ROCKVILLE, Maryland (AP) -- A federal task force on Thursday vouched anew for the safety of U.S. nuclear power plants in the aftermath of the Japanese crisis.
The group established by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it has not identified any issues that undermine confidence in the continued safety and emergency planning at the 104 U.S. nuclear reactors.
Even so, the task force said it is likely to recommend changes in rules governing U.S. nuclear plants to enhance safety and preparedness -- and lower the level of risk.
The group comprised of senior NRC staffers said it will address a range of issues at nuclear plants, including their ability to cope with prolonged power outages caused by earthquakes, floods, fires or other catastrophic events.
NRC chairman Gregory Jaczko has questioned whether U.S. reactors are prepared for the type of days-long power outage that struck a nuclear power plant in Japan following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami there.
In the U.S., the NRC has mandated that plants need only cope without power for four to eight hours. After that time, the policy assumes some electrical power would be restored, either from the power grid or emergency diesel generators that are required at all plants.
The task force did not make a recommendation on so-called "station blackouts," but the group's chairman said it likely will be addressed in a 90-day report due in July.
The task force also will look at ways to prevent long-term damage to the core reactors and spent fuel pools in the event of a long-term blackout, said Charles Miller, a senior NRC staffer who chairs the task force. Miller briefed the five-member commission Thursday on the group's progress.
The NRC set up the panel in late March, saying it was important to apply lessons learned from Japan. The task force is conducting two reviews, a 90-day report due in July and a long-term analysis due in January.
