Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board Research Articles

Case Studies from the United Kingdom and the United States of Stakeholder Decision Making on Radioactive Waste Management

Case studies of stakeholders in the United Kingdom and United States are presented. Recently, the United Kingdom nuclear industry has begun to consult stakeholders more widely. Methods of engagement within the British industry have varied. Discussions have been with the understanding that engagement with stakeholders will be “dialogue based” and “inform” final decisions. Engagement is being carried out at several levels: at the national level [via the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority’s (NDA) National Stakeholder Group (NSG)]; local site level (via Site Stakeholder Groups); and project level (usually via the best practicable environmental option process). Preliminary findings of a questionnaire issued to all members of the United Kingdom’s NDA NSG, and associated subgroups focused on stakeholder perceptions of the engagement process. In the United States, the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site (SRS) Citizens Advisory Board, in Aiken, S.C., reviewed seismic designs for the salt waste processing facility at SRS. The final design, proposed by the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board, provoked heated debate among all parties. Theory and future research are reviewed.

The Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board's first decade

Concern over the safety of the United States' defense nuclear reactors in the late 1980s led to congressional creation of an independent oversight board. The Defense Nuclear Facility Safeties Board (DNFSB) is responsible for overseeing safety issues at the U.S. Department of Energy's nuclear facilities and issuing recommendations on operations and safety at these facilities, which include South Carolina's Savannah River Site, Texas' Pantex facility, Colorado's Rocky Flats Depot, and others. This article provides an historical overview of the DNFSB's first decade and discusses its relationship and interaction with the Department of Energy and congressional oversight committees as well as the recommendations it has issued on nuclear safety. An assessment of DNFSB's future prospects concludes the article.