Could a Fukushima Nuclear Disaster Happen in America?
It is hard to believe that it’s been 7 years since Tokyo Electric Power experienced the worst nuclear incident in its history – an earthquake and subsequent tsunami that essentially destroyed the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. The closest to this risk here in the U.S. is in and around Southern California, but luckily utility and emergency management leaders in the region seem better equipped to deal with this type of massive disaster.
Why a Fukushima-Like Disaster Will Not Happen in California
What California leadership has done to prepare for the worst is a lesson in emergency preparedness that all utility companies should strive to emulate. Here are just a few examples of what sets them apart:
- Nuclear plants in the region, even those that are shutdown, have emergency policies and procedures in place that are tested annually.
- In the face of an imminent emergency, organizational decision-making is consolidated into a centralized disaster response team to determine the next steps (much like an Incident Command Team). A key factor in the determination of next steps is the condition of the region’s nuclear facilities – for example, seepage of radioactive waste would require a specific set of protocols to be activated.
- California’s nukes are required to retain auxiliary water to keep the fuel rods from over-heating; this over-heating process is one of the key factors that produced the Fukushima disaster.
Had Tokyo Electric followed even one of these three steps, the disaster would likely have been less catastrophic. Unfortunately, the company failed to be adequately prepared for the worst-case scenario.
