moving to the nrc response. shortly after 4:00 in the morning on friday, march 11, the nrc operations center made the first call are forming nrc management of the earthquake and the potential impact on u.s. plans. we went into the monitoring mode at the operations center, and the first concern for the nrc was a possible impacts of this an army on u.s. plans on the west coast. on that same day, friday march 11, we dispatch to experts to japan to help at the embassy and begin interactions with our japanese raider tory counterparts. by monday we had dispatch a total of 11 staff to japan. as i said, the areas of focus for this team of 11 to support the japanese government and respond to requests from our regulatory counterparts, nesa. to support the u.s. ambassador and his understanding of the nuclear impact of this event, and then third, to help the information flow from japan to the u.s. nrc so that we could assess the implications on the u.s. fleet in as timely a manner as possible. we've had an extensive range o

>> the way i would respond is the nrc would evaluate. both can be made safe and their requirements would assure that safety. >> mr. -- >> agree we dr. lyons. >> do you that that commission would have the opportunity to learn the lessons from japan and apply those, 0 will we have a report they're working on and ready to put out from preparation prior to the current disaster that we're studding -- studying. >> that should be left up to them. the report in july is there so-called interim report. it's due july 29th. the plan after that interim was to allow six months for public comment, further refinement, and the final report in january of next year. in response to your question, i think there's very adequate time for the brc to take whatever lessons may be necessary from japan and incorporate it in the final, if not the interim. >> the more recent news, reuters reported that plutonium has been found in the soil. reactor number 3 is the only one to use plutonium in the fuel mix, may indicate a breach in the containment mechanism. can you sp

i appreciate the visit i paid to the nrc several years ago and you the nrc operations center. i look at your day to day activities to make sure things are safe. can you tell me what the functions are of the 11 people you sent to japan and what they are doing and some of the information you might have received? >> the 11 in jewels we have -- individuals we have in japan are providing a number of services. they are looking at the nuclear reactors and helping to provide a good coordinated team to provide assistance to the embassy in japan. >> does japan have a similar operation like we have, similar to the operation we have in maryland? >> i am not sure. that in tokyo, right? >> yes. working with the nuclear revelatory authority. >> you have recommended all americans to move valleys 50 miles away. what reaction have you received -- move at least 50 miles away. what reaction have you received? you talked about the four different reactor vessels and the status of the four. do you know where the hydrogen explosion was in the fourth reactor? >> we do not have that specific informatio

>> senator udall, i think my comments would say that we should await a review of hte nrc -- of the nrc. we include within our programs research on the longevity of storage, and that may prove to be relevant in these discussions. but that would be the main area that i can think of offhand that would be applicable to your question. >> i believe there is a design where the spent fuel rods are stored in the basement or at a lower level -- >> yes, that will be the case -- i'm sorry. >> talk about the engineering challenges to do so. i happen to believe that it is easiest to bring the fuel rods out of the reactor at the top and move them at the same level into the spent fuel rods, but there are five or six stories in the air and gravity works against us in that situation. >> bill will help me on this, but i believe all the pressurized reactors in this country utilize it ground level or near-ground level storage, and knowing your interest in the small modular reactors with their underground the siding -- a grounds -- underground siting, the intent there is that it would be stored well undergr

the nrc declined an abc news request for an interview. but in recent testimony, the agency declared the nation's nuclear power plants safe and ready for catastrophic events. including earthquakes. >> i'm quite confident, we've looked at all the information that we're getting from japan. we've looked at the design basis for the u.s. reactors. we continue with the inspection program and we have a high degree of confidence that the 104 currently operating reactors, there's an adequate basis to assure adequate protection. >> reporter: that's a categorical statement. some fear far too categorical and too rosy a picture given past history. for "nightline", i'm pierre thomas in washington. >> we want to tell you that the nuclear energy institute said it would have appeared on camera but our request tonight came too late for them. in a statement, they said that nrc reports to congress in the last five years show no abnormal occurrences at u.s. nuclear plants, and they continue, america's reactors produce 20% of all our electricity at world class

the nrc is a relatively small agency. we play a critical role in protecting american people and the environment when it comes to the use of nuclear materials. we have our inspectors to work full time as every nuclear plant in the country and we are proud to have world top scientists, engineers, and professionals representing every discipline. since friday, march 11, when the earthquake in tsunami struck, the headquarters operations center has been operating on a 24-hour basis to monitor and analyze events at nuclear power plants in japan. at the request of the japanese government, and through the united states agency for international development, the nrc sent a team of technical experts to provide the on the ground support and the of been in continual contact with them since they deployed. within the united states, but the nrc has been working closely with other federal agencies as part of the u.s. government's response to the situation. in the united states, we have an obligation to the american people to undertake a sy

