Quake Triggers Wave of Nuke Plant Fears

(NEWSER) - A 7.2-magnitude earthquake jolted northern Japan today, killing at least 6 people and injuring more than 140 others, the AP reports. Landslides trapped another 100 bathers at a hot springs resort, but no tsunami warning was issued. At a nuclear power plant, 5 gallons of radioactive water splashed from two pools storing spent fuel, but officials said there was no leakage outside the plant. More»

Georgia plant gets approval to build two

(NEWSER) - It's a milestone for the nuclear energy industry: The feds today gave their blessing to a Georgia utility company to build two new reactors, the first such approval in 30 years, reports CNN . Southern Co. and its partners will build the reactors in Waynesboro, Ga., about 170 miles east of Atlanta, at a plant that already has two operating reactors. That will make the Vogtle plant the biggest nuclear complex in the US when they're up and running by 2017, notes the New York Times . More»

Fukushima report warned that all of Tokyo might need to be evacuated

(NEWSER) - Japanese officials were told that last year's nuclear disaster could have required the evacuation of tens of millions—but they didn't mention it, worried that the information might cause a panic. A 15-page report, given to the prime minister two weeks after the earthquake, was obtained by the AP and Japanese media. It says that meltdowns could cause vast amounts of radiation and necessitate the evacuation of homes within at least a 105-mile radius of the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant. More»

Public concerns force stiffening of safety regulations

(NEWSER) - Nuclear reactors in Japan will be retired after 40 years of use, as part of the government's efforts to step up nuclear safety in the aftermath of the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant disaster last March, reports the AP . There are 54 reactors in Japan, 18 of which will be 40 years old by 2020, and 18 more that will hit that mark by 2030. Japan will introduce legislation to close them, though there could be exemptions for plants that pass safety inspections. More»

But no injuries, damage reported

(AP) - A 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck under the sea south of Japan today, shaking buildings in the capital but causing no apparent damage or tsunami. The quake struck near the uninhabited island of Torishima in the Pacific Ocean, about 370 miles south of Tokyo, and its epicenter was about 230 miles below the sea, the Meterological Agency said. Buildings in the Tokyo area shook, but no damage or injuries were reported, and no abnormalities were reported at power plants. More»