Nuclear plants - military hostages
Recent events suggest that nuclear reactors could make tempting military or terrorist targets. Despite the care with which most reactors are built, studies document their vulnerability to willful destruction through disruption of coolant mechanisms both inside and outside the containment building. In addition to reactors, such nuclear support facilities as fuel fabrication, reprocessing, and waste storage installations may be attractive military targets. A nuclear bomb which exploded in the vicinity of a reactor could increase its lethal effects by one-third. The implications of this is vulnerability for Middle East stability as well as to other volatile regions. The author suggests several avenues for controlling the dangers: international law, military and civil defense, facility siting, increasing plant safety, and the international management of nuclear energy. 21 references.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of California, Los Angeles
- OSTI ID:
- 5838960
- Journal Information:
- Bull. At. Sci.; (United States), Journal Name: Bull. At. Sci.; (United States)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
NUCLEAR FACILITIES
SABOTAGE
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
VULNERABILITY
ADVERSARIES
DESIGN
LOSS OF COOLANT
PHYSICAL PROTECTION
SECURITY
ACCIDENTS
POWER PLANTS
REACTOR ACCIDENTS
THERMAL POWER PLANTS
220900* - Nuclear Reactor Technology- Reactor Safety
290600 - Energy Planning & Policy- Nuclear Energy