Nidwalden resisted nuclear waste repository plans for decades

Switzerland’s proposed deep geological repository for radioactive waste is now planned for the Nördlich Lägern area in the municipality of Stadel, Zurich, after decades of debate over a site in Nidwalden. SRF reports that Federal Councillor Albert Rösti has held his first meeting with local residents, and a final decision on the location is expected in 2030.

The search for a safe way to dispose of the country’s nuclear waste has been under way since 1972, when the National Cooperative for the Disposal of Radioactive Waste, known as Nagra, was founded. For many years, the organisation considered the Wellenberg site in Nidwalden.

In 1986, the Nidwalden cantonal government allowed Nagra to conduct test drilling in the area’s marl rock. The decision prompted local opposition, and residents formed a committee to demand a say in decisions about nuclear facilities. Resistance persisted, with several cantonal votes rejecting the proposed repository.

In 1993, Nagra proposed splitting the waste between two locations: low- and intermediate-level radioactive waste would go to Wellenberg, while long-lived intermediate-level and high-level waste would be stored deep underground near Benken in Zurich’s Weinland region. Views in Wolfenschiessen, the municipality where Wellenberg is located, were divided. Some residents feared the risks, while others supported the plans for economic reasons.

In January 2015, 43 years after Wellenberg was first proposed, Nagra ruled out the site because of unfavourable geological conditions. Nidwalden remained a reserve option for some time afterwards.