nea.fr - OECD Nuclear Energy Agency
18
OECD PROCEEDINGS The Societal Aspects of Decision Making in Complex Radiological Situations PUBLISHER’S NOTE The following texts are published in their original form to permit faster distribution at a lower cost. The views expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Organisation or of its Member countries. NUCLEAR ENERGY AGENCY ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Transcript of nea.fr - OECD Nuclear Energy Agency
in Complex Radiological Situations
PUBLISHER’S NOTE The following texts are published in their original form to permit faster distribution at a lower cost.
The views expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Organisation or of its Member countries.
NUCLEAR ENERGY AGENCY ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Pursuant to Article 1 of the Convention signed in Paris on 14th December 1960, and which came into force on 30th September 1961, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shall promote policies designed:
−= to achieve the highest sustainable economic growth and employment and a rising standard of living in Member countries, while maintaining financial stability, and thus to contribute to the development of the world economy;
−= to contribute to sound economic expansion in Member as well as non-member countries in the process of economic development; and
−= to contribute to the expansion of world trade on a multilateral, non-discriminatory basis in accordance with international obligations.
The original Member countries of the OECD are Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. The following countries became Members subsequently through accession at the dates indicated hereafter; Japan (28th April 1964), Finland (28th January 1969), Australia (7th June 1971), New Zealand (29th May 1973), Mexico (18th May 1994), the Czech Republic (21st December 1995), Hungary (7th May 1996), Poland (22nd November 1996) and the Republic of Korea (12th December 1996). The Commission of the European Communities takes part in the work of the OECD (Article 13 of the OECD Convention).
NUCLEAR ENERGY AGENCY
The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) was established on 1st February 1958 under the name of OEEC European Nuclear Energy Agency. It received its present designation on 20th April 1972, when Japan became its first non-European full Member. NEA membership today consist of all OECD Member countries, except New Zealand and Poland. The Commission of the European Communities takes part in the work of the Agency.
The primary objective of the NEA is to promote co-operation among the governments of its participating countries in furthering the development of nuclear power as a safe, environmentally acceptable and economic energy source.
This is achieved by:
−= encouraging harmonization of national regulatory policies and practices, with particular reference to the safety of nuclear installations, protection of man against ionising radiation and preservation of the environment, radioactive waste management, and nuclear third party liability and insurance;
−= assessing the contribution of nuclear power to the overall energy supply by keeping under review the technical and economic aspects of nuclear power growth and forecasting demand and supply for the different phases of the nuclear fuel cycle;
−= developing exchanges of scientific and technical information particularly through participation in common services;
−= setting up international research and development programmes and joint undertakings.
In these and related tasks, the NEA works in close collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, with which it has concluded a Co-operation Agreement, as well as with other international organisations in the nuclear field.
© OECD 1998 Permission to reproduce a portion of this work for non-commercial purposes or classroom use should be obtained through the Centre français d’exploitation du droit de copie (CCF), 20, rue des Grands-Augustins, 75006 Paris, France, for every country except the United States. In the United States permission should be obtained through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC). All other applications for permission to reproduce or translate all or part of this book should be made to OECD Publications, 2, rue André-Pascal, 75775 PARIS CEDEX 16, France.
3
FOREWORD
In its 1994 collective opinion,Radiation Protection Today and Tomorrow,the NEA Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) noted that society is showing an increasing concern with decisions affecting the life and well-being of its members, and is demanding to be involved in the decision-making process. This tendency is particularly evident in matters concerning the protection of human health and the environment. In particular, the CRPPH noted that “decision making in several areas of radiation protection can less and less be made in isolation from its social dimensions”.
The CRPPH considered this issue at its March 1996 meeting, and felt that it could help improve the quality of the decision-making process by exploring how to identify public concerns (and the driving force behind those concerns), and how to include them in the decision-making process. Work was to focus on “real world” problems currently faced by the radiation protection community, notably chronic exposure to radiation resulting from a major accident or from past practices.
