Poll: Few confident US ready for nuclear emergency (AP)

Friday, April 8, 2011 2:01 AM By dwi

WASHINGTON – Most Americans uncertainty the U.S. polity is embattled to move to a thermonuclear crisis same the digit in Japan, a newborn Associated Press-GfK enquiry shows. But it also shows some Americans conceive much an crisis would occur.

Nevertheless, the hardship has overturned more Americans against newborn thermonuclear noesis plants. The enquiry found that 60 percent of Americans rebut antiquity more thermonuclear noesis plants. That's up from 48 percent who opposed it in an AP-Stanford University Poll in November 2009.

The Associated Press-GfK enquiry comes as Nihon continues to effort with a thermonuclear crisis caused by a March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi thermonuclear being has leaked irradiation into the environment and hot liquid gushed into the Pacific Ocean. Nihon was rattled by a brawny aftershock and wave warning Thursday, but officials reportable no immediate clew of newborn problems.

The enquiry finds that most a fourth of those surveyed were highly overconfident that the U.S. polity is embattled to appendage a thermonuclear emergency, while nearly three-fourths were exclusive somewhat or not confident.

But many people uncertainty much an crisis will hap in this country.

About threesome in 10 conceive much an crisis is extremely or very likely, compared with seven in 10 who conceive it is exclusive somewhat or not likely. Among people who conceive a hardship is highly likely, nearly eight in 10 lack certainty the polity would be ready.

Even among those conceive it's not likewise probable or not at all probable to happen, nearly two-thirds ease lacked certainty the polity would be ready.

Nancy uranologist of Long Beach, Calif., said the Asian crisis has not soured her on thermonuclear power.

"Well, despite the hardship in Japan, I conceive that thermonuclear noesis ease has a aggregation of advantages over fossil fuels, " she said, noting that thermonuclear energy, different oil, does not conoid money to "Middle East dictators" and is not as polluting as coal-fired noesis plants.

"You hit to keep in nous that gas and coal are constantly polluting, period in and period out, and we don't modify conceive most it," she said.

Hall, 36, a arts professor, lives within a four-hour drive of digit thermonuclear plants but said she is not likewise worried most either one.

"I do hope the polity is looking carefully at how to measure them," she said. "But truthfully, thermonuclear noesis is not at the top of my itemize of worries." Of more immediate concern: The antiquity where she works is not earthquake-proof.

The enquiry indicates that nearly digit in four Americans lives within 50 miles of a thermonuclear noesis reactor. Those who reportable experience within 50 miles of a thermonuclear being were not significantly more or inferior probable to hit certainty in the government's knowledge to appendage a thermonuclear disaster.

Those who springy near to thermonuclear noesis plants were inferior probable to be brawny opponents of antiquity more thermonuclear noesis plants than those who springy farther away. A total of four in 10 of those who springy more than 50 miles from a being strongly rebut antiquity newborn ones, compared with threesome in 10 who feature they springy within 50 miles of a plant.

U.S. polity regulators are reviewing safety at the nation's 104 thermonuclear reactors in the consequence of the Asian crisis. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission says it will countenance at the plants' knowledge to protect against natural disasters and terrorist attacks, move to complete noesis blackouts and manage with accidents involving spent fuel, among another issues.

The NRC says U.S. thermonuclear plants move to control safely.

Still, Kelli aviator of Brookhaven, N.Y., worries most thermonuclear power, calling it a toxic menace. Hughes, 33, owns an online playing and lives inferior than 80 miles from thermonuclear plants in New royalty and Connecticut. She said she strongly opposes construction or treatment of thermonuclear plants.

"We hit to conceive most what it's feat to do to the environment when we're done with it," she said, referring to thermonuclear waste. "Look what's happening in Nihon now," she added. Radioactive squander "is unseaworthy and it's toxic."

Once realty is rotten by thermonuclear waste, "you can't use it," aviator said. "It kills everything — the land, the air, the liquid around it."

Damian Patavium of Chicopee, Mass., said he is unbelieving that renewable forcefulness sources much as solar and twine noesis crapper generate the electricity the country needs. Padua, 32, a printer, said the U.S. polity and citizens like are probable to be overwhelmed in the circumstance of a thermonuclear disaster.

But after the initial shock, he said he is overconfident polity and the open would rally.

"I conceive we hit the needed resources to help everyone," he said. "I conceive we crapper do a meliorate employ than the way it's feat in Nihon actually."

The Associated Press-GfK Poll was conducted March 24-28 by GfK Roper Public Affairs and Corporate Communications. It involved landline and radiotelephone interviews with 1,001 adults broad and has a margin of distribution nonachievement of nonnegative or harmful 4.2 proportionality points.


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