U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who has urged the United States to build 100 more nuclear reactors, said today that the meltdown at the Fukushima plant in Japan shouldn't lead America to foreclose future nuclear plants.
Alexander said the Japanese plants have so far withstood the worst earthquake in Japan's history and a subsequent tsunami without a major radiation leak. Before debating the future of nuclear power, Alexander said the U.S. should do what it can to help the earthquake victims in Japan and to learn what lessons it can in responding to a natural disaster.
"Right now, the effort needs to be helping those who need help, containing further damage and risk, and getting Japan back up and running again, " Alexander said in a speech on the Senate floor. "Then we can take the lessons learned from this earthquake and tsunami and apply them to make our nuclear plants as safe as possible."
Details in Tuesday's Times Free Press