The General Public and Nuclear Security

The nuclear industry has had a difficult relationship with the general public. The specifics vary substantially from country to country, but, in virtually all countries, public concerns about nuclear safety, waste storage, disposal, and radioactivity have marred relations. Nuclear security was at once too sensitive a topic and too remote from daily life to arouse much public interest. This is especially true of countries that were trying to shed the vestiges of their authoritarian pasts but whose governments still concealed their activities from public view. Now, however, the escalation of terrorism, the threat of sabotage at nuclear facilities, and the likelihood of theft or diversion of nuclear materials for use by terrorists have created an auspicious political climate to promote public security awareness. The public can be convinced of the importance of nuclear security in at least two ways: (1) by imprinting on the popular mind the connection between environmental safety and the security of nuclear and radioactive materials, and (2) by making the link between nuclear security and growing terrorist threat. The nuclear industry must embark on a sustained security-awareness campaign that yields these benefits. Industry leaders should be prepared to move through all three stages. A more educated public will be more likely to raise valid concerns. The industry will need to address these concerns through outreach. In turn, some of the outreach activities may mature into partnerships. One note of caution: Outreach and other publicrelations programs will cost time and money and have to be sustainable over the long term. Despite their undoubted benefits, such programs should not be launched without careful forethought. This paper will examine the dynamics of public-awareness campaigns and frame a security strategy that, suitably tailored to national culture and traditions, can be pressed into service by industry leaders.