Changing world of nuclear power

Efforts to integrate the Washington meetings of the American Nuclear Society and the Atomic Industrial Forum included joint plenary sessions and combined criticism of DOE actions regarding the selection of a second repository for radioactive wastes. The meetings also looked beyond the Chernobyl accident to point out that some countries can no longer reject nuclear power, but the industry must develop post-accident plans for plants in order to reduce risks. Speakers warned against over-reacting and the need to keep emergency planning flexible. Other speakers concluded that the Chernobyl design was not so much at fault as the decision to build larger versions of the standardized design. The pursuit of excellence in plant design and performance, the need to resolve regulatory problems involving the inclusion of nuclear plants in utility rate bases, and the economics of low-level waste disposal, were other topics covered