Site selection for low and intermediate level radioactive waste disposal facility in Korea

Abstract

The radioactive waste can be classified into low and intermediate level waste (LILW), spent fuel (SF) and high level waste according to the level of the emitted radioactivity in Korea. Currently radioactive waste is temporarily stored in the four nuclear power plant sites, where the LILW and SF are expected to be saturated from 2008 and 2016, respectively. Therefore the construction of a radioactive waste treatment facility is urgently needed to effectively and safely manage the radioactive waste under the government's supervision. Site securing effort for radioactive waste disposal facility in Korea had begun from 1986. During the 18 years from 1986 to 2004 nine times attempts of site securing were implemented. At 10th attempt when the Kyoungju site was selected as final one in 2005, our government had made special basic principles such as institution of special law, locating spent fuel interim storage in another site, and public acceptance shall be confirmed through the resident voting at each local government. Under the above basic principles, resident voting was implemented in the four local governments, which were Gunsan, Youngdok, Pohang, and Kyoungju. Among these local governments Kyoungju city recorded the highest approval rate of resident voting and so was determined as the final site.