Japan's Fukushima Daiichi tops the list but other plants are being built in quake zones with a disregard for safety, a report claims
Japan's crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant tops a list of the riskiest nuclear power stations in the world, according to a new report.
Other plants on the list, which have been criticised for a lack of safety include Jaitapur NPP in India, Belene NPP in Bulgaria, Romania's Cernavoda NPP and Angra 3 NPP in Brazil.
The list was complied by RepRisk and is based on the amount of negative criticism the plants have received in the press.
The Fukushima Daiichi plant was critically damaged recently by a massive earthquake and tsunami. This has called into question the safety of nuclear power.
Critics of Japan's nuclear safety say that the Fukushima Daiichi facility was vulnerable to earthquakes and that safety standards were not maintained, leading to the current crisis.
The German government responded by suspending operations in seven nuclear facilities.
But some countries continue to build nuclear plants in earthquake prone areas.
According to RepRisk the most controversial nuclear power project is Jaitapur NPP, approved by the Indian government to be built in an area prone to strong earthquakes.
RepRisk also warned that the Belene NPP, Cernavoda NPP, and Angra 3 projects were approved very quickly and with little consideration of the risks and potential impacts.
The US is also considering approving the licence for Diablo Canyon NPP, despite the fact that it is located on a major fault line, said the RepRisk report.
According to news reports safety officials recommended that Daiichi’s Mark 1 design, developed by General Electric in 1960, be discontinued in 1972 because it presented unacceptable safety risks.
Evidence indicates that the plant operators chose not to address these concerns, claimed RepRisk.
