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California's Earthquake-Prone Nuclear Reactors
The earthquake and tsunami have created potential meltdowns at nuclear plants in Japan and raised questions about the two facilities on California's shores.
By Warren Olney • • 52m ListenThe earthquake and the tsunami have created potential meltdowns at nuclear power plants on the shores of northeastern Japan. That's raised questions about the two big nuclear plants on the shores of California. Are they earthquake-safe? Should they be re-licensed to run decades longer than originally planned? We know we're in earthquake country, but what parts of Southern California are also vulnerable to tsunamis? Are warning systems in place? On our rebroadcast of today's To the Point, disaster and recovery in Japan.
Banner image of Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant: emdot/Flickr
In this episode
3 storiesCalifornia's Earthquake-Prone Nuclear Reactors
It's illegal to build any new nuclear plants in California, but two are already in place, generating a huge amount of the state's electricity. San Onofre , in San Diego County, is run by Southern California Edison. It's due to be re-licensed to operate in 2013.
Read the story15 minTsunami Danger
Friday's earthquake and tsunami were orders of magnitude bigger than Japan was prepared for. We hear about the likely death toll, the economic consequences and the likelihood of a tsunami along the California coast. Costas Synolakis is Director of the USC Tsunami Research Center .
Read the story11 minDisaster and Recovery in Japan
A second reactor explosion occurred today at a nuclear power plant in the Fukushima Prefecture, 150 miles north of Tokyo on Japan's main island of Honshu. Now there's concern there could be a third.
Read the story26 min
