Saturday, April 30, 2011

Could what happened in Japan happen in California?

The power plants in the United States have the same backups and risks as plants in Japan (see article) California currently has two operational nuclear plants. PG&E's Diablo Canyon Power Plant in San Luis Obispo County sits near several fault lines, including the San Andreas Fault. It's designed to withstand a 7.5 magnitude earthquake. The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station in San Diego County isn't as close to active faults and is designed to withstand a 7.0 magnitude quake.
California is at risk for earthquakes above these levels, being along a major fault.  The state is also at risk for tsunamis.  Although the combination of being hit by earthquakes and tsunamis is fairly rare – usually the tsunami effects another location – if it were to happen in the United States, California would be the most probable location for such an occurrence.

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