Boxer Spotlight : Reviewing Safety of Nuclear Plants
Senator Boxer (D-CA) has been leading calls for a comprehensive review of nuclear safety in the United States in light of Japan’s nuclear crisis. Boxer has also joined with Senator Feinstein to urge inspections of California’s two nuclear plants, Diablo Canyon and San Onofre, both of which are near earthquake faults.
Senator Boxer, who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, joined with Senator Tom Carper (D-DE), who chairs the Clean Air and Nuclear Safety Subcommittee, to write to U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chairman Gregory Jaczko requesting that the NRC conduct a comprehensive investigation of all nuclear facilities in the United States to assess their capacity to withstand catastrophic natural or man-made disasters, in light of the nuclear disaster that continues to unfold in Japan.
Senators Barbara Boxer also joined with Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) to send a letter to Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko calling on the agency to perform a thorough inspection at the San Onofre plant, located in San Clemente, and the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant near San Luis Obispo, both of which are near earthquake faults to evaluate their safety and emergency preparedness. The Senators also asked the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to respond to questions about plant design and operations, type of reactor, and preparedness to withstand an earthquake or tsunami.
