Participation in Sweden with focus on the process fora repository for spent nuclear fuel (SNF)
1977–2090 (?) History and thoughts forward

Presentation by Johanna Swedin, scientific secretary in the secretariat for
The Swedish National Council for Nuclear Waste
Forum for Nuclear Cooperation in Asia (FNCA)
March 9th, 2022
2022-02-23

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Participation in Sweden – an overview from 1977 – 2090 (?)
1977 – 2009 Site selection process in Sweden
2011 – 2022 Parallel licensing processes according to two laws
2022 January 27 The government’s decisions to approve a repository for SNF
2022 – 2090 (?) Participation after the decision? A project for at least 70 years
SKB – the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company
SKB is the implementer of the repository in Sweden. It is a private company ownedby the nuclear power companies.

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Swedish National Council for Nuclear Waste

1 (3)
Site selection process – in three phases

1977–1985 Study site investigations
1992–2000 Feasibility studies
2002–2007 Site investigations

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2 (3)
Phase 1. 1977–1985 Study site investigations
Geological screening – protests! SKB had to reconsider the siting strategy.

Protests in Almunge and Kynnefjäll in the 80s
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3 (3)

Phase 2. 1992–2000 Feasibility studies
New approach: local acceptability was introduced as an important principle.
Geological studies were made only on existing data – no drilling.
All 286 municipalities in Sweden got an invitation, only a few answered and wasstopped by local referendums etc. Instead SKB turned to nuclear power
municipalities and two accepted to continue the process.

Phase 3. 2002–2007 Site investigations in the two ”super nuclear power
municipalities”
Investigations, with drilling, was made in:-Östhammar with a NPP and SFR (a repository for short lived, low andintermediate level waste)-Oskarshamn with a NPP and Clab (central interim storage for SNF)
In 2009 – In Östhammar, Forsmark was choosen for the repository
Oskarshamn was chosen for the encapsulation plant, in connection with Clab.
(Where the SNF is to be placed in copper canisters).

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Swedish National Council for Nuclear Waste

2011 – 2022 Parallel licensing processes according to two laws 1 (3)2011 March: SKB submitted applications for a final repository for SNF in Forsmark
and an encapsulation plant in Oskarshamn. A parallel review process followed
under the Environmental Code and the Nuclear Activities Act.
In the Environmental Code process, SKB’s application was first prepared andreviewed by the Land and Environment Court.
In the Nuclear Activities Act process, applications were first prepared and reviewed
by The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM).
An environmental impact statement (EIS) was included in the applications 2011
according to both processes. The EIS require early consultations, which started
2002 during the site investigations.

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Swedish National Council for Nuclear Waste

Participation 2011 – 2022 in parallel separated processes
Both review processes have been ratheropen. The applications have been circulated for review and comments from different actors and the general public
several times.
In the process according to the Environmental code, an open main hearing forfive weeks was held in the autumn 2017.
2018 on January 23
The applications and opinions were given toto the Government by the Land andEnvironment Court and SSM.
(OK from SSM and the court asked forsome more material).

2022-02-23

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Swedish National Council for Nuclear Waste

2011 – 2022 Parallel licensing processes according to two laws

2 (3)Veto right – municipality
According to the Environmental Code the municipality has to approve of therepository or encapsulation plant before the Government can make a decision.
(Approved by Östhammar 2020 and Oskarshamn 2018)2018 – 2022 The Government´s review
The applications were reviewed by the Government in both processes.
On a request SKB supplemented the applications in April 2019.
(The supplements was first circulated for review and comments from different
authorities and organizations).
The supplemented application were also announced for comments from the generalpublic in June 2020. Before the Government´s decision, the applications wereannounced for the public once more in December 2021.

2022-02-23

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Swedish National Council for Nuclear Waste2011 – 2022 Parallel licensing processes according to two laws

3 (3)Esbo consultations – with other countries
Consultations with other countries were also made, coordinated by the Swedish
Environmental Protection Agency in 2008, 2016 and 2021.
The Government’s two decisions about the repository 2022 on January 27
Permissibility according to the Environmental CodeWith one condition about annual meetings between the municipalities and SKB about
environmental questions. (Next step is that The Land and Environment Court will haveanother main hearing, give permission and set more conditions).
Permission/license under the Nuclear Activities Act
With conditions about a stepwise process. But no condition about participation in thisprocess. In the decision it was stated that the regulator, SSM, intends to cooperate withthe municipality. – But we don´t know how?

2022-02-23

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Swedish National Council for Nuclear Waste

Important factors for the process- the relatively high amount of trust in the authorities the Swedes have
- SKB publishes its RD&D programme every third year
- SKB has worked with dialogue with the general public. One director at SKB pointed
out in 2012, that: “… you can never relax when it comes to issues of acceptance.
Building trust takes a long time, but you can lose it almost overnight.”

From siting to hostingÖsthammar will now go from siting to hosting – how will participation work in a
project for at least 70 years?
A team from the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA, OECD) made an international peer
review of parts of SKB´s application in 2012. A couple of conclusions were that:- SKB was a “world leader” in community involvement.
- The team encouraged SKB to involve stakeholders at all future stages of theproject. And not only at the local level, but also at the regional and national levels.
The Swedish National Council also considers that broad participation in the longprocess even after a decision is important, and that it must be more clarified.
2022-02-23

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Swedish National Council for Nuclear Waste

Participation – for a better project
Participation is important to keep confidence in the implementer and to“Building public trust on nuclear science and technology with stakeholder
involvement”.

The Swedish National Council also believes that participation is important forthe implementer, because it can provide more perspectives and views. Whichcan make the project better – and in the end safer.
Webbsites:
The Swedish National Council for Nuclear Waste:
https://www.karnavfallsradet.se/en
The Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company, SKB:
https://www.skb.com/
The Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM)
https://www.stralsakerhetsmyndigheten.se/en/

2022-02-23

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KÄRNAVFALLSRÅDET
Swedish National Council for Nuclear Waste