Could It Happen Here?

While thousands moved further away from the troubled Fukushima Nuclear Plant, 170 miles north of Tokyo, about 50 heroic workers put their lives on the line to stay at the center of the nuclear crisis.

Until today... As conditions worsened, they were evacuated, too.


Chris Wragge talked to nuclear energy expert Cham Dallas and Dr. Jennifer Ashton about radiation fears spreading to the U.S. mainland.

We have the same kind of technical hazards, but a different people.

Conspicuous Collective Character Audio Embed: Dave Ross, KIRO-FM/Seattle, 3/15/11

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What is spent nuclear fuel, besides burning?


Beyond what's "active" at any moment spent nuclear reactor fuel rods also pose dangers inherent in their storage. Frank Von Hippel, nuclear physicist and co-director of the Program on Science and Global Security at Princeton University, discusses the peril in Japan.