Nuclear history of the United States

The role of the two atomic bombings of the country in Japan's surrender and the U.S.'s ethical justification for them has been the subject of scholarly and popular debate for decades.

[1] The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 1945) heralded the beginning of the Cold War and the prosperity by nuclear of the United States.

By the Three Mile disaster, "China syndrome" became a vogue word, anti-nuclear movements occurred in the United States.

Following the Three Mile Island accident, changing economics, increasing regulation, and public opposition many planned nuclear power projects were canceled.

A cover story in the 1985 issue of Forbes magazine criticized the overall management of the nuclear power program in the United States.

In 1981, workers inadvertently reversed pipe restraints at the Diablo Canyon Power Plant reactors, compromising seismic protection systems, which further undermined confidence in nuclear safety.

In 1974, activist Sam Lovejoy toppled a weather tower at the site of the proposed Montague Nuclear Power Plant in Western Massachusetts.

Harvey Wasserman, Howard Morland, Paul Gunter and Frances Crowe played key roles in the movement.

[9] Recent concerns have been expressed about safety issues affecting a large part of the nuclear fleet of reactors.

[11] There are likely to be increased requirements for on-site spent fuel management and elevated design basis threats at nuclear power plants.

The recommendations include "new standards aimed at strengthening operators’ ability to deal with a complete loss of power, ensuring plants can withstand floods and earthquakes and improving emergency response capabilities".