ANS revises two position statements
The American Nuclear Society recently revised Position Statement #18: Transportation of Radioactive Materials and Position Statement #83: Assuring U.S. Global Nuclear Leadership. Both were posted on the ANS website in July after being approved by the Board of Directors.
Position Statement #18: The revised statement now reads, “ANS supports the continued safe transportation of radioactive materials under the current regulatory structure.” The statement further says that transportation of radioactive materials worldwide has been conducted with an excellent safety record for decades. The regulations currently in place adequately protect the health and safety of the public as well as the environment, and current practices and procedures enable the continued safe transportation of radioactive materials.
Position Statement #83: In this revised statement, ANS urges the U.S. government to increase its support for expanding the peaceful use of nuclear energy by promoting the export of U.S. nuclear technology, goods, and services and by maintaining the domestic nuclear market base.
To maintain and enhance U.S. leadership in nuclear nonproliferation and security, ANS recommends that the U.S. government:
- Implement bilateral agreements that give U.S. nuclear energy suppliers early access to markets where new or expanded nuclear energy infrastructure is under consideration. In negotiating these agreements, the United States should not demand conditions beyond existing U.S. legal requirements that other nuclear supplier nations do not require.
- Adopt a “whole-of-government” approach to ensure that every U.S. department and agency with a role in U.S. nuclear energy supply is fully engaged in order to make U.S. suppliers competitive by providing financing, training, assured fuel supply, and spent fuel management to foreign nuclear customers for nuclear technology, goods, and services.
- Enact policies that will ensure that U.S. electric generators will preserve existing reactors as vital national assets, as recommended in ANS Position Statement #26, rather than decommissioning them.
It concludes by stating that if U.S. nuclear policies do not promote U.S. nuclear trade and fail to preserve the domestic reactor fleet, the U.S. nuclear industry will lose global market share to foreign companies and reduce U.S. influence in shaping the energy, nuclear safety, and security policies of emerging nuclear countries.
Background: ANS provides statements that reflect the Society's perspectives on issues of public interest that involve various aspects of nuclear science and technology. Position statements are prepared by key members whose relevant experience or publications inform the documents, and then the documents are reviewed by ANS committees and divisions. The final position statements are approved by the Board of Directors.
