Radiation safety

Nuclear power plants running safely after East Coast quake

Federal nuclear regulators gave the all clear on Wednesday after the largest earthquake to hit the Washington region since 2011 struck off the coast of Maryland Tuesday night.

No nuclear plants in the vicinity of the earthquake were affected, said Diane Screnci, Nuclear Regulatory Commission spokeswoman for its Region I office.

“All are continuing to operate safely,” she added. “We have no safety concerns.”

Nuclear reactors must follow strict standards to guard against weather and other safety incidents that may affect their storage and use of radioactive materials.

Earthquake safety was made a top concern after the 2011 nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan, which was the result of a massive tsunami caused by an earthquake.

The Daiichi power plant suffered numerous catastrophic failures releasing radiation into a region about 180 miles north of Tokyo. The NRC is in the final stages of implementing the safety protocols for power plants in the U.S. eight years after the disaster.

The Calvert Cliffs nuclear power station in Maryland, east of Washington, D.C., was unaffected by the Tuesday night tremor, said an official.

The quake occurred off the coast of Ocean City, Md., and was reportedly felt by residents, but with no damage reported. The U.S. Geological Survey did not issue a tsunami warming.