In June 2023, CRESP was selected as one of 12 geographically and institutionally diverse members of the Consent-Based Siting Consortia–tasked with assisting DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) with research regarding its pursuit of one or more federal consolidated interim storage facilities (CISFs) for spent nuclear fuel (SNF) using a multi-stage, consent-based approach that puts communities’ interests at the forefront. The Consent-Based Siting Consortia is intended to help DOE-NE perform in-depth engagement, mutual learning, and capacity building.

Note: At this time, DOE-NE is not looking for volunteer CISF.

Lead Researchers and Bios

Steve Krahn, Vanderbilt University (Bio)
Matthew Weber, Rutgers University (Bio)
Megan Harkema, Vanderbilt University (Bio)
Joanna Burger, Rutgers University (Bio)
Kathy Higley, Oregon State University (Bio)
Michael Greenberg, Rutgers University (Bio)
Hank Mayer, CRESP (Bio)
Rachel Acosta, Rutgers University (Bio)

Contact Us

Please send email to: consent.based.siting@vanderbilt.edu

What is “Consent-Based Siting?

The Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for managing nuclear waste in the United States and has recently committed to siting a nuclear waste management system using a consent-based approach. A consent-based approach focuses on the needs and concerns of people and communities. It must be flexible, adaptive, and responsive to the needs and concerns of communities.

In 2017, the DOE published a draft Consent-Based Siting Process. In 2021, DOE issued a request for information (RFI) specific to consent-based siting of a consolidated interim storage facility (CISF), requesting public feedback on the process, removing participation barriers, and the role of interim storage within an integrated waste management system. Based on this public feedback, DOE updated its consent-based siting process in 2023.

DOE is currently executing Phase 1B (capacity building) of the Consent-Based Siting Roadmap. The Consent-Based Siting Consortia is intended to assist DOE-NE in this phase of the process. Phase 1B is focused on in-depth engagement, mutual learning, and building capacity—through the Consent-Based Siting Consortia.

Current Projects

Moving Toward Consent-Based Siting of a Federal CISF: Improving Strategies for Community-Informed Decision-Making during Stakeholder and Tribal Engagements

DOE-NE Award No.: DE-NE0009342
Project Objectives
The overall objective of CRESP’s workscope is to engage communities surrounding DOE sites that are currently storing defense- and research-related Spent Nuclear Fuel (SNF) to foster mutual learning on best and worst practices in community and Tribal participation in risk-informed decision-making and, based on this learning, develop and test innovative forms of community participation in decision-making as part of the consent-based siting process that builds sustainable trust among the parties. The CRESP Team will engage with local and state stakeholders, as well as Tribal communities, at or near SRS and Hanford —sites where CRESP has experience engaging community stakeholders and Tribes— as part of this project.

Relevance and Impact to DOE
CRESP will organize and lead stakeholder and Tribal engagements with a diverse and inclusive group of representatives from near the Hanford and SRS sites. CRESP plans to maintain these relationships and continue them through the performance of a participatory decision making evolution, including volunteer participants with experience serving on citizen’s advisory boards, as well as volunteers from the Tribal and underrepresented communities engaged near the sites. The focus of these engagements is on mutual learning in the areas of values- and competence-based trust and risk perception and communication among stakeholder and Tribal groups specific to federal CISF siting.

CRESP will also map public values, interests, concerns, and goals through the statistical analysis and data mapping. CRESP will also elicit feedback on public values, interests, concerns, and goals during the stakeholder and Tribal engagements being performed and use the results to construct the knowledge sharing, deliberation, and values assessment approaches and community resources to support future consent-based CISF siting.

CRESP will then develop innovative approaches and resources to support mutual learning among stakeholders, communities, and experts to increase representation in decision-making related to radioactive waste management facility siting and operation. CRESP will implement, test, and report on the outcomes of using these approaches and resources.

Informing Consent-Based Siting of a Consolidated Interim Storage Facility (CISF): Examining Public Engagement Through History and Evaluation of Prior and Current Outreach Results

DOE-NE Award No.: DE-NE0009496
Project Objectives
DOE-NE’s consent-based siting process is focused on siting a federal consolidated interim storage facility (CISF); to support this effort, there exists a wealth of data regarding the siting of commercial independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSIs) and CISFs in the U.S. CRESP will aggregate and analyze data regarding public sentiments toward the engagements performed during the siting, licensing and operation of these commercial facilities to inform future consent-based siting efforts for a federal CISF. CRESP will use two phases of research to assist DOE-NE in better understanding the factors that influence the nature and extent of public engagement necessary to fit the needs of different people and communities seeking to evaluate and make decisions regarding the siting of a future CISF. The overall objective of this project is to establish a comprehensive view of the dialogues that have taken place and continue to take place regarding the licensing process of CISFs and independent spent fuel storage installations (ISFSIs) on various public platforms (hearings, testimony, social media, news media, etc.) within several different geographical regions of the U.S—the Southwest, the Midwest, and the Southeast.

Relevance and Impact to DOE
This project seeks to both (1) study historical factors influencing the nature of engagement in a sample of communities surrounding existing commercial SNF storage facilities and (2) measure engagement within these communities. Ultimately, the proposed research will result in a compilation of empirical community engagement data that will assist DOE-NE in planning for meaningful participation and public engagement in consent-based siting of a future CISF to meet DOE-NE’s overall goal of securing and sustaining the nuclear fuel cycle.

Reports and Publications

Coming Soon