Radioactive Waste Repository Authority - our common unpredictable future

Radioactive Waste Repository Authority (RAWRA/SÚRAO), which is in charge of the siting process for a deep geological repository for high-level waste, has decided to continue the tradition of denying its previously promised promises and statements. This caused a worsening of the uncertainty between the municipalities and the inhabitants of the municipalities whose regions are amongst seven sites chosen by RAWRA as potentially suitable for the repository. RAWRA announced to the mayors that it commissioned a tender for geological survey in all sites ^[1]. That is, the geological survey for which exploration permits for geological work were approved for the years 2015-2016. However, because RAWRA has failed to conduct the geological survey, it has now begun to claim that geological survey (“průzkum“) are no longer considered, but only geological research (“výzkum”) which does not require any exploration permits.

“The geological survey only with the consent of the municipalities", "The geological survey everywhere despite the opinion of the municipalities", "The geological survey on two agreeable sites", "The geological survey on all seven sites", "Exploration permits are absolutely necessary for the selection of sites", "We do not need exploration permits in order to select the sites." ^[2] ... these are only a few crucial opinions of accountable government authorities over the last few years that have shown a completely chaotic approach due to which it is impossible to rely on anything, and at the same time, the future of many generations in our municipalities is at stake. It is especially worrying that the frequency of these opinion turnovers is beginning to increase rapidly

For a common citizen, it is difficult to understand the situation. Moreover, RAWRA tries to stimulate the mistrust of mayors and active associations by offensive style of its advertisement regarding the repository, in which it began to slander its critics and blamed them for demagogy and lies, even on the basis of dishonest claims ^[3]. For this year, RAWRA plans to release 2.9 million Czech crowns (note: cca 111 thousand EUR) for its advertisement.

The deep geological repository for radioactive waste is a construction that will negatively affect the life of the region already during the decades of its preparation, the next hundred years during the import hazardous radioactive waste, and even after its closure the waste in the underground will stay dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years. The honest, unhurried and predictable approach of accountable state organizations should be the basis for understanding the communities concerned. We do not see it today.

Jiří Popelka, spokesman for the Platform Against Deep Repository, said: "We can rely on the statements and declarations of the Repository Authority, but only in such a way that they will soon be denied. It's hard to believe people who say something different at any moment, just as it suits them."

The Platform Against Deep Repository brings together 22 municipalities and 12 associations, in order to enforce such a way of finding a solution which would be open, transparent and which, by law, would sufficiently guarantee possibilities to defend municipality’s and the public‘s rightful welfare http://www.platformaprotiulozisti.cz. 

Further information can be obtained from:

• Jiří Popelka, the deputy mayor of the town of Jistebnice, chairman of the Zachovalý kraj association and spokesman for the Platform Against Deep Repository, tel.: +420 739 339 028, popelka DOT jiri AT centrum DOT cz^[4]

1. ↑ Geophysical works for the description of the geological structure of potential repository sites in the Czech Republic, https://www.vestnikverejnychzakazek.cz/Form02/Display/28547
2. ↑
   • “The geological survey only with the consent of the municipalities" - The Ministry of Industry and Trade (MPO) and the Radioactive Waste Repository Authority (RAWRA/SÚRAO) repeatedly and publicly promised to the mayors and citizens at the sites with planned geological survey until the end of 2012 that they will not initiate the geological survey without their consent. Cooperation agreements between municipalities and RAWRA were prepared in agreeable municipalities.
   • "The geological survey everywhere despite the opinion of the municipalities" - At the beginning of 2013, under the leadership of Minister Martin Kuba, there was a major turning point and a decision was made that RAWRA, despite disagreement on some sites, will initiate geological survey on all seven sites, which has happened.
   • "The geological survey on two agreeable sites" - In July 2016, then Minister of Industry Jan Mládek and RAWRA/SÚRAO Director Jiří Slovák announced the end of efforts to select sites that did not agree with the siting process and to continue only on the allegedly agereable sites of Horka near Třebíč and Kraví Hora near Bystřice nad Pernštejnem.
   • "The geological survey on all seven sites" - Because even in the designated sites of Horka and Kraví hora the statement caused a wave of outrage, in silence, the announcement was annulled in the autumn of 2016. This was enhanced by the unsuccessful requests of RAWRA to extend the exploration permits in all seven sites by the end of 2016.
   • "Exploration permits are absolutely necessary for the selection of sites" - Reasoning and Content of RAWRA’s Requests for the Establishment of Exploratory Areas are summarized here: https://www.surao.cz/hlubinne-uloziste/gpp , processed and approved geological survey projects can be found here: http://www.nechcemeuloziste.cz/cs/dokumenty/odborne-studie/jak-budou-vypadat-pruzkumne-prace-na-lokalitach.html , requests to extend the exploration permits’ validity dated December 2016, at random for the Magdalena site, is available here: http://www.nechcemeuloziste.cz/cs/lokality/magdalena/pravni-stav-mag/zadost-surao-o-prodlouzeni-doby-platnosti-pruzkumneho-uzemi-pro-zvlastni-zasahy-do-zemske-kury-magdalena.html
   • "We do not need exploration permits in order to select the sites." - Letter from the RAWRA Director to the mayors in the affected municipalities dated 16 June 2017, but also a press release from RAWRA/SÚRAO to stop the extension of term for exploration permits: https://www.surao.cz/aktuality/clanek-406-stanovisko-surao-k-zastaveni-rizeni-k-prodlouzeni-platnosti-stanoveni-pruzkumnych-uzemi-na-7-lokalit
3. ↑ In April 2017, the ad in the newspaper “Daily” called "Deep Geological Repository Without Demagogy and Excessive Emotions". In May 2017, ibid: "Deep Geological Repository (HÚ) - Without Demagogy...", and also in the spring issue of RAWRA’s newsletter “Zprávy ze Správy“ (i.e. News from the Authority).
4. ↑ For protection against automatical email address robots searching for addresses to send spam to them this email address has been made unreadable for them. To get a correct mail address you have to displace "AT" by the @-symbol and "DOT" by the dot-character (".").