Fukushima Lessons Prompt Changes for US Nuclear Plants

Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO) Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant is seen at Okuma town in Fukushima Prefecture, northern Japan on Feb. 28. After spending the past year carefully evaluating the accident at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said it has devised a strategy to prevent similar mistakes. (Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images)

Lessons learned from last year’s Fukushima meltdown are prompting enhanced safety measures for American nuclear facilities. Coinciding with the recent anniversary of Japan’s nuclear plant disaster, federal regulators announced a new set of precautions designed to ensure that a similar tragedy doesn’t befall the United States.

After spending the past year carefully evaluating the accident at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) said it has devised a strategy to prevent similar mistakes. In an effort to improve disaster preparedness at American facilities the agency recently authorized the first of several safety recommendations to be implemented over the next few years.