Public disclosure of documents relating to the planned decommissioning

In the licensing procedure for the decommissioning of the Morsleben repository for low-level and intermediate-level radioactive waste planned by the Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BfS), all citizens had the opportunity to view the documents relating to the decommissioning applied for between 22 October and 21 December 2009. They could raise objections at the Environment Ministry of the Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt that is competent for the performance of the licensing procedure. After the expiry, the objections raised will be examined and then debated in a public hearing led by the Environment Ministry.

Objections were examined and debated in a public hearing

At information events carried out by the BfS in autumn 2009, topics repeatedly discussed by citizens included alternatives to the planned decommissioning. Besides, the long-term safety assessment conducted by the BfS, the geology of the Morsleben salt dome structure and the radioactive inventory stored in the mine were important topics. "The BfS has examined various alternative decommissioning scenarios", a spokesperson stated in Salzgitter. The BfS had taken its decision in favour of the variant now applied for, because this variant ensures that the Morsleben repository for radioactive waste can be safely sealed for the long term and that no hazard to man and environment will emanate from the repository.

After unification the BfS took over the Morsleben repository. As a result of a technical re-evaluation, the BfS irrevocably waived further emplacement operation in 2001, as this was no longer justifiable from the safety point of view. Morsleben is the first repository for nuclear waste in the Federal Republic of Germany that is decommissioned according to nuclear law. Essential goal in the decommissioning applied for is to seal the repository in such a manner that it will not pose any risk to man and environment, not even in the long term. To achieve this goal, the BfS plans to widely backfill the extensive mine workings with salt concrete and to apply additional sealing. Many cavities and the horizontal galleries are to be backfilled to support the surrounding rock. Certain areas, such as those where waste has been stored, and the two shafts as well as certain connecting galleries are to be strengthened and sealed by additional structures, so that the radioactive waste can be kept away from the biosphere.

Documents on the decommissioning procedure published on the internet

Once the planned closure has been licensed, the works are expected to take another 15 to 20 years until the mine will be finally decommissioned . To be certain to have enough time for an orderly decommissioning procedure according to nuclear law, the BfS stabilised the mine from 2003 to 2011 by backfilling certain areas of the mine, where no radioactive waste has been stored, with salt concrete.

Already prior to and during the public display of the documents, the BfS published copies of the documents on decommissioning on the internet. "We will also publish them on the internet once the public hearing has come to an end, so that as many people as possible can reach their own decisions as to the planned decommissioning". Furthermore, more comprehensive procedural documentation and information whose publication is not mandatory can be found on the internet. For better understanding, the BfS also makes available information in plain language and animations.