核廃棄物処分 現実的なフィンランドの判断

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Finland’s decision on final disposal of spent nuclear fuel makes good sense
核廃棄物処分　現実的なフィンランドの判断

The recent decision by Finland may serve as a good guideline to countries that are racking their brains over how to dispose of high-level radioactive waste generated from nuclear power plants.
　原子力発電に伴う高レベル放射性廃棄物の処分に苦慮する国々の参考になるのではないか。

The Finnish government has granted a licence for the construction of a final disposal facility for spent nuclear fuel, first such action in the world. Posiva, an organization tasked with the construction project, will start building the facility by the end of next year, with the aim of starting operation in 2023.
　フィンランド政府が世界で初めて、最終処分場の建設を許可した。計画を担うポシバ社は、来年末までに着工し、２０２３年の稼働を目指す。

As high-level radioactive waste releases intense radioactivity for a long period of time, a geological repository for burial deep underground is considered an ideal method of disposal.
　高レベル放射性廃棄物は、長期間にわたって強い放射線を発するため、深い地下に埋める地層処分が最適とされている。

The Finnish government’s decision is based on the view that an above-ground impact will be avoided almost permanently if a stable geological stratum at least 400 meters deep and not accessible to human development is chosen for burying the spent nuclear fuel and multiple safety measures are taken.
　安定した地層を選び、開発が及ばない地下４００メートル以上の場所に何重もの安全措置を講じて埋設すれば、半永久的に地上への影響は生じない、という考え方だ。

Finland, a front-runner in this field, faces the challenge of verifying this concept in its implementation.
　先頭を走るフィンランドは、その実証に挑むことになる。

Unlike Japan, Finland plans to bury the spent nuclear fuel directly without reprocessing it. In any case, a high degree of safety is required. Other countries will be watching whether the construction of the facility proceeds smoothly.
　日本と異なり、フィンランドは使用済み核燃料を再処理せず、直接埋める計画だが、高度な安全性が求められることに変わりはない。工事が円滑に進むかどうか、各国の関心は高まろう。

The country’s geopolitical situation is one reason behind the project’s approval.
　建設許可まで進んだ背景には、フィンランドの地政学的事情もある。

Lacking in energy resources, Finland depends on nuclear power for 30 percent of its electricity. Finland used to transfer spent nuclear fuel to Russia, its neighbor, but considering international circumstances, the country cannot continue its dependence on Russia.
エネルギー資源に乏しく、電力の３割を原発に頼る。使用済み核燃料を隣国ロシアに移送した時期もあるが、国際情勢を考慮すればロシア依存は続けられない。

Level-headed talks needed

The Finnish government and the nuclear power industry started looking for a final disposal site in the 1980s. Based on data on geological strata, more than 100 candidate sites were chosen. Having won the local community’s agreement, the country’s parliament approved Olkiluoto for the final disposal facility in 2001.
　フィンランドでは、政府と原子力業界が１９８０年代に処分地探しを始めた。地層データから１００以上の候補地を選び、国会が０１年、地元の了解を得て、オルキルオトを予定地として承認した。

Posiva, established by the nuclear power industry to construct the facility, has conducted studies on conditions of the geological strata and the groundwater since 2004 in an underground research facility called ONKALO in Olkiluoto.
　原子力業界が建設主体として設立したポシバ社が０４年から、オルキルオトの地下調査施設「オンカロ」で、地層や地下水の状態を調査してきた。

Stable bedrock underlies the whole area and is believed to have remained stable for more than 1 billion years. But it is practically impossible to prove its stability far in the future.
　一帯の地下は、安定した岩盤から成る。１０億年以上動いていないとされるが、将来の安定性まで証明するのは事実上、不可能だ。

The Finnish government has requested that Posiva proceed with the project in stages, and make efforts to improve the safety at every stage, based on information and knowledge collected at each phase.
　フィンランド政府はポシバ社に対し、計画を段階的に進め、得られた知見を踏まえて安全性をその都度、向上させるよう求めた。

In many countries, including Japan, there are such extreme views as that the construction of such a facility cannot be approved unless it is certain that it will remain safe permanently. In the United States, the selection of candidate sites for such a facility has come to a standstill, as the safety of sites for more than 1 million years ahead came to be seen as a problem.
　日本など多くの国では、永久に安全だと証明できないのなら建設は認めない、といった極端な意見が出る。米国でも、１００万年以上も先の安全性が問題視され、候補地の選定は頓挫したままだ。

In this respect, the Finnish government’s way of thinking can be considered realistic.
　この点、フィンランド政府の考え方は現実的と言えよう。

The local government accepted the idea of hosting the facility by attaching importance to job creation and tax revenue increases. Although a political party opposing nuclear power once joined a ruling coalition, the issue has not become a political football.
　地元は、雇用創出や税収増を重視して受け入れた。反原発の政党が与党に加わったこともあるが、政争の対象にはならなかった。

In Japan, the central government has failed to win approval from a local government and it has been unable to even collect detailed data on geological strata. In exploring a disposal site, level-headed discussion is important.
　日本では、地元の了解が得られず、詳細な地層データさえ収集できない。処分地探しには、冷静な議論が重要である。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Nov. 30, 2015)