International Control of the Safety of Nuclear-Powered Merchant Ships

Authors

William H. Berman, Member, District of Columbia and Ohio bars; co-director of The University of Michigan Law School Atomic Energy Research Project
Lee M. Hydeman, Member, District of Columbia bar; co-director of The University of Michigan Law School Atomic Energy Research Project

Abstract

In recent years we have witnessed the transition of nuclear-powered ships from an imaginative dream to an engineering reality. This vast step from the drawing board to successful operation on the high-seas has taken place in a remarkably short span of time. Nevertheless, in the :flush of enthusiasm over the technological achievement, we must not lose sight of the fact that the promise of nuclear power for the propulsion of ships will not have been fulfilled until nuclear vessels are operating safely and economically over the maritime trade routes of the world. It would be unrealistic to assume that further progress, from military and demonstration vessels subsidized by governments, to commercially competitive merchantmen, will not be more difficult, more time-consuming, and more taxing to our ingenuity than the steps taken thus far.

Recommended Citation

William H. Berman & Lee M. Hydeman, International Control of the Safety of Nuclear-Powered Merchant Ships, 59 Mich. L. Rev. 233 (1960).
Available at: https://repository.law.umich.edu/mlr/vol59/iss2/6