Polluter Accountability for Nuclear Energy Systems in a New Risk Context

The polluter pays principle is a world-wide principal cornerstone for polluter accountability in environmental policy. It is a prerequisite for avoiding the establishment of too destructive industrial plants. According to EU legislation, the polluter is supposed to pay for both preventive measures and remediation related to adverse effects on human health and the environment. That said, much remains to be decided when implementing the principle in practice. This paper investigates the operationalisation of the polluter pays principle in relation to negative effects associated with nuclear power. More and less predictable quantities of radioactive pollution will pose uncertain risks to an unknown number of future human beings. How can polluter accountability be assessed and valued? Who should make these decisions and in what ways? These questions are discussed in relation to the development of the risk discourse in society since the early days of the nuclear epoch. To conclude, the new risk context leads to a questioning of present policy regimes and brings a set of new regulatory ideas to the fore