Nuclear Repository assessment on Italian suitable areas begins

The Italian Ministry of the Environment and Energy Security has initiated the scoping phase, as required by the Strategic Environmental Assessment (Italian: Valutazione Ambientale Strategica, VAS) procedure, about the national map of areas deemed suitable for the location of the radioactive waste repository, so-called Nuclear Repository – an environmental infrastructure facility for the secure storage of low-level radioactive waste generated by the decommissioning of nuclear facilities and by nuclear medicine, industry, and research activities. The VAS’s primary objective is to ensure the utmost environmental protection through the integration of environmental factors in the formulation, endorsement, and implementation of the National Map of Suitable Areas. This is according to a statement released by Italian Environment and Energy Security Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin. The list of 51 eligible national areas was made available on the Ministry’s website on 13 December 2023.