The CRPPH proceeded to create the Working Group on Societal Aspects of Radiation Protection (WGSA), including social scientists with appropriate experience, and entrusted it with the task of preparing a paper for consideration at its April 1997 meeting. The paper, “NEA Workshop on the Societal Aspects of Decision Making in Complex Radiological Situations” NEA/SAN/DOC(97)17/RV7 set forth the following remarks:
•= For a major decision to be equitable and accepted, appropriate mechanisms must be found to involve affected members of the public in the decision-making process starting from its early stages. A foremost concern or requirement of members of the public is to have some degree of control over decisions which can affect their lives.
•= In a radiological event, risk can include radiation consequences, post-event trauma and economic impacts. All of these impacts must be included in an ethical analysis, made transparent and managed in terms of uncertainty, consent and compensations in a process leading to solution development.
•= The concept of “return to normality”,i.e. the return to conditions as they existed prior to the situation leading to chronic exposure, may not be possible. In such instances, the focus should be on improvement of living conditions and the quality of life, the purpose being to allow affected populations to establish living conditions and restrictions which are accepted by them.
•= The resolution process can be divided into three broad stages: a) analysis of the problem, b) development of a programme to improve living conditions through decisions negotiated by all parties concerned and, c) independent monitoring of the programme’s implementation and results.
4
•= The basis for differences between public dose limits for practices and the various reference and action levels associated with intervention are difficult to explain and justify, especially to members of the public. This raises the question of whether the present system of radiological protection needs further refinement, particularly with respect to how dose/risk criteria and related policies should be developed and applied at the national and local levels.
•= Generally, the role of the radiological protection expert is to define risk and its consequences, as well as the impact of options to mitigate consequences in situations involving chronic exposure. As such, the expert can be an advisor, and sometimes an educator, to both the public and the authorities in the decision-making process. However, the role of the expert too often becomes confused with the function of governmental authority. Guidance on the role of radiation protection specialists, as experts in the decision- making process should be further developed.
•= In a complex democratic society, responsibility to achieve ethical and equitable decision making is typically vested in a governmental authority. The role of such an authority is complex, involving orchestrating a process whereby various experts and the public are engaged in the assessment of problems, the development of options and the selection of an option for implementation. In the end, the authority must arrive at a solution, often the result of negotiation, which is accepted as the best fit for the circumstances. It would be beneficial to elaborate on the complex nature of the role of the governmental authority in situations involving intervention and chronic exposure situations resulting from accidents or past practices.
•= The media undoubtedly influence public concerns and reactions to radiation risk. It would be useful to provide some insight into how the media influences public attitudes and the degree of that influence.
•= A review of a number of case studies involving chronic exposures resulting from accidents and past practices should provide insights into what works well and what does not in different kinds of settings and situations.
In order to discuss these issues in detail, in January 1998 the WGSA held its proposed workshop on the societal aspects of decision making in complex radiological situations. The objectives of the workshop were defined as follows:
•= to improve radiation protection specialists’ understanding of the societal dimensions of major decisions involving radiation risk;
•= to illustrate the dynamics of public health policy, its decision-making process, and the role of the radiation protection specialist;
•= to identify potential areas where the system of radiological protection and its implementing infrastructure might be modified to facilitate the decision-making process.
5
The scope of the workshop was to cover intervention situations involving long-term chronic exposure. The workshop was hosted by the Swiss Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (HSK) at its headquarters in Villigen, Switzerland. The members of the WGSA responsible for preparing the workshop were:
•= Dr. S. Prêtre, HSK, Switzerland (Chairman);
•= Mr. J.L. Butragueno, CSN, Spain;
•= Mr. R. Cunningham, Rapporteur, United States;
•= Dr. A.J. Gonzalez, IAEA;
•= Mr. C.R. Jones, United States Department of Energy, United States;
•= Dr. T. Lazo, OECD/NEA;
•= Dr. T. O’Flaherty, Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, Ireland;
•= Mr. T. Schneider, CEPN, France;
•= Prof. L. Sjöberg, Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden;
•= Dr. P. Smeesters, SPRI, Belgium.
