High-Level Radioactive Waste Repository Cannot Be Built Within 8 km of Active Faults... Exclusion Criteria Finalized

Six exclusion criteria and six conditional exclusion criteria finalized
Inland areas not bordering the coast may apply after consulting neighboring local governments
Candidate sites for preliminary survey to be identified by year-end... Site applications to open in the first half of 2027

Facilities for the disposal of high-level radioactive waste cannot be built within 8 km of an active fault, within 8 km of the epicenter of an earthquake measuring over 5.5 on the Richter scale, or in areas with limestone formations. Inland areas that do not border the coast may apply after consulting with coastal local governments.

The Korea Radioactive Waste Agency (Chairman Lee Jin-ho) announced that the "Criteria for Excluding Unsuitable Areas for High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Facilities," submitted by the agency, was reviewed and approved at the 9th High-Level Radioactive Waste Management Commission meeting held on October 30.

The criteria finalized by the commission comprise 12 items in total: six exclusion criteria and six conditional exclusion criteria. They will be used to exclude in advance areas unsuitable for hosting high-level radioactive waste management facilities or where site investigations would be restricted.

Areas where high-level radioactive waste management facilities cannot be built include areas within 8 km of an active fault; areas within 8 km of the epicenter of an instrumentally recorded earthquake measuring over 5.5 on the Richter scale; and areas where volcanic activity raises concerns about crustal movement.

Areas with a high likelihood of future excavation, such as for underground resource exploration, will also be excluded, as will areas where rock types with potential geological instability, such as limestone, are found. Under the Special Act on High-Level Radioactive Waste, Gyeongju, which already hosts a disposal facility for low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste, will be excluded from the candidate sites for the preliminary survey.

Meanwhile, for areas where facility siting or site investigations would be restricted because of transportation conditions, the impact of nearby facilities, land-use regulations, or other factors, the commission will determine whether to select them for the preliminary survey after comprehensively considering the feasibility and duration of the project, provided the relevant local government resolves the restrictions through consultations with relevant agencies, permitting, or other measures.

Regarding inland areas that do not border the coast, the agency explained: "Given that nuclear power plants are located along the coast, areas with convenient access to maritime transport are needed to transport high-level radioactive waste." It added, "Local governments that are not adjacent to the coastline may apply after consulting with coastal local governments along the transportation route."

The agency plans to apply the finalized criteria to a geographic information system (GIS) to identify candidate sites for the preliminary survey by the end of this year, and to invite applications for sites to undergo the preliminary survey in the first half of next year.

The agency explained, "The fact that a site does not meet any of the exclusion criteria does not, by itself, establish the safety or suitability of the site for a management facility." It added, "The geological and groundwater characteristics and long-term safety of sites selected through the application process will be verified in stages through future preliminary and in-depth surveys."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.