Nuclear Safety

Nuclear Safety in 2013

United States views on international law [1] in relation to Nuclear Safety: In 2013, there was significant progress toward the establishment of a global nuclear liability regime allowing for compensation in the event of a nuclear accident, as called for by the IAEA’s Action Plan on Nuclear Safety. In particular, 2013 saw progress toward bringing into force the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (“CSC”). See this world legal encyclopedia (in relation to issues that took place in the year 2008) at 993-99 for background on the CSC.

Some Aspects of Nuclear Safety

First, on August 29, 2013, the United States and France issued a Joint Statement on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, identifying their shared views on civil nuclear liability and support for the establishment of a global nuclear liability regime in accordance with the IAEA’s Action Plan on Nuclear Safety. A Department of Energy article about the Joint Statement, available at (link resource) energy.gov/articles/united-statesand-france-sign-joint-statement-civil-liability-nuclear-damage, quotes U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz as follows:

The signing of this joint statement by our two countries marks a major milestone in moving towards an important recommendation of the IAEA: the creation of a global nuclear liability regime, and I urge every country to take the steps necessary to become a member. In addition, this statement recognizes the importance of bringing the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage (CSC) into effect as an initial step. The United States is working to bring the CSC into effect during the next twelve months.

Developments

The DOE article also summarizes the Joint Statement commitments of the United States and France to:

Work together towards achieving a global regime based on treaty relations among the United States, France, and other countries that might be affected by a nuclear accident;

Coordinate their actions in encouraging adherence to the enhanced international nuclear liability instruments, including, as appropriate, the revised Paris Convention (together with the revised Brussels Convention) or the revised Vienna Convention, which may be linked by the Joint Protocol, and the CSC, with an initial step being the entry into force of the CSC; and

Encourage countries to have national laws that fully incorporate international principles, including channeling all liability for nuclear damage exclusively to the operator on the basis of strict liability, and recent enhancements to those principles, as well as best practices designed to improve compensation of nuclear damage.

Details

Second, on November 4, 2013, at the Second Meeting of the United States-Japan Bilateral Commission on Civil Nuclear Cooperation, the United States welcomed Japan’s announcement of its intention to join the CSC. A Department of Energy fact sheet about the November 4 meeting, available at (link resource) energy.gov/articles/factsheet-secondmeeting-united-states-japan-bilateral-commission-civil-nuclear-cooperation, includes the following regarding the CSC and the significance of Japan joining:

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Japan and the United States committed to work together to establish a global nuclear liability regime by encouraging other countries to join the CSC, thereby achieving a major objective of the Action Plan on Nuclear Safety adopted by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

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Third, Canada signed the CSC on December 3, 2013, bringing to 17 the number of signatories and bringing the treaty closer to entering into force. Mauritius became the 16th signatory to the CSC on June 24, 2013. See IAEA June 26, 2013 news story, available at (link resource) iaea.org/newscenter/news/2013/mauritius.html. The CSC will come into force on the ninetieth day after the ratification, acceptance or approval by at least five signatory states with a minimum of 400,000 units of installed nuclear capacity. Four signatory states had ratified the CSC as of December 2013, including the United States.

Resources

Notes

1. Nuclear Safety in the Digest of United States Practice in International Law

Hierarchical Display of Nuclear safety

Energy > Electrical and nuclear industries > Nuclear industry
Social Questions > Health > Health policy > Organisation of health care > Public health > Health risk
Politics > Politics and public safety > Trends of opinion > Ecology movement
Environment > Deterioration of the environment > Pollution > Radioactive pollution
Energy > Energy policy > Energy policy > Peaceful use of energy
Environment > Deterioration of the environment > Waste > Radioactive waste > Radioactive effluent
Environment > Deterioration of the environment > Nuisance > Thermal discharge
International Organisations > World organisations > World organisation > International Atomic Energy Agency
Energy > Energy policy > Energy policy > Energy law > Nuclear law

Nuclear safety

Concept of Nuclear safety

See the dictionary definition of Nuclear safety.

Characteristics of Nuclear safety

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Resources

Translation of Nuclear safety

• Spanish: Seguridad nuclear
• French: Sécurité nucléaire
• German: Nukleare Sicherheit
• Italian: Sicurezza nucleare
• Portuguese: Segurança nuclear
• Polish: Bezpieczeństwo jądrowe

Thesaurus of Nuclear safety

Energy
> Electrical and nuclear industries > Nuclear industry > Nuclear safety
Social Questions > Health > Health policy > Organisation of health care > Public health > Health risk > Nuclear safety
Politics > Politics and public safety > Trends of opinion > Ecology movement > Nuclear safety
Environment > Deterioration of the environment > Pollution > Radioactive pollution > Nuclear safety
Energy > Energy policy > Energy policy > Peaceful use of energy > Nuclear safety
Environment > Deterioration of the environment > Waste > Radioactive waste > Radioactive effluent > Nuclear safety
Environment > Deterioration of the environment > Nuisance > Thermal discharge > Nuclear safety
International Organisations > World organisations > World organisation > International Atomic Energy Agency > Nuclear safety
Energy > Energy policy > Energy policy > Energy law > Nuclear law > Nuclear safety

See also

• Health risk
• Ecology movement
• Radioactive pollution
• Peaceful use of energy
• Radioactive effluent
• Thermal discharge
• International Atomic Energy Agency
• Nuclear law

• Radioactivity
• Radioactive waste
• Radioactive materials
• Radioactive pollution
• Ionising radiation
• Nuclear accident
• Accidental pollution
• Radioactive pollution
• Radioactive effluent
• Environmental risk prevention
• Industrial accident
• Radiation exposure
• Radiation protection
• Radioactive waste
• Occupational safety
• Ionising radiation
• Radiobiology

• Euratom inspection
• Euratom safeguards
• IAEA inspection
• Nuclear control
• Reactor safety
• Safety of nuclear installations
• Safety of nuclear power stations