Japanese quake could impact U.S. nuclear projects

The nuclear crisis in Japan is already affecting nuclear energy politics in the United States as nuclear reactors around the country come up for license renewal and energy companies seek to build new facilities, our Donna Leinwand reports.

Leinwand says Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, sent a letter to the chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission saying the disaster in Japan highlights "both the fragility of nuclear power plants and the potential consequences associated with a radiological release caused by earthquake-related damage."

Markey asked the NRC, which has sent experts to Japan, whether U.S. nuclear plants could withstand an earthquake or tsunami of the same magnitude of the Japanese quake.

Markey last week had asked the NRC to postpone approving Westinghouse's design for a new nuclear reactor, AP1000, until the company can address safety concerns in the event of an earthquake, Leinwand reports.

"If the NRC approves the AP1000, then it may have widespread use throughout the United States," Markey wrote. "Taxpayer dollars should not be spent on reactors that could be at risk of suffering a catastrophic core meltdown in the event of an aircraft strike or major earthquake."

Last year Markey asked for an investigation into whether the NRC has adequate earthquake standards for reactors.