Social Science Research 2004–2010 results and reflections Social Science Research – Themes, Social Science Research 2004–2010 Themes, results and reflections Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co Box 250, SE-101 24 Stockholm, Sweden Telephone +46 8 459 84 00, www.skb.se Social Science Research 2004–2010 Themes, results and reflections Boel Berner Linköping University Britt-Marie Drottz Sjöberg Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim Einar Holm Umeå University April 2011 This report has been translated from the Swedish version “Samhällsforskningen 2004–2009. Teman, resultat och reflektioner” and extended with materials from the later projects. In spite of extensive quality control it may be that certain concepts and intended nuances could differ from what the original authors would have used within their research field. ISBN 978-91-978702-2-1 Production: CM Gruppen AB, April 2011 Photo: Curt-Robert Lindqvist, Lasse Modin, SKB’s archives Foreword The purpose of this report is to give a comprehensive review of the work that has been done to date within the Social Science Research Programme at Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB (Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company) and make it known to a broad international readership. The report may also be of interest to an international research community in its efforts to identify important nuclear waste management issues that have yet to be investigated. The report has been prepared by SKB’s Social Science Advisory Group which includes professor Boel Berner, Linköping University, Sweden, professor Britt-Marie Drottz Sjöberg, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway, and professor Einar Holm, Umeå University, Sweden. The group serves as a forum for initiation and evaluation of projects concerning a wide range of social and behavioural issues related to nuclear waste and which are funded by the Social Science Research Programme. I wish to express my sincere appreciation and thanks to the members of the Scientific Advisory Group for their contributions! Svensk Kärnbränslehantering AB Kristina Vikström Project leader of the Social Science Research Programme Social Science Research 2004–2010 3 SKB’s assignment and methods The nuclear power companies in Sweden joined together in the 1970s toestablish the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company (SKB). SKB’s assignment is to manage and dispose of all radioactive waste from Swedish nuclear power plants in such a way as to secure the long and short-term safety of human beings as well as the environment. SKB’s proposal is that the spent nuclear fuel will be disposed of according to the KBS-3-method. This involves encapsulating the fuel in copper canisters with cast iron inserts and depositing the canisters at a depth of 400–700 meters in the bedrocks, where stable mechanical and chemical conditions prevail. The canisters are surrounded by bentonite clay, which constitutes a buffer against minor rock movements and prevents corrosive substances from getting in to the canister. The clay also effectively absorbs radionuclides that are released if the canister is damaged. The site investigations conducted prior to the suggested localisation of the final repository were concluded in 2007 in Oskarshamn and Östhammar. Since then material has been examined, analyzed and evaluated, and in June of 2009 SKB selected Forsmark (Östhammar municipality) as the site for the final repository for spent nuclear fuel. Today the spent nuclear fuel is being temporarily stored in Clab (central interim storage facility for spent nuclear fuel) in Oskarshamn Municipality. In November 2006, SKB submitted an application under the Nuclear Activities Act for a permit to build and own an encapsulation plant for spent nuclear fuel and a licence to operate it integrated with Clab. This entails that the permits for Clab are also being reviewed. In March 2011 the application for the final repository under the Nuclear Activities Act was submitted. At the same time, SKB applied for permits under the Environmental Code for the interim storage facility, the encapsula- tion plant and the final repository. A joint Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) was appended to the applications. Social Science Research 2004–2010 5 The Social Science Advisory Group Boel Berner is professor at the Department of Thematic Studies – Technology and Social Change, Linköping University, Sweden. Her research focuses on technical knowledge and expertise in diverse areas, such as engineering work, medical technology, household technology, technical education, and risk. She has also published extensively on issues of gender, science and technology. Her current work concerns blood transfusion practices, risk, and innovation from a historical and cultural perspective. Britt-Marie Drottz Sjöberg is professor of Social Psychology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, in Trondheim, Norway, and leader of the Risk Psychology, Environment and Safety research group related to the ROSS network. Her interests cover individuals’ experiences, reactions and behaviour in groups and various social settings, with a special focus on decision-making, perception and communication of risk in the sec- tors of energy and environment. Einar Holm is professor of geography and planning at the department of social and economic geography at Umeå University. He has worked at the interna- tional institute for applied systems analysis (IIASA) in Austria with analysis of population – environmental interactions. His research interests include agent based modelling/spatial micro simulation empirically based on large longitu- dinal individual databases, location analysis, spatial inter action modelling, time geography, mobility analysis and socio-environmental inter actions. Britt-Marie Drottz Sjöberg, Einar Holm and Boel Berner. Social Science Research 2004–2010 7 Contents 1 Introduction 11 1.1 The Social Science Research Programme 11 1.2 The structure of the report 15 2 Four research areas 17 2.1 Socio-economic impact 17 2.2 Decision-making processes – governance 21 2.3 Opinions and attitudes – psychosocial effects 29 2.4 Societal change in the surrounding world 40 3 Discussion 49 3.1 Societal change processes 49 3.2 Societal aspects of spent nuclear fuel 53 3.3 National and international opinions and attitudes 61 3.4 Long-term consequences and social context of a repository for spent nuclear fuel 65 4 Final comments 73 4.1 Programme character – applied research with both breadth and depth 73 4.2 Programme quality and the work of the Scientific Advisory Group 74 4.3 Focus and content of the programme 77 Appendix 1 List of projects 83 Appendix 2 Project presentations 87 Appendix 3 Geographical and subject spread of the Social Science Research Programme 157 Appendix 4 Nuclear power in the world 159 Appendix 5 Global production of high level nuclear waste 163 Appendix 6 Waste management in selected countries 165 Appendix 7 Published within the Social Science Research Program 169 Appendix 8 References 177 Social Science Research 2004–2010 9 1 Introduction SKB’s Social Science Research Programme was initiated to meet the need for knowledge regarding many major societal issues associated with the management of spent nuclear fuel. Such issues include the impact of a final repository on the economy, difficult and complex decision-making processes, individuals’ perception of risks and opportunities, and various changes in the surrounding world that may affect current, as well as future, attitudes and decisions. These issues are among those elucidated within the Social Science Research Programme. Contributions have been made from the specific areas of social and behavioural sciences, law and the humanities. 1.1 The Social Science Research Programme SKB’s Social Science Research Programme has been in place since 2004. The work can be reviewed from a variety of perspectives. In this context we have chosen to highlight three aspects: 1. Content, in terms of the scope and themes of the produced research. 2. Background, research policy providing the basis to the programme. 3. Benefits, based on the effects of the program. 1. Content. The programme has been very productive in terms of content, with 18 completed projects and corresponding final reports, popular scien- tific articles and a large number of presentations and scientific publications. Research groups throughout the country and in many scientific disciplines have received grants to participate in the programme. The research results provide multi-facetted and complementary answers to many societal issues associated with the complex work of planning a final repository for spent nuclear fuel. Chapter 2 of this report presents a summary of the most important research results within the four specified areas of the Social Science Research Programme: 1) Socio-economic impact; 2) Decision-making processes – governance: 3) Opinions and attitudes – psychosocial effects; and 4) Societal change in the surrounding world. In Chapter 3 we highlight some important general themes for discussion, and in Chapter 4 we summarize our reflections on the work of the Social Science Research Programme and add possible topics for future research. All projects are listed in Appendix 1 and briefly presented in Appendix 2. Social Science Research 2004–2010 11 2. Background. Among the circumstances leading up to the programme, we would like to draw particular attention to three: SKB’s history, research funding conditions in Sweden, and the respective roles