Influence of environmental, economic and social factors on a site selection index methodology for a technological centre for radioactive waste management

The design of a near-surface disposal facilities for low and intermediate level radioactive waste involves an important previous work for a suitable site selection. This paper falls within a huge study for the estimate of suitability indices, useful for the comparison of some areas which have passed a preliminary screening step. Since in a previous study geological and morphological factors had been mainly assessed, the focal aim of this paper concerns the evaluation of other important parameters relevant to the overall impact owing to the siting of a near-surface disposal facilities. The proposed methodology takes into account three impact index categories: the environmental, the economic and the social ones. The comparison between those impact index typologies has been developed throughout the use of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) elaborated by T. L. Saaty. As a matter of fact, this method allows the comparison between decision elements which are difficult to quantify, and it is used to prioritize alternatives. The weighting of each impact index typology derives from the analysis of the relative constituent parts. Finally, this new approach represents a useful, prompt and easy to use instrument for the evaluation of the Suitability degree of areas under investigation.