Page 120 - Beyond Decommissioning

Relevant factors for redevelopment 101

A point that goes beyond the participation of stakeholders in a given brownfield
redevelopment debate is that this participation promotes and consolidates
community’s involvement in the decision-making process for all decisions of com-
mon interest. In other words, it creates a precedent and a basis for communal
solidarity.
As a general issue regarding the future of nuclear growth in a given country, the
successful reuse of a decommissioned nuclear site, especially the preservation of
its economic value, will demonstrate to the public that the nuclear industry is reliable
and sensitive to social concerns. This in turn may improve the operator’s chances for
being allowed to undertake further nuclear developments and reduce regulatory
pressure.
The following are key hints to include, and maintain a strong involvement of, stake-
holders in redevelopment projects/programs (EPA, 2014b):

Allocate budget for the community involvement.
l
Have community leaders and other representatives designated for key phases of the project
l
and to maintain momentum. “The community stagnates without the impulse of the individ-
ual. The impulse dies away without the sympathy of the community. William James
(1842–1910).”
Launch and maintain a sense of “belonging” throughout the region.
l
Select a participation strategy that is tailored to the local community.
l
l Establish desired and expected project objectives and outcomes that are shared by the com-
munity (possibly after reconciliation of differences).
l Ensure that all discussion points and decisions are circulated in a timely and transparent
manner.
l Think about long-term sustainability of the project (to this end, engage youth).
l Be lenient to conflicting positions and even opposition to the project.

5.3 Staff and skills

Let each man pass his days in that wherein his skill is greatest.
Sextus Propertius (? – 15 BC), Elegies

It is commonplace that decommissioning projects end up with a loss of jobs. In
decommissioning the selection and retention of qualified staff and the maintenance
of good levels of motivation and cooperation are essential managerial challenges.
If limited to corporate management and to the scope of a facility’s decommissioning,
this issue can be mitigated, but not fully solved, through job reallocation and/or
retraining programs.
The positive sentiment encouraged by a timely decision to redevelop rather than
abandon a decommissioned site will generally be conducive to maintaining the morale
and commitment of the decommissioning crew. Needless to say, timing is key here: to
maintain staff motivation and dodge the “working-yourself-out-of-a-job” syndrome,
redevelopment should immediately follow decommissioning; in fact redevelopment