지난 4월 열린 미국 물리학회(American physical society : APS)에서는 미국에서의 핵실험은 더이상 필요하지 않다는 의견을 제시하였다. 이는 지난 1997년에 "미국이 현재 보유한 핵무기의 안전 유지를 위한 충분한 기술적 정보를 가지고 있으며 핵실험은 더이상 필요하지 않다"는 선언을 재확인 한 것이다. 추가적인 핵실험은 전세계적 핵확산 방지에 악영향을 미칠것이며, 만약 핵실험이 필요하다면 핵실험을 정당화 할 수 있는 대중적 합의를 이끌어 낼 충분한 시간이 주어져야 함을 정부와 의회에 요구하였다.
미국 물리학회의 이러한 입장은 핵에너지에 대한 평화적 사용을 옹호하는 입장이라고 할 수 있다. 그러나 기존에 보유한 핵무기의 안전 유지를 위한 핵실험을 대상으로 하는 것으로써, 핵전쟁의 위험으로 부터의 탈피, 핵에너지의 평화적 사용과 이에 있어서 미국의 역할에 대하여 필요한 근본적 논의가 결여된 것으로 평가된다.


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Nuclear Testing Not Necessary, Says New Council Statement

In a strongly worded statement passed at its April meeting, the APS Council reaffirmed its position that nuclear testing is not necessary to maintain the reliability of the American nuclear stockpile, and cited possible negative international consesquences if nuclear testing were resumed.

Council also called on the Administration to provide sufficient advance notice of plans to resume testing, in order "to allow adequate time for informed and thorough analysis and public discussion".

In passing the statement, Council referred to a 2002 study by a committee of the National Academy of Sciences, which concluded that "the United States has the technical capabilities to maintain confidence in the safety and reliability of its existing nuclear-weapon stockpile" without nuclear testing, "provided that adequate resources are made available to the Department of Energy's nuclear-weapon complex and are properly focused on this task."

The full text of the Council statement follows:

The American Physical Society reaffirms its April 1997 statement that "fully informed technical studies have concluded continued testing is not required to retain confidence in the safety and reliability of the remaining nuclear weapons in the United States' stockpile."

Resumption of nuclear testing may have serious negative international consequences, particularly on the nonproliferation regime.

In addition the Society strongly urges the Congress and the Administration to provide sufficient notification and justification for any proposed nuclear test to allow adequate time for informed and thorough analysis and public discussion.

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