Do procedural fairness and conflict perception affect the acceptance of the temporary nuclear spent fuel storage facility? Evidence from South Korea

Abstract

This study uses data collected from the residents near South Korean nuclear power plants to explore the complex psychological factors that may influence the local acceptance of the expansion of temporary nuclear spent fuel (NSF) storage facilities in South Korea. Employing structural equation modeling, we examine the roles of perceived procedural fairness and perceived local conflicts in the traditional model of trust, knowledge, and perceptions of risks and benefits. Our findings demonstrate that perceived procedural fairness significantly influences trust, which further mediates the relationship between perceived local conflicts and benefit and risk perceptions, ultimately shaping local acceptance of temporary NSF storage facilities. Our findings underscore the importance of perceived procedural fairness and trust in shaping local acceptance and highlight perceived local conflicts’ role in amplifying the perceptions of benefits and risks. These findings inform new policy implications for the local acceptance of expanding temporal NSF storage facilities.