7
The Decision-making Process in Returning Relocated Populations to the Marshall Islands T. Bell, United States Department of Energy........................................................................................ 21
The Decision-making Process in Dealing with Populations Living in Areas Contaminated by the Chernobyl Accident: The Ethos Project G. Hériard-Dubreuil, Mutadis Consultants, and T. Schneider, Centre d’étude sur l’Evaluation de la Protection dans le domaine Nucléaire (CEPN), France.................................. 33
The Current Issues in a Contaminated Territory of Belarus V. L. Pachkiewitch, Stolyn District Executive Committee, Belarus...................................................... 43
The Decision-making Process in Dealing with Populations Living in Areas Contaminated by the Uranium Mining Residues in Eastern Germany W. Kraus and E. Ettenhuber, Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, Fachbereich Strahlenschutz, and J. Staupe, Sächsisches Staatsministerium für Umwelt und Landesentwicklung Dresden, Germany................................................................................................................................ 45
The Role of the Media in the Coverage of Risks Associated with Nuclear Waste O. Renn, Center of Technology Assessment in Baden-Würtemburg, Germany.................................... 57
Perceived Risk and Public Confidence L. Sjöberg, Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden.......................................................................... 75
Involving Communities in Environmental Health Studies H. G. Stockwell, United States Department of Energy and J. M. Smith, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States............................................ 97
Engaging the Public in Decision-making: a Swiss Approach A. Herrmann, Cantonal Laboratory of Basel, Switzerland..................................................................103
8
The Role of the Expert P. Smeesters, Ministry of Social Affairs, Public Health and Environment, Belgium...........................107
The Role of the Decision-Maker: Whoever that Might be Experiences from the Siting Process for a Spent Nuclear Fuel Repository in Sweden O. Söderberg, Ministry of Environment, Sweden .................................................................................115
Summary and Conclusions R.E. Cunningham, Rapporteur, United States......................................................................................139
ANNEX 1 List of Participants..........................................................................................................................145
by
Introduction
To launch this workshop I would like to present – sometimes in a provocative way – the main ideas which have been discussed in the CRPPH – Working Group on Societal Aspects. These ideas have emerged mainly after it became evident that the post-Chernobyl contamination has caused an enormous societal problem. But Chernobyl is not the only example, as this workshop will show.
For this keynote address, 18 flipcharts were prepared and became its support. I will present them in what follows and accompany them by comment.
— NEA Workshop 13–15 January 1998
PS-1
Problem of populations living in areas contaminated with radioactive sub- stances resulting from a major accident or from past practices (malpractices).
Decision making process for initiating actions like the relocation of the population or its resettlement or large scale decontamination or modification of living/working habits.
Roles of the various participants in this decision making process.
è
è
PUBLISHER’S NOTE The following texts are published in their original form to permit faster distribution at a lower cost.
The views expressed are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect those of the Organisation or of its Member countries.
NUCLEAR ENERGY AGENCY ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT
ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT
Pursuant to Article 1 of the Convention signed in Paris on 14th December 1960, and which came into force on 30th September 1961, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) shall promote policies designed:
−= to achieve the highest sustainable economic growth and employment and a rising standard of living in Member countries, while maintaining financial stability, and thus to contribute to the development of the world economy;
−= to contribute to sound economic expansion in Member as well as non-member countries in the process of economic development; and
−= to contribute to the expansion of world trade on a multilateral, non-discriminatory basis in accordance with international obligations.
The original Member countries of the OECD are Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. The following countries became Members subsequently through accession at the dates indicated hereafter; Japan (28th April 1964), Finland (28th January 1969), Australia (7th June 1971), New Zealand (29th May 1973), Mexico (18th May 1994), the Czech Republic (21st December 1995), Hungary (7th May 1996), Poland (22nd November 1996) and the Republic of Korea (12th December 1996). The Commission of the European Communities takes part in the work of the OECD (Article 13 of the OECD Convention).
NUCLEAR ENERGY AGENCY
The OECD Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) was established on 1st February 1958 under the name of OEEC European Nuclear Energy Agency. It received its present designation on 20th April 1972, when Japan became its first non-European full Member. NEA membership today consist of all OECD Member countries, except New Zealand and Poland. The Commission of the European Communities takes part in the work of the Agency.
The primary objective of the NEA is to promote co-operation among the governments of its participating countries in furthering the development of nuclear power as a safe, environmentally acceptable and economic energy source.
This is achieved by:
−= encouraging harmonization of national regulatory policies and practices, with particular reference to the safety of nuclear installations, protection of man against ionising radiation and preservation of the environment, radioactive waste management, and nuclear third party liability and insurance;
−= assessing the contribution of nuclear power to the overall energy supply by keeping under review the technical and economic aspects of nuclear power growth and forecasting demand and supply for the different phases of the nuclear fuel cycle;
−= developing exchanges of scientific and technical information particularly through participation in common services;
−= setting up international research and development programmes and joint undertakings.
