of very unlikely severe accidents. According to the NRC, these previous studies did not reflect current plant design, operation, accident management strategies or security enhancements. They often used unnecessarily conservative estimates or assumptions concerning possible damage to the reactor core, the possible radioactive contamination that could be released, and possible failures of the reactor vessel and containment buildings. These previous studies also failed to realistically model the effect of emergency preparedness. The NRC staff is currently pursuing a new, state-of-the-art assessment of possible severe accidents and their consequences. See also Nuclear accidents in the United States Nuclear safety in the U.S. Nuclear power Nuclear fuel response to reactor accidents External links Severe Accident Risks: An Assessment for Five U.S. Nuclear Power Plants (NUREG-1150) Rasmussen's comparison of WASH-1400 and NUREG-1150 Realism in Evaluating Nuclear Hazards (2004) Generic Environmental Impact Statement for License Renewal of Nuclear Plants (NUREG-1437 Vol. 1) Vandellos plant, some Surry results Japanese results Probabilities of injuries from nuclear power plants References Direct correspondence with the NRC via Scott Burnell ( srb3@nrc.gov ) Nuclear safety and security Nuclear Regulatory Commission