The California nuclear safeguards initiative and the IEEE

On June 8, 1976 the citizens of California will vote yes or no on an initiative setting forth the conditions under which nuclear power plants will be permitted to operate in the state. The California Nuclear Safeguards Initiative would require the following: (1) Within one year, the federal limits on liability for damages caused by a nuclear accident must be removed by law or by waiver for accidents in the state of California. (2) Within five years, the state legislature must find, by a two-thirds vote, that the effectiveness of reactor safety systems had been demonstrated by actual tests on "substantially similar physical systems" (presumably, large reactors) and that radioactive wastes can be stored or disposed of with no reasonable chance of eventual escape into the environment. Unless these conditions were met, new construction of nuclear power plants would be prohibited and existing plants would be derated and eventually phased out.