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Publicatie Laka-bibliotheek:
A Short History of Nuclear Regulation (1993)

AuteurJ.Samuel Walker, NRC
Datum1993
Classificatie 6.01.0.40/25 (GESCHIEDENIS ONTWIKKELING KERNENERGIE)
Voorkant

Uit de publicatie:

Preface

History, automobile maker Henry· Ford once said, "is more or less ... bunk." 
Philosopher George Santayana was more charitable in his assessment of the 
discipline when he declared that "those who fail to study the past are condemned 
to repeat it." In a sense, both Ford and Santayana were right. Much of the past has 
little meaning or importance for the present and deservedly remains forgotten in the 
dustbins of history. But other parts of the past need to be remembered and studied 
in order to make sense out of the present. Today's events are a direct outgrowth of 
yesterday's, and understanding the history of any given problem is essential to 
approaching it knowledgeably. It is the task of the historian to gather evidence, 
to separate what is important from what is not, and to explain key events and 
decisions of the past.

This short history of nuclear regulation provides a brief overview of the most 
significant events in the agency's past. Space limitations prevent discussion of all 
the important occurrences, and even the subjects that are included cannot be covered 
in full detail. The first chapter of this account is drawn from the first volume of 
the NRC's history, Controlling the Atom: The Beginnings of Nuclear Regulation, 1946-
1962 (University of California Press, 1984). The second chapter is largely based on 
the second volume of the NRC's history, Containing the Atom: Nuclear Regulation 
in a Changing Environment, 1963-1971 (University of California Press, 1992). The 
findings and conclusions on events that occurred after 1971 should be regarded as 
preliminary and tentative; they are not based on extensive research in primary 
sources. It is my hope, however, that this overview will help explain how the past has 
shaped the present and illuminate the considerations that have influenced regulatory 
decisions and procedures over the years. It is also my hope that this outline will 
suggest that history should be viewed as something more valuable than "bunk."

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