usaid is leading the humanitarian effort with health and human services and the nuclear regulatory commission and others. homeland security -- the homeland security adviser is cordoning the process with regard to japan and engaging with officials across the government. we knew you would have a lot of questions especially with regard to nuclear issues. i brought with me today the chairman of the nuclear regulatory commission and he can answer questions about safety in japan and update americans about the impact of the accident. or the aftermath of the tsunami and earthquake. i also have the deck -- deputy secretary of energy and he can outline everything we're doing

nuclear regulatory commission said it believed the cooling pool in reactor four was completely dry, leaving the nuclear material to get hotter and hotter. officials hope a new power line will soon restore the facility's crucial water pumps, but for now, the last line of defense is a rotating group of workers inside, known as the faceless 50, who are risking their lives to prevent a catastrophe. wednesday, even they were forced out of the facility for about an hour because of high radiation levels. and, katie, we found out just this morning that the united states has offered the use of a high-tech drone to fly over this troubled site to take detailed pictures of what's going on inside. this is actually a spy drone which means it's equipped with infrared equipment which can look down and look inside and find out exactly where the hottest spots are. >> couric: we know so far wind has been blowing in a direction that has been pushing the radiation particles from the reactor out to sea. could that weather pattern be changing in any way? >> reporter: yeah, we've been really, really lucky. the pre

of hearings demanding the nuclear regulatory commission reinspect the safety of those reactors immediately. >> there was a 9.0 earthquake in a place where they never, ever thought. wouldn't you immediately say as the lead person with all the american people behind you, guess what? i'm independent. i represent the american people, and i want to make sure, and i'm going to go back to every plant that's on -- and not wait two years. find out now. >> 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

nuclear regulatory commission says it is very unlikely that we will feel any harmful effects here inhe united states. manuel gallegus, cbs news, new york. >>> we'll be right back with a check of the weather. this is the "cbs morning news." york. >>> we'll be right back with a check of the weather. this is the "cbs morning news." [ sneezing ] ♪ [ male announcer ] what are you gonna miss when you have an allergy attack? benadryl® is more effective than claritin® at relieving your worst symptoms and works when you need it most. benadryl®. you can't pause life. do you want to try my crest extra white with scope outlast? i'm good. i bet your breath will still feel fresh when the movie's over. if i win i'm going to vegas with the boys. okay, if i win, you're going to yoga with me. i love yoga. [ female announcer ] crest extra white plus scope outlast for a whiter smile and a fresh breath feeling that lasts up to 5 times longer than ordinary toothpaste. still fresh? yep. i want to be mad, but it's tough with that smile. [ female announcer ] crest extra white plus scope outlast. vegas. >>> h

independent of whether there's some water or a lot of water, i think we also-- i wish the nuclear regulatory commission chair had said something about the spent fuel pools in this country because the brookhaven national lab did a study for the nuclear regulatory commission in 1997, estimating the damages at anywhere from 700 million to 500 billion dollars, with a "b." and that--. >> woodruff: in this country. >> in this country. and boiling water reactors. indicating that precautionary measures should be taken here. so i think--. >> woodruff: i was just anything to say, to keep the focus on japan. >> right. >> woodruff: because that's where we are today. what are the questions at this point that you think most need to be answered that you're not hearing answers to? >>. >> well, one of the things i think tokyo electric--. >> woodruff: being the-- >> the power company that owns the plants. i think they ought to be measuring radiation out to, you know, into the area where people are actually living and in the houses that are being evacuated and publishing updates. so we can actually have some idea as to w

