Participation in the Search for a Final Storage Site

The search for a final storage site for high-level radioactive waste is a task that must be undertaken by society as a whole. It is for this reason that public participation is of central importance to this process.

The final decision regarding the selection of a repository site will be made by the German Bundestag. For the decision to be accepted by the local population, it must be clearly and effectively communicated. It is therefore essential to guarantee transparency at each stage of the process from its inception onwards. Members of the public must be afforded the opportunity to pose questions and become involved in the process.

As the body responsible for public participation, BASE is tasked with disseminating comprehensive information regarding the search for a repository site and organising a range of participation formats that are legally required. This enables all interested parties to engage actively in the procedure and monitor its progress.

Legally prescribed public participation

The Site Selection Act (StandAG) defines extensive opportunities for public participation. The outcomes of these participation formats are incorporated into the subsequent stages of the site selection procedure.

These legally established participation formats include

• the Expert Conference on Sub-areas (2020/2021)
• the Regional Conferences and
• the Expert Conference on the Council of Regions.

Furthermore, the procedure will include comment procedures and public hearings at each stage.

In its capacity as the public participation body, BASE is responsible for ensuring that the legally prescribed participation formats are duly observed.

In accordance with Section 6 of the Site Selection Act, BASE and the BGE are obliged to publish all relevant documents pertaining to the procedure in a document directory.

Additional participation formats

Furthermore, the parties involved in the procedure have the opportunity to submit so-called supplementary participation offers, which may extend beyond the legally prescribed formats. Members of the public can currently engage in discourse pertaining to the progress of the BGE's work in determining the siting regions as part of the Repository Search Forum.