2014 Volume 24 Issue 1 Pages 49-59
This study examined the impacts of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident on the public acceptance of siting a disposal facility of high level radioactive waste (HLW). We applied the social acceptance model to predict public acceptance of investigation for siting of a geological disposal facility of HLW. 1930 Japanese people completed longitudinal internet surveys that were measured before the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant accident (in February, 2011) and after the accident (in February, 2012). Results indicated that the level of public acceptance of investigation for siting of a geological disposal facility decreased after the accident. Intergenerational subjective norm, social benefit and procedural fairness determined public acceptance consistently before and after the accident. However, the perceptions of stigma and intergenerational subjective norm became more salient after the accident. Our results show that the Fukushima nuclear accident reminds people of ethical problems of acceptance of a geological disposal facility of HLW.
