"Sharply elevated radiation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear complex on Sunday raised the possibility of spreading contamination and forced an evacuation of a part of one of the buildings at the damaged plant."
"Japan's nuclear regulator has amassed power while growing closer to the industry it regulates, according to former regulators and industry critics who blame the trend for lapses that may have contributed to the Fukushima Daiichi accident."
"As the Japanese authorities order a wider evacuation area around the stricken Fukushima reactor complex to as far out as 19 miles, three health and environmental groups in the United States announced that they were seeking further information about why American officials recommended that its citizens keep at least 50 miles away."
"German chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives have suffered a historic defeat in a state ballot after almost six decades in power there, partial results showed Sunday, in an election that amounted to a referendum on the party's stance on nuclear power."
The use of nuclear energy to generate power has been a major policy debate for decades. While the best decisions may be based on facts, many risk calculations are actually values choices. Here are some of the best sources for both facts and opinion.
"Japanese officials began encouraging people to evacuate a larger swath of territory around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant on Friday as new signs emerged that parts of the crippled facility are so damaged and contaminated that it will be hard to bring the plant under control soon."
"More than a quarter of U.S. nuclear plant operators have failed to properly tell regulators about equipment defects that could imperil reactor safety, according to a report by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's inspector general."
In 1961, three young nuclear plant operators in Idaho were killed when a small experimental power reactor melted down. They were so radioactive they had to be buried in lead-lined coffins under concrete. And one bereaved family was only allowed a five-minute funeral.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission currently requires nuclear plants to plan evacuation of a 10-mile circle in case of a radiation threat. But the government urged evacuation of a 50-mile circle after the disaster at Japan's Fukushima plant. Here's some information to help you calculate your own risk.
"A sleepy New Jersey town has popped onto people's radar screens because it has the oldest running nuclear power plant in the United States -- and, some say, the most dangerous."
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