Nuclear explosives for peaceful purposes

Technical Report · Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:5395239

Borg, I Y

The US Plowshare programme, designed to develop peaceful uses of nuclear explosives, was vigorous between 1957 to 1973 and was of concern during US and USSR nuclear treaty negotiations within that period. In order to accommodate possible future applications, the Peaceful Nuclear Explosions (PNE) Treaty was signed in 1976. The US programme explored the phenomenology of nuclear explosions and tested their use in industrial applications. Due to waning industrial interest and public concern over environmental issues, the US program was terminated in 1977. The Soviet counterpart to the Plowshare programme, which has involved roughly 100 experiments throughout the USSR, continued until the self-imposed moratorium in 1985. As any peaceful use of nuclear explosives has the potential of furthering weapons research, the US takes the position that all such experiments would have to be banned in a comprehensive test ban treaty (CTBT).

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5395239
• Report Number(s): UCRL-95026; ON: DE86015092
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEFENSE
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
PLOWSHARE PROJECT
POLITICAL ASPECTS
ARMS CONTROL
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS
PUBLIC OPINION
TREATIES
EXPLOSIONS
INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS
450202* - Explosions & Explosives- Nuclear- Weaponry- (-1989)
290600 - Energy Planning & Policy- Nuclear Energy