guest: i do not think it is the appropriate role for the nrc. we need to ensure that we can provide help to the japanese government. guest: , markey has called under agency to make public the daily situation or other documents that reflected and your staff's data de assessment or situation at the reactors. will you do that? what is the worst case scenario? how bad could it get? guest: i will look of their request. i have not seen it yet. there is not too much -- it is not too different and what i have been talking about. in terms of worst case, i do not want to go into speculating about those kinds of things because, right now the focus is on trying to resolve the situation. but we are basically working to provide recommendations to the japanese government to fundamentally deal with continued cooling of the three actors that were operating at the time of the earth quaked - - the three reactors that were operating at the time of the earthquake. four of the six reactors at th e site. that is really the focus, and everyone is working to make sure t

that is not what the nrc look said. you look at the cup of water and think of it as a nuclear reactor. the earthquake would be -- probably should fall of the water glass. -- fill up the water glass. >> do it right. >> if you think of this as a nuclear power plan, the earthquake and when you talk about the magnitude of the earthquake, it would be hitting the table with my fist. something like that. you will see that it makes the glass of vibrate. that is what we actually measure and we design or nuclear power plants around is that shaking of the power plant. the actual impact depends upon where i hit and relatiin relatie glass. have a large earthquake that is very far away, it may not have the same impact on a site as an earthquake that is maybe all little bit less but much closer. we actually worry more about, we look at all the different earthquakes that could happen in this region, and we look at that shaking and make sure that shaking can handle what we think are the maximum historical earthquakes in that region. >>

the nrc and the industry have systematic programs. they work together to revise plant protection's in the wake of the embassy bombings in 1988 as well as after september 11. i remember so well when republicans were a majority and i chaired this committee. no, it was not. it was a subcommittee. i have found out that the nrc had gone -- had gone five years without any kind of oversight. it has been very effective. it was one of the rare times when a bureaucracy has welcomed oversight. i think that is carried on to the present day. above everything else, our concern is safety. and that is your concern also. i agree with secretary to that we should continue to develop new nuclear -- secretary tchu that we should continue to develop new nuclear plants. and the two new nuclear plants under the moment in georgia and south carolina do not face risk and we should continue to move forward. the nrc and its advisory board of experts declared that it is safe and meets all regulatory requirements. it is appropriate that we move forward with the lic

you think the nrc should -- do you think the nrc should take advantage of all the -- without providing duplication? >> i cannot get too far into some of these issues because we do have an ongoing hearing related to some of the very points that you have raised. we are prohibited from discussing those things outside the context of the commission. >> right. i will tell you what it seems to me and my constituents. having the best minds working together and looking at the seismic issues makes the most sense. first and foremost, this is about safety. seismic concerns also impact affordability and region as well. this is -- not to deploy from the authority of the federal agency, but to work with other agencies, i look forward to working with you in this area. >> we actually did post a workshop within the last year. we had technical experts have a discussion for the point that you said. we're certainly always open to hearing to give permission from any technical expert who can provide information to us. but the decision making has to come from our experts that. >> right. my constituents have b

the nrc is a relatively small agency. we play a critical role in protecting american people and the environment when it comes to the use of nuclear materials. we have our inspectors to work full time as every nuclear plant in the country and we are proud to have world top scientists, engineers, and professionals representing every discipline. since friday, march 11, when the earthquake in tsunami struck, the headquarters operations center has been operating on a 24-hour basis to monitor and analyze events at nuclear power plants in japan. at the request of the japanese government, and through the united states agency for international development, the nrc sent a team of technical experts to provide the on the ground support and the of been in continual contact with them since they deployed. within the united states, but the nrc has been working closely with other federal agencies as part of the u.s. government's response to the situation. in the united states, we have an obligation to the american people to undertake a sy

>> well, it is an nrc decision but the nrc will be looking at that i'm sure based on events.s is not to say that we believe that reactor is unsafe. we believe that reactor is safe. there is constant scrutiny of the reactors in all of our plants around the united states. >> chris: based on what happened in japan the last week, would you build a reactor within 50 miles of 20 million americans? >> certainly where we site reactors going forward will be different than we might have sited them in the past i would say. >> chris: this is a game changer? >> any time there is a serious accident we have to learn from those accidents and go forward. >> chris: what effect do you expect the events in japan and in libya to have on the price of gas at the pump this summer? >> that is hard to expect. my in tuition about how the events in for example japan would affect the gasoline prices any uncertainty in the middle east begins to show doubt but we hope that those situations will resolve. the thing that the president has stressed is that the events in libya have interrupted a small capacity

