---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 9701"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "9701"
heading: "Congressional findings and declaration of policy"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/9701"
units:
  - "Chapter 104 — Nuclear Safety Research, Development, and Demonstration"
---

# §9701. Congressional findings and declaration of policy

- (a) The Congress finds that—
  - (1) nuclear [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) is one of the two major [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) sources available for electric [energy](/usc/42/6311.md?p=7) production in the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k) during the balance of the twentieth century;
  - (2) continued development of nuclear power is dependent upon maintaining an extremely high level of safety in the operation of nuclear plants, and on public recognition that these [facilities](/usc/42/11049.md?p=4) do not constitute a significant threat to human health or safety;
  - (3) it is the responsibility of utilities, as [owners](/usc/42/13641.md?p=4) and operators of nuclear powerplants, to assure that such plants are designed and operated safely and reliably; and
  - (4) a proper role of the Federal Government in assuring nuclear powerplant safety, in addition to its regulatory function, is the conduct of a research, development, and demonstration [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) to provide important scientific and technical information which can contribute to sound design and safe operation of these plants.
- (b) It is declared to be the policy of the [United States](/usc/42/403.md?p=k) and the purpose of this chapter to establish a research, development, and demonstration [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) for developing practical improvements in the generic safety of nuclear powerplants during the next five years, beginning in the fiscal year 1981. The objectives of such [program](/usc/42/274l–1.md?p=4) shall be—
  - (1) to reduce the likelihood and severity of potentially serious nuclear powerplant accidents; and
  - (2) to reduce the likelihood of disrupting the population in the vicinity of nuclear powerplants as the result of nuclear powerplant accidents.

  Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as preventing the [Secretary](/usc/42/9702.md?p=1) from undertaking [projects](/usc/42/11360.md?p=20) or activities, in addition to those specified in this chapter, which appropriately further the purpose and objectives set forth in this subsection. Nothing in this chapter shall authorize the [Secretary](/usc/42/9702.md?p=1) to assume responsibility for the management, cleanup or repair of any commercial nuclear powerplant. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed as limiting the authority of the [Secretary](/usc/42/9702.md?p=1) under any other law.


## Source credit

(Pub. L. 96–567, § 2, Dec. 22, 1980, 94 Stat. 3329.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Short Title

Pub. L. 96–567, § 1, Dec. 22, 1980, 94 Stat. 3329, provided: “That this Act [enacting this chapter] may be cited as the ‘Nuclear Safety Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 1980’.”