"As my colleagues and I work with the NRC and the nuclear industry to expand opportunities for nuclear power’s continued growth and success, we will also continue to work to make sure we have a strong ‘culture of safety’ throughout our nuclear facilities"
—Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), Feb. 9, 2012
Safety: U.S. Nuclear Energy Facilities Built to Withstand Earthquakes Nuclear power plant design and construction ensure the plants can withstand powerful earthquakes. Plant designs include a detailed evaluation of potential earthquake-induced ground motion at the site. This is followed by thorough analysis and testing of the plant structures, systems and equipment, using simulated earthquake-induced vibrations.
No Additional Regulation Needed for Nuclear Energy Cyber Security This fact sheet on cyber security discusses the extensive Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations for cyber security at nuclear energy facilities. Regulatory oversight by other agencies is unnecessary and would duplicate strict NRC oversight already in place.
Visit the Health Physics Society’s Radiation Answers website to learn more about the basics of radiation.
Fact Sheets White Paper: Making Safe Nuclear Energy Safer The nuclear energy industry is looking even more closely at ways to ensure safety is maintained in the face of extreme natural events. The industry took immediate actions after the events in Japan to review critical safety systems at U.S. reactors. The nuclear energy industry is already implementing numerous measures to maintain and upgrade the already-high level of safety at nuclear energy facilities. FLEX: The Industry Strategy to Enhance Safety FLEX is a major step in preventing the critical problems encountered at Fukushima Daiichi: loss of power and reactor cooling capability. It provides yet another layer of backup power after an extreme event by stationing vital portable emergency equipment—generators, battery packs, pumps, air compressors and battery chargers—in multiple locations at each nuclear energy facility. What Is FLEX? These FAQs answer questions about the FLEX strategy, including what it is and how it works.
Graphics Making Safe Nuclear Energy Safer After Fukushima This infographic illustrates the multiple layers of safety that will be used as part of the nuclear energy industry’s flexible and diverse strategy (FLEX). Interactive Graphic: Nuclear Plants Withstand Nature's Fury This interactive graphic tells the story of how U.S. nuclear energy facilities withstood floods, hurricanes and earthquakes in 2011. Videos The Post-Fukushima Commitment to Nuclear Plant Safety Maria Korsnick, chief nuclear officer and chief operating officer at Constellation Energy Nuclear Group, talks about her personal commitment to keeping nuclear plants safe. How Is the U.S. Nuclear Industry Responding to Fukushima Daiichi (FLEX) Maria Korsnick of Constellation Energy Nuclear Group discusses the FLEX strategy to enhance safety at nuclear energy facilities in the wake of the incident at Fukushima Daiichi. NEI Video Shows FLEX in Action on Site This five-minute video includes first-of-its kind footage of the deployment of FLEX equipment at U.S. nuclear energy facilities. The video also features interviews with industry leaders and technical staff discussing nuclear plant safety.
The video describes the industry's development of regional response centers that will stage critical safety equipment that can be sent to any U.S. nuclear energy facility in the event of an extreme event at America's nuclear energy facilities.
How Emergency Planning Zones Help Protect Public Health and Safety In March 2012, the Health Physics Society convened a panel of leading scientific experts on radiation safety. Although the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami killed an estimated 20,000 people, radiation from Fukushima has not resulted in any fatalities, according to Japanese government and industry. Members of HPS, drawn from academia and medicine, said that the radiation doses from Fukushima were too small to have a significant health effect.