. -- thank all of the nrc staff that have responded to this event. they're working very hard, very long hours, still doing their real jobs too. that has to be our first priority. i won the spade -- make special note of the team of people that volunteered to go to japan on notice, that -- on no notice, working in a way that there is no operating procedure to operate in. they had had to develop it on the go. there are many people that have worked very hard. we have sent another person to help in that team leader role, and there is the next wave of nrc employees that have volunteered. they will be leaving, i think it is tomorrow, and the last element of that group on thursday. i want to make special note of their commitment and professionalism. >> i appreciate that and your work as well. at this point, we do have proposal that captures at a high level some of these ideas for a path forward. i would encourage that we move on that as promptly as possible. i thought i would offer at this time an opportunity if the one wants to make comments on that or any

. >> senator boxer says she will not approve recertification of the plants if the nrc cannot prove that they will stand -- that the reactors will withstand a strong earthquake and tsunami. more than 7 million people live in close proximity to those two plants. >>> this morning we are learning more about the devastating human toll of the triple disaster in japan. now word that 14 elderly patients died after being transferred out of a hospital in the radiation zone to a

they should be conducted by the nrc.i said, we will evaluate internet's agency issues and look for applicability to non- reactor facilities. i expect this report to have substantial stake for involvement. the outcomes are likely to be the line -- along the lines of generic letter is an bulletin's. so, in conclusion i would like to make it clear that we continue to make our domestic responsibilities of licensing and oversight of the u.s. licensees our top priority. there is an immediate short-term and long-term of celebration that is beginning and they will be influenced by our understanding of the events in japan. with that, it concludes my presentation and i am ready to answer any questions. >> well, thank you, bill, for that thorough presentation. we have a proposal in front of the commission right now to determine the short-term and long-term reviews. we will take a look at that and provide response in fairly short order again, i would like to reiterate my thanks to the work that has been done over the last several da

the nrc, the nuclear regulatory commission talking tough yesterday about the situation in japan. how good of a job do you think they do overall here in the united states watch dogging the nuclear plants here? >> i think the nrc does a good job setting the safety bar at the level and where they have problem is enforcing those situations and let too many limbo beneath the safety bar instead of meet the safety regulations. >> if can i get your thoughts on a lot of these licenses for these nuclear plants here in the united states they have this arbitrary number their licenses get renewed over 40 years and when they are renew it's stamped another additional 20 years. where do they come up with the numbers and do you think those requirements are accurate? >> the original 40 years was an arbitrary. it matched what the fcc gave for radio stations. they were licensed for 40 years so they gave nuclear plants licenses for 40 years. 20 years is thought to be roughly half of that. since we've never been in though territories we will go half of that and take a look after 60 years. >> like jim

does any of the experience from your career at nrc, do you have any significant lessons learned from the process? not the substantive technical details, but the process deployed following other significant events that would help inform the task force and execution of its mission? >> i think it is very important that the task force keep a broad perspective of the regulatory framework that exists within the nrc and the legal framework that exists within the united states. because there is a temptation to, i think, andc tried to pile in every good idea that exists into something that becomes unmanageable. and the ultimate could actually end up being counterproductive to safety. there was a degree of that in my opinion proposal, only speaking of my personal opinion, after three mile island. when i started with the agency in 1983, we were still in the midst of following of the actions of three mile island. it was a new regulation, and anybody started nrc in started -- who started here has the number burned into their brain. some of the fixes that i alluded to were absolutely instrumental

the nrc says it was ten times the industry standard. edison officials say the complaints have been addressed. >> whatever you may think the standards of safety are at your local car dealership or your local high school, there are 100 -- 1,000 times higher at a nuclear power plant, so we're very concerned about any allegations of this type. >> reporter: in his lawsuit, the oceanside man claims he was insuring the safety of his colleagues. >> and i know they're not the ones turning the wrenches on the reactor, but their work is vital to the successful operation of the plant. the >> that was nbc's vicki vargas reporting. >>> the drug-selling allegations against a former east bay narcotics commander has spawned a civil lawsuit against the city of antioch. a vallejo criminal law specialist is representing five people arrested in drug raids in antioch. they're suing norman welch and several members of the antioch police department, claiming they were searched illegal lie and that their property was stolen by officers. their attorney released

