Nuclear waste transportation: case studies of identifying stakeholder risk information needs.

Full Abstract

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for the cleanup of our nation's nuclear legacy, involving complex decisions about how and where to dispose of nuclear waste and how to transport it to its ultimate disposal site. It is widely recognized that a broad range of stakeholders and tribes should be involved in this kind of decision. All too frequently, however, stakeholders and tribes are only invited to participate by commenting on processes and activities that are near completion; they are not included in the problem formulation stages. Moreover, it is often assumed that high levels of complexity and uncertainty prevent meaningful participation by these groups. Considering the types of information that stakeholders and tribes need to be able to participate in the full life cycle of decision making is critical for improving participation and transparency of decision making. Toward this objective, the Consortium for Risk Evaluation with Stakeholder Participation (CRESP) participated in three public processes relating to nuclear waste transportation and disposal in 1997-1998. First, CRESP organized focus groups to identify concerns about nuclear waste transportation. Second, CRESP conducted exit surveys at regional public workshops held by DOE to get input from stakeholders on intersite waste transfer issues. Third, CRESP developed visual tools to synthesize technical information and allow stakeholders and tribes with varying levels of knowledge about nuclear waste to participate in meaningful discussion. In this article we share the results of the CRESP findings, discuss common themes arising from these interactions, and comment on special considerations needed to facilitate stakeholder and tribal participation in similar decision-making processes.

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Author information

Author/s: Drew, Christina H (CH); Grace, Deirdre A (DA); Silbernagel, Susan M (SM); Hemmings, Erin S (ES); Smith, Alan (A); Griffith, William C (WC); Takaro, Timothy K (TK); Faustman, Elaine M (EM);

Affiliation: Institute for Risk Analysis and Risk Communication, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA.

Grants: 1 PO1ES09601 (Agency:United States NIEHS) ; P30ES07033 (Agency:United States NIEHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: Environmental health perspectives (Environ Health Perspect), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2003-Mar; vol 111 (issue 3) : pp 263-72

Dates: Created 2003/03/03; Completed 2003/06/06; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 12611653, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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Associated Chemicals: Radioactive Waste (0)

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