Skip to main content

A Complex Abstraction Approach to Radioactive Waste Management Policy Decision Making

  • Chapter
Intelligent Decision and Policy Making Support Systems

Part of the book series: Studies in Computational Intelligence ((SCI,volume 117))

  • 688 Accesses

Complex risk-based decisions in radioactive waste management policy are guided by a number of rationalities including probabilistic risk assessments, technical feasibilities, cost-benefit analyses, expert opinions and legal norms. Typically, however, there exists a gap between the risk perceptions of experts and the public, which adversely affects the societal acceptability of these decisions. Eliciting risk-based decision-criteria elements from the elaborate societal argumentation and objectively addressing them in policy decision-making is a complex abstraction issue that will arguably render the decision-making process more transparent and effective in persuading society. In addition, relevant legal elements need to be incorporated objectively for the decisions to be just and equitable to society. This paper proposes a complex Risk-Risk Analysis based socio-legal abstraction approach within a fuzzy decision making framework to support socially persuasive policy decision-making in radioactive waste management. As an illustration, the deep geological repository decision-making problem of ASN, The French Nuclear Safety Authority is abstracted and solved with hypothetical fuzzy rank preferences.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. DOE, Office of the civilian radioactive waste management (2001), DOE/YMP-0405 June 2001

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bars YL (2002) A decision-making process in radwaste management for confidence building: the French approach and the international context, WM’02 Conference, February 24–28, 2002, Tucson, AZ

    Google Scholar 

  3. Myers DG (2005) Social Psychology, Tata-Mcgraw Hill, New Delhi, 8th edition, pp. 248–249

    Google Scholar 

  4. Carle B et al. (2003) An inquiry of the opinions of the French and Belgian populations as regards risk In: Kirchsteiger C (ed) Proceedings of the JRC/ESReDA seminar on safety investigation of accidents, May 12–13, Petten, The Netherlands

    Google Scholar 

  5. Committee on Disposition Managing Nuclear Wastes (2001) Disposition of High-Level Waste and Spent Nuclear Fuel: The Continuing Societal and Technical Challenges, National Academic Press, Washington, DC, p. 30

    Google Scholar 

  6. NEA/OECD (2002) Society and Nuclear Energy-Towards a better understanding, p. 48

    Google Scholar 

  7. NEA/OECD (1997) Lessons Learnt from Ten Performance Assessment Studies, Report of the Working Group on Integrated PAs, p. 24

    Google Scholar 

  8. Renn O (2004) Analytic-Deliberative Processes of Decision Making: Linking Expertise, Stakeholder Experience and Public Values”, Doc 847, part of work of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management, UK, can be accessed at: http://www.corwm.org.uk/PDF/847\%20-\%20Amsterdam\%202004.pdf

  9. Berard EV Abstraction, Encapsulation and Information-Hiding, ITM web white papers, IT White paper spotlight can be accessed at: http://www.itmweb.com/essay550.htm

  10. Sohn KY et al. (2001) Assimilation of public opinions in nuclear decision-making using risk perception, Annals of Nuclear Energy 28, 553–563

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) (2006) Managing our radioactive waste safely, CoRWM’s recommendations to UK government report, Doc 700, can be accessed at: http://www.corwm.org.uk/pdf/FullReport.pdf

  12. Phillips et al. (2006) Catalyze CoRWM MCDA Decision Conference March 28–30, 2006 Report: COR006

    Google Scholar 

  13. Lesbirel SH and Shaw D (2000) Facility siting: issues and perspectives, Columbia Earthscape an Online resource on the global environment can be accessed at: http://www.faess.jcu.edu.au/downloads/Facility\%20Siting\%20Perspectives.pdf

  14. Sadeleer N de (2006) European Law Journal, 12(2), March 2006, p. 165

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Males RM (2002) Beyond Expected Value: Making Decisions Under Risk and Uncertainty, A report submitted to: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Appendix A, p. A-4

    Google Scholar 

  16. Pearce D et al. (2006) Cost-Benefit Analysis and the Environment: Recent Developments, OECD, Paris, p. 273

    Google Scholar 

  17. Wiener JB (1998) Managing the iatrogenic risks of risk management, Risk: Health, Safety & Environment, pp. 42–43

    Google Scholar 

  18. Warren L (2004) Environmental Legal Principles in International Law CoRWM Doc 672 can be accessed at: http://www.corwm.org.uk/pdf\%5C672\%20-\%20environmental\%20legal\%20principles.pdf

