Berlin, 10 October 2011 – In the public debate about nuclear power it has frequently been pointed out that the problem of final nuclear waste disposal has still not been solved. Now that the nuclear power phase-out in Germany has been decided upon, the question of final nuclear waste disposal, particularly of highly radioactive waste, arises under changed conditions and with much more current relevance.

An interdisciplinary project group at the Europäische Akademie zur Erforschung von Folgen wissenschaftlich-technischer Entwicklungen Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler has invested two and a half years in researching the final disposal of highly radioactive waste from a scientific, technological, ethical, sociological and legal point of view. In order to maximise the likelihood of the provision of a suitable final disposal site, the authors of the present study argue for a “Gorleben plus” strategy. This strategy proposes to further assess “Gorleben” as an option within a concrete timeframe, while gradually and simultaneously developing alternative options as a provision for a technological or political failure. From the project group’s point of view, this approach would increase the acceptance of assessing final disposal sites and it appears more promising with regard to time than a further assessment of Gorleben alone. In order to implement this strategy, the group has developed detailed decision trees outlining the necessary steps for the disposal site search and suggesting potential time frames.

The authors’ recommendation also entails a detailed elaboration of an institutional framework for the further course of action in the search for a site and in the setting up of a final disposal site. Moreover, they describe decision-making procedures which would allow for improved information about the arrangement and safety criteria for a final disposal site as well as for a suitable involvement of the public. This is meant to occur in a manner which takes into account the interests of future generations.

On 10 October 2011 the project group presented its final report, “Radioactive Waste. Technical and Normative Aspects of its Disposal”. The final report (published by Springer Verlag) is in English and also contains, in German, a comprehensive summary as well as a concrete recommended course of action. The public presentation at the Berlin-Brandenburg Science Academy was attended by a great number of interested parties from the spheres of politics and science as well as representatives of the companies responsible for the disposal and from the interested public at large.

Publication: Christian Streffer, Carl Friedrich Gethmann, Georg Kamp, Wolfgang Kröger, Eckard Rehbinder, Ortwin Renn, Klaus-Jürgen Röhlig (2011)

 Radioactive Waste. Technical and Normative Aspects of its Disposal

Vol. 38 of the series “Ethics of Science and Technology Assessment”, Springer Verlag

Download excerpt  from the study.

 

Members of the project group:

Professor em. Dr. rer. nat. Dr. med. h. c. Christian Streffer, Vorsitzender, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Institut für Wissenschaft und Ethik

Professor Dr. phil. Dr. phil. h. c. Carl Friedrich Gethmann, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Institut für Philosophie; Europäische Akademie Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler GmbH

Dr. phil. Georg Kamp, Projekt-Koordinator, Europäische Akademie Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler GmbH

Professor Dr.-Ing. Wolfgang Kröger, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, Institut für Energietechnik

Professor em. Dr. jur. Eckard Rehbinder, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Fachbereich Rechtswissenschaft

Professor Dr. rer. pol. Dr. sc. tech. h. c. Ortwin Renn, Universität Stuttgart, Institut für Sozialwissenschaften

Professor Dr. rer. nat. Klaus-Jürgen Röhlig, Technische Universität Clausthal, Institut für Endlagerforschung

 

Documents

Excerpt_Radioactive_Waste_english_01.pdf (777 KB)

PR_RadioactiveWastePresentation_10102011.pdf (212 KB)