 The lack of transparency and accountability for the decision for Gorleben is still one of the reasons why the opposition to the location is so vehement.The surface exploration of the Gorleben site began in April 1979 and lasted until 1983.The investigation covered drilling 44 boreholes in the salt table, geophysical investigations, including reflection seismic measurements, hydro-geological studies, approximately 500 outcrop- and groundwaterlevel drillings, four deep boreholes to approximately 2,000 m at the edges of the salt stock, two shaft boreholes to approximately 1,000 m depth to confirm the starting points of the selected slot, a seismic networkstation to monitor earthquake activity as well as numerous other studies.