Social Acceptance Approach on the Policy Preference of the High-Level Radioactive Waste (HLW) Disposal Policy

Analysis of the Experimental Public Meetings

Abstract

In Japan, a final disposal law was enacted in 2000 to frame the geological disposal of highlevel radioactive waste (HLW). However, social interest in HLW is limited and it is necessary to build a social discussion on this issue. This paper conducted three different types of public meetings among citizens and experts to analyze citizens’ policy preference change and its influence factors. Their changes measured with the questionnaire which was based on four social acceptance factors (technical, institutional, market, community). As a result, characteristics of the policy preferences of Citizens were: consist policy preferences, change from disagree to agree, and fluctuate policy preferences. In addition, a high correlation was shown with technical factors and institutional factors in their policy preference determinant. Also, certain citizens evaluation regularity between the intra-meetings and the inter-meetings were observed.