Swiss perspectives in 10 languages

Critics of proposed Swiss nuclear waste site want a referendum

Critics of a nuclear repository call for a national referendum
Critics of a nuclear repository call for a national referendum Keystone-SDA

A proposed radioactive waste repository in canton Zurich is facing opposition even before official approval.

It has been known since September 2022 that a nuclear waste repository is to be established in the municipality of Stadel in canton Zurich. The government and parliament will begin decision-making on the repository from 2029 and construction is scheduled to start in 2045.

+Get the most important news from Switzerland in your inbox

However, even before the responsible authority submits the license application next week, resistance is spreading. A committee is demanding that even if parliament approves the repository, the people must also vote on the project.

More

“A decision with a million-year impact belongs before the people,” the opposition committee proclaimed while launching a national debate at a press conference in Bern on Friday. Such a complex issue requires the approval of the population of the whole of Switzerland, the committee added.

Adapted from German by DeepL/ac

This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles.

If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, if you want to learn more about how we use technology, click here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Swiss Steel cuts 800 jobs

More

Swiss Steel to cut 800 jobs

This content was published on Steelmaker Swiss Steel Group is cutting 800 full-time jobs in Switzerland and abroad.

Read more: Swiss Steel to cut 800 jobs

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!

If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR