China quake risk to dams, nuclear sites

[bananas]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23699864-25837,00.html

China quake risk to dams, nuclear sites

Correspondents in Beijing and Paris | May 15, 2008

THE devastating earthquake that struck China this week has raised fears over the stability of dams and infrastructure in the afflicted mountainous area, and prompted a warning that nuclear facilities closest to the epicentre may have been damaged.

French nuclear experts from the Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety said yesterday they could not rule out the possibility that the 7.9-magnitude tremblor had caused damage to several nuclear fuel and research sites, some as close as 100km to the epicentre in Sichuan province's southwest.

The city of Mianyang, one of the worst affected areas in the epicentre zone, is home to the headquarters of China's nuclear weapons design industry.

Chinese authorities began emergency measures to relieve pressure on a major dam in the region that sustained serious cracks during the quake.

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[Zachstar]

1. Then nukes are fine. China has it's own SCRAM measures

The worst that can happen is the reactors remain offline for a few weeks meaning many more tons of coal burned.

What worries me is the dam. If it goes the damage could be extreme.