Controlling The Atom

Controlling the Atom

Controlling the Atom. The Beginnings of Nuclear Regulation 1946--1962

This book traces the early history of nuclear power regulation in the US. It focuses on the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), the federal agency that until 1975 was primarily responsible for planning and carrying out programs to protect public health and safety from the hazards of the civilian use of nuclear energy. It also describes the role of other groups that figured significantly in the development of regulatory policies, including the congressional Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, federal agencies other than the AEC, state governments, the nuclear industry, and scientific organizations. And it considers changes in public perceptions of and attitudes toward atomic energy and the dangers of radiation exposure. The context in which regulatory programs evolved is a rich and complex mixture of political, legislative, legal, technological, scientific, and administrative history. The basic purpose of this book is to provide the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), which inherited responsibility for nuclear safety after Congress disbanded the AEC, and the general public with information on the historical antecedents and background of regulatory issues.

Controlling The Atom In The 21st Century

Five decades after the first splitting of the atom, the military and civilian applications of nuclear energy have reached a critical juncture, providing an unprecedented opportunity to reexamine both the national and international mechanisms for controlling nuclear energy. The disintegration of the Soviet Union has eliminated the need to maintain a