Public Participation in Nuclear Waste Management : a Comparative Analysis of the Swedish and Canadian Processes

This thesis addresses the issue of public participation in the implementation of nuclear waste management (NWM) strategies by comparing the NWM programs of Sweden and Canada. It begins with a comparison of the progress and current status of the Swedish and Canadian NWM programs, which illustrates that the Swedish program is further ahead in terms of obtaining approval for a disposal method. Next, quantitative analyses were performed on three measures of public engagement, which revealed that the proponents of Sweden's NWM program have focused on public participation much more than their Canadian counterparts. Lastly, a comparison was made between the level of public awareness regarding nuclear waste and public support for the NWM programs of each country. The analysis indicated that there is a greater level of both public awareness of the nuclear waste issue and public support for the NWM program in Sweden than there is in Canada.