Residents question safety as Nördlich Lägern repository advances

Many residents accept a planned deep geological repository for radioactive waste in Nördlich Lägern, according to interviews by Swiss broadcaster SRF. But concerns about safety, local influence, compensation and possible waste from new nuclear power plants are growing as the project moves forward.

The repository is planned in the Nördlich Lägern region, with an access facility in Stadel in Zurich canton. During a visit to Fisibach in Aargau, Federal Councillor Albert Rösti offered the affected region compensation and stressed safety and public participation.

The project affects not only the cantons of Aargau and Zurich, but also the German district of Waldshut across the border. Many local residents therefore attended Rösti’s presentation on Monday.

Some residents see no alternative

Several residents take a pragmatic view of the repository. Jürg Rossi from Bad Zurzach in Aargau said a repository was necessary if it could be built in a safe location. He said he had few concerns because specialists were responsible for the project.

Kurt Fischer from Rümikon in Aargau also supported the plan. “We have no other choice. At some point, the material has to be stored properly,” he said. A deep repository would be better than keeping the waste “in a hall for years,” he added.

Silvia Masetti from Stadel said she was torn. “I have two souls in my chest,” she said, questioning why the repository should be built there, whether the location was truly suitable and whether it was the only solution. Her greatest concern was safety. “There is no guarantee that nothing will ever happen,” she said.

Decision expected from 2030

The search for a repository began in 2008 with six possible regions. Nördlich Lägern was among them from the start. After several stages of investigation, three regions remained in 2018: Jura Ost, Nördlich Lägern and Zurich Nord-East.

In 2022, the National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste, known as Nagra, proposed Nördlich Lägern as the location. Based on its investigations, the region offered the greatest safety reserves. The access facility is planned for Haberstal in Stadel, while the packaging facility would be built at the interim storage facility in Würenlingen, Aargau.

Nagra submitted the applications for the project’s general licence to the federal government in 2024. Authorities are still examining the plans for safety, spatial planning and environmental impacts, so the location has not yet been definitively approved.

Rösti expects the Federal Council to decide on the location from 2030. Parliament would then consider the decision, which could be challenged by a referendum. He expects a nationwide vote around 2033. Under the current timetable, the first radioactive waste could be stored there from about 2050.