Three Japanese nuclear reactors experience earthquake!!!!!!

[NNadir]

CNN is reporting an earthquake in Japan.

TOKYO, Japan (CNN) -- A magnitude-6.7 earthquake struck just off the northwestern Japanese coast Monday morning, knocking down several small buildings and resulting in at least 20 injuries, authorities reported.

The quake struck at 10:13 a.m. (0113 GMT), the Japanese Meteorological Agency reported, and caused minor shaking in Tokyo, about 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of its epicenter.

According to The Associated Press, the Meteorological Agency said small tsunamis as high as 20 inches were believed to have hit coasts in the area...

...The temblor triggered an automatic shutdown of the three reactors at a nuclear power plant outside Kashiwazaki, Tokyo Electric Power reported. A small fire broke out at the plant's electrical transmission facility shortly after the quake, sending a plume of black smoke over the plant, but there was no release of radiation, company spokesman Kaoru Yoshida reported...

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/07/15/japan.quake/index.html

There was no word on whether any gas stations had leaks, whether any natural gas lines broke, or whether any flourescent bulbs broke releasing dangerous mercury.

It was also not reported if any electrical transformers broke anywhere or dangerous windows broke in high rises.

Presumably, though unreported by CNN, Japanese dangerous fossil fuel plants continue to produce dangerous fossil fuel waste which was released presumably in dangerous quantities. Of course, in Japan, as elsewhere, the release of dangerous quantities of dangerous fossil fuel waste happens whether there is an earthquake or not.

We can all be justly proud that CNN always feels compelled to report on the status of nuclear plants. Besides the damage to the transformer, we may find that dishes may have been broken in the nuclear plant's cafeteria and possibly that cracks have appeared in the parking lot.