INTERNATIONALIZING NUCLEAR SAFETY - THE PURSUIT OF COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY

The future of nuclear energy could depend upon the international infra structure established to ensure the creation of a strong and uniform s afety culture. Deliberations during the 1990s, leading to the recently promulgated International Nuclear Safety Convention, held out the pro spect of both bolstering nuclear safety and gaining public recognition of the need to address transboundary safety concerns head-on. Unfortu nately, the Convention that emerged from the deliberations constitutes little more than another form of technical assistance. The basis for an alternative, and more substantial, Convention is presented-one that would be based on the establishment and evaluation of performance sta ndards, the creation of a series of political ''firebreaks,'' and the encouragement of nuclear power plant designs that minimize the catastr ophic offsite consequences of accidents.