일본의 고준위방사성폐기물 관리법제

Abstract

The accident which occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in March 2011, was an opportunity to re-explore the possibility of coexistence of technology and social issues of nuclear power plants. Nuclear power plants are facing many fundamental problems that are making it difficult to co-exist in society post the Fukushima disaster. In particular, the problems surrounding the disposal of radioactive waste that is stored for processing is the Achilles' heel for all nuclear power generations and the cause of which society must take responsibility. The radioactive waste policies in Japan are governed by the Generator Liability principle, the Principle of the Rule of Radioactive Waste Minimization, National Treatment and Disposal, and the Principle of Mutual Understanding Between the People. These policies all came into effect after the Act on Final Disposal of Specified Radioactive Waste (Final Disposal Act) which was enacted in 2000. After the Fukushima accident, the Japanese government installed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission as an independent agency and announced a basic policy amendment in February 2015. The centered contents of the Commission are the resolution in the current generation, improvement of national interest, the formation of a regional agreement, improvement of NUMO, strengthening of the operators responsibility, prospect scientific presentations, reversal by the State, reversibility and recovery potential, and securing choice. Several countries have also recently experienced failure both in their low and high-level and intermediate level radioactive waste disposal facilities and thus the selection method have been changed. Past reactive responses have been turned into adaptive staging procedures, which take into consideration scientific issues, as well as social issues, citing considerations as well as to early proactive responses to reflect changing proactive conditions from time to time in the process. Although Korea built high-level radioactive waste disposal facilities as early as the 1980’s, they have been faced with repeated political failures and to this day there is no clear target set for determining the final disposal facility. In other countries, selection of the final disposal site structure is controlled by third parties with a trusted professional competence and political neutrality is a requirement in the selection process. These countries also require complete disclosure and transparency of decision-making skills regarding the radiation hazard incentives over economic efficiency, as well as broad open discussions based on the principles of the responsible parties and try to ensure a move in the direction that will gain the confidence and sympathy of the people. As for Korea, since it is still tied up with the preparation of low and intermediate level radioactive waste disposal facilities, they have not been able to take a step to publicize the way to deal with high level radioactive waste.