Greg Jaczko, chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission briefed reporters at the White House on Tuesday, saying that a nuclear emergency like the one in Japan could not happen in the United States. “Based on the type of reactor design and the nature of the accident we see a very low likelihood, really a very low probability that there’s any possibility of harmful radiation levels in the United States or in Hawaii, or in any other U.S. territories,” he said.
However, Washington is edge about what to do about our own nuclear power sources here in the U.S. Todd Zwillich, Washington correspondent for The Takeaway got reaction from the Capitol. Todd Zwillich found that lawmakers are aware that the energy debate shifts following each crisis and says that many see no reason to end our reliance on nuclear energy. “If you take nuclear power off the table you’re going to have more coal fire plants, because there’s not enough wind and solar. If you think fossil fuels, burning fossil fuels is bad for the environment, nuclear power is a non-emitting source,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told Todd Zwillich. “There’s a problem with every technology, but the world is not going to stop developing nuclear power, I hope America will not stop,” he said.
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