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Environment

Nuclear Safety

After Fukushima

We are tracking the nuclear disaster in Japan, and looking at questions about nuclear safety in the U.S. and elsewhere.

25 stories published since 2011

Nuclear Safety: The Story So Far

by ProPublica,

Whistleblowers Say Nuclear Regulatory Commission Watchdog Is Losing Its Bite

by John Sullivan,

NRC Panel Calls for Safety Upgrade After Fukushima

by John Sullivan,

Nuclear Plants and Disasters: NRC Inspection Results

by John Sullivan and Ariel Wittenberg,

Nuke Plant Inspections Find Flaws in Disaster Readiness

by John Sullivan,

Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chief Blasts Agency’s Approach to Fire Safety

by John Sullivan,

Electrical Fire Knocks Out Spent Fuel Cooling at Nebraska Nuke Plant

by John Sullivan,

Editor's Note on Our Investigation Into Fire Risks at Nuclear Power Plants

by Stephen Engelberg,

NRC Waives Enforcement of Fire Rules at Nuclear Plants

by John Sullivan,

U.S. Nuclear Plants Drafting Customized Fire Plans

by John Sullivan,

Safety Reviewers Raise Questions About Construction of New Nuclear Fuel Plant

by Donna Deedy, special to ProPublica, with Michael Grabell,

U.S. Nuclear Regulator Lets Industry Help With the Fine Print

by John Sullivan,

House Calls for Drastic Cuts in Hospital Preparedness Funding

by Sasha Chavkin,

U.S. Nuclear-Disaster Preparedness Hobbled by Uncertain Chain of Command

by Sasha Chavkin and Sheri Fink,

U.S. Health Care System Unprepared for Major Nuclear Emergency

by Sheri Fink,

While Nuclear Waste Piles Up in U.S., Billions in Fund to Handle It Sit Unused

by Joaquin Sapien,

Even In Worst Case, Japan’s Nuclear Disaster Will Have Limited Reach

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

Our Quick Guide to Nuclear Plant Safety: What Could Go Wrong?

by Sergio Hernández and Marian Wang,

Six Ways Fukushima is Not Chernobyl

by Lois Beckett,

Congressman: U.S. May Not Be Prepared to Respond to Nuclear Disaster

by Sasha Chavkin,

Our Reading List for Following Nuclear News From Japan

by Marian Wang,

Spent Fuel Now Focus at Japanese Reactor, Highlighting Concerns About Plant Design

by Tom Detzel,

Status of Spent Nuclear Fuel in Question at Crippled Japanese Power Plant

by John Sullivan,

Iodine Pills Distributed in Japan Offer Limited Protection From Effects of Radiation

by Marian Wang,

Can U.S. Nuclear Plants Handle a Major Natural Disaster?

by John Sullivan,

What We’re Watching

During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.

Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.

Photo of Sharon Lerner
Sharon Lerner

I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

Photo of Andy Kroll
Andy Kroll

I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.

Photo of Melissa Sanchez
Melissa Sanchez

I report on immigration and labor, and I am based in Chicago.

Photo of Jesse Coburn
Jesse Coburn

I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.

If you don’t have a specific tip or story in mind, we could still use your help. Sign up to be a member of our federal worker source network to stay in touch.

Most Read

    Utah Sen. Mike Lee Says Selling Off Public Lands Will Solve the West’s Housing Crisis. Past Sales Show Otherwise.

    Last month, Lee introduced a now-removed amendment to Trump’s policy megabill that mandated the sale of up to 3 million acres. It did little to address the challenges of building affordable housing on public land.

    by Abe Streep,

    Rx Roulette

    FDA Layoffs Could Compromise Safety of Medications Made at Foreign Factories, Inspectors Say

    Beyond staff cuts, the departures of some longtime investigators in recent months have left less experienced people tasked with rooting out dangerous manufacturing practices.

    by Victoria Malis, Katherine Dailey and Sadie Leite, Medill Investigative Lab, and Debbie Cenziper and Megan Rose, ProPublica,

    “The Intern in Charge”: Meet the 22-Year-Old Trump’s Team Picked to Lead Terrorism Prevention

    One year out of college and with no apparent national security expertise, Thomas Fugate is the Department of Homeland Security official tasked with overseeing the government’s main hub for combating violent extremism.

    by Hannah Allam,

    Kristi Noem Secretly Took a Cut of Political Donations

    A dark money group paid $80,000 to Noem’s personal company when she was governor of South Dakota. She did not include this income on her federal disclosure forms, a likely violation of ethics requirements, experts say.

    by Justin Elliott, Joshua Kaplan and Alex Mierjeski,

    Life of the Mother

    A “Striking” Trend: After Texas Banned Abortion, More Women Nearly Bled to Death During Miscarriage

    A new ProPublica data analysis adds to the mounting evidence that abortion bans have made the common experience of first-trimester miscarriage far more dangerous.

    by Kavitha Surana, Lizzie Presser and Andrea Suozzo,