Nordic Nuclear Safety Research. Presentation of the 1994 - 1997 program

NKS (Nordic Nuclear Safety Research) has just concluded its fifth 4-year program (1994 - 1997). The following nine projects were performed: Strategy for reactor safety: Studies of preparatory work to minimize the risk of accidents; Prevention of severe reactor accidents: studies of recriticality, core melt progression and support systems to minimize releases; Safe disposal of radioactive waste: Waste characterization, Performance analyses and environmental impact statements for repositories; Marine radioecology: Improved assessment methods for effects of releases of radionuclides; Long ecological half-lives in semi-natural systems: Models for transfer of cesium from nature to man; Preparedness strategies and procedures: Mobile measurements, quality assurance and interventions; Emergency preparedness drills and exercises; Preplanning of early cleanup: Check-list for planners and decision makers for various environments and fallout situations; Overriding information issues: Risk communication, real-time exchange of information after an accident. Together with additional financial support from a number of ministries and companies in the nuclear power field, the total NKS budget for the period 1994 - 1997 was some USD 5 million, evenly distributed over the years. To this should be added contributions in kind by participating organizations, worth at least another USD 10 million, without which this program would not have been possible. The nine projects and some practical results (rather than scientific detail) are outlined in this paper. (EG)