Transversal Project 2: Technology Assessment and Governance

Research in this transversal project focuses on key issues of modern nuclear politics, appropriate professional decisions, and public participation as well as

Project management

  • Dr. Peter Hocke, ITAS at the KIT

Participating institutions

  • Environmental Policy Research Centre (FFU) of the Freie Universität Berlin
  • Institute for Radioecology and Radiation Protection, Leibniz Universität Hannover
  • Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS)  at the KIT

Work Package 2.1: Governance between Science and Public Protest

Objective

Issues with multi-level complexity, such as nuclear waste management, cannot be dealt with using traditional modes of governance and decision-making. Integration of stakeholders, high-quality participation and public dialogue are of high importance in nuclear waste policy. This perspective is very important in each of the three waste management options which ENTRIA is analyzing, but differs within each of them. Therefore this work package is analyzing

  • Different forms of ambitious nuclear waste governance
  • Interfaces between formal and informal consultation and dialogue processes
  • Conflict lines between central collective actors of the general and the interested public and their respective framing of the nuclear waste management problem
  • Evaluation of international experiences in New Nuclear Governance (with focus on Switzerland and Sweden) (cooperation with WP 2.2)
  • Development of ways out of the classic dilemmas in decision-making in nuclear waste management (focus groups in project phase 2)

WP Management

  • Dr. Peter Hocke, ITAS at the KIT

Participating Institutes

  • ITAS at KIT
  • Environmental Policy Research Centre (FFU) of the FU Berlin

Work Package 2.2: Nuclear Waste Management from a Multi-Governance-Perspective

Objective

  • social and political analysis of the preconditions for the development of a disposal strategy under participation of the relevant stakeholders
  • identification of the key actors and their interests, responsibilities, value systems, opinions and expectations
  • analysis of acceptance and conflict patterns
  • paths for a constructive approach to dialogue and problem solving
  • international comparative analysis of waste management governance from a multi-level governance perspective  with special emphasis on policy  instruments and institutions
  • „best practice“ examples will feed into the formulation of policy recommendations

WP Management

  • Prof. Dr. Miranda Schreurs
  • PD Dr. Achim Brunnengräber, Environmental Policy Research Centre (FFU) of the FU Berlin

Participating Institutions

  • Environmental Policy Research Centre (FFU) of the FU Berlin

Work Package 2.3: Critical Evaluation of the General Administrative Provision (AVV) to §47 StrlSchV (Radiation Protection Ordiance)

Objective

Evaluation of the applicability of the General Adminstrative Provsion (AVV) to §47 StrlSchV (Radiation Protection Ordiance) on the transport of radionuclides in the unsaturated zone.

The transfer pathway from groundwater to soil should be considered in case of radionuclide release from a deep geological repository. This WP will also take into account that this kind of procedural regulations are not only based on scientific recommendation but are also influenced by political and social debate.

  • Examination of existing regulations and values regarding their transfer to a final disposal scenario
  • Column experiments for determination of radionuclide transport in the vadose zone, using standard soils
  • Investigation of experts´ opinions, identifying communication requirements

Connected to WP 1.1, 2.4, 3.2, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.6

WP management

  • Prof. Dr. Clemens Walther, Institute for Radioecology and Radiation Protection, Leibniz Universität Hannover
  • Claudia König, Institute for Radioecology and Radiation Protection, Leibniz Universität Hannover

Participating Institutions

  • Institute for Radioecology and Radiation Protection, Leibniz Universität Hannover

Work Package 2.4: Knowledge and Appreciation in the Public

Objective

Public participation is an important issue regarding the future selection process for a radioactive waste disposal facility. Especially places in regions with suitable host rock formations will be investigated. Though the implementation of ‚good‘ participation which offers broad involvement of relevant interests groups in the course of new forms of government (governance) will be a challenge – especially at the regional level. Since current needs and perceptions of regional actors in Germany have not been studied scientifically in depth do date, this project wants to fill this gap.
How regional actors assess past radioactive waste policy and their expectations with regard to future radioactive waste governance will be investigated with guideline based interviews. The interviews will address local policy makers as well as authorities and civil society representatives in regions, which
•    are already affected from radioactive waste interim and final storage,
•    have suitable host rock formations and could therefore be potentially affected by the future site selection process,
•    have not and probably will not be affected by the site selecting process in future.

WP management

  • Prof. Dr. Clemens Walther, Institute for Radioecology and  Radiation Protection, Leibniz Universität Hannover
  • Cord Drögemüller, Institute for Radioecology and  Radiation Protection, Leibniz Universität Hannover
  • Prof. Dr. Miranda Schreurs, Environmental Policy Research Centre (FFU) of the FU Berlin

Participating Institutes

  • Institute for Radioecology and  Radiation Protection, Leibniz Universität Hannover
  • Environmental Policy Research Centre (FFU) of the FU Berlin