Mr. Töpfer, the Federal government has written into the law to find up to 2031, a Repository for high-level radioactive substances. How good is this search?
It is a very optimistic schedule. The National Advisory group (NBA) must ensure that the search for a repository is associated at any time with the Signal, that concerns be put on the backburner in favor of the schedule. The reinstallation of the search for a repository was mandatory. The responsibility is now completely in the public sector. This allows you the Chance to be more intense than ever, the decision on a Repository, run in an open, learning process. As a national Advisory group, we will be the involvement of the citizens from the beginning on demand. Don’t have the time to guide us, but the Take-away of the people. No question must remain open.
The legislature has attached in the site selection law, the transparency is of high importance. You can see this claim met?
What we lack is a comprehensive Review of the Geology data act. The publication of the data must be comprehensible and understandable for the search for a repository regulated. This law has long been announced. Also in the coalition agreement of the CDU and the SPD, it is anchored. We see a great interest of the citizens, but also of the geological state offices, to a control. Up to now there is not even an official draft.
The concern is also allayed by no means is that a new law brings more of a deterioration than an improvement of the access to the data. If the affected people doubt the transparency of the process and access to data, lack of involvement in the search for a repository.
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What should, in your view, in the Geology data act?
Basically, the whole basis, which leads to the determination of the sub-areas should be open and accessible. Not only the transparency, but the chance of Participation of the citizens. The people must have the feeling to be the subject and not the object of the search for a repository.
Schacht Konrad is already a Repository for low – and medium-level radioactive substances.Photo: dpa/ Silas stone
The Ministry of economy seems to be the protection of business secrets, to give in the elaboration of the law a high priority. What compromises are possible?
A search to find a location for a Million years, it has not been given yet. Property rights, which survive for a few decades, should not stand for this search. Desirable is a stand-alone control in the Geology data act, the search specifically to the repository, and the publication of their data takes. Compensation payments for the owner of the protected data could also play a role, similar to compensation in compromise to the Coal phase-out. Also conceivable is the establishment of a qualified expert, a recognised trust people will be able to view this data.
there Is no risk to lose the trust of the people, if not all of the data that are used, are published?
The danger is. At the same time, we need to integrate the sites, the interim storage currently, the storage of the highly radioactive waste materials. We see it as a learning task, to learn the locations of these intermediate storage, what are the political representatives and the people are depressed and what you can expect from the procedure and the decision. In Ahaus people protesting against an “Endless intermediate storage”, as you call it is concerned. Another example is the site of a currently approved interim storage facility is Jülich. If the trust in such locations is not available, how will it be ensured later for a repository site?
Just the conflict, the long-planned final Repository Gorleben has lost a lot of confidence, ditches drawn. How can these be overcome?
The trust is already gone lost very early. Now, we must ask ourselves, how to recover, what Lessons can be drawn. The NBA is a uninhibited questioning, searching and learning Institution. We can not consider the historical Dimension of Gorleben in a comprehensive manner. The NBA must, however, work in this Gorleben-experience as transparent, so that in the further process the error be repeated, provided the basis for the resistance in Gorleben, in a special way.
The salt dome Gorleben, now remains in the search process. This is useful for you?
the party was across the decided in the German Bundestag and in the Bundesrat, that the Gorleben part of this white map. To shake it, would not make the search for a repository easier. It gives me a rather concerned that with Bayern in a state of a coalition agreement, which considers the entire state as unsuitable for the location of a repository. This is with a white map is not compatible. A fair, transparent, constantly questioning and learning process of the search for a repository is mandatory. Any political Vorfestlegung, every Effort to take themselves off the map, at risk of this already extremely difficult process.
On the white cross square in Hanover, a commemorative stone for the Gorleben Treck in 1979.Photo: Reuters/ Christophe Gateau
How is the public participation in the search for a repository? It should not be discussed prior to the conference, at the mid-2020 potential repository regions, a broader participation of the Public?
Long the public participation in complex decision processes to create acceptance for an already-at the core, decided the result. Due to the rapid, digital additions of the people to information is not enough by Far – and this is to be welcomed. It is essential to think of public participation. It is of particular importance, much earlier Public.
The social self-consciousness is getting stronger. This results in high demands on the design of an open, parliamentary democracy. The policy can determine how to date schedules. The NBA is expected to start from the premise: If you include the people first, as soon as a concept is present, it is too late. As soon as the middle of 2020, the part are called regions, there will be tensions. We must use the time until then.
What are the chances and what are the limitations of the monitoring panel as an Intermediary between policy makers and the Public?
in This case, to find a location for a Million years, always brings with it the likelihood that the trend to short. The calls for the imperative to remain open to new insights and flexibility in these decisions. In the NBA, as a new Institution in the selection process for a Repository of high-level radioactive waste materials must constantly work to ensure that this decision occurs in processes that recognizes from the outset, the Concerns, reservations, and Yes, Fears of the citizens and addressing needs to ensure that the affected people subject to these decisions.
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search for a repository in Germany, a Sensitive law for transparent search for a repository
Matthias Jauch
Klaus Töpfer (CDU) is one of the Chairman of the National monitoring Committee. From 1987 to 1994, he was Federal environment Minister in the government of Helmut Kohl.