chairman, do you have nrc in japan right now? >> we have two nrc technical experts in japan. they're working to provide information to the u.s. and deceit. -- u.s. embassy. is it as bad as it is going to get? >> i do not want to speculate on how this will progress. i will say this is a serious situation, and we continue to provide whatever assistance is requirerequested from us. i would add that japan is a technically advanced nuclear country, and they possess significant technical resources and capability on their own. >> the president has not seen anything in japan that will lead him to change his position to continue to get power from the nuclear resources in the united states? >> information is still coming in. these gentlemen address the issues of safety and security in the american nuclear program. as more information comes in, it will be evaluated. 20% of our electricity is generated by nuclear power. it is already a major component of our energy in the united states. >> to reiterate, we are an independent regulatory authority, and we always keep the focus, on a day-to

the nrc will an analyze the riskover those plants. they responded by saying, although many safety measures have been taken to address -- >>> ktvu's ken pritchett live where travelers had a number of concerns on their mind. >> reporter: the state department made these free flights available for certain people who wanted to leave japan. and i talked to a spokesman here at travis base. she says this is the only, the first and only stop for these flights. on a commercial plane chartered by the u.s. government, at an unusual location travis air force base. 250 people mostly women and children stepped on u.s. soil after a heroing 11 days in japan. >> i was more concerned about the radiation in the cockpit. >> reporter: that was the concern among the people we spoke to. she says the quake was scary, the unknowns about radiation from the damaged nuclear plants was worse. >> the wind and how the plume was coming, it might have come actually today, there was a chance of it coming over our base. >> reporter: maureen is a teacher, her school on b

when you take the wrapper off of this you see it has lots of warts on it, let me talk about the,nrcs, in the west. i know you all have your own. but i saw a persuasive speech by randy who is quite properly convincing. changes all the way from stainless steel pillows to ten gallons and black pillows of this. vegetationle changes, the lesson here, i think in general and this applies to,usgs, and national weather, we need to make sure the networks are in good enough shape to make these decisions. they don't cost a lot of money but you need to know the data out there is quite flawed and we need to take care of it and make sure in the future it's doing what it needs to for us. let me expand this. there's a very nasty fight going on on the future of some satellites right now. the fight involved climate centers on these centers and certain governments want to toss them in favor of weather sensors. weather is important but climate also is. it effects all of us. no data means no good research fundamentally. so i encourage you not to lose site of some of these bigger issues. >> very good. >> on

the company responded saying -- since that time, the nrc has concluded these issues have been addressed. >> regulatory requirements stringent enough? >> today, he is watching events unfold in japan with sadness and concern, wonder federal government the issues he raised in '76 are now going to be answered in the aftermath. we do want to point out nbc is partly owned by ge. he also expressed concern that most of a mark one plants were built 40 years ago and are reaching the end of their licensed life span and says some are getting government extensions. >> thank you. >>> anxious moments today in newark now where a two alarm fire at a refinery caused an acid spill. the fire was reported this morning at the evergreen oil refinery. equipment failure released hy o hydrocarbon, which caught fire. one worker was injured. al a spokesperson says there was no risk to public health and no shelter orders were issued. >>> a bomb squad detonated a suspicious package found outside city hall. the blast could be heard blocks away. police discovered the package after a tip from a nearby store flow. >>> n

this is the same advice that the nrc would give if this incident were taking place in thenit uni states. >> how u.s. military pilots are not being allowed within that radius of the plant except for the ones who are going to assist in some relief missions. they are getting those iodine tablets. as the white house delivers the urgent message to get away, france and australia are telling their folks to get out of japan all together. steven chu told congress he can't say whether japan is responding appropriately because even he is hearing conflicting reports. the head of the nuclear regul regulatory commission -- nbc bay area news. >> thank you very much. >>> a bay area woman knows firsthand what it's like to survive a nuclear disaster. jodi hernandez introduces us to a victim of chernobyl. >> nobody probably understands the impact of nuclear disaster unless you experience it yourself. >> reporter: and she is experienced just that. she is from belarus, the country located near chernobyl. >> the winds were so strong that day that everything blew on to belarus. >> reporter: her mother was pre

so unless we -- this really goes back to the report is from nrc. what we do at fema, prior to this report, based upon regulatory requirements to do the exercises and things we exercise against. that's an ongoing program. i'm not sure what the nrc is, with this report, what, if anything, would change from that. regarding the plant. >> if pi want to find that out have to reach out to them. >> yes, sir. >> okay. let me just backtrack for a second. god forbid anything like this happens. just take this particular plant, it's near the ocean. very similar situation. apparently number two in the country. how confident are you that if something like this happens in the u.s. that you'll have the ability, and i understand apparently from some of the testimony, what i've read is apparently you guys are in charge. in terms of implementing, you're the go-to people now? is that accurate in terms of dictating who does what and who's in charge? an ongoing plan that's developing? >> in response to nuclear power plant, the inside of the facility is regulated by nucle

