Nuclear Decommissioning and Society

Argues that an improved understanding of the social impact of the decommissioning of nuclear power plants - in areas such as employment, waste, economics, likely future developments and law - is vital to the successful application of any technical solution.

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Britain will be the first nation to have to deal with the large scale decommissioning of nuclear power plants. Recent disasters, accidents and cancer scares worldwide have highlighted the uncomfortable relationship between nuclear energy and society. The social implications of this energy have hitherto been handled in a trial and error fashion by the majority of these concerned. This book argues that a better understanding of the social impact of decommissioning - in areas such as jobs, waste, economics, opinion, law, land-use and legacies - is vital to the successful application of any technical solution. The issues rasied are divided into three areas which deal with what is already considered problematical, the questions that decommissioning itself will raise and the likely future developments.