Laka Foundation

Publication Laka-library:
The Environmental and Ethical Basis of Geological Disposal (1995)

AuthorNEA
Date1995
Classification 6.01.5.51/55 (WASTE - STORAGE ON LAND (f.i. SALT / CLAY) (INCL. SYNROC))
Front

From the publication:

FOREWORD

The safe disposal of radioactive wastes, and specifically the need to protect humans
and the environment in the far future, is given particular attention in all countries
engaged in nuclear power generation. It is also a concern in many other countries
making use of radioactive materials for medical, industrial, or research purposes.

As for many environmental protection situations linked to industrial development,
including the management of hazardous chemical materials, the safe disposal of
radioactive wastes requires consideration of a broad range of scientific and
technical factors relating to potential impacts on the biosphere, as well as
basic ethical principles that reflect the expectations of society.

Whilst the state-of-the-art in this field is relatively advanced and known, diverging
views are often expressed calling, from time to time, for a reappraisal of the proposed
approaches and actions. As in many other areas, extensive international exchanges of
views help in clarifying the issues involved and in formulating consensus positions
which may assist national authorities in their search for appropriate solutions.

This report presents such a consensus position in the form of a Collective Opinion
of the Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) of the OECD Nuclear
Energy Agency. It addresses the strategy for the final disposal of long-lived
radioactive wastes seen from an environmental and ethical perspective, including
considerations of equity and fairness within and between generations. This Collective
Opinion, by professionals having responsibilities at a national level in the field of
radioactive waste management, is intended to contribute to an informed and
constructive debate on this subject. It is based on recent work reported from NEA
countries and on extensive discussions held at an NEA workshop organised in Paris
in September 1994 on the Environmental and Ethical Aspects of Long-lived
Radioactive Waste Disposal.

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