denton choppers to three mile island with an nrc team to take charge. >> please stay indoors with your windows closed. >> reporter: in nearby middletown shops and schools close. pennsylvania governor dick thornburg ordered pregnant women and preschool aged children within a five mile radiation to evacuate. >> he is only two and you don't want to take a chance when they are this little. >> reporter: as fears increased, plant information is fragmented. >> confusion, contradiction and questions clouded the atmosphere like a tomorrow-- atomic particles. >> reporter: that night denton breaks the news, a partial meltdown has occurred. >> we are concerned, though, about the status of the fuel in the core. there is extensive fuel damage. >> reporter: on saturday, there are new worries about the core containment vessel. >> we found out that there was a bubble of hydrogen in the vessel and there was a lot of attention given to could it explode. >> reporter: eventually denton's team concludes there is no danger of an explosion. so on sunday president jimmy carter tours the plant with denton. afte

further, since that time the nrc has concluded these issues had been satisfactorily addressed. questions on nuclear power. >> are the regulatory requirements string gent enough. >> reporter: he is watching with sadness and concern wondering if the issues he raised are now going to be answered in the aftermath. >> that was marianne favro reporting. you may know that nbc is partly owned by general electric. there were a series of retrofits. he's not certain if the plant in japan was beefed up to withstand more pressure. he expressed concerns that most here were built 40 years ago and reaching the end of their licensed life. >> this morning president obama will outline his plan for an energy strategy. he says rising gas prices, highlight the need for the u.s. to become more independent in full filling the country's energy needs. for more on business news before the bell let's turn to partly ge owned cnbc anchor nicole lapin. good morning. >> partly owned comcast, and kntv the way you all work me. all right, look. stocks closed higher yesterday. thin trading. despite weak data on h

so unless we -- this really goes back to the report is from nrc. what we do at fema, prior to this report, based upon regulatory requirements to do the exercises and things we exercise against. that's an ongoing program. i'm not sure what the nrc is, with this report, what, if anything, would change from that. regarding the plant. >> if pi want to find that out have to reach out to them. >> yes, sir. >> okay. let me just backtrack for a second. god forbid anything like this happens. just take this particular plant, it's near the ocean. very similar situation. apparently number two in the country. how confident are you that if something like this happens in the u.s. that you'll have the ability, and i understand apparently from some of the testimony, what i've read is apparently you guys are in charge. in terms of implementing, you're the go-to people now? is that accurate in terms of dictating who does what and who's in charge? an ongoing plan that's developing? >> in response to nuclear power plant, the inside of the facility is regulated by nucle

. >> senator boxer says that she will not reapprove recertification of the plant in the new nrc cannot prove that the plants can withstand a strong quake and tsunami. >>> more than 7 million people live in close proximity to those plants. some bay area restaurants feeling the effects of the disaster. items they import for the menu not available. >> we get a good amount of our fish from japan for the seafood market menu. specials on the weekends, saturday night. and that will be impacted by the earthquake and tsunami. >> the owners of this restaurant from san francisco say one of their chefs works with a supplier in a tokyo fish market to get their fish on the weekend menu. that market is the world's largest. it should stay open, but supply has dwindled due to a lack of fishermen and transportation. in addition to the change on the menu, the disaster has hit home in other ways. >> we have three gentlemen standing behind me from japan. working on them a better understanding friends and family in their life. >> reporter: japanese beer will also be hard to come by. breweries in japan bottl

so unless we -- this really goes back to the report is from nrc. what we do at fema, prior to this report, based upon regulatory requirements to do the exercises and things we exercise against. that's an ongoing program. i'm not sure what the nrc is, with this report, what, if anything, would change from that. regarding the plant. >> if pi want to find that out have to reach out to them. >> yes, sir. >> okay. let me just backtrack for a second. god forbid anything like this happens. just take this particular plant, it's near the ocean. very similar situation. apparently number two in the country. how confident are you that if something like this happens in the u.s. that you'll have the ability, and i understand apparently from some of the testimony, what i've read is apparently you guys are in charge. in terms of implementing, you're the go-to people now? is that accurate in terms of dictating who does what and who's in charge? an ongoing plan that's developing? >> in response to nuclear power plant, the inside of the facility is regulated by nucle

