Value-impact analysis for the evaluation of accident prevention and mitigation measures

The present authors, in conjunction with colleagues at Sandia National Laboratories, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), and elsewhere, have been engaged in the development of the methodology for Value/Impact (or cost/benefit) analysis in relation to nuclear power plant (NPP) safety. This work has been partly in relation to evaluating the cost effectiveness of proposed modifications to improve safety by reducing the probability of severe accidents and partly in relation to measures to mitigate the effects of a severe accident, should it occur. In the former case most of the UCLA work has been in connection with the NRC's Unresolved Safety Issue A-45, Alternative Methods for the Removal of Decay Heat, and in the latter case it has been largely in relation to possible improvements in containment. The UCLA work on the application of Value/Impact to prevention aspects has been reported in a number of papers; the work on mitigation aspects has been reported in References 6 through 9