Dispute Over Waste Disposal from Dismantling of Biblis Nuclear Power Plant

A legal dispute in the German state of Hesse could delay the decommissioning process of the Biblis nuclear power plant. The Bergstraße District Waste Management Association (ZAKB) has submitted a request to the government presidency in Darmstadt to apply the legal instrument known as Mitbenutzung. This aims to force the company SAVAG GmbH, operator of the municipal waste landfill in Büttelborn, to accept and dispose of specific materials from the dismantling of the decommissioned nuclear facility. The operator consistently refuses to accept them, despite the waste having been officially exempted from regulations on radioactive waste and classified as non-hazardous. The Biblis nuclear power plant, consisting of units A and B, was one of the largest such facilities in Germany. Its construction began in the 1970s, and after the Fukushima disaster in 2011, the federal government decided to accelerate the phase-out of nuclear energy. The units at Biblis were finally shut down, and since 2017, comprehensive dismantling and decommissioning have been underway. The dispute highlights practical challenges associated with the final phase of decommissioning nuclear power plants, which, after the reactor shutdown and nuclear fuel removal stages, enters the phase of conventional structural dismantling. Materials such as concrete, steel, or bricks, which do not show radioactive contamination above permissible limits, can – after appropriate control procedures and official clearance – be treated as ordinary construction waste. However, their acceptance by local disposal facilities often encounters social or administrative resistance, stemming from fears of stigmatization and complex procedures. Status of Nuclear Power Plants in Germany: Number of operational reactors (2011): 17 → 0; Final shutdown date: planned for 2036 → April 15, 2023; Biblis facility (capacity): 2 units, total ~2500 MW → under decommissioningThe decision of the government presidency in Darmstadt will be crucial for the work schedule at Biblis. If the authorities side with ZAKB's request and issue an order for compulsory sharing of the landfill, it will allow the dismantling work to continue. Otherwise, the association will have to find an alternative storage site, which involves additional costs for transport, negotiations, and potential delays. The situation in Büttelborn is not isolated and serves as an example of the broader logistical problem faced by local and state authorities in the process of decarbonization and managing the legacy of nuclear energy.