Public opinion factors regarding nuclear power
This paper is an effort to identify, as comprehensively as possible, public concerns about nuclear power, and to assess, where possible, the relative importance of these concerns as they relate to government regulation of and policy towards nuclear power. It is based on some two dozen in-depth interviews with key communicators representing the nuclear power industry, the environmental community, and government, as well as on the parallel efforts in our research project: (1) review of federal court case law, (2) a selective examination of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) administrative process, and (3) the preceding George Mason University research project in this series. The paper synthesizes our findings about public attitudes towards nuclear power as expressed through federal court case law, NRC administrative law, public opinion surveys, and direct personal interviews. In so doing, we describe the public opinion environment in which the nuclear regulatory process must operate. Our premise is that public opinion ultimately underlies the approaches government agencies take towards regulating nuclear power, and that, to the degree that the nuclear power industry`s practices are aligned with public opinion, a more favorable regulatory climate is possible.
- Research Organization:
- George Mason Univ., Fairfax, VA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC02-90ER12951
- OSTI ID:
- 10152258
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/12951-4; ON: DE92015076
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: [1991]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Advanced nuclear reactor public opinion project
Advanced nuclear reactor public opinion project. Interim report
Related Subjects
29 ENERGY PLANNING
POLICY AND ECONOMY
21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS
PUBLIC OPINION
LEGAL ASPECTS
REACTOR LICENSING
ENERGY DEMAND
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
RADIOACTIVE WASTE DISPOSAL
REACTOR SAFETY
220900
290600
210700
NUCLEAR ENERGY
REGULATION AND LICENSING