Dr. Zack T. Pate:
Nuclear Professional
Learn how global nuclear safety improved through the leadership of Dr. Zack T. Pate, chairman emeritus of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations and chairman emeritus of the World Association of Nuclear Operators
Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO)
Following the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island, the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) was created to promote the highest levels of safety and reliability – to promote excellence – in the operation of commercial nuclear power plants.
Dr. Pate served in leadership roles at INPO for 18 years (14 years as CEO), starting in 1998.
You can learn more about the work of INPO here.
World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO)
Following the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident, the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) was created to maximize the safety and reliability of nuclear power plants worldwide by working together to assess, benchmark and improve performance through mutual support, exchange of information, and emulation of best practices.
Dr. Pate was instrumental in the creation of WANO — formed in the image of INPO. He became WANO’s third chairman in 1997 — a role he held for 5 years.
You can learn more about the work of WANO here.
Improving Safety and Reliability
Under Dr. Zack Pate’s leadership as CEO of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations and later as Chairman of the World Association of Nuclear Operators, the global nuclear industry made unprecedented improvement following the accidents at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl. Three books, Hostages of Each Other, Core of Excellence and Nuclear Safety Has No Borders, chronicle those pivotal eras.
Hostages of Each Other: The Transformation of Nuclear Safety Since Three Mile Island
by Dr. Joseph V. Rees
Drawing on extensive empirical research, including more than 100 interviews, Dr. Rees depicts the poor state of nuclear safety practices before the Three Mile Island Accident shook the industry into action. In his account of the aftermath, a little-known organization — the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) — emerges in 1979 as a powerful force for change.
Core of Excellence: A History of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations
by Philip L. Cantelon and J. Samuel Walker
This well-documented book traces the history of the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO). It tells the fascinating story of how the independent watchdog evolved from its founding in 1979 after the accident at Three Mile Island, through its early years of gaining acceptance from the industry, to the organization it is today—widely respected for helping to establish a culture of safety in the nuclear industry.
Nuclear Safety Has No Borders: A History of the World Association of Nuclear Operators
by Philip L. Cantelon
Download your own copy of Nuclear Safety Has No Borders: A History of the World Association of Nuclear Operators. This book provides a detailed insight into the challenges and successes of the World Association of Nuclear Operators (WANO) since its inception in 1989.
Fostering Improvement through Performance Indicators
A key recommendation of the Kemeny Commission following the Three Mile Island Accident was to establish ways to measure and compare performance. Click below to see the dramatic progress made in the U.S. over two decades.
Dr. Zack T. Pate 