Finding a site for a nuclear or waste management facility and hosting it in a spirit of understanding and partnership are of fundamental importance in the nuclear industry. At a meeting at the IAEA last week, 95 mayors, councilors and representatives from national organizations with responsibility for engaging local stakeholders from 25 countries, discussed the experience of hosting radioactive waste management sites and other nuclear facilities.
“The nuclear world doesn’t have to be a closed one. We are working for the people. Everybody in the vicinity knows there is a nuclear power plant, and that this power plant generates waste. So why not talk about it?” said Gerben Dijksterhuis, mayor of Borssele in the Netherlands, which hosts both a nuclear power plant and a radioactive waste and spent fuel storage facility. In Borssele, certain parts of the facility are open to the public and even host art exhibitions and other cultural events from time to time. Such transparency and public service build trust, Dijksterhuis said.
While the nuclear industry has the scientific and technical basis for safe and secure radioactive waste management, this on its own is not enough, said Mikhail Chudakov, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Energy. Implementing a successful radioactive waste management programme includes building and sustaining local trust.
“If nuclear power deployment doesn’t grow and other low carbon technologies do not make up the gap, we will not meet our climate targets,” Chudakov said during his opening remarks. “Public perception is an important factor when deciding on an energy mix. Nuclear has to secure public support in order to play a role commensurate with its potential to address global warming.”
Hosting a nuclear site brings both tangible and intangible benefits, said David Moore, Deputy Mayor of Copeland, the home of Sellafield, the United Kingdom’s fuel reprocessing and nuclear decommissioning facility. “We in West Cumbria have hosted nuclear waste facilities for over fifty years, and it has allowed our community to become one of the most knowledgeable on waste matters,” he said. “We have seen the advantages of well-paid jobs and investment in skills and training.”
