Date: January 18, 2012 Creator: Holt, Mark Description: The huge
earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan's Fukushima Daiichi
nuclear power station on March 11, 2011, knocked out backup
power systems that were needed to cool the reactors at the
plant, causing three of them to undergo fuel melting, hydrogen
explosions, and radioactive releases. Radioactive contamination
from the Fukushima plant forced the evacuation of communities up
to 25 miles away and affected up to 100,000 residents, although
it did not cause any immediate deaths. Studies of the Fukushima
disaster have identified design changes, response actions, and
other safety improvements that could have reduced or eliminated
the amount of radioactivity released from the plant. As a
result, Fukushima has prompted a reexamination of nuclear plant
safety requirements around the world, including in the United
States. Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries Government Documents
Department