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President Barack Obama on the Japan Earthquake

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President Obama has just finished his statement regarding the Japan earthquake. Here’s some of what he said:

We are bringing all available resources to bear to monitor the situation and to protect American citizens.  We know the plant poses substantial risk to people who are nearby.  That’s why we recommended the evacuation of Americans with 50 miles of the Fukushima Daiichi plant.  This decision was based upon a careful scientific evaluation. Beyond this 50-mile radius, the risks do not currently call for an evacuation.  

Many American also are worried about the potential risks to the US. I want to be very clear--We do not expect harmful levels of radiation to reach the United States, the west coast, Hawaii, Alaska or the U.S. territories in the Pacific.  That is the evaluation of our experts at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other experts.

The Center for Disease Control does not recommend that people in the U.S. take any precautions other than being fully informed. 

All very important. And:

Here at home, nuclear power is part of our own energy sources.  Our nuclear plants have undergone exhaustive study and have been declared safe for any number of contingencies.  But when we have an event such as we have in Japan, we should learn from that.  That’s why I have asked the NRC to do a comprehensive review of our nuclear plants in light of the natural disaster that has happened in Japan.

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