Nuclear repositories Three sites eliminated as deep geological repositories for radioactive waste

SDA

8.7.2024 - 10:44

The area around Neunkirch in the Südranden region of Schaffhausen was earmarked as a possible site for a deep geological repository for radioactive waste. (archive picture)
The area around Neunkirch in the Südranden region of Schaffhausen was earmarked as a possible site for a deep geological repository for radioactive waste. (archive picture)
Keystone

The Federal Department of the Environment has removed the three siting areas Jura-Südfuss , Südranden and Wellenberg from the sectoral plan for deep geological repositories. They were previously intended as reserve sites for the storage of low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste.

Keystone-SDA

The deletion makes it clear that there will be no further planning for deep geological repositories in these three areas in the cantons of Solothurn and Aargau as well as Schaffhausen and Nidwalden, according to a statement from the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (Uvek) on Monday.

At the end of 2018, the Federal Council included the three sites as reserve options in the sectoral plan in the results report for stage 2 of the search for sites for deep geological repositories. The in-depth investigations in the current stage 3 have significantly increased the level of knowledge.

This stage comprises deep drilling, the preparation and review of general license applications, the determination of sites and the granting of general licenses.