the two nrc officials have not experienced any issues but their safety is important to us. in tokyo, there is no direct impact from the nuclear incident. >> can you talk about the logistical challenges? >> i would defer some of those two the folks at aid we have been working with to -- >> our people have not been impaired and their ability to reach unto our japanese counterparts. we are sending another technical expert to join the team. in the context of the coordination mr. brennan has been doing, we are working closely with colleagues in the pentagon to make sure any assets need to be brought in there. >> we will take one question. >> [inaudible] what are the japanese doing? >> the first crisis is getting the coolant to the reactors. they are making sure that remains cooled properly. from a u.s. perspective, we are closely evaluating our options and the mechanism here is president obama convened a panel chaired by mr. lee hamilton that group will be looking at all the options for the u.s. and by july we will come back with interim use on the actions we ought to think abou

further, since that time the nrc has repeatedly concluded these issues had been satisfactorily addressed. he questions government regulations on nuclear power. >> are the regulatory requirements stringent enough? >> reporter: today he watches events unfold in japan with sadness and concerns wondering if the issues he raised in '76 will be answered in the aftermath. nbc spartly owned by ge. he said some of the mark one plants did undergo a series of retrofits, but he's not certain whether the plant is japan was beefed up to with stands more intense pressure. he expressed concern that most of the mark one plants in the u.s. were built 40 years ago and are reaching the end of their licensed life. >> fascinating story. >>> still ahead, a mountain lion shot and killed in the heart of a bay area suburb. how can an animal this size make it to the middle of town without being seen? >>> i think there is a misperception with oatmeal that oatmeal is healthy and people typically think this is going to be a healthy option for me. >> he they call it the healthy fast food alternative, but what do you r

and you have the head of public affairs for the nrc, the nuclear regulatory commission, who's trying to walk back some of mr. jaczco's comments today saying they understand the japanese are denying that there is a problem at reactor 4. they're trying to run that to ground. but what he's saying is they are erring on the side of caution. they're trying to be very conservative because this is a very serious situation. brian. >> anne thompson in our london bureau tonight. anne, thanks. >>> we have more now on the humanitarian crisis. since friday's earthquake and tsunami, with more than 4,000 dead now and thousands more missing, hope is dimming that additional survivors can be found. and the search for them has become more difficult, because the weather in northern japan has deteriorated. as you'll see, there have been freak snowstorms in small towns, like miyako, japan, where angus walker, of our british partner, itn, meets some of the people there trying to help. >> reporter: miyako, a fishing port where the harbor offered no sanctuary. a ferry is now marooned in the middle of town. yo

. >> senator boxer says she will not approve recertification of the plants if the new nrc can't prove the plants will withstand a strong quake and tsunami. more than 7 million people live in close proximity to the two plants. >>> well, even now some bay area restaurants are feeling the effects of the disaster in japan because items they import for their menu aren't available anymore. >> to get a good amount of fish from japan from our market menu which is a real specialized menu. on the weekends, thursday, friday, saturday night. and that will be impacted by the earthquake and tsunami. >> the owners in san francisco say one of their chefs works with suppliers at the fish market in tokyo to get fish for their weekend menu. the market is the world's largest. and although it is open, its supply has dwindled due to lack of fishermen and transportation. owners say in addition to the change on the menu, the disaster has hit home in other ways, too. >> we have three gentlemen standing behind me from japan and working with them to give a better understanding of how it's affecting friends and

crisis there, now we've heard of the third nuclear reactor in danger there at the fukushima plant, the nrc here in washington, the nuclear regulatory commission, has sent two officials who have expertise in their -- in their brand of nuclear reactor, these boiling water reactors, to try to help them with that crisis. terrell? >> is washington talking about this nuclear crisis in japan? are lawmakers suggesting we rethink our nuclear plans? >> that was a big topic, terrell, of the sunday talk shows. there's a big movement now among several in congress, also from environmentalists, to try to put a halt to this nuclear renaissance that the white house has really been behind. they are supporting nuclear energy, but now some lawmakers, joe lieberman of connecticut and ed markey of massachusetts, and he's on the energy committee, are calling for a rethink, or at least a pause in the u.s.' plan to really support the regulatory renaissance of the nuclear industry, and they really want to put a halt to signing of new nuclear plants in the u.s. we'll see where that goes. for right now the white hous

