Contributions to municipalities

SÚRAO provided financial contributions to the previously considered nine candidate sites in the amount of CZK 203.8 million

Balance of the statutory financial contributions provided to local authorities affected by preparations of the deep geological repository and operational radioactive waste repositories, and future outlook

Contributions for the determination of geological survey areas and protected areas for special intervention into the earth’s crust comprise legally sanctioned payments to those municipalities affected by preparations for the construction of the deep geological repository according to the Atomic Act (Act No. 263/2016 Coll.) and Government Decree No. 35/2017 Coll. Moreover, the financial contributions provided to municipalities affected by currently operational repositories are also defined in the Atomic Act. In addition, municipalities are entitled to a financial contribution according to the Act on Geological Work. Such statutory contributions are paid to the affected municipalities from the nuclear account by the Radioactive Waste Repository Authority (SÚRAO).

The financial contributions provided according to Section 117 of the Atomic Act are intended to compensate municipalities for impacts resulting from their geographical proximity to a nuclear facility used for the disposal of radioactive waste, the risks arising from the siting of a radioactive waste repository in their cadastral areas and the impacts of central administrative decisions on those municipalities.

Statutory contributions can be divided into the following categories:

  • Submission of an application for the determination of a geological survey area for special intervention into the earth’s crust: upon the acceptance of the initial submission of an application, the municipality receives a one-off financial contribution of CZK 1 million. In the case of repeated requests for the granting of geological survey area status, if the municipality has already received a financial contribution, no further claim can be accepted.
  • Determination of a geological survey area for special intervention in the earth’s crust: following the determination of a geological survey area, each affected municipality is entitled to an annual financial contribution of CZK 600,000 and a further CZK 400,000 per km2 depending on the extent of the cadastral area of the municipality. Contributions are paid for the period of validity of the specified geological survey area.
  • Determination of a protected area for special intervention into the earth’s crust: following the determination of a protected area, the affected municipality is entitled to a one-off financial contribution of CZK 60 million in the first year, and for every subsequent year the financial contribution is based on a similar calculation as for the geological survey area, i.e. an annual financial contribution of CZK 600,000 and a further CZK 600,000 per km2 for the cadastral area of the municipality. In the past, the financial contribution for the establishment of a protected area (previously CZK 50 million) was also provided to the Richard (near Litoměřice) and Bratrství (in Jáchymov) currently operational near-surface repositories. Contributions are paid for the period of validity of the designated protected area up to the introduction into operation of the repository.
  • Operation of a radioactive waste repository: concerning those municipalities in whose cadastral territories the operation of a repository is permitted, the statutory financial contribution comprises an annual financial contribution of CZK 4 million and CZK 10,000 for each m3 of waste disposed of at the repository.
  • The financial contribution according to the Act on Geological Work is set at CZK 2,000 per km2 for the first year following the definition of a geological survey area. This fee is increased by CZK 1,000 for each km2 in each subsequent year.

Financial contributions for operational repositories

The affected municipalities have been reimbursed for hosting operational repositories since the introduction into force of the new Atomic Act in 2017:

  • The Richard repository in the town of Litoměřice: up to 2022, CZK 80.6 million, including a financial contribution of CZK 50 million for the designation of a protected area. In 2022, Litoměřice received a financial contribution of CZK 5.4 million from the nuclear account.
  • The Bratrství repository in the town of Jáchymov: up to 2022, CZK 74.1 million, including a financial contribution of CZK 50 million for the designation of a protected area. In 2022, Jáchymov received a financial contribution of CZK 4 million from the nuclear account.
  • The Dukovany repository in the Rouchovany municipality: up to 2022, CZK 39.7 million. In 2022, the municipality of Rouchovany received a financial contribution of CZK 7.2 million from the nuclear account.

Financial contributions for municipalities affected by preparations for the deep geological repository

From 2015 to the beginning of 2023, a total of CZK 203.8 million was paid in statutory financial contributions to the municipalities that make up the nine original potential sites considered for the siting of the deep geological repository. No protected areas were established for any of these sites. In 2020, based on a detailed site evaluation process, the number of sites was reduced from nine to four; the Government confirmed the selection of the four sites via Resolution No. 1350 of 21 December 2020.