another story that came out of this disaster in japan, in the united states the head of the nuclear regulatory commission today said all american nuclear reactors are built to withstand earthquakes and tsunamis. but the extreme situation in japan is raising concerns nonetheless about the aging nuke plants here in this country. our report tonight from nbc's tom costello. >> reporter: since 1957, nuclear power has been part of the u.s. energy grid. today 104 plants operate in 31 states, most built more than 30 years ago. according to nuclear regulatory commission data analyzed by msnbc.com, the plant with the highest risk of an earthquake-causing catastrophic damage isn't in california but rather just 24 miles north of new york city. the indian point reactor, licensed in 1976, sits on a previously unknown fault line and faces a one in 10,000 chance of a catastrophic earthquake causing core damage. >> this plant in this proximity to new york city was never a good risk, but this is new information that we're going to pursue. >> reporter: nuclear plants in massachusetts, pennsylvania, tennessee, florida, virg

i'm looking to you for more leadership. >> nuclear regulatory commission chairman says the commission has two inspectors at every u.s. nuclear plant at all times. diablo canyon is in the process of having license renewed and seismic safety is one issue being considered. >> rescue and recovery continues in japan, we have one incredible story tonight of how one japanese exchange student discovered her family's fate through you tube. she attends uc riverside spent three days searching for any signs of her family. they flif a small fishing village where more than half of the residents are missing and feared dead. she'd lost hope until receiving a message about a you tube video. >> my friends called me and he she said i watched the news p maybe, i think... it's your sister. she said they all survived and said please tell my younger sister we all survived. >> what a relief for her. she is now using the internet to try to let her relatives know she's seen the message and thankful for thinking of her while dealing with this tragedy. >> california state university system decided to pull all st

those on the drawing board of the nuclear regulatory commission. course, we have a large number of nuclear reactors in our [unintelligible] it has been operating since the 1950's. the question i will be looking forward to hearing more about our many of the same ones as senator feinstein spoke of. what kind of safety enhancements have been made at our nuclear plants since they began operation? i mean our current plans. how will the next generation of reactors have improved safety capabilities over reactors that are in service, not just in the u.s., but around the world today? one of the most important things the federal government can do about clean energy is research. we have the capacity for that. i was in great britain for three days last week. they reminded me that we are the ones with the national laboratories and the great research laboratories. if any country is good to have advanced research in clean energy, it ought to be the united states. we can do that for ourselves and the world. nuclear power is one area in which we can have that. bett

nuclear regulatory commission's he said all of the cooling water was gone -- the head of the u.s. nuclear regulatory commission said that all of the cooling water was gone from the spent fuel pool. >> i am deeply concerned that the nuclear plant situation is critical. >> reporter: people continue to stream out of the fukushima prefecture. what may have been is similar to the meltdown at 3-mile island. >> it is going to take days or maybe even weeks before we know. >> reporter: we have confirmed that u.s. department of energy experts are in japan right now and a that is tracking the radiation from the experts insist there is no risk to anyone in the u.s. john fowler, ktvu channel 2 news. >>> secretary steven chu testified for several hours today looking into nuclear safety in the united states. two physicists from uc berkeley told the senators that the u.s. remains committed to nuclear power and will learn from the crisis in japan. >>> one lawmaker is calling for a seismic study. pg&e will renew its license even though it does not expire for 12 years. sam blakely holds a doctorate i

nuclear regulatory commission says, while the water is gone from one of the

as the dutchman of our nuclear regulatory commission and many other -- that is the judgment of our nuclear regulatory commission and many other experts. they do not recommend people in the united states take precautionary measures beyond staying informed. >> people have managed to come out unscathed from last friday's terrible event. >> nearly a week on from the disaster, these pictures are a reminder of the moment of greatest terror for people living along the coast line. it was the tsunami that claimed the most lives. now this local reporter's own story emerged, showing us what it was like to be caught in the tsunami. the water closing in rapidly behind them. the people in this community are about to have the narrowest of escapes. this father and two children are stranded on top of cars. this woman clings perilously to a tree. with the help of a fire hose, she is brought to safety as an aftershock shakes the whole area. thank you, she tells her rescuers. thank you. i thought i was going to die. rescuing the family takes longer. eventually, it is successful, too. the children's father sai