yesterday the nrc looked at the available information that we had.based on that information we took a look at out we would deal with a situation similar to that in the united states and based on that we recommended that citizens out to about 50 miles should be evacuated. we provided that recommendation to the ambassador and he issued a statement for american citizens to that effect. and i want to stress that this is we think a prudent precautionary measure to take. and finally i just want to reiterate that we don't see any concern from radiation levels that could be harmful here in the united states or any of the u.s. territories, so i will turn it over to dan. >> thank you and good morning. we have continued working very hard in consultation with our great friends and strong allies in japan as they have come to terms and wrestle with this very challenging situation. i think most of you know that our equipment that we sent over to support them in their efforts has arrived on a c-17. we sent a team of 33 additional people, which were added to the six

perspective,nrc's we are always concerned about the safety of power plants in this country.we do. we always take the new information into consideration and make changes if necessary. right now, we continue to believe that nuclear power plants in this country operate safely and securely. i will stop with that point. >> following up on that, any attempt at this stage to assess or carry on a study of the ability of the plants in the united states to withstand an earthquake? at least one of the reactors in jeopardy in japan, is there more concerned about that type of situation pending? >> with regards to the u.s. power plants, the u.s. plants are designed to very high standards for the effects of earthquakes. all of our plans are designed to withstand significant natural phenomenon like earthquake, tornado, or a tsunami. we believe we have a strong regulatory structure in place. as we always do, as an independent regulatory agency, we will continue to take a new information and see if there are changes that we need to make with their program. with regards to the fuel, we are pro

are closer to the plant are now raising concerns and the president and senator boxer both calling on nrc to conduct a review. >> this planlt was designed initially to withstand a major quake, a fault scientists knew about in 1968. roughly 70 miles away n 1971 discovery another fault force aid redesign. and then, two years ago, another one discovered just a half mile from the plant. >> this is a very close to the shore line. >> they led the team to discover the fault. >> and near the fault we haven't determined that at this time. >> original estimates put the quake phone shall at 7.5. pg&e recently petitioned to lower that number. >> into this 6.5 region. >> but the director does not agree with numbers. >> we would say this would still be capable of a 7.5 quake. >> this commission says they'll study projections and san luis obispo state senator sam blakesly is calling on pg&e to withdraw to extend the life of the plant for another 20 years. and pg&e says it's moving ahead. the chair of the mission was asked does diablo canyon sit on a fault? the wansz indirect. >> with the plants in calif

senator boxer joined other washington lawmakers in grilling the nrc today in how it plans to react to unforeseen problems with our plants. california senators sent a letter demanding that a new emergency protocol be developed in light of what happened in japan. now in the aftermath of the quake and the tsunami, we're learning more about the impact to wildlife. thousands of fish and sea birds have been killed near japan and even near hawaii. we look at what expert believe will be the long term outcome. >> reporter: chilling video of tsunami fueled waves battering the japanese coastline. images of destruction replying out before the eyes of the world. some are wondering about the impact on the tsunami's unseen victims, the marine life below the surging tides. >> this is a snake eel. >> reporter: he traveled to indonesia shortly after it was ravaged by a massive tsunami in 2004. >> above water, it was devastated. hotels, bungalows, everything. immediately below the shoreline it was a similar story. from the surface to about ten foot down, you could see that after three years, the tsunami

further, since that time the nrc has concluded that these issues have been satisfactorily addressed. as he looks at the unfolding race, he's saddened by it. >> i wish that it hadn't happened. i desperately wanted changes to be made back in 1976. some were but maybe not enough. >> we want to point out nbc is partly owned by ge. he says he believes we should continue an in-depth safety assessment of nuclear power. if we can't answer critical questions, we need to rely on alternative sources of energy and says that the scrutiny is important that most of the mark 1 reactors built 40 years ago are reaching the end of their licensed life. marianne, nbc bay area news. >> marianne, thank you. very interesting. now to the state budget battle in sacramento, turning into a scramble, republicans have given him the old bait and switch with a negotiating group that was pulling back instead. the senate republican leader came forward with a list of 53 republican demands to fix california's budget deficit. brown wants to ask voters to extend temporary increases in sales, income, and vehicle taxes for

