Smarter people than me are saying that California nuclear plants can withstand what hit Japan. I hope this is not a wait and see and then a big "oops" we were wrong. Japan said they were OK up to an 8, when a 9 hit they were not ready. I haven't seen any figures saying we could take a 9.0 and keep going. But what if we get a 10 or an 11, then what. Their Oops could cost a million lives depending on where the "big one" hit. The Russians I"m sure thought Chenoyobl was OK too. I guess 3 oops isn't bad considering all the nuclear power plants there are, but I'm sure glad I am not living close to one and I think the next 5 or 6 should be built in or near Washington DC, that way we'd probably see some action on the part of our politicians and some money used to make them perfectly safe and avoid another oops. I'm curious just how many mistakes have been happening in nuclear plants around the world that we never hear about, where the radiation was small enough not to be deadly, but did excape...and how many almost disasters that they were able to avoid, but could easily have been deadly too. There are supposedly nuclear watchdogs and I suppose they are doing their jobs, we haven't had anything like Cheynoble since then, but it is still very scarry and the waste disposal plants have had their share of leaks and stuff also, with radiation in the air and ground causing problems around them. I don't think anyone wants to live near a power plant or disposal plant, but yet they are still being built anyhow and I wonder what we face in the near future as these plants get old and their technology is no longer excepted but they are kept online anyhow.

 vinegaroon....I believe if some country got an 11, we could all kiss our behind good-bye soon after..Think Japan held up pretty good for a 9.0, Tsumani  was the factor...

vinegaroon...I think if any country got an 11 earthquake, shortly after we could all kiss our behind good bye..even a 9.5 or a 10 will do global damage....

AlCv62 .... you said it all, an 11 earthquake is a catastrophic even, just thought over the one that hit the new Madrid fault x 1000 (the one that made the Mississippi flow backwards for awhile), besides the power plant did what it was supposed to do, they where counting on an 20 feet wall of water, they got a 30 feet, should they build it to withstand a 60 feet? the plants become so expensive they better don't build them, but we can learn a lot from this and i mean a lot, but i bet you that we won't, if a 9 hit the power plants in the US we will be in big trouble, just follow the money remember the Deep water Horizon?, they where ready till Never!!!!!