Factors Affecting Public Acceptance of Final Disposal of Decontaminated Soils

Abstract

The soils generated through decontamination efforts following the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station accident will finally be disposed of outside Fukushima Prefecture by 2045. This paper presents factors that relate to public acceptance of this final disposal, which were identified through online questionnaires, a postal survey, and interviews. Comprehensively summarizing the results of these surveys, public acceptance of final disposal was affected by what the process for this final disposal would be, including procedural and distributive fairness, as well as individual social psychological factors such as trust in the implementing entity, perceived risks, and perceived social benefits. In order to promote public acceptance of final disposal, it will be particularly important to: （1） ensure distributive fairness including nationwide promotion of soil recycling,（2） disclose social significance in addition to safety and economic efficiency, and （3） dispel distrust through approaches based on procedural fairness including transparency, accountability, and comprehensiveness.