Government Considers New Radioactive Waste Storage Facility Selection Policy

The government is considering a new procedure for selecting radioactive waste storage facilities, which involves a vote by the residents of the considered region before the local government body applies for the facility.

Also, related to the problem of Jeonbuk province’s Buan district, the government is examining a method of convincing opposing residents and making it a matter of public opinion to conduct a vote.

On September 19, a person connected to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said, “As none of the local government bodies have submitted a preliminary application for the radioactive waste storage facilities, we are considering various alternatives”.

The government, regarding the lack of applications a circumstance caused by the strain the head of the local government body is under by not knowing what the outcome of the vote for selecting radioactive waste storage facilities will be, is considering improving the selection procedure to a “prior residential vote and a local government application.”

If this method is implemented, only the local government bodies which have confirmed their residents’ intentions through a vote may apply, and this will decrease the number of situations where the heads of local government bodies feel uncomfortable about applying for a radioactive waste storage facility in their districts because of opposing public opinion.

However, because if such procedures are adopted, votes will be executed reflecting only the residents’ intentions without concern for the opinion of the head of the local government body, the government is looking for a complementary method to cancel such side effects.

Additionally, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, regarding that prior to the new procedures in selecting a site for the radioactive waste storage facilities the problem of the Buan district must be resolved, is currently convincing residents who are against the vote and attempting to settle the problem by vote. A person connected to the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy reported “Though the probability that a vote will be held in Buan is thin, if it is approved, we will be able to work on schedule, and if it is not, we will be able to drop the current selection method and get to work on the new selection method.”

Jong sik Kong kong@donga.com