How to evaluate the 4. 1 earthquake in Taojiang County, Hunan Province, where inland nuclear power plants will be built?

The National Nuclear Safety Administration has strict regulations on the site selection of nuclear power plants, requiring site safety analysis and environmental impact analysis reports, and trying to avoid earthquake, flood, landslide and other frequent areas. Therefore, the taohuajiang earthquake should be a small probability event.

In addition, even if there is a magnitude 7 earthquake, there is no need to be afraid. The design of nuclear power plants requires earthquake resistance. Fukushima nuclear power plant is a good example. Under the earthquake of magnitude 9, the nuclear power plant itself was not damaged, and the reactor could be stopped automatically. It was only the tsunami caused by the earthquake that flooded the off-site emergency diesel generator set, which caused the reactor to lose its heat trap and the residual heat could not be discharged, which led to the melting of the core and the subsequent hydrogen explosion.

It is worth pointing out that the Fukushima nuclear power plant belongs to the second generation technology and the third generation to be built in taohuajiang. The third generation passive system will effectively avoid the Fukushima accident.

Therefore, the earthquake itself is nothing to be afraid of. But there will always be residual risks, and there will always be accidents beyond human cognition, but the probability is very low. So safety is a relative concept. I agree with Tombo of the Nuclear Safety Administration that safety is an acceptable risk.