You need JavaScript to view this

Expert decisionmaking in risk analysis: The case of the Yucca Mountain facility

Abstract

Thirty-five or forty centuries ago, there were probably Egyptian experts who argued that they could safeguard the tombs of the pharaohs for 10,000 or a million years. Six centuries ago, there were probably Italian experts who believed that they could secure their Renaissance art treasures. Neither the Egyptians nor the Italians succeeded completely in their efforts. Today's experts, working on permanent nuclear waste disposal, face no easier a task. To understand some of the most difficult problems of expert judgment regarding nuclear repositories, these remarks address, 10 problematic judgments of scientists about the proposed Yucca Mountain permanent nuclear repository for spent fuel and high-level nuclear waste; argue that legal constraints imposed by the US government exacerbate these problems of expert scientific judgment; and conclude that, for any permanent repository program to succeed, nations ought to avoid problems (in expert scientific judgment and in the law) that have dogged US repository efforts.
Authors:
Shrader-Frechette, K [1] 
  1. University of Notre Dame, IN (United States)
Publication Date:
Dec 01, 1999
Product Type:
Conference
Report Number:
NEI-SE-308
Reference Number:
EDB-00:108520
Resource Relation:
Conference: VALDOR: Values in decisions on risk. Symposium in the RISCOM programme addressing transparency in risk assessment and decision making, Stockholm (Sweden), 13-17 Jun 1999; Other Information: 11 refs; PBD: Dec 1999; Related Information: In: VALDOR. Values in decisions on risk. Proceedings, by Andersson, Kjell [ed.] [Karinta-Konsult, Taeby (Sweden)], 433 pages.
Subject:
12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE WASTES, AND NON-RADIOACTIVE WASTES FROM NUCLEAR FACILITIES; DECISION MAKING; ECOLOGY; PUBLIC INFORMATION; PUBLIC RELATIONS; RISK ASSESSMENT; VALIDATION; YUCCA MOUNTAIN
OSTI ID:
20052069
Research Organizations:
European Commission (Luxembourg). Directorate-General XI Environment, Nuclear Safety and Civil Protection; Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate, Stockholm (Sweden); Swedish Radiation Protection Inst., Stockholm (Sweden)
Country of Origin:
Sweden
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
TRN: SE0000082016446
Availability:
Available from INIS in electronic form
Submitting Site:
SWDN
Size:
page(s) 14-22
Announcement Date:
Dec 18, 2000

Citation Formats

Shrader-Frechette, K. Expert decisionmaking in risk analysis: The case of the Yucca Mountain facility. Sweden: N. p., 1999. Web.
Shrader-Frechette, K. Expert decisionmaking in risk analysis: The case of the Yucca Mountain facility. Sweden.
Shrader-Frechette, K. 1999. "Expert decisionmaking in risk analysis: The case of the Yucca Mountain facility." Sweden.
@misc{etde_20052069,
title = {Expert decisionmaking in risk analysis: The case of the Yucca Mountain facility}
author = {Shrader-Frechette, K}
abstractNote = {Thirty-five or forty centuries ago, there were probably Egyptian experts who argued that they could safeguard the tombs of the pharaohs for 10,000 or a million years. Six centuries ago, there were probably Italian experts who believed that they could secure their Renaissance art treasures. Neither the Egyptians nor the Italians succeeded completely in their efforts. Today's experts, working on permanent nuclear waste disposal, face no easier a task. To understand some of the most difficult problems of expert judgment regarding nuclear repositories, these remarks address, 10 problematic judgments of scientists about the proposed Yucca Mountain permanent nuclear repository for spent fuel and high-level nuclear waste; argue that legal constraints imposed by the US government exacerbate these problems of expert scientific judgment; and conclude that, for any permanent repository program to succeed, nations ought to avoid problems (in expert scientific judgment and in the law) that have dogged US repository efforts.}
place = {Sweden}
year = {1999}
month = {Dec}
}