
Session 7: Making Progress through International Cooperation International cooperation toward implementing the geological option has two dimensions. Firstly, there are international organizations that are charged with maintaining responsible oversight of peaceful uses of nuclear technology.
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From page 31... ...
For how long can institutional controls be relied upon for an international site? International organizations such as the IAEA and NEA have sponsored many projects in the area of geological disposal, both aimed at the technical community and at presenting consensus opinions to enhance public acceptance (NEA, 1991, 1995, 1999~.
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From page 32... ...
It is intended as a vehicle for beginning a dialogue among the workshop participants. Much has happened in the past decade regarding the development of geological HEW repositories, and it seems an excellent time for a revisiting and reformulation of the issues by the technical community as an input to the decision process for the national programs and for international cooperative efforts.
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