Is the U.S. ready for nuclear crisis?

More than 20 million people live within 50 miles of the Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan, New York. STORY HIGHLIGHTSDozens of U.S. cities with more than 100,000 people are within 50 miles of a nuclear plantNRC requires evacuation plan for areas within 10 miles of a nuclear plantBut feds say if problem similar to Fukushima happened in U.S., they'd want 50-mile evacuationWestchester County, New York, official: "We would have to go back to the drawing board" (CNN) -- If a serious nuclear accident were to happen in the United States, would we be able to evacuate to safety? That question now appears more than academic and all too realistic as the Japanese try to limit the release of deadly radiation from the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

The chances of a severe accident are extremely remote, according to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, but in light of the Japanese accident, the possibility must be considered.

It is a particularly apt issue for those living near a nuclear power plant. Millions do. There are 25 nuclear reactors in the United States located within 25 miles of cities with populations of at least 100,000 people. Another 98 cities of that size are 50 miles or closer to a nuclear power plant. (To see how far you live from a nuclear facility, click here.)

Major city centers in the vicinity of nuclear reactors include: Charlotte, North Carolina, 15 miles from the McGuire facility; Rochester, New York, 17 miles from the Ginna plant; Omaha, Nebraska,18 miles from the Fort Calhoun reactor; and Miami, 25 miles from Turkey Point.

The plant near the largest population center in the country is Entergy's Indian Point Energy Center in Buchanan, New York. Two reactors operate about 25 miles from the limits of New York City and about 35 miles from midtown Manhattan. About 310,000 people live within 10 miles of the plant; more than 20 million live within 50 miles of it.

View the Original article