Potential Solutions to the NIMBY (Not in My Backyard) Problem

The recent actions of the U.S. Nuclear Waste Negotiator, David Leroy, as well as others in Canada, have suggested a way out of the NIMBY - Not In My Back Yard - quandary of nuclear wastes. NIMBY occurs when citizens are in favor of taking some action, as long as it is not in their vicinity. Since World War II, it has been generally assumed - though rarely stated explicitly - that it would be impossible to find volunteer communities to accept radioactive waste facilities. Evidence over the past four decades has tended to confirm that belief. Where attempts were made to site these facilities, controversy has usually been generated. In most cases, the attempt was abandoned. Innovative approaches to facility siting, such as that employed by Leroy, would generate a volunteer community, at the same time preserving environmental and safety standards. In fact, a voluntary approach would actually improve environmental quality, as \"temporary\" and sometimes inadequate facilities are left behind for permanent, well-engineered systems. Communities that do not want facilities should be able to avoid them.