Finding Nuclear
Waste Storage
Site: a Hot Potato
A special committee seeks to solve
long-standing issue with a democratic process

The government's nearly two decade-long effort to build a permanent nuclear waste storage facility had ended in failure on several occasions mainly due to the prevailing not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) syndrome. In particular, the latest so-called Buan Incident in 2003 is apparently providing a bitter lesson as the government's moves to push a projected nuclear waste site on Anmyeon-do Island on the West Coast touched off violent, months-long clashes between nearby residents and antinuclear activists and public forces.
With the latest Buan Incident in mind, the government is striving to find a solution in a more transparent and democratic manner, as the temporary space for keeping nuclear waste is running short, particularly low- and mid-grade radiation waste.
Han Kap-soo, chairman of the Radioactive Nuclear Waste Disposal Facility Site Selection Committee, said, "It is a task that should be addressed from a national perspective, regardless of government." The issue has become a pressing problem the governments of five presidents, including the incumbent, have been grappling with the issue for 19 years, but it should be solved within this year as the temporary space for keeping nuclear waste is almost full, Han in an interview with NewsWorld. He said, "In reality, no one can imagine a world without electricity and nuclear power on which Korea relies about 40 percent of its electricity is essential for the economy of Korea despite continuing crude oil price hikes." "The problem of the past was an attempt to push ahead with all matters related to low- and mid-grade radiation nuclear waste as well as spent nuclear fuel simultaneously,"Han said. Now a special law has been legislated to specify the coverage scope of a new nuclear waste storage facility to low- and mid-grade waste, not spent nuclear fuel, a move designed to wipe out misgivings about safety, he said.
The Radioactive Nuclear Waste Disposal Facility Site Selection Committee was formed to select a nuclear waste storage site in a transparent and fair manner. The committee, headed by Chairman Han, is made up of 17 committee members selected from key sectors in the nation, including the humanities field (4), science technology (4), journalism (4) and judiciary (1). The committee has four subcommittees, also manned by experts from several fields. Chairman Han said civilian experts from every walk of life were added to enhance fairness and objectivity in selecting a nuclear waste storage site.
The special law requires residents' consent through voting as the prerequisite condition of becoming the planned nuclear waste storage site. Disclosure of information in connection with holding debates and explanation sessions is stipulated in the law.
The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy said four cities and counties across the nation - Gyeongju City, Pohang City and Yeongdeok County, all in North Gyeongsang Province along with Gunsan, North Jeolla Province submitted bids as the deadline for applying as candidate sites were passed on August 31. Gyeongju City picked its candidate site as the Bongil-ri area in Yangbuk-myeon, near the Wolsung Nuclear Complex, while Ponghang and Yeongdeok selected their candidate sites as Sangok-ri in Jukjang-myeon and Sangweon-ri, Chuksan-myeon, respectively. Gunsan proposed Biung-do Island as its candidate. However, the ministry turned down the application bids by Ulchin, Samcheok and Buan, citing the failure to gain approval from their city councils.
In accordance with a more transparent and democratic procedure of sounding out the relevant residents?opinions, also stipulated under the special law, the committee shall make a comprehensive assessment on such categories as safety of candidate sites and project implementation feasibility and notify its assessment results to the minister of commerce, industry and energy, which shall decide on whether to call the vote of local residents.
More than one-third of the residents of each candidate country or city are required to caste their votes and a candidate city with the highest approval rate shall be the successful bidder among candidates who obtain a majority of approval votes.
Also noteworthy is the legally binding specification of financial support given to the successful nuclear waste storage facility candidate. According to the notified schedule, a vote of local residents will be convened by November 22 before deciding the final candidate by the end of November.
"In case of the Buan Incident, there were no laws on calling a vote of local residents and offering support funds, which are now being arranged under an institutionalized frame so as to scrutinize safety of candidate sites and project feasibility as well as to wipe out distrust against the government."Han said.
Diverse funds worth 300 billion won will be offered to the local administrative body of the successful candidate city or county along with revenues stemming fees for depositing nuclear waste, which are estimated at 8.5 billion won to 10 billion won per annum, Chairman Han said. Besides, the relocation of the Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Co. (KHNP) head office will contribute to raising local taxes of the relevant local autonomous body.
Another major incentive to the successful nuclear waste storage facility site candidate is about the construction of a proton linear accelerator within the precincts of the relevant province of the planned site. The Ministry of Science and Technology will consult with the governor of the relevant province to decide on where a proton linear accelerator, being pushed under MOST? Proton Engineering Frontier Project (PEFP), is located. "The area where a proton linear accelerator is constructed will be transformed into a massive nuclear energy center, thus greatly contributing to the development of the local economy and creating jobs,"the chairman said.
Chairman Han, a seasoned former government bureaucrat, admitted that there is worry about opposition by environment and antinuclear activities active in cities and counties across the nation, albeit not large in terms of size. "possible inter-city or inter-county conflict about the construction of the planned nuclear waste storage facility is becoming an issue to be tackled," he said cautiously. Gunsan tends to favor the selection of the nuclear treatment site, but Seocheon, just across Gunsan Port, is opposed to it, while Gyeongju, which has incorporated Wolsung, wants to attract the projected site, an issue opposed by Ulsan, adjacent to Wolsung.
Under law, city and county areas within a radius of 5 km from the planned nuclear waste treatment site shall be covered by the government's support funds, so the issue is a task the relevant county or city will have to solve, he said.
Each of the four candidate cities or counties are jockeying for position to muster more approval votes. For instance, Gyeongju is aiming at raising the approval rate beyond 85 percent by mobilizing its administrative units and other means. The candidate cities were allowed to conduct their publicity activities by September 15.
In reality, there is no permanent nuclear storage facility for keeping the nuclear waste from the processing of spent nuclear fuel in the world. Even such countries as France and Japan put such nuclear waste in temporary facilities. Sweden is the only country to gain the momentum for building up a consensus on the construction of such a permanent nuclear waste storage facility.
Han said the high-grade radiation nuclear waste issue would have to be dealt with after solving the lower-level nuclear waste storage site problem, as the temporary storage facility of spent fuel is still operational until 1016 or 1018.
Chairman Han has a colorful and diverse career. He spent most of his time as a ranking bureaucrat after a three-year stint as a professor at Seoul National University. Han was elected to a 10th parliamentarian in 1978. He held such ranking government posts as vice minister of environment in 1991, vice minister of economic planning board between 1992 and 1993 and minister of agriculture and fishery between 2000 and 2001.
Han concurrently serve as the chairman of the Board of Gwanju Biennale and president of Korea Industry Economy Research Institute. nw

Han Kap-soo, chairman of the Radioactive Nuclear Waste Disposal Facility Site Selection Committee