Several global groups pledged support for local host communities regarding nuclear energy during the Technical Meeting for Municipalities with Nuclear Facilities hosted by the International Atomic Energy Agency Oct. 31-Nov. 4 in Vienna, Austria.
United States mayors and other government officials were among the 70 attendees from more than 25 countries at the meeting held for the exchange of information between communities that host or will “potentially host nuclear power plants and radioactive waste management facilities,” a Nov. 15 U.S. Department of Energy news release said.
“The meeting enabled real-time two-way dialogue and sharing lessons learned and best practices throughout the lifecycle of nuclear facilities,” Kristen Ellis, director of regulatory, intergovernmental and stakeholder engagement for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management, said in the release. Ellis coordinated the meeting’s sessions and working groups.
The meeting resulted in the Group of European Municipalities with Nuclear Facilities in Europe, Energy Communities Alliance and Canadian Association of Nuclear Host Communities plan to “continue their individual and joint advocacy for support for local host communities among regulators, current and future nuclear industry and other members of the nuclear supply chain,” the release said.
Brent Gerry, Energy Communities Alliance chair and mayor of West Richland, Wash., which is located near the decommissioned nuclear production complex Hanford Site, praised the meeting, according to the release.
“These group discussions show the critical role for host communities living with nuclear facilities, and the challenges and opportunities for producing carbon-free, baseload energy and addressing the nuclear fuel cycle,” Gerry said in the release.
Pia Almström, GMF Europe president and mayor of Kävlinge, Sweden, was appreciative of the meeting, the release reported.
“An open and transparent approach toward municipalities is key to engaging them in long-term dialogue,” Almström said in the release. “GMF, ECA and CANHC are grateful to the IAEA and its leadership for creating a forum to bring together municipalities and share experience on topics of interest to current and proposed host nuclear communities.”
“Once you get the ball rolling on these types of conversations, they don’t stop,” Ellis said, according to the release. “On the contrary, they lead to forming new relationships and ongoing communication that transfers back to their communities and creates more effective public involvement.”