nuclear regulatory commission as head says the damage was not troll serious done the trick ponies admit and has told americans in their rage evacuated from the wide terror trade center that the shore excursions are. to leave it is not in military claiming the ground by the rebel forces and while the u.n. security council is discussing a no fly zone over the country a measure many governments of the. next day you want to show the politics surrounding nuclear energy in japan also america's policy game in bahrain as tensions in the country rise following the latest bloody crackdown by i think it was. it. welcome a lot of show of the real headlines with none of the mercy or can we live in washington d.c. now tonight we'll bring you the latest from japan now a look at the politics surrounding nuclear energy every kind of energy why don't we have better options then it's finally come to an aunt the u.s. and pakistan have reached a deal on the raymond davis case which involves giving blood money to the families of the victims we'll give you details on the case and we'll find out of this is wha

the nuclear regulatory commission says no. tracy potts, nbc news, washington. >>> the shaking is not over in japan. aftershocks continue. we're in the tokyo area this morning with descriptions of what's happening there. >> we've been feeling aftershock after aftershock. 6.2 magnitude. we were told that it felt like a 6.2. the place is rattling. at one point i felt like i had to go under the desk to make sure nothing would fall on top of me. that got our attention here at the hotel. i was on the third floor when it happened. my other colleagues were on the ninth floor. they said it was shaking pretty good up on the top floor. there have been lines of people stocking up on food and water in the supermarkets in tokyo, trying to stock up on food and water. as well as gasoline. long lines at gasoline stations. north of tokyo. back to you. >>> we're getting more estimates at the damage here at home. in santa cruz a wave caused $17 million in damage to the harbor, $4 million in damage to private boats. right now no boats are allowed

but nuclear regulatory commission safety records show more than 50 safety violations at u.s. nuclear plants from 2007 through 2011. and now there's a move on capitol hill to block licenses for new plants. here's pierre thomas with our report. >> reporter: this is the dresden nuclear power plant in illinois. located within 50 miles of the 9 million people who live in and around chicago. but less than two years ago, in 2009, the nuclear regulatory commission cited them for allowing unlicensed operators to work with radioactive control rods. the workers allowed three radioactive control rods to be moved out of the reactor core when they should not have been. worse, the workers initially ignored alarms. that wasn't the only problem at dresden. four years ago in 2007, nuclear material literally went missing from the plant. federal regulators fined the company, saying it failed to keep complete records showing the inventory and disposal of all special nuclear material. >> history tells us that utilities, some utilities, cut corners, and then when the day of reckoning arrives, they w

those are on the drawing board at the nuclear regulatory commission and of course we have a large numberf nuclear reactors in our nuclear navy which has been operating since the 1950's. so the questions i'll be looking forward to hearing are many of the same ones that senator feinstein spoke of. what kind of safety enhancements have been made at our nuclear plants since they began operation. i mean our current plants. how will the next generation of reactors have improved safety capables of reactors that are in service not just in the united states but around the world today. what about new technologies? one of the most important things that the federal government can do about clean energy is research. we have the capacity for that. i was in great britain, madam chairman for three days last week and they remind me we're the ones with the national labs and great research universities and if any country is going to have advanced research in clean energy, it ought to be united states, we can do that for ourselves and for the world and nuclear power is one area where we can have that. better

so, eight more experts from the nuclear regulatory commission are now on their way to japan to try to help. rob and peggy? >> emily schmidt, thank you for that report. >>> and japanese officials dealing with the nuclear crisis are, quote, freaked out. that's according to one u.s. counterpart. >> that's putting it mildly. abc's akiko fujita joins us from narita, japan. so, how are the japanese people dealing with news of the leak? >> reporter: what we're seeing out in the stores is any indication, not dealing with it very well. we've heard of panic buying, even in tokyo, which you just heard is 170 miles south of the reactor. we have heard reports of stores being sold out of radios, flashlights, candles, fuel cans. essentially any emergency materials. we've also heard of grocery stores, their shelves being cleared. keep in mind that food and water was already in short supply immediately after the quake hit. people went out to the stores to stock up. now, with reports of the explosion today, people are adding to that panic. >> and, akiko, considering that the wind is blowing from the pl

