Chernobyl: can it happen here?

History shows that reactor emergencies in the United States are rare and have very limited consequences, both in the numbers of persons injured and the magnitude of injuries. The engineering and regulation of nuclear reactors make it extremely unlikely that persons off-site would be significantly contaminated in the event of malfunction. Utilities have systems in place to care for personnel who are injured and/or exposed. Evacuation planning for nuclear facilities appears to be better than for other community emergencies (eg, earthquakes, hurricanes). In the unlikely event of massive numbers of off-site injuries such as occurred at Chernobyl, a backup system of personnel and equipment is available through federal resources