While Japan struggles with a multiple-reactor emergency
following last-week’s earthquake, leaders in government and industry both have
called for further scrutiny of nuclear plant safety in the United States.
On Thursday, President Barack Obama called for a
comprehensive review of nuclear plant safety. The same day, Sens. Barbara
Boxer, D-Calif., and Tom Carper, D-Del., sent letters to the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission asking for an investigation into plants’ disaster preparedness.
“We call on the NRC to conduct a comprehensive investigation
of all nuclear facilities in the United States to assess their capacity to
withstand catastrophic natural or man-made disasters including scenarios that
may be considered remote like the recent events in Japan,” the senators wrote.
“Special and immediate attention should be given to those U.S. nuclear reactors
that share similar characteristics as the failing reactors in Japan, including
similar designs or located near a coastline or seismic fault line."
In recent days, senior executives representing all U.S.
nuclear plants have ordered a number of safety inspections at their facilities, the
Nuclear Energy Institute reported. They include testing of emergency equipment,
evaluation of flood mitigation strategies and evaluation of the impact an
earthquake would have on emergency systems.