America’s Most Vulnerable Nuclear Power Plants

Is this list a case of fear-mongering? Possibly, but I would want to be aware if one of these was in my neighborhood. The Daily Beast presents a ranking of our nation’s most ripe-for-disaster nuclear reactors, as determined by a panel of experts, with Indian Point (Buchanan, NY), San Onofre ( San Clemente, CA), and Limerick, PA rounding out the top three:

1. Indian Point

Location: Buchanan, NY (24 miles north of New York City)
Reactors: 2
Electrical Output (megawatts): Unit 2: 1020; Unit 3: 1025
Year Operating License Issued: Unit 2: 1973; Unit 3: 1975
Population within 50 Miles: 17,452,585
Relative Safety Rating: bottom third
Risk of Natural Disasters:

Likelihood of Earthquake (scale 0-6): 2
Expected Number of Hurricanes in Next Century: 20 – 40
Miles to Potentially Active Volcano: not a factor
Significant Tornadoes (1921-1995): 0 to 5

2. San Onofre

Location: San Clemente, CA (45 miles southeast of Long Beach, CA)
Reactors: 2
Electrical Output (megawatts): Unit 2: 1070; Unit 3: 1080
Year Operating License Issued: Unit 2: 1982; Unit 3: 1982
Population within 50 Miles: 9,468,825
Relative Safety Rating: middle third
Risk of Natural Disasters:

Likelihood of Earthquake (scale 0-6): 4
Expected Number of Hurricanes in Next Century: 0
Miles to Potentially Active Volcano: approx. 225 miles
Significant Tornadoes (1921-1995): 0 to 5

3. Limerick

Location: Limerick, PA (21 miles northwest of Philadelphia)
Reactors: 2
Electrical Output (megawatts): Unit 1: 1134; Unit 2: 1134
Year Operating License Issued: Unit 1: 1985; Unit 2: 1989
Population within 50 Miles: 7,923,148
Relative Safety Rating: bottom third
Risk of Natural Disasters:

Likelihood of Earthquake (scale 0-6): 2
Expected Number of Hurricanes in Next Century: 20 – 40
Miles to Potentially Active Volcano: not a factor
Significant Tornadoes (1921-1995): 5 to 10

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