ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the history of nuclear regulation in the US and UK in order to highlight the differences in approach between these countries in the licensing and planning of nuclear power plants. Nuclear plant regulation is of topical importance because after 40 years of nuclear energy there are growing doubts about the adequacy of the existing regulatory practices in both the US and UK. It seems that current practices are too restrictive and costly for the nuclear industry to tolerate much longer. Anti-nuclear groups view the present as a good opportunity for making the decision-making process more democratic, more responsive to local views, and inclusive of far more stringent environmental constraints. Certainly, in the US regulatory reform has been on the political agenda since before the Nixon Administration. The nuclear industry is undergoing a crisis of confidence. Although the Reagan Administration strongly advocates nuclear expansion, utilities have not shared this commitment.
