The Land and Environment Court’s statement in the environmental licensing process

Today, the Land and Environment Court submitted its statement to the Government in the case concerning a final repository for spent nuclear fuel.

The court approves large parts of the application: issues relating to the site Forsmark, the rock, the buffer and the environmental impact assessment. The court also approves the encapsulation plant in Oskarshamn and increased capacity in the interim storage facility Clab. However, the court requests further information regarding the properties of the canister and long-term safety.

Eva Halldén, Managing Director.

Eva Halldén, Managing Director.

– We can conclude that we have not been able to answer the court’s questions regarding the copper canister fully. At the same time, the Government’s expert authority, the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM), wrote in its statement that SKB has the potential to meet the legislative requirements on safe final disposal, says SKB’s managing director Eva Halldén.

SSM tries the application under the Nuclear Activities Act. Licensing under the Nuclear Activities Act is a stepwise process and SKB is already working on in-depth descriptions regarding the issues where the court calls for further answers.

– When we have submitted the documentation requested by SSM, we are certain that the Government will approve the final repository also under the Environmental Code, says Eva Halldén.

In the 1970s, the nuclear power companies in Sweden formed the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company, SKB. Our task is to manage and dispose of all the radioactive waste from nuclear power plants in Sweden. The waste management must meet the highest requirements on safety for human beings and the environment. The task is so extensive that we consider it one of Sweden’s largest environmental protection projects.