Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Entergy Statement Japan
Entergy Statement Japan
New Orleans, La. – Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) and its employees express their
deepest sympathies to the people of Japan during this difficult time. Entergy’s nuclear
employees are closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory
Commission, the Nuclear Energy Institute, the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations and
industry peers. Working through NEI, we have offered our support and assistance to the
Entergy’s nuclear plants were designed and built to withstand the effects of natural
disasters, including earthquakes and catastrophic flooding. The NRC requires that safety-
significant structures, systems and components be designed to take into account the most severe
natural phenomena historically reported for each site and surrounding area. In determining the
appropriate standards, the NRC includes an added safety margin to ensure that the standards
take into account the risk that a future event, such as an earthquake or flooding, could be more
severe than any recorded historical event. Systems are designed with multiple contingent backup
-- more –
Entergy News Release
Page 2 of 3
March 14, 2011
In addition to stringent design and construction standards, Entergy and other nuclear
operators conduct ongoing programs to ensure plant safety. These programs, which are closely
• Ongoing risk analysis and design enhancements to address natural and man-made
risks.
• Extensive operator training in preparation for extreme conditions, along with drills
protecting public health and safety (such as those put in place following Hurricane
Katrina); these plans are regularly exercised in cooperation with local, state and
federal agencies.
There will be lessons learned from this tragic event. Incorporating those lessons into
operating experience is a hallmark of the global nuclear industry. It is worth noting that the
natural environment surrounding the nuclear plants in Japan is very different from the
NEI, and generally common knowledge in the scientific community, Japan is more susceptible
to frequent and intense earthquakes than other developed countries. While it is still early, it
appears that the nuclear units’ safety systems functioned properly after the initial effects of the
earthquake in Japan. Reports suggest it was the overwhelming tsunami that severely damaged
-- more --
Entergy News Release
Page 3 of 3
March 14, 2011
security, safety and mechanical risks, to name a few. The company understands and appreciates
that these forces, natural and man-made, require constant vigilance and preparation for the
unexpected. Accordingly, the company will continue to monitor closely the situation in Japan,
and lessons will be learned and translated to even greater safety and effectiveness to meet the
challenges of the most adverse and unexpected events, creating stronger public confidence in
More information on the nuclear industry and events in Japan can be found at
www.nei.org.
power production and retail distribution operations. Entergy owns and operates power plants
with approximately 30,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, and it is the second-
largest nuclear generator in the United States. Entergy delivers electricity to 2.7 million utility
customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy has annual revenues of more
-30-
www.entergy.com.
-more-