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Ethical assessment in radioactive waste management: a proposed reflective equilibrium-based deliberative approach

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  • Matthew Cotton

Abstract

Radioactive waste management facility siting has often been surrounded by political controversy. By attempting to overcome accusations of technocracy, radioactive waste management organisations are reframing the problem in terms of socio-technical issues requiring the integrative assessment of complex scientific, political and ethical issues and establishing analytic-deliberative decision-making processes involving public and stakeholder involvement. One important aspect of a publicly supportable radioactive waste management strategy is that adequate ethical assessment is incorporated throughout the process. There are, however, certain incompatibilities between pluralistic public and stakeholder-led engagement processes and the types of ethical justification stemming from normative ethical theory and the input of ethical expertise. An evaluation of previous work on ethics by the UK Committee on Radioactive Waste Management highlights some of the pitfalls of utilising these types of 'top-down' inputs in a primarily 'bottom-up' decision-making process. This paper then proposes the development of a new approach inspired by John Rawls's concept of 'reflective equilibrium', to better bridge the divide between pluralistic analytic-deliberative decision-making and ethical assessment.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthew Cotton, 2009. "Ethical assessment in radioactive waste management: a proposed reflective equilibrium-based deliberative approach," Journal of Risk Research, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(5), pages 603-618, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jriskr:v:12:y:2009:i:5:p:603-618
    DOI: 10.1080/13669870802519455
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    Cited by:

    1. Miki Yokoyama & Susumu Ohnuma & Hideaki Osawa & Shoji Ohtomo & Yukio Hirose, 2023. "Public acceptance of nuclear waste disposal sites: a decision-making process utilising the ‘veil of ignorance’ concept," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Jenkins, Kirsten & Sovacool, Benjamin K. & McCauley, Darren, 2018. "Humanizing sociotechnical transitions through energy justice: An ethical framework for global transformative change," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C), pages 66-74.

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