, thank you. >> thank you, katie. >> couric: president obama said today he's asked the nuclear regulatory commission to do a comprehensive review of the safety of america's nuclear plants. chip reid is our chief white house correspondent. chip, the president is trying to reassure americans here at home, protect u.s. citizens in japan and do all he can to help the japanese. >> well, katie, he's doing a lot. he's trying to do all thee of those things at the same time. but in japan today, the administration's top priority was clearly helping americans to get out. president obama signed a book of condolences today at the japanese embassy in washington. >> we are doing everything we can to stand by our great friend and ally, japan, in this hour of need. >> reporter: in japan, where airplanes are jam packed with people fearing the spread of radiation, the u.s. state department today offered voluntary evacuation for american citizens, including family members of u.s. diplomats. one plane left today with about 100 americans on board. hundreds more americans are stranded in sendai, north of the damaged react

guest: i think it falls in the hands of the nuclear regulatory commission. has been one of those reactors that has been a focus of the anti-nuclear movement. not making any accusations. people have concerns in light of what's going on in japan. none of less, i would -- nonetheless, i would follow the guide of our nuclear regulatory commission. it's important to realize the new york subway, for example, runs off of nuclear power. there are a lot of new york city relies on that energy. so if you take that away you have to replace it with something. host: secretary chu, the secretary of energy, says where you site reactors and going forward will be different than where we might have sited them in the past, where to place them. and this is in response to questions about the indian point nuclear plant near new york city. every time there is an accident we have to learn from those accidents and go forward. the chairman of the nuclear regulatory commission said his agency will review how we store spent fuel from reactors. the state of the spent fuels has been a maj

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 house said it is still behind providing nuclear energy in

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

nuclear regulatory commission gregory jack so had to say. basic physics and basic science tells us that there really can't be any risk or harm to anyone here in the united states or hawaii or any of the other territories so that's something that we feel very comfortable with it's really just based on the basic facts and science that's involved here so we're in the clear for now and if the situation in japan worsens what happens then and what can the japanese do to make sure the situation doesn't worse there's still lots of questions to be answered in this fast moving and very volatile situation here to shed some light for us cindy for her specialist radiation health at the un nuclear paul gunter director of reactor oversight at beyond nuclear and climate scientist dr brenda equites all right ok we want them to you all let's let's look at some of the things that are happening in japan right now first first of all paula can you give us an update on the latest that we are we're hearing right well you know this is really good news but we're not

even if the radiation were to float over our neck of the woods, this country's nuclear regulatory commission and at least one nuclear watchdog group expected the radiation to be detectible but not dangerous. the cdc also expressing confidence that this would pose no health threat. scene in mind, that plume is expected to dilute as it travels the hundreds of miles from japan across the pacific ocean to the west coast of the united states. there are a couple of x factors. the weather patterns could change ultimately affecting the direction of this plume and this model does not send information about the actual levels of radiation in that plume. only its projected travel. keep in mind, back in the [ mutedthe mid80s, radiation hit the coast, took about 20 days and those measures were measurable but very small, ma minuscule did not pose a health risk. >> thank you, bob. >>> we want to remind people, the u.s. regulatory commission does not expect radiation levels to arrive on the west coast. >>> the death toll of the disaster in japan is rising this morning. more than 5,300 people confirmed dead.

