Nuclear Governance after Fukushima
Part of the Global Forecast 2011
June 15, 2011
The March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan and killed tens of thousands of people resulted in partial core meltdowns at three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant. Although the plants shut down properly, off-site electricity was interrupted and back-up generators failed. When battery-supplied cooling was lost, fuel heated up and produced hydrogen explosions that exposed spent fuel pools and released radiation. The Japanese government evacuated residents and temporarily banned foodstuffs from the Fukushima region.