The importance of social science research in nuclear waste management shown by three projects on public participation
Authors: Froese Annika , Felder Zoe , Drees Steffen 
Published: September 2023

Abstract. The disposal of nuclear waste is not only a technical challenge but also a
sensitive socio-political issue. Especially in Germany, the search for a
final repository for highly radioactive waste is complicated by past and
present societal conflicts surrounding the use of nuclear energy. Hence,
safe nuclear waste management requires social science research that examines
the nuclear waste problem in its social context. We illustrate this claim by
presenting the results of three contract research projects dealing with
public participation, commissioned by Germany's Federal Office for the
Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE). Public participation is central to the safety of nuclear waste management.
First, the safety of disposal practices is often improved by the general
public's critical input. Second, public participation may increase the
acceptability of nuclear waste disposal in a particular region, which is
important to ensure the successful implementation of waste management
strategies. Third, public participation serves to preserve knowledge and
maintain competence, since it keeps the topic of nuclear waste present in
people's minds. Therefore, social science research that improves public
participation measures makes a significant contribution to the safety of
nuclear waste management. This contribution presents three projects that
illustrate how social science can improve public participation. The first
project surveyed the German population regarding the search for a final
repository for highly radioactive waste. The second examined the utility of
digital participation tools. The third project dealt with the legal,
political, and cultural challenges of cross-border public participation. The first project surveyed a representative sample of the German population.
Survey participants answered questions pertaining to the structure and
current state of Germany's search for a final repository, their main
concerns in relation to this search, and their desire to participate
in the search. Results show that Germans are most concerned about safety
issues and currently have little desire to actively participate in the
search, but instead demand to be well informed. The results of this project
allow BASE to adapt its public participation strategy to the German
population's needs, thereby increasing its effectiveness. The second project examined the utility of digital participation tools in
the context of the search for a final repository. Past events implemented by
BASE were marked by the underrepresentation of young people, women, and also
people with lower educational attainment and migrant backgrounds. First, the
project team carried out a literature review that showed that the use of
digital tools does not solve issues of underrepresentation. The team then
used focus groups to demonstrate the importance of schools, appealing
designs, and gamification when addressing young people. The project ended
with a workshop wherein experts discussed the project's results and developed
prototypes of digital tools to support BASE's efforts to engage young
people. Reaching young people is crucial to preserving knowledge and
increasing the acceptability of nuclear waste disposal, since today's
younger generations will be affected by and responsible for the final
repository. The third project dealt with the legal, political, and cultural challenges
of implementing public participation across borders. BASE will have to
facilitate public participation in multiple countries if the proposed site
for the final repository is in close proximity to Germany's border. The
project team first conducted a literature review to analyze the challenges
of cross-border public participation. The second part consisted of in-depth
case studies of three different planning procedures, conducted in
Switzerland, Germany, and the Czech Republic. Finally,
researchers conducted five regional case studies, covering regions in
Denmark, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Poland, Austria, and
France. The project resulted in a sketch of a model cross-border
participation process, ensuring that BASE will be able to successfully
implement such a process. These projects show that social science research can improve the quality of
public participation measures. Since public participation is crucial to the
safety of nuclear waste management, so are the social sciences.