there were complaints that he that he shouldn't be building them and the chair of the nuclear regulatory commission in the united states well as the time and energy commission then basically said well there's too much invested in these things for us to put a stop to them now so it was a flawed plant from the start and we still have twenty four of them operating in the us and i think. pretty close to an equal number around the rest of the world is there anything do you think that could have been done to prevent the disasters there i think it is all the work that goes into the development of peaceful nuclear energy should the safety come first should these things as you said and being been close a long time back i think that's the only answer for plants like that particular model. i hear people say that it's possible to design you stays a state nuclear plant it has all passive cooling systems so that if all the power fails you still can keep the plant from going into a meltdown is but i think the problem is in navy that's true but you'd have to take all the existing plants and shut them down they're

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

guest: i think it falls in the hands of the nuclear regulatory commission. indian point has been one of those reactors that has been a focus of the anti-nuclear movement. not making any accusations. people have concerns in light of what's going on in japan. none of less, i would -- nonetheless, i would follow the guide of our nuclear regulatory commission. it's important to realize the new york subway, for example, runs off of nuclear power. there are a lot of new york city relies on that energy. so if you take that away you have to replace it with something. host: secretary chu, the secretary of energy, says where you site reactors and going forward will be different than where we might have sited them in the past, where to place them. and this is in response to questions about the indian point nuclear plant near new york city. every time there is an accident we have to learn from those accidents and go forward. the chairman of the nuclear regulatory commission said his agency will review how we store spent fuel from reactors. the state of the spent fuels ha

in washington, a top official with the nuclear regulatory commission said three of the six reactors at the fukushima plant have damage to cores. but he said all are contained, and it appears emergency crews are getting closer to controlling the situation. >> we believe that the spent fuel pools on units three and four-- which had been two components of particular safety concern-- that the situation there is stabilizing, and that the containment in all three units-- one, two, and three-- appear to be functional, and that there's water being injected into the reactor vessels in units one, two, and three. >> lehrer: at one point today, smoke billowed from two of the reactors, but officials reported no increase in radiation. meanwhile, police said the death toll from the earthquake and tsunami has reached 8,800, and could top 18,000. for the survivors, day-to-day living has become a grinding struggle. alex thomson of independent television news reports from taro on the northeastern coast. >> reporter: fuel shortages remain serious here. 250 cars two miles to get a 7 liter ration. emergency

we will -- we know that is a responsibility that is proposed in the nuclear regulatory commission. from a policy perspective, we will continue to operate our reactors. we will continue to seek to build nuclear into our responsible energy future, and we have confidence in the nrc to do this safely. >> i would just add that we have plants in operation with 20% of the energy in the united states. information is still coming in from japan. as we evaluate that information, it is clear that we will incorporate that into how we use safety and security of the nuclear energy as a resource. it remains a part of the president's overall energy plan. when he talks about reaching a clean energy standard, it is a vital part of that. as we get more information from japan, that can be incorporated. right now, we are -- we remain committed to the clean energy standards. >> mr. 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 t

the nuclear regulatory commission is undergoing this. the administration keeps saying there is no cause for concern now. we think everything is safe. we want to make sure we review everything. host: let's talk to mark in boston on the line for republicans. caller: as far as i am concerned, this is strike three for the nuclear energy cheerleaders. three mile island, the chernobyl, and now japan. whether it is 50 years or 500 years, there will be accidents and unforeseen events with nuclear reactors. what are the results? 2 billion years of reactivity overall fishing grounds. the other thing that makes me interested is why the green movements are promoting the nuclear movement as clean energy. is having reactivity circling the globe for 2 million years green? there is so much greed in this country in the world. you cannot trust a man with something that powerful. host: i do not think he is alone in his concerns. i used to be a political reporter so i love poll numbers. a cnn poll cannot yesterday. they sample folks who live within 50 miles

