Dialogue Process Between Expert and Public Regarding HLW Disposal in Japan

Different people have different opinion on nuclear power use. As for HLW disposal, more complex issues such as uncertainty due to very long time-scale required for disposal would add to the difficulty of conducting smooth communication and building stable consensus between the scientific experts and the general public. We carried out Q&A dialogue experiments between an expert and public participants who were indifferent to HLW disposal. The dialogue process was divided into two periods. In the learning period, participants learned fundamental knowledge about HLW disposal. In the discussion period, participants discussed about one specific topic, such as “Resource and Energy”, “Geological Disposal”, or Safety Violation. These dialogue experiments can help the experts to communicate and conduct comprehensive activities with the public which would help implement the HLW disposal from the public point of view.