 Negligence, capture, and dependence: safety regulation of the design of India's Prototype Fast Breeder ReactorM.V. Ramana and Ashwin K. Seshadri Journal of Risk Research, 2015, vol. 18, issue 8, 1030-1050 Abstract: This article contributes a case study of regulation of the design of India's Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR). This reactor is the first of its kind in India, and perceived by the nuclear establishment as critical to its future ambitions. Because fast breeder reactors can experience explosive accidents called core disruptive accidents whose maximum severity is difficult to contain, it is difficult to assure the safety of the reactor's design. Despite the regulatory agency's apparent misgivings about the adequacy of the PFBR's design, it eventually came to approve construction of the reactor. We argue that the approval process should be considered a case of regulatory failure, and examine three potential factors that contributed to this failure: institutional negligence, regulatory capture, and dependence on developers and proponents for esoteric knowledge. This case holds lessons for nuclear safety regulation and more generally in situations where specialized, highly technical, knowledge essential for ensuring safety is narrowly held. Date: 2015 Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:taf:jriskr:v:18:y:2015:i:8:p:1030-1050 Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from DOI: 10.1080/13669877.2014.1003958 Access Statistics for this article Journal of Risk Research is currently edited by Bryan MacGregor More articles in Journal of Risk Research from Taylor & Francis Journals |
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