we the nuclear regulatory commission has been a non politicized and of the and really is responsible for these issues and i think the policy makers around the n.r.c. like the congress has really taken care over the years to make sure that they were they were given the freedom to do what they needed to do on the timeframe of phase oh i think we keep hearing right now of course is that you know the dangers for seeing the dangers and action that come along with nuclear energy that again natural gas isn't necessarily safe or coal isn't safe and a lot of people are just saying well we don't have any better options all energy poses risks but why does it have to be that way why don't we have better options why isn't there more investment and more progress going on right that's a very good question to ask and i and i think the direction that we're going in a policy framework here is to focus a lot more on renewables than we have in the past them and as yet we don't have major disasters coming from solar wind or or other renewables but when you look at the energy needs of the united states an

nuclear regulatory commission told senators today that the damaged nuclear power plant in japan, quote come continues to further stabilize, and that there have been no radiation readings in the u.s. the might be of concern. these remarks came before the meeting of the senate energy and natural resources committee. other speakers included officials from the energy department, the nuclear energy institute and the union of concerned scientists. this is an hour and 45 minutes. >> thank you for being here. this is a briefing. this is not a hearing has such. the reason we try to it as a briefing is so that people wouldn't have to file written testimony 72 hours ahead of time and all of that and things are changing very quickly with regard to the evolving situation that the nuclear power plant. will the committee doesn't have direct oversight on the safety of u.s. nuclear plants we do have to consider how events such as those affect the ability of the nation's nuclear fleet of 104 reactors to supply electricity, this of course the 104 reactors currently account for 20% of the electricity that

following the disaster in japan-- the u-s nuclear regulatory commission says it plans to launch a review of all nuclear power plants in this country. and in tokyo --- people are being asked not to hoard bottled water... after it was determined that radiation levels in the tap water there had exceeded the limit considered safe for infants. water is just the latest of the food safety concerns raised since a devastating earthquake and tsunami hit the island nation more than a week ago. meanwhile, at the crippled the daiichi (deye-ee-chee) nuclear power plant, engineers are still struggling to restore cooling systems and stabilize overheating reactors. smoke forced another evacuation today, but workers have managed to get the power back on in some areas. in libya - for the first time - u-s commanders say they're using jets to attack qaddaffi's troops on the ground. in the key eastern city of misrata, qaddaffi's tanks are beginning to retreat, after a week-long assault on civilians. earlier this morning, moammar qaddafi vowed to fight back against all coalition forces imposing a no-fly zone.

nuclear regulatory commission are on that their way to japan to offer assistance. it comes as secretary of state hillary clinton met this morning with japan's ambassador. >>> a daly city driver is now going to court in hopes of getting red light cameras banned. he was out on a red light camera on the intersection of john daly boulevard heading east. he says the red light camera, you may remember thousands of tickets were dismissed in south san francisco because the city failed to give adequate notice of the red light cameras going up. now his attorney says using a camera to cite him violates his sixth amendment right to question witnesses in court. >> what we need is testimony from somebody who can say that the photograph is an accurate representation of what is shown in the photograph. >> the case goes to trial april 1st >>> let's see how the weather is going and how it's affecting your drive red light camera or not. >> north bay through the morning hours, that is where the vein heaviest. all of us will get rain by the evening commute. let's take a look outside, w

and i'm very proud of how our country has responded to this crisis and proud of how the nuclear regulatory commission staff has responded. the staff has demonstrated expertise and selflessness of the last 10 days. i applaud their outstanding efforts. the commission will receive an update on the nuclear situation in japan. there will be important lessons learned from the fukushima plant. this meeting of the first of many as we engage to understand the issues and address those issues to ensure the safety of u.s. nuclear power plants. i look forward to working with my partners on the commission to do so. >> thank you. >> thank you, mr. chairman. this is an important meeting. i want to join my colleagues and sending my personal sympathies to the people of japan. the consequences and loss of life are devastating. our thoughts and prayers are with all. i would like to commend the chairman, the executive director of operations, and our staff for their efforts in supporting the inner sea monitoring assistance associated with these events. -- in our sea of mud train assistant associate with these events. -- n

