The Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards

For over 25 yr, the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards has had primary responsibility for conducting independent reviews and evaluations of the health and safety aspects of nuclear power reactors, chemical processing plants, and associated activities within the nuclear fuel cycle. Through the support of its Subcommittees and Working Groups, the Committee currently issues summary reports on 25–30 nuclear facilities and safety related questions each year. Topics discussed in this paper include the views and thoughts of the Committee with respect to emergency core cooling systems, fuel densification, anticipated transients without scram, reactor pressure vessel failure, turbine missiles, steamline breaks, environmental monitoring, waste management and seismicity. As will be noted, major portions of the activities, interests and responsibilities of the Committee are of direct importance to health physicists and the radiation protection profession.