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nuclear safety. One result was the two conventions on early notification
and mutual assistance in the case of nuclear accidents, negotiated and
concluded in record time. The Agency's safety programme was also
considerably expanded.
Our safety standards for nuclear power plants are
being up-dated, and it might prove useful if governments were expressly
to declare that they respect and accept these international standards.
Services
The final responsibility for safety will always remain at the
national level. It is only national authorities who can promulgate
safety regulations and supervise and enforce their execution.
provided by the IAEA, such as our operational safety review teams
(OSARTS), which can be requested by a Member State, can still serve a
very useful purpose in assisting national authorities and help to create
public confidence that these authorities are assuring safety in
accordance with the best international practice.
The first priority must certainly be to prevent any further
accidents.
World public opinion will hardly tolerate a second accident
with a major release of radioactivity to the environment.
A new standard
of excellence in safety must be established and achieved by all. Another
priority is to take such technical and organizational steps that an
accident, if it were to occur, would not result in significant releases.
While the next generation of nuclear power plants will undoubtedly be
safer, simpler and better than the current generation
generations of airplanes are better than older ones --
against looking too much to the future for solutions.
attention must focus on the existing 400 or so plants.
100 will be developments of those designs.
just as new
I would caution
Our present
Most of the next