i was at a conference here in the united states that was run by our nuclear regulatory commission has just yesterday. what they said their initial findings are ha was that in severe situations like this, one of the scenarios was a loss of of site power and the effects of that. these situations unfold and you can take mitigating steps to prevent core damage. these events unfold more slowly than would have been taught about 15 years ago. in some matter of hours or days, they need to get the situation fully under control. >> in such a volatile region that is prone to earthquakes, 55 reactors provide almost 1/3 of japan's of electricity. should they be having that many reactors in a country like that? >> they have to make that decision based on what their options are as far as energy resources. if you look at global climate change, if you were having that amount of electricity supplied by of fossil fuel power plants, you have great air quality concerns that you would have to deal with. if you don't have reliable supplies of electricity, if you rely solely on intermittent sources like wind

nuclear regulatory commission reported that all of the water from one of the spent fuel pools was gone. this mean there is nothing to stop the fuel rods from getting hotter and ultimately from melting down. the fear is also that the outer shell of the rods could ignite with enough force to propel the radioactivity fuel outside. the white house is

in washington, the head of the nuclear regulatory commission said emergency workers inside the plant. >> we believe that around the reactor site that there are high levels of radiation. it would be very difficult for emergency workers to get near to the reactors. the doses they could experience would potentially be lethal doses in a very short period of time. >> ifill: there's been much discussion about the radiation and health risks near the plant, the outlying areas and farther away. we try to make some sense of it now with lake barrett, a nuclear engineer and consultant who directed the clean-up of three mile island for the nuclear regulatory commission. and norman kleiman, a professor of environmental health sciences at columbia university's mailman school of public health in new york. his work focuses on exposure to radiation. blake, you have been involved in something similar to this for some time ago now. give us a sense of what's happening in that plant right now. >> well, the workers are coping with a very challenging, very difficult situation there at fukushima. they have t

also, there is the chair of the nuclear regulatory commission, who warned that u.s. military personnel and u.s. citizens in japan should actually go back to a radius of 80 kilometers around fukushima. japan has said 20 kilometers, so it seems that the u.s. has an assessment that is fairly serious. >> any idea if they are following the french lead, recommending that they leave japan altogether? >> we have not had any word on that from the united states government. i think that would be much further for the u.s. in the sense that the u.s. has so many people in the country, currently 50,000 u.s. troops currently in japan get there is concern. the u.s. government says it is monitoring -- currently in japan. there is concern. the u.s. government says it is monitoring the situation. there is no thought that anyone residing in the u.s. is at risk. >> but with 34 u.s. experts landing on wednesday, joining seven others, all with an american equipment, the u.s. is having to answer questions about whether it even trusts japan completely. >> a slight difference from what we are

the nuclear regulatory commission says the radiation is not expected to reach the united states. california has monitoring systems in place for our air, water, and food supply. >> speaking of food and water are in short supply for hundreds of thousands of earthquake survive glors japan, and temperatures are near freezing. rescuers are pulling bodies and some survivors from the mud-covered wreckage of homes and cars. over 1400 people are confirmed dead. one police heave says the toll could top 10,000. >> reporter: with images that speak for themselves, japan's prime minister spoke frankly inch the 65 years after the end of world war ii, this is the toughest, most difficult crisis for japan. sendai and surrounding areas resellle a war zone as troops race to pull the living from the ruins. this man was pulled nine miles out to sea, rescued while floating on his roof top. another man rescued said he refused to die. my thoughts were focused on my family. i decided to make every effort to survive. that anyone survived the tsunami seems a miracle. witnesses say massive walls pouring pas

the nuclear regulatory commission met in rockville maryland today. they will review all 104 u.s. nuclear plants and determine if any changes are necessary. >> here in the united states we have an obligation to the united states to under take a methodical review of our own facilities. >> lawmakers and antinuclear activist are also calling for safety measures in our own quake prone state. >>> nancy pelosi was briefly hospitalized in rome. she was scheduled to meet with italy's defense minister when he was admitted today. she has since resumed her schedule and released a statement saying quote after several flights yesterday and afghanistan and a long flight back to italy that arrived early this morning leader pelosi was not feeling well. she was advised to visit a clinic. and the closest medical facility was a hospital. she is now resuming her schedule in italy. >>> punishing air strikes in libya. reports military officials are denying today. >>> the wild weekend weather continues. we will have your back to work forecast. >>> how overweight americans may be effecting the safety of p

