LOC09:16
06:16 GMT
WASHINGTON, March 16 (KUNA) -- President Barack Obama said he would take
action to improve the safety of US nuclear facilities, while assuring the
public any effect of the disaster in Japan would not affect the American
people.
"Nuclear plants are designed to withstand certain levels of earthquakes,
but having said that, nothing is completely failsafe; nothing is completely
foolproof," he said in an interview with a CBS television station in
Pennsylvania, on Tuesday.
"So each time these kinds of events happen, I think it is very important
for us to examine how we can further improve the safety and performance of
these plants."
The President said he was "deeply worried about radiation effects in Japan"
in the wake of the 9.0-magnitude earthquake that struck off the coast of
northern Japan on Friday, damaging a nuclear complex that continues to be
plagued by fires and radiation emissions.
"Our hearts go out to the people of Japan. They are dealing with a triple
whammy -- the earthquake, the tsunami, and now this nuclear accident," Obama
said. "So we are providing them all the support that we can. We want to make
sure that they know that we have their backs and are one of our closest allies
and closest friends."
There are dangers for radiation release that could affect the immediate
vicinity of nuclear plants and potentially could drift over other parts of
Japan, he said.
"But I have been assured that any nuclear release dissipates by the time it
gets even to Hawaii, much less the mainland of the United States," he added.
Transcripts from the interview were released Tuesday night.(end)
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