In harmony with the legal requirements, it is essential to keep the public informed of all activities and actions taken in relation to the management and disposal of radioactive wastes. However, this shall not be restricted merely to publication of the information, but shall in addition include the initiation of dialogue, on the merits, with the population living in the region around the site designated for the interim storage or final disposal facility.

It is of special importance to achieve wide range consensus and obtain public acceptance for the implementation of the safe final disposal of the wastes. The greatest challenge for the professional and the scientific fellowship is to make the public aware of the actual environmental impacts.

It is shown by domestic and international experience that the public support, which requires unbroken and purposeful efforts to obtain, is indispensable for the final disposal of radioactive wastes.

The primary purpose of the communication work of our Agency is to obtain, retain, and reinforce the confidence and acceptance of the public to ensure that the existing or planned facilities can safely serve, for many long decades, for the benefit of the country. We attach special importance to building and maintaining relations and dialogue with the municipal associations and non-governmental organisations.

We attach special importance to management of issues of keeping the relations with various representative bodies. A recognised specialist company has been contracted for the communication work. The implementation of our communication program is carried out on three stages: communication with the general public, with special groups (the Government, the media, the environmentalists and anti-nuclear activists), and the Local Governments, and population of areas believed to be suitable for the construction of a repository.

The interests of 37 Local Governments are represented by four partner municipal associations, i.e. the Isotope Information Association (ITT), the Social Association for Control and Information (TETT), West-Mecsek Social Information Association (NyMTIT), and the Social Control and Information Association (TEIT). According to the practice used for several years, we make every effort to forward the relevant information to the public whenever we have a message or information to the decision makers of the affected counties (Tolna, Baranya, Bács-Kiskun and Pest counties).

The representatives of PURAM are pleased to take part in parish meetings and public hearings and are ready to organise open days with the purpose to keep the population informed on our waste management programs. This information work is inherently completed by information supplied to the local papers (Hétközlap, Térségi Krónikás, Tájoló) or to the public through the cable TV system.

To ensure that people learn more on how radioactive waste is generated, and how it is managed and treated, visits are organised on regular basis to the nuclear power plant and to the operating radioactive waste repository. These visits play a particular role in building relations, since it is much easier to perceive the reality this way than by any kind of academic argumentation. In these facilities, visitors can meet the workers of the facility and can see that they are like they themselves. This experience may help remove any mystical fictions associated with the use of nuclear technology.

Find more about our public relations and communication work on the web sites below:

• Public relations and communication in relation to the Radioactive Waste Processing and Disposal Facility
• Public relations and communication in relation to the high level waste repository
• Public relations and communication in relation to the Interim Spent Fuel Store
• Public relations and communication work undertaken during the preparations for the final disposal of high level wastes