On the right track? Technology, geology and society in Swedish nuclear waste management

Rolf Lidskog and Göran Sundqvist

Journal of Risk Research, 2004, vol. 7, issue 2, 251-268

Abstract: Although many countries with nuclear power have opted for geological disposal as the ultimate solution to the problem of nuclear waste, many of them face great problems in implementing their policies. However, at the same time as the responsible agencies in many countries ponder on how to find siting strategies that are politically and publicly acceptable, Sweden has to a large degree succeeded in implementing its policy for nuclear waste management (NWM). Facilities for the final storage for low- and intermediate-level waste and the interim storage for high-level waste have been located, constructed and put into operation without any strong opposition at either national or local level. Furthermore, the work during the last decade to find a place for the final disposal of high-level waste has also been done without any great impediments. The aim of this paper is to analyse Sweden's nuclear waste management, in particular why it seems to have been so easily implemented. By a historical analysis of some formative phases in its development, it is shown that even if the development of NWM has been carried out with explicit reference to scientific findings, it is better understood as an active adaptation to demands from different stakeholders. This adaptation, however, has basically been of a strategic kind, aiming to pilot an already formulated policy rather than open it up for negotiations and substantial changes. By way of conclusion, the question is raised whether this strategy will continue to pave the way for locating the final disposal for spent nuclear fuel, or whether it will turn out to be a cul-de-sac.

Date: 2004
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1080/1366987042000171924 (text/html)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:jriskr:v:7:y:2004:i:2:p:251-268

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.tandfonline.com/pricing/journal/RJRR20

DOI: 10.1080/1366987042000171924

Access Statistics for this article

Journal of Risk Research is currently edited by Bryan MacGregor

More articles in Journal of Risk Research from Taylor & Francis Journals
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Longhurst ().