In the case of the four selected sites, the amount of the financial contribution depends on the extent of the cadastral area of the municipality. Each site is specific in terms of all the parameters considered; hence, the maps of the affected areas to which the submitted applications for the determination of geological survey areas relate as of March 2023 are shown below with summary information:

  • Březový potok: 9 villages and 1 town with a total affected cadastral area of 37.87 km2.

The site received a total of CZK 31.2 million for the period 2015 to 2023.

The 9 villages and 1 town that make up the Březový potok site in the current stage will receive contributions for the specified survey area in the amount of at least CZK 21.2 million per year for the entire period of validity of the geological survey area. The financial contributions to the various municipalities range from CZK 810,909 to CZK 4,150,741, depending on the size of the affected cadastral area.

Brezovy_potok_opt

Březový potok – map of the geological survey area

 

  • Horka: 8 villages and 1 town with a total affected cadastral area of 28.27 km2.

The site received a total of CZK 36.9 million for the period 2015 to 2023.

The 8 villages and 1 town that make up the Horka site in the current stage will receive contributions for the specified survey area in the amount of at least CZK 16.8 million per year for the entire period of validity of the geological survey area. The financial contributions to the various municipalities range from CZK 920,767 to CZK 4,462,486, depending on the size of the affected cadastral area.

Horka_opt

Horka – map of the geological survey area

 

  • Hrádek: 7 villages and 1 town with a total affected cadastral area of 35.08 km2.

The site received a total of CZK 29.9 million for the period 2015 to 2023.

The 7 villages and 1 town that make up the Hrádek site in the current stage will receive contributions for the specified survey area in the amount of at least CZK 18.9 million per year for the entire period of validity of the geological survey area. The financial contributions to the various municipalities range from CZK 753,904 to CZK 3,504,353, depending on the size of the affected cadastral area.

Hradek_opt

Hrádek – map of the geological survey area

 

  • Janoch: 3 villages and 1 town with a total affected cadastral area of 22.74 km2.

The site received a total of CZK 4 million for the period 2015 to 2023.

The 3 villages and 1 town that make up the Janoch site in the current stage will receive contributions for the specified survey area in the amount of at least CZK 11.5 million per year for the entire period of validity of the geological survey area. The financial contributions to the various municipalities range from CZK 1,524,010 to CZK 4,410,945, depending on the size of the affected cadastral area.

Concerning the Janoch site, in contrast to the other 3 sites, no geological survey area for special intervention into the earth’s crust was established in the past.

Janoch_opt

Janoch – map of the geological survey area

 

  • Contributions to the previously considered sites: 5 sites (Čertovka, Čihadlo, Kraví Hora, Magdaléna and Na Skalním): a total of 25 villages and 3 towns.

These sites received a total of just under CZK 102 million in financial contributions for the period 2015 to 2021.

Earlier this year, the Radioactive Waste Repository Authority (SÚRAO) reported the submission of applications for the determination of geological survey areas for special intervention into the earth’s crust at the four selected candidate sites on its web pages.

Following the selection of the final site, the next stage of the research aimed at determining a protected area for special intervention into the earth’s crust and the initiation of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) process will begin. These stages of the deep geological repository project are provisionally expected during the period 2028 to 2030. The estimated extent of the affected area will be approximately 5 to 7 km2. Each municipality whose cadastre is impacted by the protected area will be eligible to receive up to CZK 72 million in the form of a one-off financial contribution and an annual contribution until the repository becomes operational (currently planned for 2050); this financial contribution will depend on the extent of the respective cadastral area affected.

Financial contributions according to the Atomic Act for the final site for the period 2023 to 2050

The finally selected site could, therefore, during the period of validity of the geological survey and protected areas receive financial contributions from the nuclear account in the total amount of hundreds of millions of CZK over the period 2023 to 2050. The amount of the contributions to the final site will ultimately be determined by the period of the validity of the geological survey and protected areas, the amounts of the individual financial contributions to these areas and the number of affected municipalities in the designated protected area and their extent.