Proposal of the "Special Act on the Management Facilities for High-Level Radioactive Waste"

Representative Kim Young-sik of the People Power Party Proposes
"Impose Mandatory Measures for the Government to Secure Disposal Sites"

Kim Young-sik, a member of the People Power Party, is submitting the "Special Act on High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Facilities."

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] On the 30th, the People Power Party proposed the "Special Act on the Management Facilities for High-Level Radioactive Waste."

Kim Young-sik, a member of the People Power Party, held a press conference after representing the bill on the same day and stated, "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration will no longer postpone national tasks to future generations. With a sense of mission, through legislation, the state will take responsibility for spent nuclear fuel, enhance the acceptance of local residents, and safely resolve the issue to increase public trust."

This bill includes a concrete schedule to secure a disposal site for high-level radioactive waste by 2035 and operate the disposal facility by 2050, granting the government the authority to enforce this. Through this, it will be possible to prevent the temporary storage facilities within nuclear power plant sites, which local residents worry about, from becoming permanent disposal sites. Additionally, intermediate storage facilities will be operated from 2043, allowing spent nuclear fuel temporarily stored within nuclear power plants to be moved to intermediate storage facilities no later than 2043.

To enhance the effectiveness of policy implementation, the bill also includes provisions to establish and operate the High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Committee, an independent administrative agency under the Prime Minister.

Furthermore, the bill contains the site selection process and support plans for residents of the selected areas. In particular, under the responsibility of the state, local governments, and the High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Committee, the generators of spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste management operators will transparently disclose information to the public and cooperate with local residents to carry out the project.

Representative Kim said, "There can be no division between ruling and opposition parties regarding the resolution of the spent nuclear fuel issue," and added, "I will do my best to ensure that this bill passes within this session through in-depth consultations with the vast majority of opposition party members."

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