Options open to a small country, like Slovenia, in relation to radioactive waste disposal

When a society of two million people, who live on scarcely 20500 km2, needs to plan, and afterwards to implement, a strategy for radioactive waste management, the first step in the process is to look round and ask its bigger, stronger and more experienced neighbours (neighbouring countries), how they performed that task. Unfortunately, it is usually found that only few of the numerous answers to these questions and sub-questions are suitable for questioner. So what is to be done when the society is a Mediterranean, Central European, relatively highly populated country, where the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in 1994 exceeded 7000 US dollars, where the territory is mainly intended for residence, tourism and agricultural purposes, and where there is only one nuclear power plant (NPP) and one uranium mill which are responsible for the greatest part of the highly undesired radioactive waste ? The producers of radioactive wastes, and the economy of the country as a whole, cannot afford the costs of seeking a unique way of disposing of those wastes, but nevertheless, answers to the two primary questions concerning radioactive waste management should be given in any case. First: What should be done with the radioactive wastes produced in one NPP (PWR, 632 MWe) during 35 years of operation (up to 8000 m3 of low - and intermediate - level waste, about 600 tons of spent fuel), and a uranium mill closed after only six years of ore-processing operation (670000 tons of ore-processing wastes)? Second: Where should it be done? Both questions pose the problem of siting, environmental assessment and the appropriateness of (all kinds of) criteria. In this paper the situation in Slovenia is presented with emphasis on the possibility and feasibility of radioactive waste disposal. Methodology and criteria for site evaluation and site selection for low- and intermediate- level radioactive waste (LILW) disposal is described. Fifty-five criteria are included in a decision tree which is the basis for the evaluation of site alternatives. All important subjects are covered: characteristics of the site, environmental goals, safety, public acceptance/opinion, economy, legality. The methodology is supported by an expert system shell running on standard IBM PCs. Due to the transparency of the evaluation process and broad opportunities for justification of the results, it is expected the decision-making procedure (final site selection) will be accepted without major protest. The strategy of radioactive waste management in Slovenia inclines towards disposal of LILW on its own territory, whereas strategy for spent fuel management from the NPP Krsko is still to be established. (author)