Assessing Nuclear Seismic Safety and Reliability in the Post-Fukushima Era

The global dialog on the seismic safety and reliability of nuclear power plants changed following the Mw 9 Tohoku Japan earthquake and tsunami. Programs to update earthquake and tsunami hazard assessments, evaluations of possible impacts of collateral damage, and analyses of beyond-design-basis performance for existing nuclear and other critical energy facilities have taken on a new urgency as a result.