Low Cooling Power Poses Threat on Nuclear Power Plant

On March 10, 2011, an 8.9 earthquake followed by a ferocious tsunami, struck Japan and resulted in thousands of deaths, injuries and massive destruction. The destruction devastated Japan causing floods, fires, power failures, shuttered airports and paralyzed transit systems.

The earthquake blew the cooling systems out of two nuclear reactors and now the safety of the area’s nuclear plants is a major concern and people living near the plants are evacuating.

Inability to cool the reactors could result in radiation leaks, which could cause monumental damage. Government officials said the two power plants are “bracing for the worst.”

"If heat is not removed, there is a definite danger of a core melt; fuel will overheat, become damaged and melt down,” stated a nuclear expert.

A nuclear meltdown could possibly (but not likely with modern reactors) lead to significant radiation release putting the public in serious danger.

In a worst-case scenario, this could become an event like the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, which spread radiation across much of Europe.

“At present we have no reports of any radioactive materials or otherwise affecting the surrounding areas,” Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan told the press.

The effects of the nuclear meltdown are primarily economic.

The tsunami subsequently hit Hawaii but no major damage was reported. Due to warnings concerning the Pacific, areas in South America, Canada, Alaska and America’s West coast are on alert.

The Prime Minister addressed to the nation, "We ask the people of Japan to be cautious and vigilant. We are asking the people of Japan to act calmly.”