"Sea Level Rise, Storm Surges And Bursting Dams Threaten Nuclear Plants

"LONDON – Safety checks following the Fukushima disaster in Japan in March 2011, when a 10 metre-high sea wall was overtopped by a tsunami, have shown that nuclear plants are at greater risk of catastrophic flooding as a result of climate change.
 
All nuclear plants need large quantities of water for cooling so all must be built close to the sea, large rivers or lakes. This makes them vulnerable to sea level rise, storm surges and to the possible collapse of large dams upstream from poor construction, floodwater or seismic activity.
 
Since nuclear plants are designed to operate for as long as 60 years and need around a further century to decommission, accelerating sea level rise and more intense rainfall may present serious problems."

Paul Brown reports for Climate News Network May 5, 2015.

SEE ALSO:

"Crisis for Areva's La Hague Plant as Clients Shun Nuclear" (Reuters)

"The Sunset of U.S. Nuclear Power?" (Sustainable Energy Today)

"Nuclear Waste Stored in the Open Air Near Ukrainian Front Line" (Guardian)