Forging a New Nuclear Safety Construct

This article provides an insight into critical elements, challenges, and next steps of the ASME’s Presidential Task Force, which has been formed to examine unforeseen nuclear plant events and their implications. Within its broad charter, the ASME Task Force chose to build on the growing body of United States and international technical assessments of different events, and to examine the Fukushima Daiichi accident in the context of the broader lessons learned from a half-century of nuclear operations. This initiative could be perceived as just another layer of requirements limiting the economic viability of nuclear power. On the contrary, the intention is to support the overall viability of safe nuclear generation. The ASME Task Force is convinced that a new nuclear safety construct can be developed that addresses the safety issues from the Fukushima lessons learned with reasonable and well-defined provisions. The ASME Task Force report recommends a set of next actions in this regard, particularly using the experience, stature, and capabilities of ASME in convening workshops, to bring together worldwide stakeholders including industry, regulators, professional societies, government agencies, and industry organizations worldwide.