Understanding the Causes of Social Acceptance and Rejection of a Uranium Mine Development Project in Northwestern Spain

Gonzalo Sánchez-Tabernero, Concepción Muñoz-Sosa, Antonio R. Hidalgo-Muñoz, José I. Galán and Carmen Tabernero ()
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Gonzalo Sánchez-Tabernero: Faculty of Economics and Business, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Building FES, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
Concepción Muñoz-Sosa: Department of Social Psychology and Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Building FES, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
Antonio R. Hidalgo-Muñoz: Department of Basic Psychology, Psychobiology and Methodology of Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Psychology, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
José I. Galán: Faculty of Economics and Business, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Building FES, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
Carmen Tabernero: Department of Social Psychology and Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Building FES, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 2, 1-17

Abstract: One of the main challenges facing modern societies is achieving environmental sustainability. In the face of the current energy crisis, some countries regard nuclear energy as a viable solution to meet their population’s energy demands. This article analyzes the local people’s responses to a project to develop and exploit a uranium mine in Retortillo-Santidad, a rural area in northwestern Spain on the border with Portugal. Content analysis, using Atlas.ti software (version 23.0), of the open-ended responses of 55 citizens affected by the uranium mine, revealed through network analysis that the responses can be grouped into interconnected blocks. Concerns about risks to health and the traditional economy of the area are associated with a rejection of both the uranium mine and the project itself. In addition, community attitudes towards environmental sustainability, mistrust, and social conflicts among the affected population explain the opposition to the construction of the mine. Assessments reveal different reasons for this: some individuals place more value on the project benefits and their distrust of the company, while others focus more on perceived risks, community conflicts, and environmental sustainability. These findings have practical implications for the development of future energy policies. They emphasize the importance of ensuring that affected citizens are informed about reciprocal benefits, actively heard to understand their diverse evaluations of the mining project, and meaningfully included in the implementation of energy initiatives. This underscores the necessity of adopting a more inclusive approach.

Keywords: social conflict; acceptance or rejection; uranium mine project; qualitative analysis; content analysis; Atlas.ti (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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