The municipal government of Lianyungang in China’s Jiangsu province has announced the suspension of site selection work for a planned Sino-French nuclear fuel reprocessing project. The move follows public protests against the project.
CNNC Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing (CNFR)* said, “At present, the Sino-French nuclear fuel cycle cooperation project is in the early stages of the project work. In accordance with the requirements of the national nuclear project, site selection work has started in Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Gansu and other provinces.”
However, the Lianyungang municipal government announced recently that it had decided to suspend site preparatory work. The move followed protests in the city after media reports suggested the project would be built in Lianyungang.
Site selection studies for the reprocessing plant are being conducted by Nuclear Science and Technology Co Ltd. The company’s general manager, Xue Weiming, told Science & Technology Daily that the site will be finalized on the basis of scientific evidence, soliciting public opinion, agreement with the local government and ultimately by national decision-makers. “The site selection for the nuclear fuel cycle project will involve careful consideration of various factors, including seismic geology, rock formation, floods, man-made and external hazards,” he said. “Our site work always demands scientific evidence and effective communication – the precautionary principle in decision-making.”
* CNFR was established in 2011 to take responsibility for site selection and other preparatory work.
