Importance of stakeholder involvement in a successful waste management program

摘要

The Fernald Environmental Management Project has been transporting legacy low-level radioactive waste to the Nevada Test Site for disposal since 1985. Additionally, several records of decision have been issued regarding Fernald Environmental Management Project remediation waste disposal on-site, at the Nevada Test Site, or at a permitted commercial disposal facility. Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, as amended, once of the criteria that must be evaluated prior to issuance of a record of decision is public acceptance. The Fernald Environmental Management Project has made a concerted effort to gain stakeholder support both locally and in Nevada for these records of decision. The Fernald Environmental Management Project's approach towards stakeholder interaction can provide a valuable framework for other sites that need to dispose of operations or remediation waste at remote, off-site locations. This approach has also been invaluable in allowing the public to understand the actual effects of waste management incidents.