The earlier studies show that there is obvious suspicion towards nuclear waste. Today, less than one in three (31%) consider that the disposal of nuclear waste in the Finnish bedrock is safe. Sceptics are more numerous, more than two out of five (44%). The figures are practically equal to those of the previous year, and close to the mean value of the last ten years. The stability in these figures shows that the attitudes toward nuclear waste are not directly connected to the support of nuclear power in general. During the first ten years of follow-up (1983-1993), confidence was, however, one step lower than currently [Figure 7.].

The reservations can be partly explained by the fact that two-thirds (68%) of the respondents consider nuclear waste to be a continuous threat to the life of future generations. Only about one in six (16%) disagree. Also, this question shows that the concern about waste is practically at the same level as in the previous year and also the preceding years. The trend in the attitudes throughout the study period indicates that the ideas pertaining to the threat are persistent. Even though the beginning of the follow-up period stands out as somewhat more reserved in this study as well, no major mitigation has been seen in attitudes during the 26 research years [Figure 8.].

More than two out of five (43%) now accept the notion that it would be better to keep nuclear waste in its present intermediate storage and wait for new solutions rather than to permanently deposit it in the bedrock. A little over a fifth (22%) disagree. The support of such a 'time for thinking' has not changed from the last survey, but it has clearly decreased during the follow-up period. The overall change in this direction from the beginning of the 1990's (62% supported intermediate storage in 1991) is great. However, interpretation should be made considering the decision made in 1994 to prohibit the export of nuclear waste, which restricted the potential range of decisions [Figure 9.].