This book critically examines the phenomenon of low level
radioactive waste (LLRW) disposal facility siting across four
international democracies. The issue is of growing importance since
World War II the level of this waste has increased from the
hundreds to the billions. The International Atomic Energy Agency
estimates that nuclear power generation facilities alone produce
about 200,000 cubic meters of low and intermediate-level waste each
year worldwide; waste that needs to be isolated from the public for
extended periods of time. Siting LLRW disposal facilities in
democracies is beset by two main problems: almost universally
negative community response to siting proposals, and, as a result,
government s reactive policies. There has been a tendency for
democratic countries to adopt a default position of deferring
siting decisions for as long as possible due to a fear of public
opposition, which only increases the risks associated with
radiation.
The authors explore these issues utilizing a linear narrative
case study approach that critically examines key stakeholder
interactions in order to explain how siting decisions are made. The
book incorporates a stakeholder theory approach to allow for a
better understanding of the key players roles and how such
decisions are made as well as an environmental justice perspective
to better understand how some siting decisions negatively impact
lower socio-economic classes and indigenous peoples within
democratic societies. The four featured countries the United
States, Australia, Spain and South Korea represent a broad range of
current siting issues. Though the different countries are
geographically and culturally diverse, they are all democracies
with vibrant civil societies, which mean that siting decisions
require negotiation between the siting authority and the host
community via representative stakeholders. Most studies of nuclear
waste focus on siting at a single location or in a single country,
whereas this book seeks to establish an understanding of the
political, economic, environmental, legal and social dimensions of
siting across multiple countries. Furthermore, the book targets
specifically low-level radioactive waste, which has traditionally
received far less study by the academic community than high-level
waste and spent nuclear fuel. This valuable resource fills a gap in
the literature with international comparative research and provides
recommendations for future low-level radioactive waste disposal
facility siting efforts.
The book should be of interest to students and scholars of
environmental law, justice, management and politics, as well as
energy and security policy."
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