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Durbin Wants Look at IL Nuclear Plants Following Japan Disaster
(IRN) -- U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says he still trusts nuclear power plants to provide electricity to roughly half of Illinois residents, but he thinks some tough questions should be asked in the wake of the tragedy in Japan.

Japanese officials have been trying for days to prevent a meltdown at the Fukushima plant in northern Japan, which was severely damaged by a 33-foot tsunami following a 9.0 earthquake off the coast.

Durbin says he's thankful Illinois' plants don’t have to worry about tsunami damage, but a large earthquake is entirely possible.

"We happen to be, and people don't think about this much, in this part of the world...on a fault line," Durbin said. "The New Madrid fault line, I don't believe, is close to any nuclear power plant, but let's ask the questions. Let's find out if there is some danger here."

He's meeting with U.S. Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) in Chicago next week to start those discussions. A time and meeting place has yet to be decided.

"People across the country say, 'what is the possible danger, and the worst case scenario,'" Durbin explains. "I don't expect that to ever happen in the United States, but we're foolish if we don't take it seriously and ask these hard questions now."

(Illinois Radio Network)
03 19 11 by Newsroom
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