NCJ Number
63605
Date Published
1972
Length
22 pages
Annotation
THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN U.S. REGULATORS AND THE REGULATED OVER NUCLEAR SAFEGUARDS WAS EXAMINED BY MEANS OF A SURVEY OF 85 INDIVIDUALS IN THE U.S. GOVERNMENT, INDUSTRY, AND ACADEMIA.
Abstract
NUCLEAR REGULATION WAS TREATED AS A SPECIAL CASE OF THE GENERAL PROBLEM OF THE POLITICS OF REGULATION. SURVEY GOAL WAS TO DETERMINE THE SCOPE OF OPINION DIFFERENCES AS WELL AS THE VARIABLES THAT CUED VARIOUS RESPONSES CONCERNING REGULATION. IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT INDUSTRY WOULD PREFER A LESS STRINGENT SAFEGUARDS SYSTEM THAN WOULD THE ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION (AEC). THE SURVEY INSTRUMENT PRESENTED FIVE HYPOTHETICAL AEC CONTROL SYSTEMS, WHICH USED THE SAME CONTROL METHODS BUT DIFFERED IN STRINGENCY WITH WHICH THE METHODS WERE USED. RESPONDENTS WERE ASKED TO RATE EACH OF THE FIVE SYSTEMS AS WELL AS SPECIFIC SAFEGUARD COMPONENTS. RESULTS VERIFIED THE HYPOTHESIS. INDUSTRY RESPONDENTS PREFERRED A SYSTEM LESS STRINGENT THAN THEIR PERCEPTION OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM, WHILE AEC RESPONDENTS PREFERRED A MORE STRINGENT SYSTEM. USING THE BRUNSWICK-HAMMOND THEORY OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION AND THE GUTTMAN-LINGOES NONMETRIC FACTOR ANALYSIS PROGRAM, FACTORS UNDERLYING THIS DISAGREEMENT WERE INVESTIGATED. RESULTS SHOWED THAT INDUSTRY'S MAIN CONCERN WAS THE EXTENT TO WHICH AEC CAN INTRUDE INTO FACILITY OPERATION, WHILE AEC'S MAIN CONCERN IS ITS REGULATORY POWER. IN ADDITION, REPROCESSING AND REFABRICATION PERSONNEL WERE MORE STRONGLY OPPOSED TO STRONG REGULATORY PRACTICES THAN WERE REACTOR PERSONNEL. IN SOME AREAS SUCH AS TRANSPORTATION, THE DIFFERENT GROUPS SUBSTANTIALLY AGREED. RESULTS INDICATED THAT BOTH PARTIES SHOULD FOCUS MORE ON THE GRAVITY OF THE PROBLEM INVOLVED AND THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO THE PUBLIC THAN ON THEIR PARTICULAR NARROW CONCERNS. AUDIENCE DISCUSSION IS INCLUDED. TABLES, FIGURES, AND FOOTNOTES WHICH INCLUDE REFERENCES ARE ALSO PROVIDED. (CFW)