Analysis of Social Acceptance Factors on the High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLW)

Empirical Public Communication on Deficit Model

Abstract

Regarding the geological disposal of high-level radioactive waste (HLW) in Japan, there has been no widespread public debate. Why is it difficult to discuss the back-end issue? This paper focuses on the communication. As currently, technical one-way communication by experts is conducted to persuade the geological disposal safety. This paper carried an empirical “Deficit model” risk communication to analyze the citizen’s policy preference change and determinant factors. It is analyzed with 4 social acceptance factors (technical, institutional, economic and regional factors), trust, intergenerational equity and nuclear energy policy. It shows Deficit model communication is limited for preference change and citizen's determinant factor is not only technical but also institutional factors and intergenerational equity.