DECOMMISSIONING AS A NEGLECTED ELEMENT IN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT SITING POLICY IN THE US AND UK

This chapter examines decommissioning evidence presented at the Sizewell ‘B’ Public Inquiry and combines it with more generalised examples from the United States. It explains the importance of decommissioning as a factor in power plant siting by examining how siting and decommissioning decisions affect one another geographically. The chapter summarizes the essentials of decommissioning by reference to experience in the United States and the United Kingdom. It discusses the links between land use and decommissioning and illustrates the range of implications which nuclear decisions can have; a range of breadth and complexity as to tempt official sidesteps rather than direct and thorough appraisal. Nuclear siting discussions have almost always emphasised reactor operation, concentrating on locational influences like seismic stability, availability of cooling water, and future markets. The commitment of land to nuclear power plants must be considered both in terms of amount and duration.