Earthquake caused massive nuclear storage casks to move at North Anna

Last week's central Virginia earthquake caused 25 spent-fuel storage casks -- each weighing 115 tons -- to move on their concrete pad at Dominion Virginia Power's North Anna nuclear power plant.

The shifting of these massive casks holding used nuclear fuel was the first caused by an earthquake in the U.S., according to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

None of the metal cylinders was damaged and no radiation was released, Dominion Virginia Power said.

Like hockey pucks on a jostled tray, the 16-foot tall casks -- made from thick steel -- shifted from an inch to 4 ½ inches, utility company spokesman Rick Zuercher said.

"They just moved because of the vibration," Zuercher said. "They remained upright and fully intact."

Federal regulators will examine data from the spent-fuel storage area as part of the inspection of the plant that the NRC began Tuesday, said Scott Burnell, a spokesman with the federal agency's headquarters in Rockville, Md.

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"Initial reviews determined the plant may have exceeded the ground motion for which it was designed," says the release, which also assures that "no significant damage to safety systems has been identified."

That's small consolation to one prominent nuclear watchdog, who says it's not what's above ground that gives him the greatest concern.

"Central to the issue is miles of buried pipe under the plant that carry radioactive water," says Paul Gunter, director of a nonprofit group called Beyond Nuclear.

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