In these and related tasks, the NEA works in close collaboration with the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, with which it has concluded a Co-operation Agreement, as well as with other international organisations in the nuclear field.
© OECD 1998 Permission to reproduce a portion of this work for non-commercial purposes or classroom use should be obtained through the Centre français d’exploitation du droit de copie (CCF), 20, rue des Grands-Augustins, 75006 Paris, France, for every country except the United States. In the United States permission should be obtained through the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC). All other applications for permission to reproduce or translate all or part of this book should be made to OECD Publications, 2, rue André-Pascal, 75775 PARIS CEDEX 16, France.
3
FOREWORD
In its 1994 collective opinion,Radiation Protection Today and Tomorrow,the NEA Committee on Radiation Protection and Public Health (CRPPH) noted that society is showing an increasing concern with decisions affecting the life and well-being of its members, and is demanding to be involved in the decision-making process. This tendency is particularly evident in matters concerning the protection of human health and the environment. In particular, the CRPPH noted that “decision making in several areas of radiation protection can less and less be made in isolation from its social dimensions”.
The CRPPH considered this issue at its March 1996 meeting, and felt that it could help improve the quality of the decision-making process by exploring how to identify public concerns (and the driving force behind those concerns), and how to include them in the decision-making process. Work was to focus on “real world” problems currently faced by the radiation protection community, notably chronic exposure to radiation resulting from a major accident or from past practices.
The CRPPH proceeded to create the Working Group on Societal Aspects of Radiation Protection (WGSA), including social scientists with appropriate experience, and entrusted it with the task of preparing a paper for consideration at its April 1997 meeting. The paper, “NEA Workshop on the Societal Aspects of Decision Making in Complex Radiological Situations” NEA/SAN/DOC(97)17/RV7 set forth the following remarks:
•= For a major decision to be equitable and accepted, appropriate mechanisms must be found to involve affected members of the public in the decision-making process starting from its early stages. A foremost concern or requirement of members of the public is to have some degree of control over decisions which can affect their lives.
•= In a radiological event, risk can include radiation consequences, post-event trauma and economic impacts. All of these impacts must be included in an ethical analysis, made transparent and managed in terms of uncertainty, consent and compensations in a process leading to solution development.
•= The concept of “return to normality”,i.e. the return to conditions as they existed prior to the situation leading to chronic exposure, may not be possible. In such instances, the focus should be on improvement of living conditions and the quality of life, the purpose being to allow affected populations to establish living conditions and restrictions which are accepted by them.
•= The resolution process can be divided into three broad stages: a) analysis of the problem, b) development of a programme to improve living conditions through decisions negotiated by all parties concerned and, c) independent monitoring of the programme’s implementation and results.
4
•= The basis for differences between public dose limits for practices and the various reference and action levels associated with intervention are difficult to explain and justify, especially to members of the public. This raises the question of whether the present system of radiological protection needs further refinement, particularly with respect to how dose/risk criteria and related policies should be developed and applied at the national and local levels.
•= Generally, the role of the radiological protection expert is to define risk and its consequences, as well as the impact of options to mitigate consequences in situations involving chronic exposure. As such, the expert can be an advisor, and sometimes an educator, to both the public and the authorities in the decision-making process. However, the role of the expert too often becomes confused with the function of governmental authority. Guidance on the role of radiation protection specialists, as experts in the decision- making process should be further developed.
•= In a complex democratic society, responsibility to achieve ethical and equitable decision making is typically vested in a governmental authority. The role of such an authority is complex, involving orchestrating a process whereby various experts and the public are engaged in the assessment of problems, the development of options and the selection of an option for implementation. In the end, the authority must arrive at a solution, often the result of negotiation, which is accepted as the best fit for the circumstances. It would be beneficial to elaborate on the complex nature of the role of the governmental authority in situations involving intervention and chronic exposure situations resulting from accidents or past practices.
•= The media undoubtedly influence public concerns and reactions to radiation risk. It would be useful to provide some insight into how the media influences public attitudes and the degree of that influence.
