Damage at Nuclear Plants in Virginia

This was forwarded to me by a trusted friend from another trusted friend who spoke with someone whose neighbor's daughter works at North Anna, the nuclear plant in Virginia, not far from last week's earthquake.

No, that's not three confirmed sources, but I am writing a book, working jobs, and organizing a conference.  Take the following for what it's worth, and please do the reporting.

"During the quake the administration building buckled. White steam began pouring our of the stacks. There is chaos at the power station. __________ said that two NY Times reporters are investigating - ________ and ____________. He wants to get a Geiger counter and take readings near the plant. He also said that when they were first building the plant some W & M professors told them it was not safe to build it on the fault. I will let you know what else I hear."

 

THIS IS FROM REUTERS:

Va. quake may have exceeded nuke plant design: NRC

WASHINGTON | Mon Aug 29, 2011 2:44pm EDT
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The historic earthquake that shut down Dominion
Resources Inc's North Anna nuclear plant last week may have exceeded
what the reactor was designed to withstand, the U.S. nuclear regulator
said on Monday.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it has dispatched an
additional team of inspectors to the Virginia plant that was rocked by
the 5.8 magnitude earthquake last week, after initial reviews from
Dominion indicated the ground motion may have went beyond the plant's
design.

The North Anna plant can not be restarted until the operator can show
that no "functional damage" occurred to equipment needed for the safe
operation, the NRC said.

"The company and the NRC will continue to carefully evaluate
information to determine if additional actions may be necessary," the
regulator said in a statement.

The NRC has been reviewing the ability of U.S. plants to withstand
major disasters after the crisis at Japan's Fukushima nuclear complex.

(Reporting by Ayesha Rascoe; Editing by Bob Burgdorfer)