(May 6, 1994) Seeking an answer to the growing menace of nuclear waste, the French Government identified 4 sites as possible dumps and undertook experimental work there during the 1980's.
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Vociferous opposition forced Prime Minister Rocard to order the waste agency, ANDRA, to suspend work in early 1990. The nuclear waste programme ground to a halt, and policy was effectively frozen for almost two years.
Finally, in late 1991, the Assemblee Nationale promulgated a new law, establishing a 'Waste Mediator', Christian Bataille, to negotiate with local communities for the right to undertake research on nuclear waste dumping. The law also established a fifteen-year 'cooling-off' period before a final site can be chosen.
The Waste Mediator's negotiating mission is framed within a program of research on the management of long-lived radioactive wastes. This program consists of three parts: a study of volume reduction and reduction of the toxicity of existing wastes and future wastes (SPIN program) (maximum 10 years); a study of optimized storage and underground conditioning of these wastes (maximum 10 years); a study of the geologic formations capable of accepting radioactive wastes. This study is to be conducted in two under-ground laboratories (15 years).
The program of research for under-ground laboratories, is a preliminary study of the onsite conditioning of radioactive wastes within the laboratories. The program consists of: Subterranean geologic studies (2 years); Construction of underground laboratories and concurrent geologic study of the in-situ terrain (5 years); Pure scientific studies (8 years): intensive geologic study, study of waste storage conditions involving host rock, study of the possibility of confinement of wastes using this rock.
Differences of opinion encountered at the time of the public dialogues are in the mind of the mediator, refusals to be attributed to a lack of information: "Information constitutes the means which permits the reinforcement of consensual factors and the mitigation of lack of confidence.
Local and departmental authorities are most often interested in the project because of potential regional research development and because of the economic impact of the project.
The arguments for refusal, coming principally from les Verts (the Greens) and associated points of view, often include the following: The preliminary report does not specify any technical data (quantity and nature of wastes to be stored, etc), and at the same time does not clearly prohibit the possibility of the laboratories becoming storage centers; It would have been preferable to guarantee the ultimate civil use of the laboratories; The decisions concerning the eventual use of the laboratories should be placed within the frame-work of the national debate on energy politics; It is suspected that the potential investment for each laboratory is an enticement.
(The law of 30 December 1991 indicates that during the research phase the storage of wastes is prohibited [Art. 111, and actual storage must be authorized by a subsequent law [Art. 4]. Therefore the two laboratories cannot legally become storage centers until a new law is voted on.)
In January 1994, four 'departments' were chosen for further work by ANDRA. The four departements pro-posed for "preliminary work on geologic investigation" are: Gard, in the Bagnols-sur-Cze canton; Haute-Maine, in the cantons of Chevillon, Poissons, Joinville, Doulaincourt-Saucourt, Saint-Blin-Semilly; Meuse, throughout the greater part of its territory; Vienne, in the cantons of Charroux and Civray.
Source & Further Information:
Jean-Luc Thierry, Greenpeace France. Paris Tel +33 1 47 70 46 89