Can U.S. Nuclear Plants Handle a Major Natural Disaster?

ProPublica (Editorial) reports a discussion on nuclear plants handled in U.S. during a major natural disaster.

The editorial is quoted as saying:

Rep. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat who has spent years pushing the Nuclear Regulatory Commission toward stricter enforcement of its safety rules, has called for a reassessment. Several U.S. reactors lie on or near fault lines, and Markey wants to beef up standards for new and existing plants.

“This disaster serves to highlight both the fragility of nuclear power plants and the potential consequences associated with a radiological release caused by earthquake related damage,” Markey wrote NRC Chairman Gregory Jaczko in a March 11th letter.

Click here to access the entire editorial.