The Environmental and Ethical Basis of Geological Disposal
of Long-Lived Radioactive Wastes
A Collective Opinion of the Radioactive Waste Management Committee of
the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency
Table of Contents
Foreword
Collective
Opinion of the Radioactive Waste Management Committee:
The
Environmental and Ethical Basis of the Geological Disposal of
Long-lived Radioactive Waste
Ethical
and Environmental Considerations in the Long-term Management of Radioactive
Wastes
Ethical
and Environmental Background to the Management of Waste
The
Radioactive Waste Management Responsibility
The
Geological Disposal Strategy for Radioactive Waste
References
Annexes
I:
IAEA Safety Fundamentals:
The Principles of Radioactive Waste Management
II:
Executive Summary of the Previous International
Collective Opinion on Safety Assessments
III:
List of Members of the Radioactive Waste Management Committee
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Foreword
The safe disposal of radioactive wastes, and specifically the need to
protect humans and the environment in the far future, is given particular
attention in all countries engaged in nuclear power generation. It is
also a concern in many other countries making use of radioactive materials
for medical, industrial, or research purposes.
As for many environmental protection situations linked to industrial
development, including the management of hazardous chemical materials,
the safe disposal of radioactive wastes requires consideration of a
broad range of scientific and technical factors relating to potential
impacts on the biosphere, as well as basic ethical principles that reflect
the expectations of society.
Whilst the state-of-the-art in this field is relatively advanced and
known, diverging views are often expressed calling, from time to time,
for a reappraisal of the proposed approaches and actions. As in many
other areas, extensive international exchanges of views help in clarifying
the issues involved and in formulating consensus positions which may
assist national authorities in their search for appropriate solutions.
This report presents such a consensus position in the form of a Collective
Opinion of the Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC) of the
OECD Nuclear Energy Agency. It addresses the strategy for the final
disposal of long-lived radioactive wastes seen from an environmental
and ethical perspective, including considerations of equity and fairness
within and between generations. This Collective Opinion, by professionals
having responsibilities at a national level in the field of radioactive
waste management, is intended to contribute to an informed and constructive
debate on this subject. It is based on recent work reported from NEA
countries and on extensive discussions held at an NEA workshop organised
in Paris in September 1994 on the Environmental and Ethical Aspects
of Long-lived Radioactive Waste Disposal. Of particular importance in
these discussions was the participation of the OECD Environment Directorate,
and of independent experts from academic and environmental policy centres.
The full proceedings of this workshop have been published by the OECD.
This report is published on the responsibility of the Secretary-General
of the OECD. The opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the position
of national authorities in NEA Member countries or of international
organisations.
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