The Nuclear Ship Savannah / First Atomic Merchant Ship, One of the World's Safest Ships

first atomic merchant ship
one of the world’s SAFEST ships
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE Frederick H. Mueller, Secretary
MARITIME ADMINISTRATION Ralph E. Wilson, Chairman , Federal Maritime Board and Maritime Administrator
ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION John A. McCone, Chairman
Multiple advanced electronic and mechanical safety devices guard this “atomic heart.”
CONTROL ROD DRIVE MOTORS HYDRAULIC SCRAM CYLINDERS DRIVE LINE LEAD SCREW SECTION BUFFER SEAL ENCLOSURE BORON STEEL CONTROL RODS PRESSURE VESSEL OUTLET NOZZLE REACTOR CORE THERMAL SHIELD FUEL ELEMENTS FLOW BAFFLE SUPPORT RING INLET NOZZLE PRESSURIZED WATER REACTOR
The N.S. SAVANNAH, the first nuclear-powered cargo-passenger ship, is one of the safest seagoing craft in the world.
This is the result of careful and deliberate planning.
Every appropriate safety device, factor, and technique were sought in the design and planning stage, and the ship’s construction has probably been more closely and intensively inspected, tested, and scrutinized than that of any other merchant ship ever built.
The Declaration of Policy of the Merchant Marine Act of 1936 calls upon the Maritime Administration for the promotion and maintenance of an American Merchant Marine for trade and defense “composed of the best equipped, safest, and most suitable types of vessels.”
The Atomic Energy Commission is engaged in the N.S. SAVANNAH project as a part of its responsibility under the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 “to encourage widespread participation in the development and utilization of atomic energy for peaceful purposes to the maximum extent consistent with the common defense and security and with the health and safety of the public.” The Commission has the responsibility of providing a safely operable nuclear power plant for the vessel; instructions and regulations for the disposition of wastes; the use, handling, and disposal of source, special nuclear, and by-product material; and the health and safety aspects associated with these responsibilities.