An Expanding International Legal Regime: Environmental Protection & Radioactive Waste Management

The expanding legal framework for protection of the human environment from potential harmful effects of hazardous and radioactive wastes is discussed. Major global and regional initiatives in this field are surveyed, including the London Convention, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Antarctic Treaty, and the Joint Convention on the Safety of Spent Fuel Management and on the Safety of Radioactive Waste. The efficacy of these instruments in preventing and controlling unregulated disposal and transboundary transport of radioactive wastes is highlighted.