Closing responsibilities: decommissioning and the law

Laws change over time, with the times. Interpretations of old laws shift and the need for new laws emerges. There are endless reasons for these necessary changes, but the basic impetus is the changing nature of societal circumstance. Fifty years ago there were no laws directly governing nuclear power in any way. Today we know that nuclear power touches people from their wallets to their descendants. Currently, many laws related to nuclear power are in place, laws which protect all sectors of society from electricity generating bodies to a newborn child, and the Chernobyl accident has broadened the legal ramifications of nuclear power even more. This expanding body of nuclear law reflects our expanding understanding of nuclear power from its technical beginnings to its societal consequences and implications. The law is now beginning to reflect the growing significance of decommissioning. What are the relationships between decommissioning and the existing laws, government agencies, and policies? Ironically, although the UK will lead the world in addressing decommissioning responsibilities, there are no explicit laws in place to govern the process. In the absence of specific legislation governing decommissioning, the primary responsibilities fall to the operators of the power plants, a circumstance not lost on those involved in privatization. In this chapter, the wide and varied legal ramifications of decommissioning are examined. (author)