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Greenpeace Co-Founder Patrick Moore discusses the impact of the 5.8-magnitude earthquake on nuclear power plants on the East Coast.
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-- vulnerable what to nuclear reactors in Virginia belt without power they're running on diesel generators.
Patrick Moore is with us He was a founder of Greenpeace and he's now the co chair the clean and safe energy coalition.
Is also the all to all of a confessions of a Green -- drop out now there's a title for yet He joins us on the phone Patrick even if there is no damage.
The into the new reactors the public gets very very novice when does -- both quake and as a nuclear reactor.
This is not good news for the nuclear business now -- it.
Well I'm sure it is Stewart and I'm glad I'm on the West Coast and I feel bad for that the trauma caused people.
-- the fact is that reactor shut down properly because there was an earthquake that's an automatic in a nuclear reactor.
Although the ones that Calvert Cliffs in Maryland.
Did not shut down because the earthquake was not have sufficient strength there in order to require it to shut down so everything went perfectly.
As it's supposed to and thankfully no fifty foot tsunami and that again people think if Fukushima but that was such an expects an exceptional circumstance that's not gonna happen.
In those in those locations on the East Coast.
OK Patrick would you say that on the East Coast would say -- 2030 year old react to -- that gets hit with a five point eight magnitude.
Would you say there is -- -- -- no risk whatever.
Yes I would say so because that is not a large enough earthquake to cause any damage.
In the reactors that are built in the United States they are capable was standing far more than that.
And you know that they are both the strongest thing there is built nothing is built to withstand.
More intense earthquakes -- nuclear reactors.
Zone we've got a lot of other things to worry about as a you know it back -- the heart stronger earthquake came.
You would see buildings collapsing you'd see people -- and all the rest that you would not be nuclear accident on any level of earthquake that is even possible.
About extra are the I want I'm going to pick up on that I'm gonna go authorities forty seconds left but that's interest you and saying that no matter how intense the magnitude of and both quake.
American reactors are built to withstand it and right no risk you -- that well.
The fact is that earthquake of magnitude nine.
Which is you know -- nearly six there -- so it's three orders of magnitude.
More it was a 1000.
Times more powerful reactors an earthquake.
In Japan that reactor was not sufficiently damaged by the earthquake to cause the problem it was only the tsunami.
So you know that they -- there's no way it is going to be at.
Earthquake of magnitude nine on the East Coast of North America and they know that because of the plate tectonic -- the way things are moving.
The the ring of fire around the Pacific is where you get the really big ones Indonesia and Japan in particular and maybe California again one day.
But that that there's no way that there's any safety issue at this point in time the related to -- nuclear plants from the earthquake is the last thing we need to worry about.
And Patrick mall that's reassurance indeed and we'll take it thank you very much -- thanks for joining us bank Stewart.
