As Sea Levels Rise, Are Coastal Nuclear Plants Ready?

san-onofre-nuclear-station
The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) is a nuclear power plant located on the Pacific coast of California. The 84-acre (34 ha) site is in the northwestern corner of San Diego County, south of San Clemente, and surrounded by the San Onofre State Park and next to the I-5 Highway. Caption: Wikipedia. Photo source: ©© AwnisAlan

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Safety concerns have stoked opposition to nuclear. Reactors can’t operate safely without uninterrupted power and vast amounts of cool water, which is why they’re often located near coastlines, rivers, and lakes. Even when a plant isn’t running, its fuel continues to generate heat that needs to be controlled to prevent explosions or radioactive leaks…

Read Full Article, National Geographic

How Rising Seas Could Sink Nuclear Plants On The East Coast, Huffington Post (05-21-2014)

East coast earthquake reveals faults in nuclear emergency planning; Guardian UK (08-24-2011)
The largest earthquake to hit the East Coast of the United States in 67 years reveals faults in nuclear emergency planning raising added concerns about the safety of the country’s nuclear power plants…

Why We Build Nuclear Power Stations in Earthquake Zones? (03-2011)
If more Fukushimas are to be avoided, we have to start by understanding the real risk of risk.

Calif. Utility to Retire Troubled San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant, CBS News (06-07-2013)
The troubled San Onofre nuclear power plant on the California coast is closing after an epic 16-month battle over whether the twin reactors could be safely restarted with millions of people living nearby…

Plan Approved to Find Faults Near Diablo Canyon, California, SB Independent, (09-05-2012)
In a showdown that pit antinuclear activists against marine-mammal supporters, the California State Lands Commission approved PG&E’s plans to begin conducting high-energy 3-d offshore seismic tests to determine the extent to which the faults offshore from the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in Avila Beach connect…

Japan Underestimated Tsunami Hazard For Nuclear Sites, UN Experts Find; UN News Centre (06-02-2011)

Asia Nuclear Reactors Face Tsunami Risk; (04-18-2011)
Asia, the world’s most seismically charged region, is undergoing a nuclear renaissance as it struggles to harness enough power for its huge populations and booming economies. The skeleton of what will soon be one of the world’s biggest nuclear plants is slowly taking shape along China’s southeastern coast, right on the doorstep of Hong Kong’s bustling metropolis. Like Japan’s Dai-ichi plant they lie within a few hundred miles of the type of fault known to unleash the largest tsunami-spawning earthquakes…

Turkish Nuclear Plans on Mediterranean Coast Causes Concerns

power-reactors-map-usa
Map of USA Power Reactor Sites. Image source: US Nuclear Regulatory Commission

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