Japan quake threatens setback for nuclear energy

by Staff Writers - Hong Kong (AFP) March 13, 2011

Explosion and meltdown fears at Japan's quake-hit Fukushima nuclear plant renewed debate about the safety of atomic energy Sunday and cast doubt over its future as a clean energy source.

Officials warned that there was a "high possibility" of meltdown at the ageing facility north of Tokyo, which was rocked by an explosion Saturday following an 8.9-strength tremor that sent 10-metre waves bulldozing inland.

Backup cooling systems failed, leaving the core to glow unchecked and sparking fears that fuel could breach the containment shell, leaking dangerous radiation into the densely-populated region that houses 30 million people

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Fukushima: Europe casts eye at nuclear safety

Paris (AFP) March 13, 2011 - Leading European economies said they would scrutinise nuclear safety in the light of Japan's Fukushima disaster, led by Austria which on Sunday called for a review of nuclear plants across the 27-nation EU. Austrian Environment Minister Nikolaus Berlakovich said he would ask European Union (EU) environment ministers, meeting in Brussels on Monday, to approve "a stress test of nuclear plants" similar to checks on the banking system after the 2008 financial crisis. The test should include "the safety of nuclear plants in the event of an earthquake and the state of their cooling system and reactor confinement," Berlakovich told public-sector broadcaster ORF2. "We want security to be reviewed or else (plant) closure," he said.

Japan quake threatens setback for nuclear energy