National Concept of the Radioactive Waste Management in the Czech Republic: Public Involvement in the related EIA Process

By approval of the Atomic Act in 1997 the state assumed the responsibility for the safe disposal of all existing radioactive waste as well as that be generated in the future in the Czech Republic. Since certain categories of radioactive waste represent a highly hazardous long- term potential, the management and especially disposal of radioactive waste is a very long- term task which has to meet high technical, administrative and financial requirements. This is the main reason why a national policy of waste management is needed. The purpose of such a policy is to determine a long-term government strategy with respect to those organisations generating radioactive waste or otherwise involved in the management system and to provide a general system framework for decisions to be made by any party involved in radioactive waste management. In 2000 the document called Concept of Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel Management in CR was prepared by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in co-operation with many other organisations. The main goal was to come up with generally acceptable ideas for the strategically justified and scientifically, technologically, environmentally, financially and socially acceptable management of radioactive waste. At the same time this document is to serve as a source of clear information for the general public. The document is based on the results of detailed analyses of all reasonable options. Construction of a deep geological repository for the direct disposal of spent fuel and other high level wastes is considered to be the only realistic option for a final solution based on the current state of knowledge, yet this decision on further development could be reversed in the future by a new evaluation of management options, expected in 20 years time. In compliance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Act all similar concepts must be made public and civic organisations and other interested parties in this field should be invited to comment. Only after this EIA process can the document be submitted by the government for approval. The EIA process concerning the above Concept took place from April to September of 2001. By the agreement of the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Ministry of the Environment, additional steps, not required by the above mentioned act were taken. These steps included phases such as screening and a public hearing. Since the Concept assumes that the siting process for the deep geological repository will be completed by 2015 by the selection of 2 suitable sites and that all the related geological research work will start as early as 2003, it represents an important issue regarding communication with those communities and civic associations situated in the neighbourhood of potentially suitable sites. In the presentation the Concept's basic principles and strategies of the Concepts will be outlined as well as positions of the opponents of the Concepts and general lessons learned during the whole process will be discussed.(author)