Transparency and Public Participation in Radioactive Waste Management
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Transparency and Public Participation in Radioactive Waste Management Grazyna Zakrzewska-Trznadel1 and Kjell Andersson2 1 Institute of Nuclear Chemistry and Technology, ul. Dorodna 16, 03-195 Warsaw, Poland 2 Karita Research, Box 6048, SE-187 06 Taeby, Sweden ABSTRACT Selection of appropriate sites for disposal of radioactive waste, especially high level waste and spent nuclear fuel, is a controversial task, not only from technological but also from societal point of view. A key part of the nuclear facility development is public consultation before the siting, construction and operation of the new repository. All decisions on these issues should be made in clear and transparent manner. The involvement of the local community from the very beginning of planning process may avoid faults and misunderstandings resulting in social objections and organized protests in future. To enhance the public participation in decision-making process several approaches of communication with the society were elaborated in the countries with well-developed nuclear power industry. Special models for communicating with stakeholders to build the acceptance and confidence concerning the radioactive waste management may be also helpful for Poland – the country entering the nuclear energy pathway. An effort to adapt the RISCOM Process developed in Sweden and also implemented in Czech Republic, to Polish conditions will be made in the scope of the EC-FP 7 IPPA project. INTRODUCTION: THE CONTEXT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT IN POLAND Poland is one of the few European countries without nuclear power. Some amounts of high level waste and spent nuclear fuel are generated by two research reactors, scientific institutions, industry and hospitals. The most recent documents on energy policy for the next 2050 years take into account the nuclear energy option. According to last government decision the first nuclear power plant in the country will be commissioned in 2020. The most forward predictions for 2030 assumed 15.7% share of nuclear sources in fuel mix of electricity generation. Like in other countries without nuclear energy, in Poland, institutional radioactive waste is stored in near-surface repository, which is located in Rozan, 90 km from Warsaw, in postmilitary fort. Rozan site for low and medium-level radioactive waste storage and disposal, operated since 1961, is the only one repository in the country. The waste containing mainly gamma and beta emitters is disposed there after treatment and conditioning. Alpha-bearing waste is being temporary stored with the intent of transfer to a deep repository in future. Some longlived waste stored in Rozan in concrete facilities in the first decade of the repository operation (not segregated, partially conditioned and packed in different packages) is to be retrieved, repacked and re-disposed in a new repository since Rozan site will be closed down by the year of 2020.
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Taking into account the plans of development of nuclear power plants in Poland and closure of Rozan disposal site, the construct
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