Market indices are shown in real time, except for the DJIA, which is delayed by two minutes. nuclear facilities are designed to withstand tsunamis, earthquakes and other hazards,' he said. 'NRC's rigorous safety regulations ensure that U.S. He said that disaster planning could always be improved upon, but that studies show there's no need to distribute iodide pills beyond the current 10 mile radius.Ī spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said U.S. Responding to Congressman Markey's recommendations, Kerekes said that safety systems at U.S. In addition, tests have shown that the country's nuclear plants could withstand an impact from an airliner, said Steve Kerekes, a spokesman for industry group the Nuclear Energy Institute. Spokesmen for the utilities that own the California plants, Pacific Gas & Electric ( PCG, Fortune 500) and Southern California Edison, said Sunday the plants are designed to meet the maximum quake projected for their immediate vicinity, which is not thought to exceed a magnitude of 6.5. Such system malfunctions could happen because of an earthquake or a massive terrorist attack, such as one involving airliners. 'I don't think we should renew those operating licenses,' he said.Īlvarez also said the problems at the Japanese facilities highlight the catastrophic outcome of the failure of power, pumps and other infrastructure. An 8.9 quake is 125 times as powerful as 7.5 quake, according to the United States Geological Survey. The San Francisco quake of 1906 measured 8.3, said Alvarez, while Friday's Japanese quake was a massive 8.9.

Those plants were built to withstand a magnitude 7.5 earthquake, said Robert Alvarez, a nuclear expert at the Institute for Policy studies and a former senior official at the U.S.

In the United States, perhaps the most vulnerable plants are the two in California built on the Pacific coast near the San Andreas fault. More recently, increased electricity use, a desire to generate homegrown energy and concern over global warming have made carbon-free nuclear power more attractive.Ġ:00 / 6:46 Lawmaker calls for nuclear 'timeout' There hasn't been a new nuclear plant commissioned since the Three Mile Island meltdown in Pennsylvania in 1979, although dozens that were under construction at the time have come on line. They currently supply about 20% of the nation's power.

Most of the civilian plants are located near major population centers. In addition, there are dozens of reactors, weapons labs and other nuclear facilities associated with national defense. The United States has 104 non-military nuclear reactors operating at 65 plants across the country. (Such pills are now disbursed to people within 10 miles of a reactor.) These steps include stronger safety systems in plants located near fault lines, emergency response drills that model instances when more than one disaster unfolds simultaneously, and the distribution of radiation-blocking potassium iodide pills to everyone living within 20 miles of a reactor. Markey has recommended several measures that he believes should be taken by the Obama administration and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Nuclear reactor meltdown in japan 2011