Severe Accident Regulatory Decisions: A Historical Perspective and the Role of the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (NUREG/KM-0020)

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Publication Information

Manuscript Completed: March 2025
Date Published: August 2025

Prepared by:
Hossein P. Nourbakhsh, PhD

Office of the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Washington, DC 20555-0001

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Abstract

As part of its commitment to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s knowledge management efforts, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards (ACRS) has begun an initiative to capture the Committee’s institutional knowledge and memory. An important motivation for this initiative is to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the Committee’s review process by providing ready access to background information, insights, and understanding related to technical and regulatory issues. This report provides historical perspectives and insights on severe accident regulatory decisions. It also presents an overview of prior ACRS observations and recommendations regarding protection against severe accidents.

The views expressed in this report are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the ACRS.