The 12th International Conference on Environmental ... - Events

Session 32 Abstracts
SESSION 32 - LOCAL PARTICIPATION AND DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES, BEHAVIOR AND POLITICS
1) THREATS AND BENEFITS UPDATED INFORMATION ON LOCAL OPINIONS REGARDING THE SPENT
NUCLEAR FUEL REPOSITORY IN FINLAND - 16128
Matti Kojo, University of Tampere (Finland); Mika Kari, Tapio Litmanen, University Jyväskylä (Finland)
<strong>The</strong> aim of the paper is to provide updated information on local opinion regarding the siting of a spent nuclear fuel repository
in Finland. <strong>The</strong> main question is how the residents of the municipality perceive the threats and benefits of the repository. In accordance
with the Decision in Principle by the Council of State passed in 2000, the Olkiluoto area in Municipality of Eurajoki was
chosen as the location for the repository to accommodate spent nuclear fuel produced in Finland.
Updated information on local opinions is needed as the siting process is approaching the next phase, the application for a construction
license by 2012. <strong>The</strong> nuclear waste management company Posiva, owned by the utilities Teollisuuden Voima and Fortum
Power and Heat, has also applied for a new Decision in Principle (DiP) for expansion of the repository.
<strong>The</strong> data provided in this paper is based on a survey carried out in June 2008. <strong>The</strong> respondents were selected from the residents
of the municipality of Eurajoki and the neighbouring municipalities using stratified random sampling (N=3000). <strong>The</strong> response
rate of the survey was 20% (N=606).
<strong>The</strong> paper is part of a joint research project between the University of Jyväskylä and the University of Tampere. <strong>The</strong> research
project Follow-up research regarding socio-economic effects and communication of final disposal facility of spent nuclear fuel in
Eurajoki and its neighbouring municipalitiesis funded by the Finnish Research Programme on Nuclear Waste Management
(KYT2010).
2) APPLYING BEST PRACTICAL ENVIRONMENTAL OPTIONEERING (BPEO) TO A COMPLEX CLEAN UP
PROGRAMME; A PONDS & SILOS CASE STUDY - 16154
Simon Candy, Sellafield Ltd. (UK)
<strong>The</strong> use of Best Practical Environmental Optioneering (BPEO) has long been part of informed decision making within the
Nuclear Industry. However, BPEO has typically been applied to specific and discrete objectives, for example the selection of a technology
to treat a particular nuclear waste stream. While this has sometimes been extended to cover a number of objectives, no one
had applied BPEO to a programme of the size and complexity of that associated with Legacy Ponds & Silos at Sellafield. <strong>The</strong> programme,
spanning more than 30 years, includes a range of different objectives covering ongoing management, recovery, conditioning,
storage and ultimately disposal of nuclear wastes. This range of activities is applied across a number of facilities containing
multiple, significant waste streams. This paper explains how BPEO was applied to the Legacy Ponds & Silos programme and discussed
some of the learning resulting from that exercise.
3) STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION FOR THE LEGACY PONDS AND LEGACY SILOS (LP&LS) FACILITY AT
SELLAFIELD, CUMBRIA. UK: THE NATURE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF THE DIALOGUE - 16030
John Whitton, UK National Nuclear Laboratory (UK)
<strong>The</strong> Legacy Ponds and Silos (LP&S) facilities are part of the UK nuclear legacy located at the Sellafield Site, Cumbria. <strong>The</strong>re
are four individual facilities containing nuclear wastes that have accumulated over a period of approximately 50 years. Waste
retrieval and conditioning, in preparation for decommissioning, is currently being carried out by the site operator. LP&S have
recently proposed a re-engagement with stakeholders following the initial engagement in December 2005. This paper reviews this
earlier engagement in terms of the nature of dialogue that was carried out when compared against definitions of deliberation provided
in the literature. <strong>The</strong> aim of this paper is to provide those planning future engagement with a better understanding of how the
nature of dialogue can vary and uses participation and deliberation as indicators of effective engagement.
A concern of those working towards a programme of effective stakeholder participation in 2005 was how to ensure genuine
dialogue and stakeholder representation in such a strictly controlled and regulated environment with a technical complexity that
challenges technical specialist and layperson alike. LP&S recognised that effective dialogue with stakeholders on the available
technical options and their associated societal impacts would form a significant part of this process if options were to prove resilient.
However, the challenge presented to LP&S was how to engage stakeholders on a variety of projects, whilst ensuring the output
could be used by the projects as part of their technical decision making.
4) EXPERIENCE IN CHOICES FOR DECOMMISSIONING THE DOUNREAY SITE - 16183
Fred Catlow, Fred Catlow, Independent Nuclear Consultant (UK)
<strong>The</strong> paper describes the public participation from the viewpoint of a stakeholder and member of the public.
<strong>The</strong> dialogue between various members of the Dounreay Stakeholders Committee vary widely and do not always seem to represent
the views of the wider public. Whilst great care has been taken to select various options for the ultimate condition of the
Dounreay site and these have been discussed at great length and the preferred option selected by consensus, there still appears to
be some conflict within the local community.
It is my belief (and others) that if the local population had to vote on the options for the the future of the Dounreay nuclear site
the outcome would be vastly different from that of the Stakeholders Committee.
Whilst the politicians have been elected by the people, they represent a distinctly anti-nuclear view (even to the extent of
decommissioning) whereas the majority of the local population would prefer to see a continuation of nuclear activity on the Dounreay
site.
<strong>The</strong> problem is not only with local politicians but at bational level in Scotland itself where the Scottish National Party has
formed a coalition with the Green Party on condition all nuclear activities are phsed out.
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