Safety first: Vorarlberg's resistance to the nuclear waste repository

Safety first: Vorarlberg's resistance to the nuclear waste repository

In an important statement, the state politicians from Vorarlberg, Markus Wallner and Christian Gantner, expressed their concerns about the planned nuclear waste repository in the Swiss region “Nördlich Lägern”. Wallner, the state governor, and Gantner, the state environmental councilor, emphasized the importance of protecting people as well as nature and the environment. Such a facility, which is supposed to be around 100 kilometers from the Vorarlberg border, entails numerous risks, especially for the neighboring Vorarlberg region, which has a staunch anti-nuclear stance.

The politicians referred to Vorarlberg's constitutionally anchored anti-nuclear policy. In their opinion, the danger posed by nuclear power plants should not be passed on to the region. “We demand compliance with the highest safety standards and the implementation of a cross-border environmental impact assessment,” explained Wallner and Gantner in a joint statement. These tests are intended to ensure that possible negative impacts on the environment and the population in neighboring countries are fully taken into account.

Vorarlberg’s commitment

Vorarlberg has long been actively involved in the process, which deals with the geological aspects of a deep repository for radioactive waste. Wallner and Gantner made it clear that they had once again brought their demands regarding safety standards and environmental impact assessments to the Swiss authorities. This was done as part of the ongoing process known as the Deep Geological Repository Sectoral Plan.

Another goal is to initiate a cross-border participation process in order to better take the interests and concerns of the Vorarlberg population into account. “We will continue to actively and vigorously advocate for a cross-border participation process in dialogue with Switzerland,” said the two politicians. This shows how serious the matter is for Vorarlberg and how important protection against risks from nuclear power is for the state government. Gantner even plans to send a letter to the Federal Office of Energy in Bern to make Vorarlberg's concerns clear.

The discussion about the new nuclear waste repository not only raises technical and safety issues, but also has far-reaching political implications. These concerns relate to the entire future of energy supply and associated safety standards in the region. Offers of cooperation and transparency from the Swiss authorities could potentially help to strengthen the Vorarlberg population's trust in these projects. For more information, see the current reporting on schaffhausen24.ch.