The Non-Controversial Use of Nuclear Explosions for Peaceful Purposes
| DOI | 10.1177/001083677000500101 |
| Published date | 01 March 1970 |
| Author | Ulf Ericsson |
| Date | 01 March 1970 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
Ulf Ericsson The Non-Controversial
Use of Nuclear
Explosions for
Peaceful Purposes*
1. Introduction
great advances have been achieved.’ It is
only in the last years that these develop-
This paper deals with ’the question of
ments, together with developments in the
nuclear explosions for peaceful purposes
field of disarmament and arms control,
and the possibility of misuse of such
have created opportunities for the study
technology for the production of nuclear
of other conditions for the proper peaceful
weapons’, an item on the agenda of the
use of nuclear explosions. The writer has
1968 Geneva Conference of Non-Nuclear
therefore made an effort to consider also
Weapon States.
conditions other than purely technical,
The specific misuse referred to above
economic and radiological ones.
is discussed as one of the possible misuses
The political context of the international
of peaceful nuclear explosions. These are
exploitation is first taken to be the present
discussed against the background of condi-
situation, with the partial test ban treaty
tions that have to be satisfied to permit the
and the Latin American nuclear free zone
non-controversial international exploita-
treaty in force. Secondly, the situation
tion of peaceful nuclear explosions. The
created by the non-proliferation treaty is
technical, radiological, and economic con-
discussed. The situation with an eventual
ditions for peaceful explosion uses have
complete test ban treaty is discussed as a
in the past been much investigated, and
third alternative.
The large, and in some ways unique,
* This paper reproduces, with minor changes,
benefits that the peaceful use of nuclear
a paper written at the request of the Secretary-
explosions can bring will not be described
General of the United Nations, to-serve as a
in detail
background
here; that has been done by others.
paper for the 1968 Geneva Con-
ference of Non-Nuclear Weapon States, as
For the purposes of this introduction it
document A/Conf 35/Doc 3 of 3 July, 1968
may suffice to describe only briefly the
and document A/Conf 3 S/Doc 3 Corr i of
experienced or envisaged applications of
27 August, 1968, under the title ’The-question
such
of nuclear explosions for peaceful
explosions. In general they fall into
purposes by
non-nuclear
three
weapon states and the possibility
categories: scientific applications,
of misuse of such technology for the produc-
economic exploitation of natural resources,
tion of nuclear weapons’. Publication is by
and large earth excavations.
permission of the UN secretariat. The views
and
The
opinions expressed
experience with scientific applications
are, however, those of
the author and do not imply the expression of
(such as use of the intense neutron burst
any opinion of the Secretary-General of the
from nuclear explosions for studies of the
UN, of the Swedish delegation to the Geneva
nuclear properties of matter or for the
Conference of the Committee on Disarmament,
production of new elements, and also the
or of the Research Institute of National Defence
in Stockholm.
use of the energetic pressure pulse from
2
such explosions for worldwide studies of
exploitation of natural resources hence
the interior of the earth) has already well
warrants close study of all the problems
proved the unique scientific values of such
involved.
applications.
The use of underground nuclear explo-
Further uses of this kind should present
sions for large earth-moving or excavation
somewhat special problems for non-
works (making harbours, canals or dams)
controversial exploitation, problems which
obtains its economic attractions partly from
are probably best solved on an ad hoc
the relative ease of handling of such
basis, after establishment of some general
explosive charges but mainly from the
agreement on the desirability of such
very low price at which explosive energy
undertakings and some basic procedure
can be had from powerful thermonuclear
for international exploitation. This relative
charges. At the present stage of technology
simplicity would be due not only to the
this last advantage is contingent on the
peculiar nature of the scientific uses of
nuclear explosives being obtained at only
nuclear explosions but also to their
marginal cost from very large basic in-
economically and logistically limited size.
vestments for military purposes. There are,
Nuclear explosions for the exploitation
of course, several drawbacks. At present,
of natural resources have been deemed to
only very powerful explosions are econom-
offer, in some cases, economically attractive
ic, but these limit technological flexibility
alternatives to the conventional exploita-
and increase the problems of seismic or
tion of water, natural gas, oil, and ores.
atmospheric damage to adjacent property.