•= A review of a number of case studies involving chronic exposures resulting from accidents and past practices should provide insights into what works well and what does not in different kinds of settings and situations.
In order to discuss these issues in detail, in January 1998 the WGSA held its proposed workshop on the societal aspects of decision making in complex radiological situations. The objectives of the workshop were defined as follows:
•= to improve radiation protection specialists’ understanding of the societal dimensions of major decisions involving radiation risk;
•= to illustrate the dynamics of public health policy, its decision-making process, and the role of the radiation protection specialist;
•= to identify potential areas where the system of radiological protection and its implementing infrastructure might be modified to facilitate the decision-making process.
5
The scope of the workshop was to cover intervention situations involving long-term chronic exposure. The workshop was hosted by the Swiss Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (HSK) at its headquarters in Villigen, Switzerland. The members of the WGSA responsible for preparing the workshop were:
•= Dr. S. Prêtre, HSK, Switzerland (Chairman);
•= Mr. J.L. Butragueno, CSN, Spain;
•= Mr. R. Cunningham, Rapporteur, United States;
•= Dr. A.J. Gonzalez, IAEA;
•= Mr. C.R. Jones, United States Department of Energy, United States;
•= Dr. T. Lazo, OECD/NEA;
•= Dr. T. O’Flaherty, Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland, Ireland;
•= Mr. T. Schneider, CEPN, France;
•= Prof. L. Sjöberg, Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden;
•= Dr. P. Smeesters, SPRI, Belgium.
7
The Decision-making Process in Returning Relocated Populations to the Marshall Islands T. Bell, United States Department of Energy........................................................................................ 21
The Decision-making Process in Dealing with Populations Living in Areas Contaminated by the Chernobyl Accident: The Ethos Project G. Hériard-Dubreuil, Mutadis Consultants, and T. Schneider, Centre d’étude sur l’Evaluation de la Protection dans le domaine Nucléaire (CEPN), France.................................. 33
The Current Issues in a Contaminated Territory of Belarus V. L. Pachkiewitch, Stolyn District Executive Committee, Belarus...................................................... 43
The Decision-making Process in Dealing with Populations Living in Areas Contaminated by the Uranium Mining Residues in Eastern Germany W. Kraus and E. Ettenhuber, Bundesamt für Strahlenschutz, Fachbereich Strahlenschutz, and J. Staupe, Sächsisches Staatsministerium für Umwelt und Landesentwicklung Dresden, Germany................................................................................................................................ 45
The Role of the Media in the Coverage of Risks Associated with Nuclear Waste O. Renn, Center of Technology Assessment in Baden-Würtemburg, Germany.................................... 57
Perceived Risk and Public Confidence L. Sjöberg, Stockholm School of Economics, Sweden.......................................................................... 75
Involving Communities in Environmental Health Studies H. G. Stockwell, United States Department of Energy and J. M. Smith, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States............................................ 97
Engaging the Public in Decision-making: a Swiss Approach A. Herrmann, Cantonal Laboratory of Basel, Switzerland..................................................................103
8
The Role of the Expert P. Smeesters, Ministry of Social Affairs, Public Health and Environment, Belgium...........................107
The Role of the Decision-Maker: Whoever that Might be Experiences from the Siting Process for a Spent Nuclear Fuel Repository in Sweden O. Söderberg, Ministry of Environment, Sweden .................................................................................115
Summary and Conclusions R.E. Cunningham, Rapporteur, United States......................................................................................139
ANNEX 1 List of Participants..........................................................................................................................145
by
Introduction
To launch this workshop I would like to present – sometimes in a provocative way – the main ideas which have been discussed in the CRPPH – Working Group on Societal Aspects. These ideas have emerged mainly after it became evident that the post-Chernobyl contamination has caused an enormous societal problem. But Chernobyl is not the only example, as this workshop will show.
For this keynote address, 18 flipcharts were prepared and became its support. I will present them in what follows and accompany them by comment.
— NEA Workshop 13–15 January 1998
PS-1
Problem of populations living in areas contaminated with radioactive sub- stances resulting from a major accident or from past practices (malpractices).
Decision making process for initiating actions like the relocation of the population or its resettlement or large scale decontamination or modification of living/working habits.
Roles of the various participants in this decision making process.
è
è