  19. Lierman S and Veuchelen L (2005) The optimisation approach of ALARA in nuclear practice: an early application of the Precautionary Principle? Scientific uncertainty versus legal uncertainty and its role in tort law. Paper & Presentation at the Bi-annual Conference of the International Nuclear Law Association, Slovenia, Oct 2005

    Google Scholar 

  20. Cruz Vilaca JL (2004) The Precautionary Principle in EC Law, European Public Law, Vol. 10, No. 2, Kluwer Law International, p. 369

    Google Scholar 

  21. France’s answers to questions and comments received from other Contracting Parties on its second report for the JC (2006) at the Joint Convention on the safety of spent fuel management and on the safety of radioactive waste management, 2nd review meeting, (15–24 May 2006)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM) (2006) Managing our radioactive waste safely, CoRWM’s recommendations to UK government report, Doc 700, Chapter ??, p. 87 can be accessed at: http://www.corwm.org.uk/pdf/FullReport.pdf

  23. Stirling A (2003) The Precautionary Approach to Risk Appraisal, NWMO Background Paper, Sep 2003, p. 15

    Google Scholar 

  24. Albert D and Steiner CM (2005) Representing Domain Knowledge by ConceptMaps: How to Validate Them? In: T. Okamoto, D. Albert, T. Honda, and F.W. Hesse (Eds.), The 2nd Joint Workshop of Cognition and Learning through Media-Communication for Advanced e-Learning, 169–174

    Google Scholar 

  25. Communication from the Commission on the Precautionary Principle (2000) Commission of the European Communities, Brussels

    Google Scholar 

  26. Stirling A (1999) ‘On Science and Precaution in the Management of Technological Risk’, European Science and Technology Observatory Project Report, vol. I, A synthesis report of case studies, p. 6

    Google Scholar 

  27. Copernic Summarizer Software, 30-day trial download available at http://www.copernic.com/en/products/summarizer/whatsnew.html

  28. Dodgson et al. (2000) DTLR Multi-criteria Analysis Manual Chapter ?? “Appraisal and Evaluation in Government” online publication of Communities and Local Government UK can be accessed at: http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1142254

  29. Klir GJ and Yuan B (2001) Fuzzy Sets and Fuzzy Logic – Theory and Applications, Prentice Hall Publication, Upper Saddle River, NJ, pp. 5, 97–98

    Google Scholar 

  30. Kahraman C et al. (2004) Multi-attribute comparison of catering service companies using fuzzy AHP: The case of Turkey, International Journal of Production Economics 87, 171–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. The Control of Safety of Radioactive Waste Management in France (2005) NEA as accessed at: www.nea.fr/html/rwm/rf/france.pdf

  32. The French Nuclear Safety Authority’s Opinion Concerning Research Into The Management of High-Level Long-Lived Waste (Hl-Ll), (2006), DGSNR/DG n 06-003, p. 2

    Google Scholar 

  33. Nuclear Power in France, Briefing Paper 28, (2006) Uranium Information Centre Ltd, Australia

    Google Scholar 

  34. Staff Writers (2006) French Nuclear Watchdog Gives Thumbs-Up To Deep Waste Burial’, Terradaily News as accessed at: http://www.terradaily.com/reports/French_Nuclear_Watchdog_Gives_Thumbs_Up_To_Deep_Waste_Burial.html

  35. COWAM Secretariat, 2005, Paris as accessed at: http://www.cowam.com/article.php3?id_article=32

  36. Ferron A (2004) Summary of the Entretiens Conference, ‘Debate on the Management of Nuclear Waste, Projects Against Fear’, Confrontations Europe as accessed at: http://www.confrontations.org/publications/lettres/69/artferron_en.php

  37. Davis MB (2004) Nuclear France: materials and sites, as accessed at: http://www.francenuc.org/en_sites/lorr_bure_e.htm

  38. FFA – Analyzing Change Factors: Driving Forces and Restraining Forces as accessed at: http://www.bus.camosun.bc.ca/~cross/Linda’s\%20new\%20web/busmanag/Force\%20Field\%20Analysis\%20and\%20Diagram.doc

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Rao, S. (2008). A Complex Abstraction Approach to Radioactive Waste Management Policy Decision Making. In: Da Ruan, Hardeman, F., van der Meer, K. (eds) Intelligent Decision and Policy Making Support Systems. Studies in Computational Intelligence, vol 117. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-78308-4_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-78308-4_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-78306-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-78308-4

  • eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics