Burying globally, acting locally: control and co-option in nuclear waste management

Abstract

Is nuclear waste disposal the Achilles heel of the global nuclear industry or its best opportunity for reinvention? The ‘industry in retreat’ thesis depicts nuclear elites and supporting policy institutions as limited by problems of local autonomy and public consultation. This paper outlines an alternative thesis, showing how nuclear boundary organizations seek to control the public, maximize their organizational discretion, and discursively manage the accountability and legitimacy deficits common to contemporary forms of governance. To illustrate the thesis I review the national programs for nuclear waste disposal in the USA, UK, Sweden, and Canada. Copyright , Beech Tree Publishing.