Korea nuclear deliberation panel names 9 experts after environmental groups decline
In short
The nuclear power public deliberation committee for the electricity supply basic plan set up a nine-member expert committee, three each from the environment, nuclear and neutral fields. Environmental groups did not put forward experts, so the committee chose the environmental ones itself. The citizen panel's deliberation will run from December 11 to 13.
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The nuclear power public deliberation committee for the electricity supply basic plan has formed an expert committee of nine members, three each from the environment, nuclear and neutral fields. The committee said on the 22nd that it approved the composition at its third meeting, held on the 21st at the Power Base Center (전력기반센터) in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Environmental groups did not respond to the request to recommend experts. Newsis said they did not comply, and Chosun Ilbo said they refused. The committee therefore recommended the environmental experts on its own authority. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The expert committee is to hold its first meeting on the 27th. It will review the deliberation questionnaire and the direction for writing the data booklet that the committee prepared for the citizen panel, and give its opinions. The committee will then finalise the questionnaire and booklet based on those opinions. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
At the meeting the committee also discussed how to ask the citizen panel about the detailed agenda items. These are the role of nuclear power, considerations for fulfilling that role, and the range for nuclear power's share of generation. The committee said all discussion takes the national greenhouse gas reduction target (NDC) and the first basic plan for renewable energy as its premise. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The committee set out two principles for the questionnaire. Questions will not carry a direction, so they will not presuppose that nuclear power is to be reduced or increased. Each issue will instead be asked as the level to which something should be met. Respondents will be asked for the lower and upper limits of each power source's share of generation, and the committee will not use a format that reads as a for-or-against vote. Asia Economy described the aim as letting citizens judge an appropriate level, rather than choosing between expansion and reduction. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The committee decided to hold the citizen panel's deliberation from December 11 to 13. Chosun Ilbo and Asia Economy described it as a three-day, two-night event. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Committee chair Eun Jae-ho (은재호) said it was regrettable that environmental groups decided not to take part in this deliberation. Newsis quoted him saying that experts with long experience in the environment and nuclear fields would take part, and that the committee would take responsibility for producing deliberation materials and a debate that lean to neither side. Chosun Ilbo and Asia Economy quoted him saying the committee would keep the door to the deliberation open to the end. Asia Economy also quoted him saying the balance of the deliberation is kept through the fairness of the information given to citizens and of the debate. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The committee's chair said it regrets that environmental groups will not take part in this deliberation. The documents do not say how this will affect the process, which continues with the expert committee's first meeting on the 27th.
Key facts
- The committee held its third meeting on the 21st at the Power Base Center (전력기반센터) in Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, and approved the expert committee's composition; it announced this on the 22nd. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The expert committee has nine members: three each from the environment, nuclear and neutral fields. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Environmental groups did not respond to the request to recommend experts, so the committee recommended the environmental experts on its own authority. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The expert committee holds its first meeting on the 27th to review the direction of the deliberation questionnaire and data booklet for the citizen panel. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The citizen panel's deliberation is set for December 11 to 13. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The committee said all discussion takes as its premise the national greenhouse gas reduction target (NDC) and the first basic plan for renewable energy. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The committee formed a nine-member expert committee with three experts each from the environment, nuclear and neutral fields. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The committee recommended the environmental experts itself because environmental groups did not take part in recommending them. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The citizen panel's deliberation is scheduled for December 11 to 13. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- The questionnaire will not build a direction into its questions and will avoid a format that reads as a for-or-against vote. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Who the nine expert committee members are. The documents give the fields and numbers but no names.
- Why environmental groups chose not to take part. The documents report that they did not respond to or refused the request, and the chair called it regrettable, but give no reason.
- Whether environmental groups might still join. Chosun Ilbo and Asia Economy quote the chair saying the door will be kept open to the end; Newsis does not carry that remark.