“New trouble is guaranteed”
The German parliament’s vote to free nuclear plant operators of their liabilities for managing nuclear waste disposal has not ensured that all troubles have been dispelled, writes Michael Bauchmüller in Süddeutsche Zeitung. “New frictions are guaranteed, especially in areas where responsibility is transferred from companies to the state,” he says. Facilities for temporarily storing radioactive residues are usually located on the utilities’ premises. Skilled workers and the equipment needed for disposing the waste are mostly owned by plant operators. “Theoretically, the companies could get a small share of their billions back – as service providers,” Bauchmüller argues.
Read the article in German .
For background see the 91tv dossier The challenges of Germany’s nuclear phase-out and the 91tv factsheet Securing utility payments for the nuclear clean-up.