. >> reporter: in an interview with nbc news, the nrc chairman said he made his decision after talking to the nrc's own group of technical experts in tech owe. >> they provided us with information that indicated that there was a significantly degraded condition in the spent fuel. you could have a significant release of radiation from that spent fuel pool. >> reporter: at the white house the press secretary jay carny disputed the notion they didn't trust information coming from japanese officials. >> it's standards set here in the united states and the kind of advice it would be giving should this incident happen in the united states or something similar to it. not about the quality of information or the level of cooperation. it's about our analysis and our standard. >> reporter: the fear of radiation exposure has already driven some americans in japan to leave. >> both my wife and i nearly into a panic. we said, we've got to get the hell out of here. >> reporter: in this country people worried about the possibility of radiation making its way to the west coast have been buying up thous

if they would be safe under an earthquake as massive as this, now upgraded to a 9.0, the head of the nrcouldn't say for sure. they are earthquake resistant, tsunami and tornado resistant, but when it comes to this size of a massive earthquake, no final word on that. >> thanks a lot. >>> 6:44. a federal court will hear arguments today on whether san francisco's ranked choice voting system is constitution al. ranked choice lets the public mark their first, second and third picks in an election and then, if need ed, a series of elimination rounds takes place to found a winner. the ninth u.s. circuit court of appeals will hear today's arguments. a district supervisor says the system is unfair and creates a series of small runoff elections. backers of the system says it saves the city money and stream lines the voting process. >> the ncaa basketball tournament unofficially gets under way tonight. four teams will square off to see who gets into the bracket of 64 teams. two more games are going to be played tomorrow night before the tournament really gets under way on thursday, a play-in game.

pg&e seismologist petition the nrc to lower the number. >> in the 6.0to 6.5 region for maximum earthquake> director of the earthquake science center in menlo park doesn't agree with the company numbers. >> we would say it would still be capable of a magnitude 7.5 earthquake. >> nuclear regulatory commission says the seismologist will study pg&e projections. in the mean time san luis obispo state senator sam blakeslee calling on pg&e to withdraw the application to extend the life of the plant for another 20 years. pg&e says it is moving ahead with the license renewal and today white house briefing the chair of the nuclear regulatory commission was asked l diablo canyon sit on an earthquake fault. the answer was in direct. >> well, certainly with the plant in california they are designed to very robust seismic standard and for the ones on the coast they are also designed to deal with very significant tsunami. >> seismic structure in california is not the same as in japan. >> we have earthquake fault in california that are strike slip fault. move horizontal one plate against the next n.japan

. >> senator boxer says she will not approve recertification of the plants if the nrc cannot prove thathey will stand -- that the reactors will withstand a strong earthquake and tsunami. more than 7 million people live in close proximity to those two plants. >>> this morning we are learning more about the devastating human toll of the triple disaster in japan. now word that 14 elderly patients died after being transferred out of a hospital in the radiation zone to a temporary shelter in a high school gym. at this hour, more than 5,300 people are confirmed dead but that number is expected to grow to well over 10,000 people. 450,000 people are staying in emergency shelters. >>> if you would plik to help the people of japan, of course, you can donate to the american red cross. one of the safe ways to go about doing that. you can go to redcross.org or find american red cross on facebook. you can also text red cross to 90999. each text will donate $10 to the red cross' humanitarian efforts. >>> a former u.s. president is weighing in on the disaster in japan. bill clinton was in san francisco

also, the white house has put forward the chief of the nrc, nuclear regulatory commission, to assure americans that our plants are safe. more than 100 of them in this country. however, he would not say whether they would withstand an earthquake as strong as what we saw in japan. that's now been upgraded to a 9.1. back to you, laura. >> amazing. thanks you very much, tracie. >>> officials think that $40 million in damage was caused statewide in the tsunami. santa cruz harbor, 18 both sank and more than 100 damaged. ten still unaccounted for. the harbor is still closed and may stay that way for several more days. >>> a 21-year-old rape victim told a jury yesterday that the alleged gang rape ruined every aspect of her life. remembers a party that took place at a home in san jose, nothing else afterwards exzemt september waking up at a hospital. lawyers for the two men on trial will cross-examine her today. in 2007 criminal charges were dropped by the santa clara district attorney citing nearly everyone involved had been drinking. >>> today is a deadline for teachers and administrators a

the nrc continues to update -- >> you said post 9/11 there were extra upgrades put in to make sure these nuclear plants could handle a total power shut down? >> we've done things post 9/11 to make sure if something happened our plant like in japan we lost all power we could get water to the core and continue to cool it. >> when will we know if they have this situation under control in japan? >> it's going to probably still be days. they are doing everything in their power. i heard the ambassador. i'm sure our country is helping them. we stand ready to help. they are doing everything remarkably well. >> thanks for coming in on short notice. thanks four expertise. >>> we're going to turn now senior senator from new york, democrat chuck schumer. welcome back to "meet the press." senator schumer, i want to ask you about nuclear power. just in january you had been inching towards being in support of expanding nuclear power in this country. up said quote it makes a great deal of sense, it's clean and now it's pretty safe. watching everything unfolding do you still feel that way? >> we're going