How to Achieve Public Participation in Nuclear Waste Decisions: Public Relations or Transparent Adversary Science

[Excerpt] Commercial nuclear reactors in the United States have been producing electricity and highly radioactive wastes for more than forty years. Originally, reluctant utilities built reactors at the urging of Congress, acting in accordance with the Atomic Energy Act. The Act called for promotion of nuclear technology and also provided a shield of secrecy allowing for extensive power to classify information. Wiretapping and other surveillance techniques were allowable if nuclear secrets or interference with nuclear programs were involved. During this time the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) provided films and comic books, and gave speeches in a public relations campaign designed to convince the public, both in the U.S. and abroad, that the same technology that created the atomic bomb could be used to vastly improve the quality of life. Throughout the period of hard sell and promotion of nuclear power, the issue of waste management and disposal was either ignored or assurances were given that there was no problem. Since the 1950s, science, business and government have claimed that solutions are available and that nuclear waste disposal is a political problem, not a technical challenge

The Role of Citizen Participation in Siting a High-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility

In order to have a successful radioactive waste management and disposal program, the federal government must build public confidence and trust in the siting process (1). To do this three requirements must be met: 1) the program must be technically feasible; 2) the program must be politically palatable; and 3) the program must be societally acceptable. Citizen participation is necessary to ensure that a radioactive waste management program is accepted by society and is politically feasible. Citizen involvement indirectly impacts technical feasibility by addressing the ethical and moral implications of nuclear waste disposal, thus helping to establish the parameters of technical solutions

Solid Waste Disposal: A Choice Experiment Experience in Malaysia

Increasing generation of solid waste requires better quality disposal options in Malaysia. Control tipping is the most commonly used complemented by sanitary landfill and incineration. This study estimates the non-market values of improved waste disposal services and also ranking them using choice experiment. River water quality is the most concerned followed by psychological fear, air pollution and land use. Socio-economic background and distance factor influence the types of compensating surpluses. These conclude the importance of perception, influenced by socio-economic background, the presence of the Not-In-My-Backyard syndrome and that sanitary landfill is more preferred.Solid waste disposal; willingness-to-pay; choice experiment

Law Enforcement and Illegal Trafficking of Waste: Evidence from Italy

The illegal trafficking of waste has become one of the fastest growing areas of crime and one of the most lucrative industries among organized criminal activities, which has infiltrated both the Italian urban and hazardous waste management cycle. In this study, we aim to investigate the determinants of the organized activities for the illegal trafficking of waste (art. 260 of the Environmental Code) using waste, economic, and enforcement data in a panel analysis over the period 2002-2013. Our main findings reveal that in most of the Italian regions enforcement activities do not exert significant deterrence on criminal behaviors; a negative relationship between enforcement and illegal trafficking of waste can be identified only for very high levels of enforcement efforts. Moreover, we find that the major determinants of the illegal trafficking of waste rate differ between northern-central and southern regions, confirming the existence of a regional dualism. In particular, while in the North-Centre area the crime rate is positively related to level of education and negatively to the adoption of environmentally sound policies, in southern regions the organized activities for the illegal trafficking are negatively related to the education attainment and positively to the endowment of waste management plants

Illegal trafficking and unsustainable waste management in Italy: evidence at the regional level

The presence of organized crime strongly affects sustainable waste management in Italy. In particular, illegal traf cking of waste has become one of the fastest growing areas of crime and one of the most lucrative industries among organized criminal activities, which has now in ltrated both the Italian urban and hazardous waste management cycle. In this study, we aim to investigate the determinants of the illegal traf cking of waste using waste, economic, and enforcement data in a panel analysis over the period 2002-2013. The topic is particularly relevant, given the high heterogeneity across Italian regions which also relates, and eventually leads, to different environmental performances. Our main ndings reveal that, in most Italian regions, enforcement activities do not exert a signi cant deterrence on criminal behaviors; a negative relationship between enforcement and illegal traf cking of waste can be identi ed only for very high levels of enforcement efforts. Moreover, we nd that the major determinants in uencing the rate of illegal traf cking of waste differ between northern-central and southern regions, con rming the existence of a regional dualism. In particular, while in the northern-central area the crime rate is positively related to the level of education and negatively to the adoption of environmentally sound policies, in southern regions the organized activities for illegal traf cking are negatively related to the degree of education attainment and positively to the endowment of waste management plants

Justification for Continued Operation of the SRS Saltstone Facility (Z-Area)

Saltstone Production and Disposal Facilities (Z-Area) are a part of the Defense Waste Processing Facilities (DWPF). Z-Area facilities are just one segment of an integrated waste management and disposal system located at the Savannah River Site (SRS). The bases for the Justification of Continuing Operations (JCO) of the Saltstone Production and Disposal Facilities (Z-Area) at SRS are provided

The utilisation of End-of-Life Plastics for the production of paver blocks: A waste management and disposal strategy

The volume of municipal solid waste in developing countries continues to grow, yet disposal and management have become significant challenges.  As a result, a proper disposal strategy is required.  The feasibility of making paver blocks from plastic waste for construction work was investigated in this study.  Paver blocks manufactured from plastic waste (PP and HDPE) and sand in varied proportions were evaluated for compressive strength, water absorption, and abrasion resistance.  Paver blocks were manufactured with plastic (PP and HDPE) to sand ratios of 30:70%, 40:60%, 50:50%, 60:40%, and 70:30%, or PP30, PP40, PP50, PP60, and PP70, and HDPE30, HDPE40, HDPE50, HDPE60, and HDPE70.  The paver blocks were inspected after 28 days.  Compressive strength, LA abrasion, and water absorption of paver blocks increased from 30% to 40% HDPE, then fell to 70%.  As paver block PP content grew from 30% to 70%, abrasion and water absorption decreased.  The compressive strength of PP paver blocks declined from 30% to 50% PP, then increased somewhat, and then fell to 60% and 70% PP.  PP60 and HDPE40 paver blocks had the highest compressive strength, abrasion value, and water absorption.  HDPE40 pavers have lesser water absorption and more abrasion than PP60 pavers.  PP60 water absorption and abrasion were 0.53% and 11%; HDPE40 was 0.03% and 24.2%.  PP60 and HDPE50 have compressive strength, abrasion resistance, and water absorption of 20.09 MPa, 11%, and 0.53%, respectively, and 13.06 MPa, 12.1%, and 0.03%