Some of these appear as more than
A more obvious drawback is the special
marginal alternatives to conventional tech-
requirement to avoid radiological health
niques. They seem to offer unique methods
hazards. The products of chemical explo-
to exploit otherwise practically inaccessible
sions are so much more congenial to bio-
resources and have therefore a potentially
logical life than radioactive substances that
great and widespread importance. The
they present almost no problems at all.
current joint efforts. of the public authori-
Finally many political and emotional prob-
ties and private enterprise in the United
lems are involved in the peaceful use of
States to test the feasibility of extracting
nuclear explosives.
natural gas by nuclear explosions are
The economic attractiveness of nuclear
expected to give important technical and
explosives for excavation is at present con-
economic experience.2 It seems to the
fined to large or very large projects, pro-
present writer that the legal and political
jects for which the term ’geographic
experience gained from this venture will
engineering’ is appropriate. International
also be of great general interest, even if
undertakings of that kind can easily be
limited to domestic conditions in the
so large that they present major problems
United States.
even without the added complication of
National or international exploitation
nuclear explosives. The obvious example
of natural resources by nuclear explosives
here is the project for a new Atlantic-
would be of sufficient technical and eco-
Pacific canal.3 The change of conditions
nomic size to present considerable legal and
such a canal could make would not only
political problems not specific to the
give large general benefits but would also
peculiar nature of nuclear explosives. Their
generate a host of economic and political
possible widespread application to the
problems, both national and international.
3
It could well be that the considerable
or indirect testing, use, manufacture, pro-
economic advantage predicted for nuclear
duction, acquisition, receipt, storage, in-
instead of chemical excavation (of the
stallation, deployment and possession of
order of thousands of millions of dollars)
nuclear weapons. Article S then defines
will turn out to be only marginal relative
a nuclear weapon as any device that is
to the importance of other aspects of the
capable of releasing nuclear energy in an
project.
uncontrolled manner and which has a
In any case, large international excava-
group of characteristics appropriate for use
tion projects do require extensive and time-
for warlike purposes. A ’not indivisible
consuming preparations. The possible use
and separable instrument for the transport
of economic nuclear explosives would not
or propulsion of such a device’ is not in-
lessen this need; on the contrary, the speci-
cluded in the definition.
fic nuclear aspects will require additional
The treaty also has provisions for dealing
care, not only in preparations but in the
with problems of interpretation etc.
final decisions.
The presently proposed non-proliferation
,
treaty4 aims at halting the further spread of
nuclear weapons. Nuclear-weapon States
II. Treaty Background
that are parties to the treaty would be
obliged not to transfer nuclear weapons or
The partial test ban treaty (ENDC/ioo/Rev.i)
nuclear explosives out of their control
limits the nuclear explosions permitted to
(article I), and non-nuclear-weapon States
its parties to contained underground explo-
that are parties to the treaty would be
sions (where no radioactivity is released
obliged not to make or acquire nuclear
to the atmosphere) or to such vented
explosives or weapons (article II).
underground explosions (releasing some
In order to make the benefits from any
radioactivity to the atmosphere) where
peaceful application of nuclear explosions
no radioactive debris or fallout leaves the
available to non-nuclear-weapon States
territory of the testing party. There are
that are parties to the treaty, the treaty also
no arrangements for international control
obliges all treaty parties to cooperate in
in this treaty.
international procedures to make the bene-
The treaty for the prohibition of nuclear
fits available at low cost (no charges for
weapons in Latin America (ENDC/186) has
research and development) and on a non-
in its article 18 rules for how and on
discriminatory basis. The benefits would
what conditions a party to the treaty can
be obtainable either bilaterally or through
use or participate in nuclear explosions for
some international organization represent-
peaceful purposes. The procedure involves
ing not only nuclear-weapon States...
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