. >> eight more experts from the nuclear regulatory commission are on their way to japan, meantime, they says more of their crew members were exposed to exposed to very low levels of radiation and had to be decontaminated after delivering food, water and blankets. despite assurance that radiation from japan is highly unlikely to reach the west coast. they local pharmacies have run out of potassium iodide. >> to inject that, the thyroid gland will put you at great risk of thyroid cancer. if you take the tablet, instead of taking the radioactive iodine they will fill your thyroid gland with good iodine and the radioactive iodine respect through. >> the doctor says for us, more important preparation is to have a disaster kit that includes a kit complete with a 30 day supply of all medications you take and a communication plan for your family. >>> millions of people are spending a fifth night in near freezing temperatures in japan with hardly any food, water or heat. temporary shelters are overcrowded. here is a report on fishing village. >> we traveled up by a small fishing village. there

. >> eight more experts from the nuclear regulatory commission are on their way to japan, meantime, the navy says more of their crew members were exposed to exposed to very low levels of radiation and had to be decontaminated after delivering food, water and blankets. despite assurance that radiation from japan is highly unlikely to reach the west coast. they local pharmacies have run out of potassium iodide. >> to inject that, the thyroid gland will put you at great risk of thyroid cancer. if you take the tablet, instead of taking the radioactive iodine they will fill your thyroid gland with good iodine and the radioactive iodine respect through. >> the doctor says for us, more important preparation is to have a disaster kit that includes a kit complete with a 30 day supply of all medications you take and a communication plan for your family. >>> millions of people are spending a fifth night in near freezing temperatures in japan with hardly any food, water or heat. temporary shelters are overcrowded. here is a report on fishing village. >> we traveled up by a small fishing village. th

. >> the energy secretary and the chairmen of the nuclear regulatory commission testified on the energy department's fiscal budget and nuclear power safety issues following the earthquake and tsunami enter japan. watched a complete hearing on the c-span video library. it is washington your way. "washington journal" continues. host: our sunday roundtable. we want to welcome david brody, the cbn is chief political correspondent. and michael shear with "the new york times". let me begin with the news of the day. what is the objective? guest: that is the big question. there is a short-term and long- term objective. one will be more difficult than the other. the short term objective is apparently to prevent a kind of humanitarian crisis in the country. there was some concern in europe that they would pressure the united states to join in, which was -- is colonel gaddafi going to attack and kill thousands of his own people? the humanitarian pressure to do something to stop that. the broader question is a, the united states and the rest of the western world have called for colonel gaddafi to l

the report criticized those operators and the nuclear regulatory commission. >>> president obama has a comprehensive review of all 104 nuclear reactors in the u.s. those plants supply about 20% of the nation's electricity. he wants to make sure that they can withstand earthquakes and other disasters. >> it's a good day to watch cbs, watch basketball, watch your brackets. san diego state were winners yesterday. >> how did you guys do? are you doing all right so far? >> my team hasn't played. i have ohio state. >> i don't know. i don't keep up with it. >> oh, yeah. she says that now. [ laughter ] >> you wait. next weekend she will be talking about all those victories. folks, we have a little rain showing up around the bay area now moderate amounts of rain in parts of the bay area. you can see it moving along the coastline. a few cells here as we head in toward redwood city and san carlos and belmont. you have some rain headed in your direction, along 101. so be very careful out the door. still that rain is going to be picking up. these are showers ahead of the main rain, which is the mi