Nuclear power science needs to correct four “misalignments” to optimize public participation
Source: China Nuclear Industry News Date: 2014-02-27
With the increase of public awareness of environmental protection and the rapid development of the media, in recent years, environmental group incidents have occurred frequently. The recovery and development of China's nuclear energy after the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan is facing realistic challenges of public acceptance. The industry paid great attention to nuclear science popularization and information disclosure. However, in the long run, the author believes that the system and practice of public participation in nuclear energy in China is still in its infancy, and there are still four "misalignments" in public participation mechanisms and procedures, and more attention is needed.
I. Dislocation of public participation mechanism
At present, there are two public participation mechanisms, including public participation in environmental impact assessment and social risk assessment of the project. However, the "Interim Measures for Public Participation in Environmental Impact Assessment" is only a principled provision, and there is a large operating space in terms of the form, scope and feedback handling of public comments, and the public's right to know, participate in, and monitor the project. There is still a large gap in power requirements, and its role in enhancing communication trust and public acceptance is far from being played. On the other hand, after the promulgation of the "Interim Measures for Social Stability Risk Assessment of Major Fixed Assets Investment Projects of the National Development and Reform Commission", the public's opinions and demands on environmental impact and safety issues were concentrated in the stability assessment mechanism, and the social stability risk analysis report Most of the compilation and assessment agencies are local engineering consulting companies, and they lack the corresponding environmental assessment and nuclear safety expertise. The main work methods are also “one-way” surveys and analysis, and recommendations for risk levels. Environmental and safety issues raised to the public , Cannot explain feedback and communication interactions, and there is no mechanism for adopting / not adopting public opinions. Its poor operation can even play the role of "ignition agent". Relying on social stability risk assessments to address the public's right to information, participation, and supervision of environmental and safety issues is a misplaced mechanism.
For this reason, the author proposes to compile and publish the detailed implementation rules of the public participation measures for environmental impact assessment to allow the public to fully participate in the environmental assessment of nuclear energy projects, and to ensure the fairness, openness and public participation objectivity. For social stability risk assessment, it is recommended to carry out after the environmental impact and safety assessment, otherwise, before the environmental impact assessment has begun, the social stability risk assessment is hurriedly started, the cause and effect is reversed, and it is easy to “ignite” and trigger social group events.
Ii. Responsibility subject of public participation is “misplaced”
At present, the main units of public participation in China's nuclear energy projects are mostly project construction units and local governments. As the organizer and implementer of public participation, there are doubts as to whether its fairness, openness, and objectivity can be guaranteed. The public is skeptical of the corporate interests behind the construction unit, and the project's investment and tax temptation to the local government. Its dual status of "athlete" and "referee" reduces the authority and trust of public participation. In practice, the public calls for independent "third party" professional organizations to come forward for interpretation and arbitration.
Drawing on the experience of public participation in the environmental assessment of nuclear power plants in the United States, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is the responsible body for public participation activities in the environmental assessment of nuclear power plants in the United States. Giving a public response and addressing public concerns in a targeted manner is an important guarantee for the American public to accept nuclear power. China has formed an independent nuclear safety supervision and management system that is not interfered by development agencies. It is suggested that China's nuclear environment and safety supervision departments dare to take the responsibility and assume their due responsibilities in public participation in environmental impact assessment of nuclear energy projects.
23. Misplacement of positioning of public participation
的 The basic starting point of public participation is to make the decision more reflect the will of the public. According to different levels of participation, it can be divided into different levels such as no participation at all, participation, equal sharing of decision-making power, and complete control of the decision-making process. For nuclear energy projects, we are transitioning from traditional government decision-making to the gradual establishment and strengthening of public participation mechanisms. However, it must be said that some public opinion has gone to the other extreme and unilaterally emphasized that the social public shared or even completely controlled decision-making power. In reality, some projects “stop as soon as possible” under the pressure of group events. Although the project itself is safe, construction cancellations “according to public opinion” have repeatedly occurred. The tendency to "populize" decision-making in public participation is worrying.
出发 Starting from national conditions, the purpose of public participation in China's nuclear energy projects should be to enable the public to understand the situation of nuclear power construction, reflect their own demands, guarantee their rights and interests, and achieve social supervision. The positioning of public participation should be more reflected in the right to know, participate and supervise, instead of giving the decision-making power completely to the public, blindly obeying the public's emotional and irrational choices, affecting the country's overall interests, and damaging the public Long-term interests of the place. Whether public opinions and demands are adopted should first depend on whether these opinions and demands conform to the laws and regulations of the country, whether they have scientific and rational basis and reason, and whether they are realistic and operable.
24. “Dislocation” in the scope of public participation
For nuclear energy projects, local governments tend to "benefit benefits and avoid harm" and recommend some sites located at the borders of this administrative area; there are also tourist resorts with a large number of foreign buyers near the sites. The issue of public participation at these sites is more complicated. Soliciting opinions only in the administrative area of the project and the small-scale permanent population can no longer meet the needs of stakeholders to express concerns and participate in supervision. The deeper issue is the compensation of interests across administrative regions. Important material conditions for public support are the foundation of nuclear energy public relations. For factories located at the provincial, prefecture-level and county-level borders, the government at the next higher level should increase coordination and adopt more reasonable compensation and local tax sharing policies in accordance with the principle of balance of interests and risks, so as to effectively allow the project to affect the scope of the project. The public inside has the opportunity to share the direct benefits of nuclear energy development. For the construction unit, if the government at the next level fails to promise to coordinate in person, it is necessary to carefully choose the site at the provincial, prefecture-level, county-level border.
For public participation, the indoctrination of "substantial content" such as nuclear science popularization and education is of course important. More importantly, it is necessary to establish a "procedure" that "implements in a way that people can see" to make the public feel Fair and transparent. Only in this way can the results be widely accepted by the public. It is suggested that a public participation mechanism and system suitable for China's national conditions should be established at an early date, so that public participation can be legalized, institutionalized, and proceduralized to promote the smooth development of China's nuclear energy cause. (Xuefeng)